What if retailers could unify commerce without a POS system?

Unified commerce is the next frontier for retailers to erase the boundaries between in-store and online shopping, but unifying experiences through POS systems is a slow-moving, costly and cumbersome approach. What if a POS system isn’t part of this equation at all? Here’s how we at commercetools are flipping the script on making commerce genuinely unified. 

When retailers had only one channel — the brick-and-mortar store — a POS (point-of-sale) system emerged as the go-to solution to handle all the processes within the store, from selling and refunds to managing inventory. At that time, connecting multiple stores or other channels wasn’t a priority — it simply wasn’t needed. 

Then eCommerce came into existence — and it hasn’t stopped evolving since. Compare the first digital storefronts and what’s available now; the difference is staggering. Behind the scenes, the technology powering online shopping experiences is dynamic and advanced. In contrast, in-store technology continued to be largely stagnant. 

Usually centered around legacy POS systems, in-store technology remains contained within the limits of one store. It’s not conducive to connecting multiple stores, let alone digital channels. While POS systems can be robust enough to solve the challenges of in-store operations in isolation, they aren’t the right solution for enabling a unified commerce strategy. 

Several scenarios prove this case:

Integrating two systems in charge of CX — and synchronizing them 
Say your business wants to connect in-store and eCommerce using their respective, albeit distinctive, systems. Even with an API-based POS system, this isn’t simple. You must create and maintain integration code to sync systems built based on different parameters for promotions, pricing and everything else. 

While you can integrate these two systems, you’re forced to build that integration around the lowest common denominator because both systems think they’re in charge of the customer experience. The result: Subpar customer journeys. 

Adding new functionality in two separate systems 
Managing both a POS system and an eCommerce platform means duplicating efforts when adding new functionalities. You must implement changes in both systems and synchronize releases — and hope the vendor doesn’t modify the underlying technology mid-update.

Unsurprisingly, maintaining feature parity between two platforms is significantly harder and consumes more time and budget than using one system. 

Slowing down developments and upgrades due to on-premise installations 
To implement changes or updates, you must build a new software version, distribute it and physically install it on devices. Why? Because legacy POS systems are on-premise rather than cloud-based, making updates cumbersome and delaying access to new capabilities.

More than anything, on-premise software is a costly investment. Licensing, maintenance, and vendor support fees add up, and middleware costs can be significant. Managing on-premise infrastructure, including middleware integration and backend synchronization, is entirely on your shoulders. The staffing costs to run this bloated infrastructure also come into play — and they don’t come cheap.

Lacking technology compatibility and longevity 
Many POS solutions only support specific hardware vendors. If you prefer an Android-based setup, you’re out of luck: 99% of in-store hardware still runs on Windows. Vendors often dictate hardware choices, limiting flexibility and locking you into specific ecosystems.

Adding to the challenge, most retailers depreciate in-store hardware on a five-to-seven-year cycle. If your current hardware is within that window, you might need to write it off entirely before considering upgrades. And even then, vendor-imposed compatibility restrictions might prevent you from exploring better options. This vicious cycle discourages modernization, keeping your infrastructure locked in with outdated systems.

There’s no denying that the POS market is evolving toward a more API-centric approach, offering modern solutions for retailers looking to integrate physical and digital shopping. However, does a POS-based model (even when API-powered) truly unify experiences?

It’s possible, but at what cost and how much implementation time is needed? Can you achieve it in a week, or will it take six months? Is it a $10,000 investment, or will it cost you a million dollars? These are critical questions retailers must consider.

At commercetools, we believe unified commerce shouldn’t be this expensive or complex. It’s essential for retail success — so why take the most painful and prolonged route to get there?

That’s why our approach with commercetools InStore is different, built on three key differentiators:

1. Unified commerce is better with a unified platform 

A unified platform centralizes all commerce data — pricing, products, promotions and customer profiles — in one place. This means you can fully leverage digital assets from their eCommerce stores and seamlessly integrate them into the in-store experience.

Today, many store employees switch between an eCommerce site and a POS system to look up product details before completing a sale. With a unified platform, search capabilities, product detail pages (PDPs) and catalogs remain consistent across all channels.

