TrueCommerce Shopify integration: suddenly, a bigger picture

Young man using laptop and credit card. Online shopping concept

August 2, 2018

Rolling out a crucial integration with a global eCommerce platform is an all-out effort: it’s so intense and takes so much focus, that it sometimes results in a light case of tunnel vision.

Yes, we were fully aware that our new integration with Shopify will open new opportunities for our customers. Yes, we knew that we will be in front of 500,000 Shopify merchants across 175 countries. Yes, we realized that our integration partner will now have access to over 160,000 fulfillment partners pre-connected on the TrueCommerce global network.

An outside view by an impartial expert offered a perspective far wider than we anticipated.

Check out a great story by Peter Suciu in E-COMMMERCE TIMES. Peter went to great lengths to extensively research the context and the implications of the integration: the amount of research he did is amazing. He talked not only with us (actually, the TrueCommerce interview was pretty brief). He talked to several leading industry analysts (Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT; Paul Teich, principal analyst at DoubleHorn; Rick Ducey, managing director at BIA Advisory Services; Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group) who showed us a totally new perspective.

Some highlights:

  1. According to Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, TrueCommerce integration could be a market disrupter by removing the middleman from the sales process.

“We used to call this ‘intermediation,’ and if executed well, it would better allow merchants to compete with Amazon without as great a need for scale — and both enable and support new structures like Nordstrom Local,” said Rob Enderle. “As an initiative, this is very powerful. As a model, this could change dramatically the competitive dynamic between smaller stores and Amazon.”

  1. The TrueCommerce integration also could allow smaller retailers to take on giants such as Amazon and Walmart.

“In the same way enterprises are trying to transform IT into a multicloud procurement strategy, online retail sales are increasingly multichannel,” said Paul Teich, principal analyst at DoubleHorn.

  1. Importance of managed solutions. According to Rick Ducey, managing director at BIA Advisory Services, “SMBs want tech that is reliable, easy to use, secure and cost-effective, and it has to integrate easily with other tech,” he told the E-Commerce Times.

However, only a third of SMBs currently have e-commerce solutions, and just over a fifth plan to add these services, according to BIA Advisory Services’ recent research.

“This leaves an attractive gap as an addressable market for TrueCommerce and Shopfiy to target and serve,” said Ducey.

  1. Finally, a take by Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT — often neglected, but crucially important ease-of-use:

“In essence, Shopify and TrueCommerce aim to reduce or remove many of the headaches associated with online retail with services,” said Pund-IT’s King. “Those are benefits that many Shopify clients are likely to welcome.”

Great analysis and a lot of work cut out for us! Looking forward to it.

Stay ahead of the competition

Get expert supply chain insights delivered directly to your inbox weekly.