That pressure stems from ARG’s role as a light custom-manufacturer as well as a distributor of more than 25,000 SKUs for  industrial hoses, fittings and related products for such industrial uses as oil rigs and fuel-delivery trucks. Most of its business involves replacing broken industrial hoses, and ARG’s sales and product teams often work with customers to assemble customized hose products and systems.

Mike Powers, director, ecommerce and digital, ARG Industrial

“You have to make sure that you’re getting the right data from your suppliers, and also that you’re presenting the right data on these assemblies to your customers,” says Mike Powers, ARG’s director of ecommerce and digital. Ship a hose assembly with the wrong specifications, and the customer could experience severe problems, he adds.

ARG B2B digital commerce sales

ARG is working with the the Industrial Distributor Cooperative (IDCO) buying group and product information management (PIM) and other software from digital commerce technology vendor Unilog to expedite how it receives product data from Midland and other critical suppliers.

Ross Baker, director of product strategy, Midland Industries

“It’s the way of the future,” says Ross Baker, Midland’s director of product strategy. “The more distributors that are pulling this data we’re putting into the PIM, the more chances there are for sales to increase on both sides.”

Powers asserts that companies involved in ecommerce face challenges in pulling data from legacy enterprise resource planning systems and integrating that data with a customer-facing ecommerce site.

“They’re realizing that the complexity of integrating legacy ERP and B2B ecommerce is very, very tough,” Powers says. He adds that companies then often find it difficult to find the people with the necessary expertise to work with legacy ERP systems.”

Working with Unilog and IDCO, ARG receives more consistent and helpful product information from Midland and other suppliers.

Midland is now pushing new product updates quickly to ARG, “instead of us waiting 12 months to get a new catalog,” Powers says. “All we need to do is log in.”

Data collaboration results

He says the much-improved product data flow is producing several results, including:

• Increased web traffic through improved keywords and search engine optimization.
• A more useful site search tool and increased sales of newly released products.
• ARG’s enhanced ability to develop a new configurator that lets customers who want to build their own hose assemblies to order an accurate product set.
• ARG’s enhanced ability to provide punchout catalogs that let buyers punch out from their procurement software to an ARG product catalog.

Baker adds that Midland expects to extend the level of product data-sharing it does with ARG to more companies to foster increased revenue for both Midland and its channel partners.

The Cashing in with Digital Channel Partners report is available for a free download.

Paul Demery is a Digital Commerce 360 contributing editor covering B2B digital commerce technology and strategy. paul@digitalcommerce360.com.

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But even though the company’s core ecommerce business units did well, there was some softening around the sales channel because of a slower business economy.

“Within the Endless Assortment business, while we continue to see a softer demand environment, we remain focused on acquiring new customers and improving repeat purchase rates across the segment,” CEO D.G. Macpherson told analysts on the Q3 earnings call, according to a transcript from Seeking Alpha.

Grainger operates various digital sales channels. Web-only sales in its Endless Assortment segment grew in the third quarter. Endless Assortment’s segment includes Zoro.com in the United States and Japan-based MonotaRo.com.

W. W. Grainger Inc. is No. 11 in the Top 1000. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the largest online retailers in North America by web sales.

W.W. Grainger sales Q3

Overall sales for the fiscal third quarter ended Sept. 30 grew to $4.288 billion. That’s up 6.7% from $3.94 billion in the third quarter of 2022. Net income was $493 million compared with $442 million in the prior year.

Endless Assortment segment grew 4.3 % in the third quarter to $732 million. That’s up from $701 million in Q3 of 2022.

The company’s High Touch business grew to $3.403 billion. That’s up 7% year over year from $3.180 billion. The business segment includes full-service sales through the company’s U.S. flagship Grainger.com, Canada-based Grainger.ca, and its sales agents.

“The High-Touch Solutions segment continues to perform well, with sales up 8.5% in daily constant currency underpinned by growth across all geographies,” says chief financial officer Dee Merriwether.

Zoro and MonotaRo

Despite the growth in sales, softer business spending is impacting growth in some digital sales channels, Grainger says.

