Manhattan Associates have 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, 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.
– Ann Ruckstuhl, SVP and CMO, Manhattan
The Benchmark clearly highlights the future belongs to those retailers who can translate insights into instant, seamless experiences. 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.
– Carrie Tharp, VP, Strategic Global Solutions & Industries, Google Cloud