Even well-known vendors that provide both POS and eCommerce solutions in the same ecosystem often struggle to truly unify commerce. Their systems can communicate but operate on separate parameters, each solving different channel-specific problems. And because these solutions are usually monolithic, deep customization becomes even more difficult.

In other words, a POS-free approach pioneered by commercetools eliminates the pain points of clunky integration and synchronization — and ensures that all data points are consistent throughout the customer experience. 

2. Commerce technology must be conducive to rapid innovation 

Retailers need technology that allows them to turn ideas into reality quickly. With a unified commerce approach, new functionality can be deployed in weeks instead of months, eliminating the complexities of integrating multiple systems.

What’s more, cloud-native infrastructure makes it easier and faster to deploy updates, keep systems current and add new channels without the constraints of on-premise software.

3. Extensive customizations powered by composability 

A composable architecture, backed by an API-first approach, enables you to customize features according to business needs without limits. You can build unified shopping experiences entirely from pre-built components from a third-party vendor like commercetools or bring your own. 

With an open, composable architecture, you own the experience codebase and have the freedom to modify it as you see fit. Composable commerce isn’t prescriptive, so you can: 

• Integrate your preferred hardware into brick-and-mortar stores. 

• Integrate a wide array of best-of-breed solutions, like AI-based search from a best-of-breed provider, to empower shoppers to look for products across all channels. 

• Tweak components according to your needs and even bring your own, eliminating redundancies (POS systems included) by replacing modules instead of rebuilding entire systems. 

By adopting a composable approach to unifying commerce, you’re not just merging channels — you’re enhancing experiences daily.

Let’s explore three key use cases that commercetools InStore supports:

1. Research In-Store, Buy Online

Customers love visiting stores to see, touch and experience products in person before deciding to buy. Imagine if they could save items to a shopping list, wish list or cart while in-store — and complete the purchase later online. The cart would remain accessible from any device, allowing shoppers to research or finalize their decisions at home.

2. Buy Online, Return In-Store

Keeping transaction receipts isn’t always practical, but the vast majority of retailers require them when processing a product return. What if store associates could see all customer purchase activity across all channels and process the return smoothly? When store associates don’t have to match up different order sources — a common complication caused by separate online and in-store systems — it’s much easier for staff and customers to finish the process without friction. 

3. Online/In-Store Availability

It’s become commonplace for customers to check online whether a product is available in a specific store before visiting, so providing real-time availability per store has become essential. 

Let’s say a customer has already added an item to their online cart. When they arrive in-store, sales associates can instantly pull up the saved cart or access their purchase history to confirm the correct product. If needed, shoppers can complete in-store transactions by scanning a barcode or building a new cart on-site. If the item isn’t available in the desired size or color, store staff can arrange to have it shipped directly to the customer’s home.

Customers can purchase in-store and out-of-stock items in a single transaction — even using split payments across cash, credit cards and digital wallets. In summary, the cart is portable, enabling a smooth experience across digital and physical touchpoints.

POS systems were designed for a different era of retail. As commerce continues to evolve, the industry needs a more flexible, modern approach to truly unify digital and physical experiences without the costs, limitations or complexity of today’s ecosystem. 

At commercetools, we’re building a future where retailers can achieve unified commerce without being bound by outdated technology — and one that continues to evolve. 

commercetools InStore is rapidly expanding into new markets, building on its presence in six countries, including the UK, Australia, the United States and Canada. As expansion continues, commercetools ensures full compliance with country-specific regulations, allowing retailers to operate seamlessly across multiple regions.

To enhance reliability in various network conditions, commercetools InStore integrates offline capabilities using Progressive Web App (PWA) technology. Features such as offline catalog access and cart building will allow transactions to continue even when connectivity is limited. Once back online, data syncs automatically, ensuring a smooth retail experience.

So, what if your business can unify commerce without relying on POS systems? That’s not only possible; with commercetools, it’s now a reality. 

Contact our InStore team for more information on how you can start your unified commerce journey with commercetools.