“At the business level, while we’re seeing some signs of macro-related softness at MonotaRo, the business still drove strong growth with new and enterprise customers and remain focused on growing repeat business with its core B2B customer,” Merriwether told analysts. “At Zoro, results reflect a continuation of headwinds discussed last quarter, with tough prior-year comp decline, a noncore B2C volume and a slowing macro environment all contributing to more muted top line growth. Noncore B2C customer performance was down nearly 20% year-over-year as we continue to focus our growth efforts on stickier B2B customers.”

Percentage changes may not align exactly with dollar figures due to rounding. Check back for more earnings reports. Here’s last quarter’s W.W. Grainger report.

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B2B organizations are revisiting current practices and finding new ways to achieve better results with fewer resources. 100% of B2B buyers say it’s important to prioritize digital transformation moving forward, says new research from Hero Digital. The top two factors driving this belief are reduced budget (45%) and reduced headcount (41%), both of which have challenged operations and limited efficiency improvements over the past year, according to the Hero Digital survey of 150 B2B buyers.

“Business leaders must find ways to reduce friction across their ecommerce solutions and digital experiences as B2B buyers seek greater efficiencies capable of enabling faster innovation and growth,” the report says. “When supplier relationships fall short, buyers aren’t afraid to take matters into their own hands — with many companies already pursuing internal improvements as a mechanism to increase efficiency and bolster digital experiences and offerings.”

The majority of B2B buyers (60%) also reported that their organization uses a combination of digital platforms they’ve purchased and built in-house. 90% of B2B buyers’ organizations plan to leverage AI as part of their digital strategy in some way over the next 12 months —primarily to forecast sales and provide a better CX.

Survey respondents said the top challenges B2B buyers face when researching purchases for their business include:

• Understanding product specifications/configurations
• Inconsistent product or service information across channels
• Understanding how products would fit their business
• Finding product or service information that is up to date
• Understanding pricing

More Charts & Data Stories

Check back soon for more Charts & Data Stories, like our weekly B2B infographics. Here’s last week’s. We add new content regularly. 

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Emily Newton

Integrating a supply chain with a maintenance, repair and operations program requires dedicated effort and critical skills. People who excel in this role must have strong digital capabilities and be open to using various technologies — including emerging ones.

Here are four top skills that will set people in this industry apart from their peers and ensure success in their careers.

1. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence has rapidly emerged as a notable technology, particularly as people grapple with item shortages and demand fluctuations. However, anyone who currently works with MRO-integrated supply chains or plans to soon should get some AI skills under their belt and progressively work to improve their competencies.

Predictive algorithms help professionals know which supplies to order and when, greatly reducing the chances of stockouts. Executives are also realizing AI is essential to their operations, which suggests they should see it as an in-demand skill when hiring new team members.

A 2023 poll of C-suite members found that 90% were using AI to achieve better operational resilience. Additionally, 88% depended on it for supply chain enhancements. The potential uses span from interacting with a chatbot to place an order to getting predictions from algorithms about when specific products will sell out or start to run low.

2. Data Analytics

Data analytics skills are also proving essential. Professionals in these roles use them to evaluate the sensor data associated with a piece of equipment or estimate when the current stock of a vital component will be depleted. Knowing how to use data analytics platforms is increasingly important as the number of products moving through supply chains rises.

For example, during a single year, the supply chain for technology brand Lenovo included 2,000 suppliers working to deliver more than 130 million devices. An MRO-integrated supply chain specialist might use a data analytics tool to determine the most reliable suppliers according to their performance across several key performance indicators.

Even if someone doesn’t have strong data analytics skills, they can set a goal to gradually improve in that area. Besides making them more of an asset to their employers, this plan could increase job satisfaction by providing a well-defined career path and growth opportunities. Notably, a 2023 survey found that 84% of employees said clear career paths strengthened their commitments to employers.

