Have you noticed? The rules of retail engagement have changed…
By Andra Muntean
The way people shop today doesn’t follow the rules we used to optimise for. Retail engagement — from first discovery to final conversion — now takes place across an increasingly fragmented ecosystem of channels, platforms and algorithms. It’s noisy, fast-moving, and shaped by the customer — not the brand.
We’re operating in a landscape shaped by inflation, supply chain instability, and rapidly evolving consumer expectations. Where discovery once began with a search bar or email campaign, it now starts on TikTok, in a WhatsApp group, or during a livestream. Shoppers are bouncing between channels — marketplace listings, creator content, comparison tools, brand apps — before they even land on your site (if they land there at all). The traditional funnel is fractured.
In response, retailers across the globe are undergoing a strategic re-evaluation of how they engage with customers and, more importantly, the tech stack that underpins that engagement. A customer-first approach now demands platform-agnostic thinking, smarter use of data, and modular infrastructure that can flex in real time.
This shift isn’t a trend. It’s a rewiring of the rules.
A Journey Rewritten
Let’s be clear: customers haven’t become more difficult — they’ve just become more in control.
They expect to see relevant products in the right places, with consistent pricing, clear imagery and fast fulfilment. They don’t care whether they’re on your site, a marketplace, or a third-party app. They just want it to work — friction-free and tailored to them.
According to Retail Economics and TikTok, 56% of UK social media users have purchased directly on a social platform, while marketplaces now account for over 60% of all European online retail. Meanwhile, performance KPIs are shifting: ROE (Return on Engagement) and customer lifetime value (CLTV) are becoming more important than pure conversion or ROAS.
The consequence? Retailers are under pressure to rethink their architecture. 73% of UK and European retailers revisited their digital setup in 2024 due to operational complexity, rising costs and consumer behaviour shifts.
The most forward-thinking brands are embracing composable commerce — modular, API-first ecosystems that allow for greater agility, faster iteration and smoother integration across channels.
From Product Feed to Product Experience
The foundation of this shift starts with something deceptively simple: your product feed.
Feed management has traditionally been treated as a back-end function — essential but invisible. That thinking is outdated. In today’s real-time, channel-agnostic world, the way you structure, syndicate and optimise your product data is central to success.
It’s easy to underestimate, but your feed powers your visibility across every external touchpoint — from Google Shopping and TikTok to Klarna, Meta and beyond. Poor feed hygiene leads to rejected listings, disapproved ads, and missed revenue. Great feeds, on the other hand, unlock relevance, scale and automation.
This is where solutions like Intelligent Reach | A division of Athos Commerce come in — enabling brands to optimise product data dynamically for every platform, marketplace, and campaign. And crucially, to test and learn at speed. In a fragmented digital shelf, feed quality is no longer a backend task — it’s a frontline growth lever.
Consider the role of platforms like Intelligent Reach, which allow retailers to dynamically customise feeds for hundreds of different channels — from Google Shopping to affiliate networks to TikTok Shops — without compromising product integrity. A well-managed feed not only ensures consistency; it maximises visibility, relevance and performance across every offsite customer touchpoint.
And when that infrastructure is missing? Products get disapproved. Ads underperform. Customers drop off.
Onsite Experience Still Matters — More Than Ever
It’s easy to focus on acquisition, but what happens when the shopper actually lands on your site or app? The ability to deliver a fast, personalised, and intuitive experience has become a key differentiator — and often, the reason a shopper either converts or clicks away.
Today’s shoppers are impatient. They expect intuitive site search, curated merchandising, and hyper-relevant recommendations. Fail to deliver that and they’ll bounce — likely back to the channel they came from.
Platforms like Klevu and Searchspring, both Divisions of Athos Commerce, are leading the charge in this space — powering real-time personalisation, predictive search, and dynamic merchandising strategies that not only improve UX but also drive measurable commercial outcomes.
Virtual fitting rooms in fashion, AI-driven skin diagnostics in beauty, and room planners in home & garden — these experiences are no longer ‘nice-to-haves’. They’re expected. And when they’re delivered poorly, customers notice. 72% of UK shoppers surveyed by Klarna said they’re more likely to buy from a brand offering a seamless, personalised experience.
The Case for a Smarter Stack
So, what does a “smarter” ecommerce stack actually look like in 2025?
It’s modular, not monolithic. It’s composable, not closed. And most importantly, it’s connected — from feed management to onsite search, personalisation, and analytics.
It’s not just about adding more tools. It’s about orchestrating your stack in a way that reflects how customers actually behave. That means tools that talk to each other, surface the right data, and allow for rapid iteration without costly replatforming.
That’s part of the thinking behind Athos Commerce — a platform designed to unify best-in-class tools like Intelligent Reach, Klevu, and Searchspring into a cohesive, flexible platform. Not as a one-size-fits-all solution, but as a framework for brands to build intelligently around their specific needs.
Priorities for Retailers in 2025 and Beyond
Here’s what progressive retailers are prioritising right now:
- Feed Quality & Channel Coverage: Ensuring your product data is channel-optimised, scalable and testable.
- Onsite Personalisation & Search: Making every visit count with predictive, intelligent tools that surface the right content.
- Composable Commerce Infrastructure: Moving towards MACH principles (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless) to stay agile.
- First-Party Data Strategies: Preparing for a cookieless world with loyalty programmes, quizzes and server-side tracking.
- Offsite-Ready Brand Building: Investing in creator partnerships, social commerce and shoppable media that can convert at the edge.
It’s about owning more of the experience — even when you don’t own the platform.
Final Thought
2025 is not the year to sit still. Whether you’re a fast fashion disruptor, a luxury DTC brand, or a homeware retailer navigating hybrid work demand, one thing is clear: the right technology stack is the foundation of your customer experience.
Not just on your site. Not just in your ads. But across every channel, every journey, every touchpoint.
The future of ecommerce isn’t about building more. It’s about building better. And that starts with re-evaluating what powers your business.
The rules of engagement have changed. The opportunity is in how you respond.
