Power your retail innovation strategy with APIs

This blog was originally published on 28 February 2020 and updated 18 April 2023.

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Retailers are urgently innovating to create the seamless and personalised omnichannel experiences consumers now expect. They are looking for new ways to make use of their data and connect their systems together to streamline business processes and create great customer experiences. One major advantage of using a unified commerce is that its open architecture that lets you easily make those connections with APIs.

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are present in every part of our digital world. Every time you use an app like LinkedIn, make a Skype call or listen to Spotify on your phone, there’s an API in action.

APIs let you add specialised functionality to a website, application, platform or software without having to write all of the back-end code. By using APIs, you can expose data in real time, rather than having to replicate or move it. The result is a set of functions that’s available across various systems, plus a fast and easy way to plug in and deploy new services, channels and devices.

These improvements let you shift your team’s priority from maintenance to innovation.

By using APIs to access existing solutions in the market, you are free to focus your development efforts on the front-end. You can be be more agile and create a community of third-party apps and systems that work together in an ecosystem. As a result, you’ll reduce integration and maintenance overheads, increase real-time accuracy and enjoy virtually limitless scalability and agility.

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APIs in action

Here are just some of the ways APIs help you optimise operations, personalise customer experiences and drive new revenue:

Retail anywhere, any time

APIs let you easily expose your product catalogues and other eCommerce solutions to give customers many more ways to engage with your brand, including social commerce.

Deliver anywhere, any how

Consumers now make purchasing decisions based on shipping costs and timings. APIs can power the fulfilment options they now expect - such as click-and-collect, store-to-door, scheduled delivery and even 1-hour delivery.

Payment convenience counts

APIs give consumers the payment options and ‘buy-now, pay later’ services they want, both in-store and online. Infinity was the first retail system in the world to integrate with Afterpay at point of sale and supports Adyen, Smartpay, Laybuy, Alipay, WeChat Pay, Slyp and Zip to name just a few payment partners.

Personalised communications

APIs let you connect internal and external data to create timely and relevant communications, recommendations, offers and rewards. You can provide customers with real-time shipping visibility and tracking throughout the shipping journey, no matter the fulfilment solution. APIs let you create customised recommendations for customers visiting stores during click-and-collect pickups, and extend them into other communications, such as e-receipts and shipping notifications.

And they help to create personalised marketing experiences that boost loyalty and increase conversions - such as notifications for items on sale, low-in-stock or restocked – plus product recommendations on the website, based on each customer’s behaviour and past data.

Virtual Shopping

APIs support virtual retail shopping ecosystems that go beyond live chat to support in-store experiences on digital channels. By integrating video commerce platforms with POS solutions (like Infinity), you can automate the end-to-end process, from customer communications and data insights to seamless sales transactions and fast delivery.

Extending digital into stores 

APIs also improve the in-store shopping experience. You can give your in-store teams’ data on customer histories and shopping preferences, as well as personalised recommendations based on past purchases and wishlists. APIs can help provide product recommendations for customers visiting stores for click-and-collect pickups, answer product questions in real-time and support self-checkout. In addition, new multichannel wishlists let customers add items to their wishlists while browsing in stores

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So how do you start making the most of APIs?

Begin by evaluating your company’s value chain. Can you easily integrate and use APIs to access third-party platforms and services to scale your business? Or can you release your own APIs to attract partners and build out your platform? The two options are not mutually exclusive.

 An API-enabled platform like Infinity lets you scale your business quickly by easily adding new apps and services as business requirements change.

 We can also help if you’re looking for advice on how to create a strategy and implement an API programme that quickly creates customer and business value.

 The end result is the ability to create extraordinary customer experiences that help to capture market opportunities, generate additional revenue and build brand advocacy.

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Find out more about Infinity APIs and our integration partners. Then contact us for advice on how to use APIs to achieve greater agility, faster growth and better margins.

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For more on how a move to a unified commerce strategy gives you the flexibility and agility you need to keep in step with consumers’ changing needs, download our new ebook:

Moore Wilson’s partners with Bridged IT for implementation of new Infinity retail management system

Iconic food emporium Moore Wilson’s has selected IT integrator Bridged IT for the transformation of its retail system. Triquestra’s Infinity unified commerce platform will be installed as Moore Wilson’s point of sale in stores, and create a hub for the brand’s customer experience and innovation in the future.

Moore Wilson’s will benefit from a modern retail management system that streamlines processes, improves access to information and allows the business to deliver personalised and seamless experiences at every touchpoint.

Founded over a century ago, Moore Wilson’s is a family-owned business beloved by chefs and the food obsessed. Built up around the foodservice and hospitality industry, it includes everything from fresh produce, meat, fish, breads and general grocery through to hospitality, kitchenware, toys, food, beverages and pop-up food caravans.

“Our point of difference is our face-to-face customer service,” explains Amanda Thompson, General Manager of Moore Wilson’s.

“We know who our customers are and we always strive to do things better, whether it’s the products we stock or the service we provide.”