3. Cloud Computing

Many leading industrial apps run in the cloud. Authorized users can access them from anywhere, making it easy to check statistics, communicate with stakeholders and more. People also use the cloud to store paperwork or streamline its distribution, such as to approve repairs on specific pieces of equipment or keep track of when maintenance occurred.

Another handy thing about cloud computing platforms is they support remote working arrangements. Even if someone doesn’t work from home all the time, it’s increasingly likely they will eventually. One 2023 survey of Americans found they spend 27% of their workdays at home on average.

Cloud computing tools have some similarities, but people must also learn to work with brand-specific features. It’s helpful for those working with MRO-integrated supply chains to dedicate themselves to learning the ins and outs of cloud software. That might mean using built-in help guides or signing up for provider-offered online courses.

People who grow their skills might spend time mentoring peers or encouraging colleagues to embrace the organizational changes that cloud computing products often bring. This enables employees to become crucial parties that show others how these apps can improve their workflows.

4. Project Management

A continuing commitment to digital skill growth will also put MRO supply chain professionals ahead of their peers. Roles increasingly include time spent with various internet-connected tools and platforms, and many suppliers and distributors prefer digital-only transactions.

Digital project management tools simplify tracking what responsibilities people must handle and when. They also enable smoother communication between various stakeholders, allowing people to comment, upload images or documents, and assign subtasks to other parties.

Once people improve their cloud computing skills, they’ll likely find significant similarities associated with using project management tools. That’s because most of them work in the cloud to make it easier for people to get things done in on- and off-site locations.

Commit to Ongoing Growth

These four skills are among the most necessary in today’s fast-paced and digital-centric world. Anyone involved with MRO-integrated supply chains should stay aware of emerging technologies that could become more prominent in their industry.

Some companies are experimenting with augmented reality to support workflows and improve training. Others use mobile robots to carry supplies around distribution centers and other large facilities. People should pay attention to what’s new in their companies and the industry and be ready to capitalize on new learning opportunities. That will help them prepare for whatever’s ahead while setting good examples for others, bringing their company to the forefront.

About the author

Emily Newton is an industrial writer reporting on how technology disrupts industrial sectors. She’s also the editor-in-chief of Revolutionized, covering innovations in industry, construction, and more.

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The manufacturer and distributor specializes in automated control products for commercial and industrial buildings. For Kele, a high personalization performance level is critical to winning over loyal customers in a competitive market.

“Failing to swiftly provide a relevant, personalized experience — whether through self-service ecommerce or telephone interactions — could result in missed opportunities to acquire new customer accounts or expand existing relationships,” says John Strawn, Kele’s chief marketing officer.

He says a critical driver behind that experience is a suite of advanced technologies capable of instantly recognizing customers and then presenting them with relevant products aligned with their preferences. Kele boasts a comprehensive range of over 100,000 SKUs. It caters to building automation systems governing operations such as HVAC, lighting, flow, and security in commercial and industrial settings.

“Compiling product and customer intent data across all sources and decisioning in real time would have been impossible five years ago,” Strawn says. “AI serves as a pivotal tool in streamlining the connection between customers and these products, ensuring a swift and seamless experience to better understand your customers’ needs and serve them across channels.”

Stephen Rudolph, Kele’s chief technology officer, acknowledges the nascent stage of AI’s development. Nonetheless, he highlights its remarkable potential to impact sectors like marketing and software development, significantly amplifying the efficiency and productivity of respective teams.

Lenovo nearly doubles revenue via search results

At Lenovo, the computer manufacturer and marketer realized it needed to upgrade its ecommerce site’s search experience. The move led to a 95% increase in revenue gained through search results.

“We index half a million records every 12 hours,” says Marc Desormeau, head of global search. “Everything from data feed and product information, pricing, catalogs, things we sell.”

“We’re using data captured from our search engagements to inform some of our investments in SEM by looking at customers who are coming to us organically,” he adds. “How are they then engaging with our own site search? How can we start joining some of that data to ultimately present a better experience?”

So Lenovo upgraded its site search experience. It replaced legacy technology with site search technology design with AI-powered capabilities.

