Product
The future of commerce isn’t just online. It’s everywhere.
September 10, 2024
For years, the future of shopping seemed to be heading online. Direct-to-consumer brands surged during the pandemic as more commerce took place on screens instead of in shops. Then something happened—people began to realize they needed both.
In 2024, 80% of global retail is still happening in stores. Malls are having a comeback, finding unlikely fans in Gen Z shoppers who want to bridge the gap between social media and IRL.
In 2024, expanding into new sales channels was the second biggest priority for merchants, with 1-in-4 listing in-person events as part of their upcoming holiday strategy.* “Unified commerce” is making selling more intuitive, more centralized, and ultimately, easier.
Commerce is about relationships and experiences. That encompasses online, offline, and immersive experiences. People appreciate being able to touch an item. They like asking for advice from shopkeepers, making window-shopping discoveries, and supporting local brands.
The past four years have motivated retailers to not only sell online but also simplify brick-and-mortar. Now offline sales make up a growing percentage of merchant revenue. And for brands like Chalet Nursery and so many others, Shopify POS is transforming how they connect with customers.
Businesses must be nimble to survive, especially small ones. Innovation in commerce keep retailers agile and efficient, redefining in-person selling beyond the storefront.
Two sisters, two coasts, two sales channels
Twins Kate Hawken and Beth Dye launched their brand online during the pandemic. Maxwell & Geraldine sells ethically made dresses built for comfort and style. Kate and Beth run a business from opposite sides of the country. Despite the 3,000-mile distance between Virginia and California, they make it work using two things: airline points and Shopify.
“Shopify gives you a platform where you can sell from anywhere,” says Kate. “We could have been in Timbuktu and started our store. Shopify made it really easy to start where I was.”
Though they began by selling online, Kate and Beth quickly expanded into physical retail. The sisters are heavily involved in their communities, and as their brand has grown, they’re meeting demand by selling at local markets, charity events, and pop-up events. They don’t have a brick-and-mortar location. But remarkably, POS transactions make up more than 15% of their sales, a number that’s trending upwards.
“When I do a trunk show, I use the point of sale. I can do that right on my phone. It just makes popping up anywhere so simple. It's great that I can offer that functionality,” explained Kate.
Through selling in-person and online, the sisters can meet their customers wherever they are and build relationships that last. In the small community of Falls Church, Kate is on a first-name basis with many of her in-person customers.
“Local entrepreneurs are bootstrapping an ecosystem that builds a much healthier community. With this technology at our fingertips, we've never been at a place where we could sell in a turnkey way.”
A couple celebrates and connects makers
While Maxwell & Geraldine started online and is expanding in-person sales, the reverse is happening at Independent Goods. The brand started with a chic, curated retail space before finding success online as well.
Founders Mark and Susan Nieves sell handmade and vintage products. In their brick and mortar store near Main Street, they celebrate the art of craft, allowing the work of countless artisans to take center stage.
“We know each maker extremely well. And we want the customer to get to know their story. All those relationships should be interconnected,” says Mark.
The pair also co-produces The Market, a massive outdoor makers’ festival that showcased more than 35 artisans this year and saw roughly 3,000 attendees.
During the pandemic, Mark and Susan decided to ramp up their online store. The two-person team now sells more than 500 items through Shopify.
“What appealed to me about Shopify is we could build up our brick and mortar and our online store at different cadences,” says Mark. “I could track both online and physical retail on one screen. And we could still have one source for data, for inventory, for everything.”
The husband and wife run most of their logistics on their own, but their customers would never be able to tell. With a unified operation, Susan and Mark get the best of both worlds.
“Shopify allows me to essentially manage two businesses simultaneously. We can trust having two funnels for online and brick-and-mortar and trust that inventory is being calculated correctly,” says Susan. “It gives us confidence that we can do this.”
Commerce that’s better for everyone, everywhere
Unified commerce bridges online and offline, letting entrepreneurs like Susan, Mark, Kate, and Beth focus on growth, not juggling systems. Merchants need adaptable tech. This new retail reality is flexible, integrated, and innovative, enabling merchants to meet customers everywhere with great experiences.
“We have evolved from an online store to a comprehensive unified operating system for commerce anywhere, anytime,” says Shopify president Harley Finkelstein.
“We understand that starting a business is hard. As our merchants grow, Shopify tackles these challenges so they don't have to.”
*Methodology: Online survey among 13,337 standard merchants from the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, conducted between May 29 - June 12 2024 by Shopify.