Following a competitive review, Moore Wilson’s selected Bridged IT to deploy and support Infinity.  “Infinity is one of the few platforms able to accommodate our diverse business model, with both retail and wholesale customers requiring multiple volume breaks and bulk purchasing. And Infinity’s New Zealand presence gives us an out-of-the box solution with local capabilities that can be customised to our requirements.”

“We appreciated Bridged IT’s appetite to understand our business from the ground up,” Amanda says. “They have a collaborative approach that gives us access to their entire team and have robust conversations to establish clear goals.”

Amanda says Moore Wilson’s goal is to remain relevant and unique and continue to offer an outstanding customer experience.

“Infinity’s efficient point of sale and improved product management will allow us to provide exceptional customer service, and the right products at the right times.”

Infinity will provide opportunities to capture information on customers and add value to Moore Wilson’s popular loyalty card and rewards programme.

“Infinity will also give us the ability to tailor how, when and what we communicate to customers and then respond to their feedback and requests quickly and efficiently with accurate information.”

Gurjit Singh, Director at Bridged IT, says: “Moore Wilson’s has a remarkable brand heritage, with strong core values and an inspiring company culture. It has set the standard as a shopping destination for the food obsessed. We’re looking forward to helping them transform their retail operations, and then supporting Moore Wilson’s across its next 100 years of business growth and innovation.”

Moore Wilson’s transition to Infinity is targeted for completion in 2022.

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If it’s time to upgrade your point of sale to one that will scale and adapt to shifting consumer expectations and new technologies, contact us.

Power your retail innovation strategy with APIs

Connecting channels and personalising the shopping experience is vital to meeting consumers’ rising expectations. One major advantage of using a unified commerce platform as your retail management system (RMS), is its open architecture that lets you easily make those connections with APIs.

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are present in every part of our digital world. Every time you use an app like LinkedIn, make a Skype call or listen to Spotify on your phone, there’s an API in action.

APIs let you add specialised functionality to a website, application, platform or software without having to write all of the back-end code. By using APIs, you can connect tools and expose data in real time, rather than having to replicate or move it. The result is one set of functions that’s available across various systems, plus an easy way to plug in and deploy new services, channels and devices. 

These improvements let you shift your team’s priority from maintenance to innovation. By using APIs to access existing solutions in the market, you are free to focus your development efforts on the front-end. You can be more agile and create a community of third-party apps and systems that work together in an ecosystem. As a result, you’ll reduce integration and maintenance overheads, increase real-time accuracy and enjoy virtually limitless scalability and agility.

---

APIs in action

Here are just some of the ways APIs help you optimise operations and personalise customer experiences:

Retail anywhere, any time

APIs let you easily expose your product catalogues and other eCommerce solutions to give customers many more ways to engage with your brand, including social commerce.

Deliver anywhere, any how

Shipping and delivery APIs let you integrate third party services to automate everything from the sale through to the parcel being delivered to your customer’s address of choice. Think fulfilment options like click-and-collect, store-to-door and drop shipping.

Payment convenience counts

Give consumers the payment options and ‘buy-now, pay later’ services they want. Infinity was the first in the world to integrate with Afterpay at point of sale and supports Adyen, Smartpay, Laybuy, Alipay, WeChat Pay, and Slyp to name a few payment partners.

Voice and visual to boost personalisation

Visual search APIs help customers quickly find the products they want – like Cue Clothing’s Style Finder mobile app. And you can consider using Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant APIs to further tailor the shopping experience and boosts sales.

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So how do you start making the most of APIs?

Begin by evaluating your company’s value chain. Can you easily integrate and use APIs to access third-party platforms and services to scale your business? Or can you release your own APIs to attract partners and build out your platform? The two options are not mutually exclusive. 

An API-enabled platform like Infinity lets you scale your business quickly by easily adding new apps and services as business requirements change.

We can also help if you’re looking for advice on how to create a strategy and implement an API programme that quickly creates customer and business value.

The end result is the ability to create extraordinary customer experiences that help to capture market opportunities, generate additional revenue and build brand advocacy.

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Find out more about Infinity APIs and our integration partners. Then contact us for advice on how to use APIs to achieve greater agility, faster growth and better margins.

What’s the difference between unified commerce and omnichannel?

There are many terms to describe retail management systems these days. And while they are used interchangeably, there is a difference between ‘omnichannel’ and ‘unified commerce’. Unified commerce is the next progression of what’s come before and simplifies the technology you need to give customers a consistent omnichannel shopping experience.

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Omnichannel offers options, and limitations 

With an omnichannel approach, you give customers the ability to shop in-store, online, via your app, over the phone, etc. 

But there’s a good chance these systems rely on out-of-date information and old or closed integration technology. Which means you might be connecting new channels to systems that aren’t updated in real time. And you could be duplicating data and finding that interoperability with each new technology is difficult, expensive and slow. 