In the new report, “B2B Ecommerce Trends,” Kele, Lenovo and other companies and industry experts expound on B2B trends leading to “unified commerce” experiences critical to engaging today’s B2B buyers and standing out in an increasingly competitive omnichannel market.

The Pacing B2B Ecommerce Trends report is available for a free download.

Paul Demery is a Digital Commerce 360 contributing editor covering B2B digital commerce technology and strategy. paul@digitalcommerce360.com.

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Susanne Adam

The wholesale distribution industry predominantly comprises mid-sized companies that offer innovative products and services. However, many of these companies have slowly adopted digital marketing and sales strategies leaving them behind in generating business in today’s digital world. Before the pandemic, in-person visits were the cornerstone of effective sales for wholesalers, but the landscape has rapidly transformed.

Today, businesses need to master combinations of virtual and face-to-face interactions with customers — the so-called Hybrid Sales Model.

There will be no way back to the old days; the future of sales is hybrid as stated by  McKinsey. Buyers are now used to digital sales and communication channels, backed by a new digital-savvy generation of employees. Wholesale distributors and other B2B companies must cater to customers who favor digital purchasing and opt for video calls over physical meetings while satisfying those who still prefer in-person interactions.

Embracing hybrid sales presents several challenges. Digital communication methods, including video meetings, necessitate distinct skills compared to traditional face-to-face meetings. Video meetings tend to be more focused and often involve presentations, whereas in-person meetings allow more interactions and discussions. Facial expressions, body language, and emotional signals require conversation partners to adjust their behavior accordingly. Replicating this level of understanding in online meetings proves challenging, if not impossible.

To cultivate digital sales skills, businesses have established specialized training and coaching programs. These initiatives focus on improving skills like active listening, effective written and verbal communication, use of messaging and meeting tools, and leveraging social media platforms. Other, simpler challenges, such as a stable internet connection, can significantly impact sales success when not managed accordingly. Connectivity issues disrupting sales meetings create a negative impact if they occur too frequently.

Recent years have led businesses to realize that finding the right balance between virtual and in-person interactions is no simple task. Questions to consider include how much digital communication is appropriate for a certain customer and whether or not the customer’s expectations are clear regarding the communication channels being used.

To address these considerations, some companies have created strict procedures for the entire customer journey to address these considerations. These protocols define which interactions are digital, which in-person, and who is responsible.

For instance, one protocol might determine that contract negotiations must happen face-to-face. Fixed procedures are advantageous as they allow better planning and setup of clear organizational responsibilities and communication lines. However, this approach might fail when those procedures are not differentiated enough, neglecting the need to address different customer groups with other methods. Sales reps should be allowed to react flexibly to address the needs of specific customers.

Similar to other sales activities, customer analytics and segmentation are key success factors for a successful hybrid sales approach. Relevant characteristics for clustering customers in this manner are the customers’ willingness to engage digitally and their preferred channels.

Depending on strategic goals, characteristics like customer revenue or size can further refine these groups, to which guidelines are assigned. Examples for such guidelines are “in-person contacts with large customers only,” “lead generation mainly digitally driven,” or “small customers use digital channels only.”  These guidelines streamline client interactions across the whole organization, benefiting the sales team and the marketing and support teams.

Once a company has mastered the challenges, it can take advantage of a hybrid sales strategy. In combination with internal sales reps managing digital meetings, reduced travel time for external sales teams frees up space for additional sales activities by external sales teams. Incentivizing less profitable customers to move to digital channels reduces sales costs.

Moreover, innovation-minded customers perceive vendors as innovative when  they meet the customers’ expectations regarding modern user experience.

Businesses must proactively define their hybrid sales strategy to navigate both digital and in-person channels effectively. Armed with a clear understanding of customer needs, potential challenges, and strategic objectives, companies can manage hybrid sales successfully and utilize them as a lever for growth.

Susanne Adam is a principal solution manager at SAP for wholesale distribution. She has worked with client companies on customer engagement strategy and various projects in the wholesale and retail industry. Follow her on X @susanneadam3.

