In the ever-changing landscape of ecommerce, new approaches and technologies continually emerge to meet the demands of businesses and customers alike. One example of this is composable commerce, which promises a new level of flexibility and customization in building commerce ecosystems. It includes architecture that is API first, cloud native, headless and microservice based. This model promises freedom and flexibility for retailers and DTC brands to offer differentiating experiences in areas such as search, personalization and loyalty. Let’s delve into the key takeaways from this webinar’s insightful discussion.
WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT:
- What is and is not composable and how has it evolved over the past few years?
- Composable isn’t for every brand – how do you know if it’s right for you?
- What are the staffing and total cost of ownership considerations for composable commerce?
SPEAKERS:
- Joe Megibow, CEO, Bright Cellars
- Angela Gruszka, SVP of Digital Marketing and Ecommerce, AERIN
- Kelly Goetsch, Chief Strategy Officer, commercetools
- Dan Berger, Delivery Partner, Apply Digital
- Moderator: Scott Silverman, Co-Founder, CommerceNext
Watch the full webinar or read on for the key takeaways.
WHAT IS COMPOSABLE?
Composable commerce revolves around four core principles: microservices, API-first architecture, cloud-native design and headless commerce. It empowers businesses to pick and choose components from various vendors, rather than relying on a single provider. This approach allows companies to select the best-fit solutions for their specific needs, such as search, personalization and loyalty tools. The field of composable commerce has been through distinct stages over the years. Kelly Goetsch, Chief Strategy Officer at commercetools, takes us through this timeline, starting with the year 2000 when inflexible platforms flooded the market and brings us to 2016 with the growth of MACH-based, channel-agnostic, business-centric, agile and experimentative ecosystems.
IS THIS RIGHT FOR ME?
To determine if composable commerce is the right fit, businesses must consider various factors. Dan Berger, Delivery Partner at Apply Digital, shares that the maturity of vendors in the space makes it a more accessible option compared to a few years ago. For businesses with complexity in their product offerings, high gross merchandise value (GMV), or unique models like subscriptions, composable commerce is a natural choice. On the other hand, it may not be suitable for lower-margin ventures with limited product differentiation and smaller, less technical enterprises.
STAFFING AND COSTS
Transitioning to composable commerce comes with certain costs that businesses should evaluate. These costs include hiring new employees, training, adapting internal processes, SaaS vendor expenses, tech implementation/integration costs and ongoing maintenance and enhancements.
PANEL DISCUSSION
The webinar also featured a panel discussion involving industry leaders Joe Medibow, CEO of Bright Cellars, and Angela Gruszka, SVP of Digital Marketing and Ecommerce at AERIN. Joe recommended making the switch to composable commerce when the needs of your company have extended beyond what software vendors or providers can do. Angela suggests that smaller businesses should start building the infrastructure to support composable commerce even if they aren’t ready for it yet because composable is the future.
Composable commerce has emerged as a powerful approach for businesses seeking unparalleled flexibility and customization in their commerce ecosystems. With its potential to change the ecommerce landscape, companies must assess their readiness to embrace this innovative model. By combining the insights from industry experts and panel discussions, businesses can learn more about this new way of working in the ever-changing world of ecommerce.
If you’re looking to learn more about emerging technologies and strategies, check out our blog on Generative AI or Google Analytics 4.
