Insights
Drive Impact For Your Business With 4 Key Takeaways From commercetools Elevate
- Article
- 5 MIN READ
- Jun 2, 2025
-
Apply DigitalStaff
Summary
Last month, our team participated in Elevate, the Global Commerce Summit hosted by commercetools where industry leaders shared valuable experiences and insights about enterprise commerce. Two of our clients in the science and retail industries took the stage to showcase the impact generated by our collaborative work.
At Apply Digital, we strive to build strong partnerships that maximize the value we can deliver for our clients, so we are honored to have been named commercetools AMER - Partner of the Year once more.
As commerce continues to rapidly evolve, businesses need to learn from one another and develop a keen eye for market trends.
Here are four key commerce takeaways from commercetools Elevate that you can leverage to drive business impact:
1. The power of feeling known: personalization meets emotion
Personalization has become a crucial part of every successful commerce strategy and customers demand it: 71% of US survey respondents would share more data for improved personalization.
When searches are seamless, product drops feel psychic, or messages arrive perfectly timed — that's personalization. It transforms your brand from simple transactions into an experience shaped by every customer interaction.
While personalization is now a minimum requirement, there is a shift to more personal and intuitive experiences that evoke emotion – with 25% of consumers willing to pay more for their favorite brand. But to reap those rewards, a brand has to become their favorite first. This shift demands a focus on data that will enable this level of loyalty and preference.
Learn more about you can leverage personalization for impact with our recent report on The Future of Customer Engagement, or take a look at our work with Parkland, where personalization resulted in 61% reduction in campaign lead times, stronger data utilization, and improved customer loyalty.
2. From monolithic to agentic: the future of AI-driven commerce
For businesses, harnessing AI is top of mind. But what to implement, and where? That’s the question leaders are struggling to answer.
Considering 33% of enterprise software will feature agentic (ie autonomous) AI by 2028, it's crucial to consider an additional layer of interaction in platform implementation: for instance, how easily your platform's data can be scraped and utilized by AI, not just customers.
AI agents are already present on both sides of commerce, where they can share information with consumers and even hande transactions directly within a chat interface – commercetools CTO, Dirk Hoerig says businesses “already have a small but well [acclimated] group of younger consumers who are familiar with using bots for exclusive product drops.”
These early adopters are demonstrating the need to involve AI in platform implementation. However, almost half (43%) of leaders say their tech is holding them back from creating AI-powered experiences. So, while AI has clear potential, many enterprises still need to focus on creating a strong tech foundation to truly leverage AI's potential to connect with customers and drive impact
3. From clicks to bricks (and back): the rise of seamless phygital commerce
Far from being replaced by digital commerce, the brick-and-mortar store is making a significant comeback.
The physical store is now a vital hub for brand storytelling, fulfillment, and engagement, transcending its traditional role as merely a shopping destination. Brands are increasingly turning towards a blend of digital and in-store elements to craft superior consumer experiences.
While 48% of US online adults prefer to see, touch, smell, or hear the product before they buy, 51% of US online adults choose to buy online and pick up in-store. Customers are looking towards stores as part of their customer journey, and brands must integrate the unique elements of physical and digital touchpoints into one seamless omnichannel experience.
4. Connecting the dots: why unified data is table stakes for AI-driven commerce
As organizations deepen their investment in AI-powered experiences, a unified and reliable data foundation becomes essential.
Without it, AI models generate inaccurate insights and irrelevant recommendations. Even with 44% of leaders describe their CPD as only somewhat robust – silos, system integration struggles, and incomplete customer profiles present major roadblocks to creating AI-powered personalized experiences.
This makes a strong tech foundation with high-quality, integrated data the key to leading in delivering effective AI-powered customer interactions. Those who don't risk falling behind.
But consider that it doesn’t all have to happen all at once. Companies may consider working towards 'unified commerce,' or a system that connects the dots between data and compelling customer experiences. AI starts with good data.
Learn what happens when Kraft Heinz, one of the most recognized names in the global consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry unifies their data: they unlock the ability to create an AI-powered platform that can reduce time-to-market for new campaigns – from 8 weeks to only 8 hours.
Turn trends into commerce impact
Ultimately, successful commerce comes from a smart strategy and a tech foundation ready to leverage AI’s potential — as well as the ability to pivot and scale to changing customer demands. As a global experience transformation partner, Apply Digital helps businesses drive AI-powered change across complex, multi-brand ecosystems.
Ready to build a future-proof customer experience? We’re always happy to have a conversation about how we can help you drive measurable, commerce impact.
Co-written by Francisca Garcia Charad
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