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SmartEquip recently released the SmartEquip e-Commerce 2.0 as a technology platform, on which authorized distributors, dealers and fleet managers can operate their own branded self-service commerce store for selling construction parts from SmartEquip’s parts catalog network of more than 700 original equipment manufacturers. The company is a subsidiary of B2B marketplace company RB Global Inc., which also owns such organizations as construction equipment marketplace operator Ritchie Bros.

SmartEquip B2B ecommerce platform

Andrew Malion, president of braking equipment supplier Spectra Products Inc., says the SmartEquip product catalog helps his customers view descriptions and images of Spectra’s Brake Safe  products to ensure they order the correct parts for truck air brake diagnostic systems. Spectra Products recently joined the SmartEquip Network.

“Joining their network of suppliers and manufacturers is the ideal way to offer equipment owners our Brake Safe diagnostics tool,” he says.

Ron Piccolo, senior vice president of operations at Smart Equip, says Spectra Products is an example of the growth in the variety of suppliers in the SmartEquip Network.

In addition to several hundred OEM brands, the SmartEquip Network has over 95,000 users across more than 42,000 equipment locations globally, SmartEquip says.

The upgraded SmartEquip ecommerce store supports a mobile channel.

RB Global’s operations also include:

• Ritchie Bros., a global online auctioneer of commercial assets and construction vehicles.
• IAA, a global digital marketplace for motor vehicle buyers and sellers.
• Rouse Services, an asset management and performance benchmarking system.
• Xcirca, a live simulcast auction technology provider.
• Veritread, an online marketplace for heavy haul transport services.

RB Global took its current corporate name earlier this year, when it changed it from Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Inc. For the year ended Dec. 31, 2022, the company reported $1.7 billion in total revenue. It also reported marketplace gross transaction value of $6.0 billion.

Paul Demery is a Digital Commerce 360 contributing editor covering B2B digital commerce technology and strategy. paul@digitalcommerce360.com.

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Headless commerce solutions enable them to decouple the front- and back-end of their platforms to overcome their platform’s limitations.

Decoupling the front- and back-ends of a platform allows sellers to independently develop and deploy customer-facing experiences on the front-end without disrupting back-end processes or website performance. In comparison, adding new customer experiences to traditional platform architectures can require updates to the front- and back-end systems. This can turn even small projects into large undertakings.

In need of a way to personalize products within its catalog online, home furnishings and decor seller and retailer Aplusrstore.com turned to headless ecommerce platform provider B2storefront.com to deliver a better user experience.

Headless commerce can improve the user experience

At the heart of Aplusrstore.com’s decision to adopt headless ecommerce was the need to overcome the limitations of its Shopify platform when it comes to listing product variations. The Shopify platform limits each product in Aplustore.com’s online catalog to 100 variations, such as:

• Type of materials
• Style
• Color
• Configuration
• Accessories

With more than 2,000 furniture collections and 6,000 SKUs in its catalog, Aplusrstore.com could quickly exceed the limit of 100 variations per product.

“With furniture, it’s very easy hit a platform’s limits on product variants because you can have multiple parameters and options for a single piece of furniture,” says Anton Komarow, founder and chief executive for B2storefront.com. “A headless architecture allows sellers to tackle those limits as well as increase page loading speeds.”

Using an application program interface from B2storefront.com, Aplustore.com expanded the number of attributes that can be assigned to each product in its catalog without affecting website performance, such as page load times. The payoff was a higher rate of customer engagement, Komarow says.

Understanding the functionality

In addition, B2storefront used its APIs to expand the functionality of Aplustore.com’s shopping cart. It now better accommodates B2B buyers’ needs.

Once a buyer places an item in his cart, he then can attach other forms such as:

• A purchase order
• Shipping notes
• The billing date.

These all automatically go to the seller’s CRM application. That APIs populate that information in a PDF within the CRM. The information is visible to the buyer through the seller’s platform. In addition, buyers can also create a request for a quote on Aplustore.com’s website.

