First there was multi-channel, then cross-channel, then the dreaded omni-channel to describe the progress of integrating retail functions. The problem with each of these terms is it doesn’t really describe what retailers are really trying to do. Retailers are racing to get a a single version of the truth regarding the customer and the order. Information that can utilized, tracked and accessed regardless of the channel. COVID-19 and the rise of digital journeys with local delivery of Click and Collect only hastened the need for unified commerce. Further, retailers need insight into things coming into their supply chain and integration on the final delivery to the customer (plus order feedback) regardless of how the customer gets the product. Unified Commerce is one step beyond omni-channel and includes the technology enabled retail functions (both inside and outside the company) to serve the consumer where, when and how they desire.
Over 66% of all software spending in retail is now focused on the concept of Unified Commerce. For SaaS/Cloud this number increases to 68%. This study, part of the IHL Insight MarketView line of research, outlines the pillars of these buckets of spend, how big that market is and who the leaders are in North America and worldwide.
IHL has been advising the retail community (vendors and retailers alike) since 1996 in retail information technology evolution and strategy. The IHL Insight Market View series of research studies build upon all this knowledge and add analyst insight to graphically display vendor positioning, drive for innovation and projected growth.
Over the years we’ve amassed a tremendous amount of primary- and secondary-source data through first hand consulting experience in this pursuit. From this ever-growing knowledge base, offerings like our Sophia Data Service, The Worldview IT Sizing Forecast Model as well as custom research projects have been developed and successfully launched.
The goal of this report, as well as the entire IHL Retail Executive Advisory Program (REAP), is to provide the retail community with the most detailed and complete picture imaginable of the retail technology landscape. We do this to assist retailers in vendor selection and to help the industry understand the trends, drivers and barriers that are fundamentally transforming our industry.
Who are the real leaders? What are the real software rankings? Who is leading in the Retail SaaS market? Which vendors are leading in sales, innovation, market reach and can implement a complete Unified Commerce approach? It’s all here.
Retailers are encouraged to use these charts in discussions with their vendor partners. It is our intent that they provide unique insights into vendor strategy and provide thought-provoking questions as we all move though and prosper in the Era of Intentional Innovation.
NOTE: This study is available individually or at a discount as part of the IHL Retail Executive Advisory Program.
Readers of this research will get a forecast for Software Licenses, Software Maintenance, and Software-as-a-Service for Unified Commerce categories.
Next we provide rankings for combined Software and SaaS, Software and Maintenance, and then just SaaS on its own.
Then we discuss market trends, drivers and market barriers.
The IHL Insight Market View Map then positions vendors against each other in a 3-dimensional quadrant view. The upper right quadrant shows someone who is a leader in market strength and also in growth, innovation, and unified commerce coverage. What is unique about the IHL approach is we also add a further dimension of market share scale so you can not only see who is in what quadrant, but how strong they are as well. This is ideal as executives review their market position and consider competitors and acquisition candidates.
Finally, we provide market profiles on the top 15 software providers by revenue. Each profile includes total revenues, revenues by hardware, software, SaaS, and services, revenues by region, and revenues by Line of Business Category. In addition, the profiles include merger and acquisition information as well as key clients.
Vendors included in this research include the following: Adobe, Aptos, Blue Yonder, Cegid Group, enVista, Flooid, IBM, Infor, Kibo Software, LightSpeed Retail, MI9, Microsoft, NCR, Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, Shopify, and Vend.
What makes this research different and more rigorous is that it is based on a very sophisticated and highly objective research model. It allows vendors, retailers and analysts to see who are the real leaders in retail software, true software market rankings, who is leading in the fast growing software-as-a-service market, and which vendors are leading in sales, innovation, market reach and can implement a complete unified commerce approach to retail.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Market Definitions
Market Size
Market Forecast and Growth
Vendor Rankings
Trends, Drivers, and Barriers
IHL Insight Market View Vendor Positioning Maps
Vendor Profiles (see above for what’s included)
Methodology
Appendix – Categories of Software Included
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What Segments Constitute Your Definition of Retail?
We use the following segments to define Retail and some examples. This research uses all of these segments.
Food/Grocery (Kroger, Safeway, Trader Joe’s, Wakerfern, Tesco,)
Drug Stores (Walgreens, CVS)
Superstore/Warehouse Clubs/Hypermarkets (Walmart, BJ’s Wholesale, Costco, Auchan)
Mass Merchants (Target, Meijer Stores)
Department Stores (JC Penney, Kohls, Kaufaf, Marks and Spencer)
Specialty Hard Goods (Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy, Rooms to Go, Canadian Tire)
Specialty Soft Goods (H&M, Abercrombie, Aeropostale)
Convenience/Gas/Forecourt (Chevron, Exxon,)
Fast Food (McDonald’s, Subway, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell)
Bar/Restaurant (Applebees, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chipotle)
Lodging (Marriott, Sheraton, Hilton)
Entertainment:Casinos and Cruises (Carnival, Harrah’s, Wynn, Caesar’s Palace)
Entertainment:Museums, Theme Parks, Theaters, Others (Disney, Universal, AMC, Carmike)
What types of software are included in Unified Commerce?
