Despite global crises, e-commerce continues to grow. Trends such as social commerce and customers' desire for seamless customer journeys offer valuable revenue opportunities, but many retailers are unable to take advantage of them with their existing IT setup. Actindo experts have analyzed the reasons and share solutions.

Customer experiences are also changing radically: according to the Forrester report, "The 3D Connected Consumer 2023", consumers are now connected three-dimensionally across devices, platforms and channels.

They expect a digital shopping experience that takes into account their personal needs and is seamless from the purchase to the receipt of the goods.

To create brand experiences that meet these demands and trends, e-commerce leaders need to flexibly orchestrate their business processes, front-end experiences, and data across all customer touchpoints. However, Actindo's analyses show that many brands are not yet technologically capable of doing so.

Why Opportunities in E-Commerce Remain Untapped

"Almost every retail company is slowed down by outdated technologies such as ERP or order management systems," says Boris Krstic, CEO of Actindo. Many retail executives report that their systems are cumbersome and modernization is costly.

In addition to rigid, complex legacy systems, "Frankenstein" software is often the reason for a lack of flexibility: this accumulation of programs that are not compatible with standard systems creates data silos in which important information is stuck.

This results in several problems:

• Many executives don't know what's going on in their order and supply chains.
• In peak-order periods, it's impossible to scale quickly and fix problems at short notice.
• Retailers cannot react flexibly enough to trends and introduce new products at short notice.

Retailers Use Platforms to Orchestrate Data and processes

"E-commerce companies are under massive pressure to modernize their back-end and ensure the compatibility of their front-end platforms," says Boris Krstic, summarizing the situation of many retailers.

Actindo recommends here a Digital Experience Platform (DXP) – especially for companies with volatile processes that need to flexibly adapt their front-end, and need a back-end that can keep up.

According to Forrester, a DXP provides the architectural foundation and modular services that enable retailers to create, orchestrate, and enhance digital experiences at scale. In doing so, they break down data silos and seize sales opportunities that e-commerce trends offer them.

The lifestyle brand Kapten & Son is already using these advantages in practice: the accessories and fashion retailer links all processes in social commerce and influencer marketing with order management.

In this way, the company increases order capacity and fulfillment, especially during periods of high order volume. In addition to the jewellery and fashion industry, the entire retail sector, such as fashion, food or fitness, benefits from modular and flexible digital experience architectures.

Retail Strategies Recommended by Experts

Actindo's experts are bundling their expertise on the current challenges and opportunities in e-commerce into a new whitepaper and an accompanying webinar with Joe Cicman, Principal Analyst at Forrester.

Together, they analyze why existing e-commerce systems often reach their agility limits and what opportunities they miss out on as a result.

The webinar and whitepaper offer concrete recommendations for brand and retail leaders who want to build a Digital Experience Platform and remain successful in an increasingly demanding e-commerce landscape.