“Headless ecommerce is a gateway to more features within an ecommerce platform without having to buy more apps,” says Komarow. “Headless allows sellers to stick with the platform they like, but not be limited to the features and functionality the platform provides.”

The ability of headless ecommerce to overcome the limitations of a platform’s features extends to future upgrades. For example, a seller that uses a site search app from a third-party can implement upgrades to the app from the app creator. The seller can do so even if the platform provider has not yet released a version that supports those features, and vice versa.

“This is a plus for stitching together apps, because not all platform dynamics are equal,” Komarow says. “With APIs, you put new features from one platform into another without waiting for the platform provider to support a new feature from a third-party app [integrated into the platform].”

Upgrading features

As part of its move to headless ecommerce, Aplusrstore.com upgraded its site search capabilities by implementing Algolia’s advanced search functionality. The enhancements now flag out-of-stock items within Aplusrstore.com’s catalog in search results. Sellers can also fine tune their search results based on phrases buyers enter into the search engine, search terms or both. As a result, buyers can find the product they want quicker.

“Product discovery through site search can be an issuer for sellers with a lot of SKUs in their catalog,” Komarow says. “Because Algolia has an integration to Shopify, we can implement Algolia’s advanced search capabilities, even if Shopify has integrated them into its platform.”

Another feature Aplusrstore.com’s website added to its website is the creation of a customized “thank you” page. This is part of the merchant’s transition to headless commerce. It enhances the B2B buyer’s journey, redirecting buyers upon completion of checkout. Having the ability to customize the “thank you” page has helped Aplusrstore.com overcome the inability to customize the checkout page in Shopify platform.

The customized Thank You page features such vital information as order confirmation and the ability for buyers to track order status, information that is necessarily available on the checkout page. “Developers are limited to what they can do with Shopify’s checkout page, means checkout is not always a customizable part of the customer journey, and that can be a problem if a seller’s webstore is customized for buyers, but the checkout page is not,” says Komarow.

It’s only getting better

Future enhancements B2storefront.com headless solution include developing API’s that allow sellers to embed links to products, videos, and images in customer emails that, when clicked, redirect the buyer to a product page or ad campaign for a specific product.

“Headless ecommerce is being marketed as a silver bullet for increasing page load times, which it does. But in reality, it does a lot more than that,” Komarow says. “Headless improves the customer experience by overcoming platform limitations by making it easier to upgrade the customer experience.”

Peter Lucas is a Digital Commerce 360 contributing editor covering B2B digital commerce technology and strategy.

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PFSweb Inc. has been acquired in a deal valued at $181 million by GXO Logistics Inc.

PFSweb provides business-to-business and direct-to-consumer order fulfillment and customer service for ecommerce. GXO is a global contract logistics company that manages outsourced supply chains and warehousing. The company generates about $13.3 billion in annual revenue. It’s acquiring PFSweb for its expertise and client base in ecommerce shipping and fulfillment.

GXO acquires PFSweb

“PFS is an ideal acquisition for GXO (because) it enhances our exposure to new high-growth verticals in North America and adds important capabilities to our offerings,” says GXO CEO Malcolm Wilson. “Over the past 25 years, the PFS team has established a successful track record in both direct to consumer and B2B channels, and they’ve built a rock-solid reputation with many of the world’s most iconic brands by deploying an order fulfillment platform that rivals the largest enterprise 3PL providers in the industry.”

Headquartered in Irving, TX, PFSweb offers diverse ecommerce services including, among others:

• Order fulfillment
• Order management
• Customer service
• Payment services
• Fraud prevention

PFSweb provides services to about 100 retailers and manufacturers. Last year, it generated revenue of about $295 million.

Customers include:

• L’Oréal USA
• Champion
• Pandora
• Shiseido Americas
• Kendra Scott
• The United States Mint

“GXO’s industry leadership, global scale and significant capital resources make their platform a strong strategic partner for PFS,” says PFSweb CEO Mike Willoughby. “In joining GXO, we can deliver our proven, branded order fulfillment and support services to an expanded base of premier clients, as well as further enhance GXO’s global fulfillment network. The GXO team shares our commitment to top-quality client relationships and execution, and we look forward to our future together.”

