Historically, retail has evolved significantly over the past hundred years. From the emergence of the first physical stores, which operated independently and without the need for integration between units, to the current scenario dominated by digitalization and real-time integration, the sector has faced technological and behavioral transformations that have radically changed the consumer experience.
In the early days of retail, brick-and-mortar stores operated in isolation. Each unit had its own inventory control, customer service, and management. The main focus was the local consumer experience. Such simplicity, however, became unsustainable with the growth of retail networks, societies, and the increasingly complex relationships between brands and consumers.
The arrival of integrated management systems in the early 1990s, such as ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning), was the first step towards centralizing operations, enabling a new era of scalability for businesses.
Furthermore, with the advent of new channels such as telephone, email, and digital platforms, retail began to operate in a more complex environment. Multichanneling emerged as a response to this diversification of touchpoints, allowing the consumer to interact with the brand in different ways and through multiple points of service and contact.
In practice, multichanneling has enabled consumers to buy online and pick up in-store, or even seek after-sales solutions through channels like WhatsApp and social media. Recent data shows that 50% of consumers prefer to resolve post-sale issues via WhatsApp, highlighting the importance of offering quick, convenient options that directly engage with the consumer.
However, despite being efficient, multichanneling often fails to deliver an integrated experience. Operations across different channels often do not communicate with each other, resulting in consumer frustrations and operational challenges for companies.
Unified Commerce: total integration
In this scenario, Unified Commerce emerges as the natural evolution of multichannel, offering an integrated and centralized approach that combines data, inventories, logistics, and customer service in a single orchestration system. The goal is to deliver a smooth, real-time experience for the consumer, regardless of the channel used.
Unified Commerce is not just about connecting sales channels. It is necessary to integrate the entire chain of operations, from inventory to delivery logistics, using advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Big Data to anticipate needs and personalize interactions. The concept meets consumers' expectations for frictionless experiences, where there are no barriers between the physical and digital. It is an evolution, made possible by technology, of the concept ofomnichannel, so talked about but always implemented with great difficulty by companies.
Who is leading this revolution?
Several retailers have already adopted Unified Commerce as their core strategy. Examples include
WalmartThe retail giant invested heavily in technology to integrate its online and physical operations, allowing customers to shop from anywhere and receive products quickly and efficiently.
AmazonAlthough it is traditionally a digital platform, the company is expanding its physical presence with initiatives like Amazon Go, where data integration and technology eliminate queues and simplify the shopping experience.
Magazine LuizaIn Brazil, Magalu is an example of how full integration can benefit the customer. The company uses systems that connect inventory, logistics, and customer service, allowing the consumer to choose where and how to receive the products.
The implementation of Unified Commerce, however, is not simple. It involves technical challenges, such as integrating legacy systems, and strategic challenges, such as training teams to operate in a highly connected environment. Furthermore, it requires significant investments in technology and infrastructure, changes in the incentive and reward mechanisms for sales teams, truly placing the customer at the center of management, and much more.
On the other hand, the benefits are clear. Companies that adopt Unified Commerce are better able to meet the demands of modern consumers, increasing loyalty and driving operational efficiency. In an increasingly competitive market, this can be a decisive differentiator.
Therefore, the transition from multichannel to Unified Commerce represents a revolution in retail. More than technological change, it is the cultural transformation that puts the consumer at the center of all operations. Companies that embrace this change will be better prepared to compete in a landscape where customer experience is the most valuable currency. Total integration is not a differentiator, but a necessity for those who want to stay relevant in the current market.