In total there are over 100 software categories included in the research. These fit into the following categories:
Store Systems
Commerce Solutions
Merchandise Management/Supply Chain Management
Sales and Marketing
Business Intelligence
Is this put together by primary research, secondary research?
Yes, all of the above. We utilize our Sophia Data Service, WorldView IT Sizing Forecast Model, custom primary and secondary research and vendor interviews to put this together. Contact us and we would be happy to go over the methodology with you.
Can I share this study in my company?
Yes, if your company has an advisory relationship with IHL, you can share internally.
Can I share the data externally?
With written permission from IHL we allow certain components to be shared externally. However, as a standard rule IHL research studies and content cannot be shared externally with clients and partners. That being said, we are open to individual queries and do make exceptions for marketing purposes with the appropriate licenses. Once again, we just ask those be made in writing to ihl(at)ihlservices.com.
This research is available individually or via a subscription of our Retail Executive Advisory Program. Please click here or contact us at ihl@ihlservices.com and we can customize a program specifically for your company.
Each of the research studies comes with an Enterprise license so the data, studies can be shared internally among your entire team. For more questions and to begin, contact us.
Unified Commerce is a Step Beyond Omni-Channel
SOFTWARE RANKINGS AND MARKET TRENDS
Unified Commerce is a step beyond omni-channel. Readers of this research will get a forecast for Software Licenses, Software Maintenance, and Software-as-a-Service for Unified Commerce categories. We provide rankings for combined Software and SaaS, Software and Maintenance, and then just SaaS on its own. In addition, we discuss market trends, drivers, and barriers. This research is based on a very sophisticated and highly objective research model. It allows vendors, retailers, and analysts to see who the real leaders in retail software are, the true software market rankings, who is leading in the fast-growing software-as-a-service market, and which vendors can implement a complete Unified Commerce approach to retail.
In the ever-evolving world of retail, the integration of functions has always been a top priority. From multi-channel to cross-channel and then to omni-channel, retailers have been searching for the perfect way to provide a seamless experience for customers. However, the term “omni-channel” falls short in describing what retailers are really trying to achieve – a single version of truth about the customer and their orders. This is where Unified Commerce comes into play.
Unified Commerce is a step beyond omni-channel, as it integrates technology-enabled retail functions both inside and outside the company to serve the consumer where, when, and how they desire. With the rise of digital journeys and local delivery during the pandemic, the need for unified commerce has only accelerated. In fact, over 66% of software spending in retail is now focused on Unified Commerce, with the number increasing to 68% for SaaS/Cloud.
REAL LEADERS IN UNIFIED COMMERCE
So, who are the real leaders in Unified Commerce? Which vendors are leading in sales, innovation, and market reach, and can implement a complete Unified Commerce approach? The IHL Insight Market View Map positions vendors against each other in a 3-dimensional quadrant view, showing someone who is a leader in market strength, growth, innovation, and Unified Commerce coverage.
The top 15 software providers by revenue are Adobe, Aptos, Blue Yonder, Cegid Group, enVista, Flooid, IBM, Infor, Kibo Software, LightSpeed Retail, MI9, Microsoft, NCR, Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, Shopify, and Vend. Each profile includes total revenues, revenues by hardware, software, SaaS, and services, revenues by region, and revenues by Line of Business Category. The profiles also include merger and acquisition information as well as key clients.
SOFTWARE RANKINGS AND MARKET TRENDS
Readers of this research will get a forecast for Software Licenses, Software Maintenance, and Software-as-a-Service for Unified Commerce categories. We provide rankings for combined Software and SaaS, Software and Maintenance, and then just SaaS on its own. In addition, we discuss market trends, drivers, and barriers.
This research is based on a very sophisticated and highly objective research model. It allows vendors, retailers, and analysts to see who the real leaders in retail software are, the true software market rankings, who is leading in the fast-growing software-as-a-service market, and which vendors can implement a complete Unified Commerce approach to retail.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Unified Commerce is the next step beyond omni-channel, and retailers are encouraged to use this research in discussions with their vendor partners. It provides unique insights into vendor strategy and thought-provoking questions as we all move through and prosper in the Era of Intentional Innovation. The IHL Retail Executive Advisory Program also offers this study at a discount for those who want to dive deeper into the world of Unified Commerce.
