New Research Unveils Key Success Factors for Retailers in Unified Commerce Excellence

Rhea-AI Summary

Manhattan Associates (NASDAQ: MANH) has released the 2025 Unified Commerce Benchmark for Specialty Retail, analyzing 220 North American retailers across 300+ capabilities. The study, co-sponsored by Google Cloud and conducted by Incisiv, reveals that top-performing retailers achieve up to 3X revenue growth and 1.7X customer lifetime value.

Only 5% of assessed retailers achieved Leader status, including Apple, Best Buy, Boss, Dicks Sporting Goods, IKEA, Lululemon, Neiman Marcus, Nike, Ralph Lauren, and Sephora. These leaders demonstrated 31% lower fulfillment costs and 24% higher customer satisfaction.

The benchmark identifies four key areas for 2025 leadership:

• Shopping Experience: Multi-channel shoppers spend 15% more per order
• Checkout Experience: Leaders show 20% lower cart abandonment rates
• Fulfillment Experience: 50% of leaders allow post-purchase order modifications
• Service Experience: Leaders experience half as many support escalations

Positive

• Study validates company's expertise in retail analytics and unified commerce
• Research demonstrates significant ROI potential for MANH's solutions through documented customer success
• Partnership with Google Cloud enhances market positioning and credibility
• Benchmark establishes MANH as thought leader in retail technology sector

Negative

• 33% of previously differentiating capabilities are now considered table stakes, indicating increasing market competition
• Rising customer expectations and rapid tech evolution may pressure solution development costs

Leaders Achieve Up to 3X Revenue Growth and 1.7X Customer Lifetime Value

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Manhattan Associates Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH), today announced the findings of the 2025 Unified Commerce Benchmark for Specialty Retail. Co-sponsored by Google Cloud and conducted by Incisiv, the study assessed 220 North America retailers across 300+ capabilities spanning four key experience areas: Shopping, Checkout, Fulfillment, and Service. Based on real-world purchases, returns, and customer interactions across digital and physical channels, the Benchmark identifies key traits of top-performing retailers and uncovers opportunities for brands to enhance customer value and modernize operations.

Among the retailers assessed, only 5% achieved Leader status, demonstrating exceptional omnichannel commerce maturity and delivering highly personalized experiences both in-store and online. The 2025 Unified Commerce Benchmark overall Leaders are Apple, Best Buy, Boss, Dicks Sporting Goods, IKEA, Lululemon, Neiman Marcus, Nike, Ralph Lauren and Sephora. On average, these leaders achieved 31% lower fulfillment costs and 24% higher customer satisfaction.

As commerce ecosystems continue to transform at a blistering pace, retailers must continuously evolve their Unified Commerce capabilities to create long-term, sustainable value. From 2023 to 2025, the bar for unified commerce leadership has risen dramatically. 33% of capabilities that differentiated Leaders in 2023 are now considered table stakes, while an entirely new set of unique capabilities has emerged. Below are four capability areas that will define Leadership in 2025:

Shopping Experience – Today’s consumers move seamlessly across channels and touchpoints, without drawing distinctions between them. Multi-channel shoppers spend 15% more per order as they blend shopping across social media, marketplace, brick-and- mortar stores and live commerce. Leading store teams understand this shift, influencing up to 34% of all digital discoveries--more than 1.5 times the industry average.

Checkout Experience - Checkout must be reimagined to seamlessly blend operational efficiency with deeper engagement and personalization. 70% of Leaders offer intelligent cart experiences that sync and adapt across channels, compared to just 31% of others. Retailers that treat checkout as a strategic touchpoint--optimized for a new generation of shoppers--see 20% lower cart abandonment rates than the industry average.

Fulfillment Experience – Today’s consumers—accustomed to same-day delivery, real-time tracking, and flexible pickup options—are redefining fulfillment expectations. The benchmark reveals that 50% of industry leaders empower customers to modify orders and delivery preferences post-purchase, compared to just 13% of others, setting a new standard for convenience and flexibility.

Service Experience – Consumers don't see channels, they see relationships. They expect every interaction to build seamlessly on the last, without repeating themselves, no matter who they are speaking to. 90% of Leaders have unified their customer service touchpoints to ensure a smooth transition between store, digital, and phone support. As a result, they see half as many support escalations, particularly those related to orders, compared to their peers. And their rapid adoption of GenAI self-service agents should reduce support calls even further.

“While every aspect of unified commerce is a driver of business success,” says Ann Ruckstuhl, SVP and CMO at Manhattan, “true leadership requires an unwavering focus on every stage of the customer journey—from shopping and checkout to fulfillment 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.”

“The Benchmark clearly highlights the future belongs to those retailers who can translate insights into instant, seamless experiences,” said Carrie Tharp, VP, Strategic Global Solutions & Industries at Google Cloud. “The retailers winning at unified commerce are harnessing the power of GenAI to create hyper-personalized experiences that anticipate customer needs before they're even voiced and build genuine, data-fueled connections that redefine customer loyalty.”

Click HERE to view and download the complete 2025 Unified Commerce Benchmark for Specialty Retail. Receive up-to-date product, customer and partner news directly from Manhattan Associates on LinkedIn.

ABOUT MANHATTAN ASSOCIATES:

Manhattan Associates is a global technology leader in supply chain and omnichannel commerce. We unite information across the enterprise, converging front-end sales with back-end supply chain execution. Our software, platform technology and unmatched experience help drive both top-line growth and bottom-line profitability for our customers.

Manhattan Associates designs, builds and delivers leading edge cloud solutions so that across the store, through your network or from your fulfillment center, you are ready to reap the rewards of the omnichannel marketplace. For more information, please visit www.manh.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250318126266/en/

Press Contact:

Devika Goel

Manhattan Associates

Tel: +1 470-435-1566

dgoel@manh.com

Source: Manhattan Associates Inc.

FAQ

What performance metrics did retail leaders achieve according to Manhattan Associates' 2025 benchmark?

Retail leaders achieved 3X revenue growth, 1.7X customer lifetime value, 31% lower fulfillment costs, and 24% higher customer satisfaction compared to other retailers.

Which retailers were identified as Leaders in MANH's 2025 Unified Commerce Benchmark?

The benchmark identified 10 leaders: Apple, Best Buy, Boss, Dicks Sporting Goods, IKEA, Lululemon, Neiman Marcus, Nike, Ralph Lauren, and Sephora.

What percentage of retailers achieved Leader status in Manhattan Associates' 2025 benchmark?

Only 5% of the 220 assessed North American retailers achieved Leader status in the benchmark.

How much more do multi-channel shoppers spend according to MANH's 2025 retail benchmark?

Multi-channel shoppers spend 15% more per order as they blend shopping across social media, marketplace, brick-and-mortar stores, and live commerce.

What percentage of retail leaders offer intelligent cart experiences according to the MANH study?

70% of Leaders offer intelligent cart experiences that sync and adapt across channels, compared to just 31% of other retailers.