Imagine Piazza Mercato (Naples) in 1964, a vibrant place where every encounter was an opportunity, every exchange a deal.
Modern Retail is now a transformed experience, a journey that seamlessly integrates physical and digital spaces.
Gidiana Dhelpra, Account Executive Shopify, used a powerful metaphor: it's no longer about focusing everything in one place, but it’s about embracing the multiplicity of communities and touchpoints that shape each customer’s experience, across online and offline, B2C, and B2B.
The Modern Commerce event, which was organized in March by power2Cloud with Shopify and HubSpot Partners at Leonessa Restaurant in Interporto Campano in Nola, focused on the retail ecosystem.
“Retail", explains Giordano Iovine, CEO of power2Cloud, "is not just about sales; it’s about relationships, a paradox where conversion does not guarantee loyalty. To navigate this complex market, tools like Shopify POS, with its innovative hardware and fluid payments, become valuable allies. But that's not enough. The real key is synergy, the harmony between channels, data, tools, and services, to create a memorable customer experience”.
power2Cloud is ready to guide retailers of any size towards the future of commerce.
Retail ecosystem: real-time data, scalability and customer-centric approach
HubSpot and Shopify presence at the Modern Commerce event, along with retail professionals such as Marketing Managers, IT teams, eCommerce Managers, and entrepreneurs, reinforces this vision.
It's not enough to focus solely on CRM, eCommerce platforms, or automations, without considering the broader context in which each customer operates. It's also important to address simplified and streamlined management of infrastructure, digital signage, online reputation, WhatsApp interactions, and much more.
“Today, hyper-segmentation", emphasized Ignazio Morici, Chief Marketing Officer of power2Cloud, "is crucial for a successful experience.
You need to interact intelligently with each contact, not based on pre-defined paths by the company, but according to the choices and preferences expressed throughout their relationship journey with the brand"”.
How many retailers are able to do it? How many teams can work autonomously to continue optimizing the customer journey?
"Working with email marketing campaigns", Ada Bosco, Corporate Account Executive at HubSpot, added, "does not mean automating.
It's time for companies to take a further step in quality and engage their users with truly personalized journeys!"
Therefore, an approach that transcends traditional omnichannel and embraces an interconnected retail ecosystem is essential. This approach offers several advantages:
- Real-time data, access to accurate, up-to-date information for more effective strategic decisions;
- Unlimited scalability, the ability to grow rapidly and adapt to changing market needs without technical constraints;
- Customer focus, to create a superior, personalized, and engaging experience at every stage of the purchase journey.
Shopify, HubSpot and Q01 for the Retail Ecosystem
To reiterate. "The evolution of Retail requires a control center capable of connecting technologies, data, and processes seamlessly and securely", confirms Mauro Spinelli, Product Owner Platform Q01.
In this scenario, Q01 is the enabling layer for a new generation of cloud-native solutions, built to scale without complexity”.
“Q01 allows partners to operate as an internal team, securely managing the entire application lifecycle", concluded Davide Bussetti, CEO of Lanificio Digitale.
“We standardize development and release processes in line with company policies, offering retailers speed, control, and a solid foundation to integrate services and innovations sustainably”.
The Retail ecosystem presented by power2Cloud during the Modern Commerce event connects knowledge, technologies, and services that work together to provide a fluid, personalized, and data-driven shopping experience, enhancing customer experience and simplifying process and team management.
Key enablers that retailers should consider include:
- Unified Commerce, starting with a platform like Shopify provides a single database for B2B and/or B2C, for all touchpoints (Marketplace, PoS, payments), eliminating information silos and ensuring a complete customer view.
- Intelligent customer engagement, thanks to tools like HubSpot that automate customer interactions, personalize communication to build lasting relationships.
- Scalability and data control, solutions like Q01 offer a cloud-native infrastructure that integrates data between applications and clouds, simplifying microservices development while maintaining full data and technology control.
If you're wondering, Q01 is already integrated with Shopify and HubSpot, providing a scalable and secure bridge for optimizing retail processes.
The role of an Expert Retail Partner like power2Cloud
This involves everything from warehouse management, receipts, and payments to online/offline integration, automation, security, and team training.
In such a complex context, the role of an expert Partner is fundamental. A Retail Partner must understand the entire scenario, not just a segment of the customer journey. It's not enough to integrate different technologies; it's necessary to:
- Understand the retailer’s specific needs, workflows, needs, and challenges to customize the project
- Orchestrate the ecosystem, coordinating diverse platforms and services to create an integrated, high-performance solution
- Offer strategic consulting, helping retailers define their strategy and achieve business objectives through best practices
- Provide continuous support, technical assistance, training, and updates to ensure long-term success.
The Retail ecosystem represents not only the present, but also the future of commerce.
Companies that embrace this approach and engage with expert partners will be able to deliver exceptional customer experiences, optimize operations, and achieve sustainable growth.
If you want to transform your business and discover how this ecosystem can help you reach your goals, contact us.