As a result, many seemingly omnichannel experiences are held together with manual processes and complex integration. You end up with silos across your business which negatively impact your customer because they have to deal with information gaps, fewer fulfilment options, or having to start new conversations in each channel. 

For example, an omnichannel setup might enable data sharing between physical and online stores, but the contact centre is left out. So if a customer has a question about something they like online, they call your contact centre and your rep can’t see the customer’s recent online purchasing history or whether the customer’s nearest store has the item available for collection. 

Internally, staff must duplicate tasks because there’s no single version of data that everyone shares. This day-to-day inefficiency means teams have less time to spend on innovation and giving customers the personalised experiences they expect.

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Unified commerce simplifies consistent customer experience

Natalie Berg of NBK Retail says we no longer ‘go’ shopping, we just ‘are’ shopping. The only way to give consumers this seamlessness is to move beyond omnichannel to unified commerce.

Unified commerce is a platform. It centralises your customer and inventory data for one version of truth and its open architecture (using APIs) exposes that data to all your channels. 

With this single view of your data, you can move stock, update prices, add loyalty program rewards – whatever you like – across all your channels. The data stays in sync and transactions can be viewed in near real time. So customers get a ‘one brand’ experience: one person with one account, interacting with one unified brand. No hitches, no inconsistencies.

From a business perspective, unified commerce resolves issues inherent with traditional channel integration, and offers many more benefits:

• More accurate information for decision making

• Reduced inventory holdings and increased availability

• Optimised supply chain and order management

• More payment and fulfilment options

• Efficient processes and less manual overhead

• Faster innovation and speed to get new products and services to market 

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See how unified commerce solves many more of omnichannel’s limitations and how it can set you up to create the retail future you want. Download Unified Commerce is the Future of Retail now.

GET YOUR FREE EBOOK NOW

What is unified commerce and why is it so important to retail success?

If you want to be more competitive in today’s retail world, you have to give customers the purchase, payment and fulfilment options they demand across your in-store, online and mobile channels. The best way to expand your offering and improve each customer experience, while lowering costs, is to unify your retail management.

Unified commerce is the term used for a retail software system that connects all your inventory and customer data to all your sales channels. It’s also known as frictionless retail, new retail, headless commerce, digital commerce, boundaryless retail and omnichannel (though we believe unified commerce is the nirvana of omnichannel as we explain in this blog).

According to Gartner, unified commerce is one of the top 10 trends that will impact the future of digital commerce. That’s because it gives consumers consistency across channels and a continuous experience throughout their journey with you.

BRP’s annual POS/Customer Engagement Survey shows that 94% of retailers have indicated that they have or plan to implement a single unified commerce platform within the next three years. And in Australia, there’s a $92 billion opportunity for businesses that are successful in rolling out a strong unified commerce platform. 

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So what exactly is unified commerce?

Unified commerce is a retail management system (RMS) that unifies all your customer and inventory data on one open, centralised commerce platform that exposes one version of truth to all channels. 

Which means that data stays in sync – across websites, apps, stores, call centres, kiosks, concession stores, wearable devices – and transactions can be viewed in near real time. So you can give each customer the best price and experience, whether they shop with you in-store, at home, or out and about.

With all these customer touch points connected, unified commerce lets you deliver holistic and personalised customer experiences more consistently. And treat each customer as the individual they are – one person with one account, interacting with one unified brand.

A unified commerce platform also helps you and your technology partners innovate quickly, reduce integration and operating costs, maximise margin, and deploy new services – efficiently and profitably.

Here’s how unified commerce helps you retail better

Inventory management

When you’ve got a single view of your inventory, you can move it around your business quickly and react to demand changes fast. You’ll find it’s much easier to manage stock to maximise sales opportunities and reduce holding costs.

Order management (OMS)

Because your inventory is optimised and visible across channels, you can offer a range of fulfilment options like click-and-collect, ship-from-store, endless aisle, split shipments – whatever suits your customers best.

Loyalty and customer management

Capture customer details via any channel. Then analyse their purchase and browsing history to show them you know them with communications, rewards and offers that are timely and relevant. In-store teams can see this information as well to offer personalised service and encourage conversion at point of sale.

Pricing and promotions

Pricing is shared across channels so customers can trust that they’ll pay the same price whether they shop with you in-store, online or in the field. And you can try out different promotions and pricing strategies quickly when an offer succeeds or doesn’t do as well as planned.

New product, service and channel innovation 

Using APIs on an open platform, you can connect third-party services and expose data in real time. Helping you build your competitive advantage and create a world of opportunity to give customers new, faster services and personalised interactions.  

No more silos

When everyone is using the same system and seeing the same data, you’ve got better internal collaboration with fewer roadblocks, and customers are happier because they’re getting the frictionless ‘one brand’ experience they want.

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If it’s time to take the next step from omnichannel and consider a unified commerce approach for your retail business, get the ebook, Unified Commerce is the Future of Retail.

It discusses the unified commerce business case, the four stages of transitioning your business to unified commerce and much more.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COPY NOW