New Manhattan Associates report closely examines 220 North American retailers and dives into over 300 capabilities across four key areas: shopping, checkout, fulfilment, and service, to understand what is driving success in unified commerce.
Only 5% of these retailers scored Leader status, showing they’ve mastered omnichannel shopping and can deliver personalised experiences, whether you’re shopping online or in-store. Brands like Apple, Best Buy, IKEA, and Nike are leading the pack, boasting 31% lower fulfilment costs and 24% higher customer satisfaction compared to their competitors.
With the retail world changing at warp speed, this report suggests that brands need to step up their unified commerce game. The bar has been raised since 2023, with 33% of capabilities that once set Leaders apart now considered standard. It’s all about adapting to a fresh set of must-haves to stay in the game.
Key capability areas defining leadership in unified commerce in 2025 are:
Shopping Experience: Today’s consumers switch effortlessly between channels—think social media, online marketplaces, and in-store shopping. Multi-channel shoppers are spending 15% more per order, and retail teams are now influencing over 34% of digital discoveries.
Checkout Experience: A smooth checkout process is a must for keeping today’s shoppers engaged. A solid 70% of Leaders offer smart cart experiences that sync across channels, leading to 20% fewer abandoned carts compared to their peers.
Fulfilment Experience: With everyone expecting real-time tracking and flexible delivery options, 50% of Leaders let customers change their orders after purchase, while only 13% of others do the same. This level of convenience is becoming the new normal.
Service Experience: Consumers are all about building relationships now. Leaders have merged their customer service channels to ensure smooth transitions between in-store, digital, and phone support. This has resulted in half as many support escalations related to orders, and the rise of GenAI self-service agents is set to cut down even more support calls.
Ann Ruckstuhl, SVP and CMO at Manhattan, said: “While every aspect of unified commerce is a driver of business success, true leadership requires an unwavering focus on every stage of the customer journey—from shopping and checkout to fulfilment and service. What stands out most is the outsized impact of inventory on top-line revenue growth. Inventory visibility, availability and seamless shipping have become critical levers for driving business performance in today’s competitive retail landscape.”