Today’s organisations are navigating shifting economic and operating environments that require them to constantly innovate. From rising competition, higher shopping expectations, and a turbulent market, merchants who want to succeed need to have the technology to act as swiftly as a startup.
This means retailers need more than just a functional system—they need an agile platform that enables them to adapt to shifting business conditions quickly. Success now depends on how swiftly and smoothly a business can pivot. If there’s a sudden shift in customer demand, teams need the ability to update their online store and adjust inventory across locations.
So what can retailers do with an agile commerce platform?
Execute faster updates
Quite simply, an agile commerce platform means merchants can easily make changes without being hamstrung by an off-the-shelf solution. If a business wants to test a new home page or update its checkout flow, it can roll out changes in real-time based on customer feedback, ensuring a more responsive and engaging shopping experience.
The ability to act on feedback almost immediately fosters customer loyalty. When shoppers feel heard, they’re more likely to stick with a brand. And by being able to continuously optimise the checkout experience based on evolving customer needs and pain points, retailers can achieve higher conversion rates.
Let’s say a retailer includes a “recommended products” section to their site. They can monitor customer reactions and see if it’s working well. If it’s not, it also gives them room to make adjustments, like changing the layout, without needing to invest in back-end technical support and a lengthy development period.
What makes modern commerce systems powerful is their composable design. When choosing a platform based on composable commerce principles, retailers go from relying on a rigid, one-size-fits-all system, to modular components that can be easily swapped, updated, or integrated with other systems. This means teams can easily integrate inventory management, payment providers, or customer relationship tools without having to build everything from scratch.
For developers, the platform’s flexibility allows them to use ready-made components or integrate the systems they’re already familiar with, so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel. This all results in quicker updates, smoother operations and superior customer experiences.
Reduce maintenance issues
Agile commerce platforms give merchants speed and flexibility while reducing technical debt. This means developer teams don’t have to constantly fix and maintain outdated systems. Traditional commerce platforms often require a lot of time and effort to keep running smoothly, which can drain resources.
But with an agile system, much of the maintenance is handled by the platform partner, allowing retailers to focus on what they do best—growing and improving the business. Developer teams, on the other hand, can spend their time enhancing and creating experiences that capture new customers rather than fixing old problems.
Taking care of technical debt is important because it can add up and slow things down if not addressed. By choosing an agile platform, businesses don’t need big IT teams to handle daily maintenance. The platform is designed to be efficient, so smaller teams can get more done.
By cutting down on maintenance, merchants can respond quickly to changes, and keep pushing forward without getting held back by outdated technology.
Minimise operational costs
Lastly, agile commerce platforms enable businesses to reduce operational expenses. When choosing a technology solution, 43% of Australian merchants cite operational, platform servicing and support costs as among their top five purchase considerations. All of these play into a solution’s total cost of ownership (TCO). And while upfront, traditional, inflexible platforms might at times have a lower upfront fee, the costs of maintaining it can lead to higher ongoing expenses over time. Additional third-party applications might also be needed to form a full commerce stack, making the TCO even higher.
For retailers, the key to lowering TCO is simplifying technology solutions and focusing on an agile commerce platform that can efficiently meet multiple needs. This means being aware of the broader operational, servicing and support costs associated with a technology investment, and considering how a solution can grow with them over time.
Ultimately, investing in agile solutions empowers businesses to adapt, scale and innovate faster. By prioritising platforms that offer real-time updates, minimise technical debt, and lower operational costs, merchants can focus less on managing their tech stack and more on meeting evolving customer needs. As competition intensifies, the retailers that prioritise agility are the ones that will thrive.
Shaun Broughton is managing director for Asia Pacific & Japan at Shopify.