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Michael Affronti, general manager and senior vice president, Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Salesforce adds new applications to suite

The new apps are designed to support sales, customer service and marketing, using artificial intelligence and integration with Salesforce’s technology customer relationship management to drive a personalized customer experience, Salesforce says.

“With the latest Commerce Cloud apps for sales, service, and marketing, businesses can take an all-encompassing approach to commerce, transforming every customer touchpoint into a transaction opportunity,” says Michael Affronti, general manager and senior vice president of Salesforce Commerce Cloud. “When coupled with data, AI, and CRM, brands gain the ability to anticipate customer needs and build faster, more seamless buying experiences that drive sales.”

Outdoor brand YETI builds a better CX

Vab Dwivedi, vice president of ecommerce at outdoor drinkware and apparel company YETI Holdings Inc., says Salesforce Commerce Cloud’s AI-powered capabilities, including data insights and automation, have helped YETI “build a more consistent and personalized customer experience and grow our business.”

Vab Dwivedi, vice president of ecommerce, YETI

Austin, Texas-based YETI is a designer, retailer and distributor. Its outdoor products range from coolers and drinkware to carrying bags and apparel. For its fiscal first half ended July 1, YETI reported net sales of $705.4 million. That includes $393.4 million in direct-to-consumer sales and $312.0 million in its wholesale channel.

YETI ranks No. 135 in the Top 1000, Digital Commerce 360’s database of the largest North American online retailers.

Here’s what Salesforce is offering with its new Commerce Cloud embedded apps and integrations:

• A self-service Reorder Portal designed with Salesforce’s Einstein AI technology. It lets customers view their order history details and reorder products without the help of a sale rep.
• An Order Support application with connections to customer service agents, bots, self-service options, and educational content. The application provides opportunities for cross-selling and upselling while assisting customers with order management requests.
• A Pay Now payments feature. It lets companies forward “Pay Invoice Now” links when ready to customers via such avenues as customer service chats and field service communications.

In addition, Salesforce plans to soon release Snapchat for Commerce. This will let companies create ads in Commerce Cloud apps that will direct customers to suggested products available in an online store.

Capitalizing on the unified commerce trend

Salesforce’s new Commerce Cloud applications and integrations address a growing need among online sellers and their customers. They want to connect through more effective unified commerce systems that ease the purchasing process, ecommerce experts say.

“Increasingly, organizations are realizing the benefit of features outside of a standard ecommerce checkout flow,” says Lori McDonald, president and CEO of Brilliance Business Solutions.

Brilliance Business Solutions is a Milwaukee-based digital agency. It helps manufacturers and distributors implement and sell through digital commerce technology and strategies. McDonald notes that other vendors also offer more comprehensive technology applications, including Optimizely and BigCommerce.

“Consider how customers interact with your company today and what are common activities they need help with,” she adds. “It could be reordering a product, ordering frequently used products, returning a product, getting information on order status, or viewing and paying outstanding invoices. Some ecommerce platforms build these features into their product. Others enable them through a composable approach and integrations to other applications. Which approach is best for you will depend on your current technology stack, your budget, and your strategy.“

Demand for curation

Justin Racine, principal, unified commerce strategy, at digital agency Perficient, says brands are showing strong demand for “curated, enhanced ecommerce ordering … as their consumers continue to drive multichannel ordering opportunities.”

Perficient is a global digital consultancy for B2B and B2C companies.

“Unified commerce puts the customer in the drive seat of their own journey,” he adds. “Based on purchases, customer behavior, content engagement, a brand can curate future experiences that are tailored specifically to that individual vs. putting them in a cohort of other customers.”

He adds that Adobe Inc. has also been integrating technology applications for “personalized, curated customer experiences.”

“The integrated, unified approach is the way of the future for what exceptional commerce experiences look like,” Racine says.

Paul Demery is a Digital Commerce 360 contributing editor covering B2B digital commerce technology and strategy. paul@digitalcommerce360.com.

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