How Independents Are Using Unified Commerce

Recently at Progressive Grocer's GroceryTech conference, I had the opportunity to join a thought-provoking panel titled “Indie Approaches to Unified Commerce” alongside Donna Zambo from Allegiance Retail Services and Taylor Bloom from Foxtrot. The conversation centered around how independent grocers are tackling the challenges — and opportunities — of creating seamless, connected retail experiences for today’s shopper.

From left, Bridget Goldschmidt, Sarah Rivers, Donna Zambo, and Taylor Bloom.

A Seamless Unified Commerce Experience in Independent Grocery Stores

We kicked off with the question, "What is your definition of unified commerce, and what does that look like in your stores?" Whether you call it unified commerce, connected commerce, or omnichannel commerce, the goal is the same: integrating online and offline channels to deliver a frictionless, consistent experience that meets shoppers wherever they are.

At IGA, it all starts with the customer journey. Whether they’re researching online and buying in-store, or shopping fully online, we aim to make the process intuitive, seamless, and rewarding. That means essentials like single sign-on for loyalty and digital coupons, earning and redeeming points across all channels, and ensuring sales and promotions are consistently reflected both online and in-store. As I said on the panel, if you ask a shopper to log in more than once, you’ve lost them.

Zambo and Bloom emphasized the importance of seamlessness not just for the customer experience, but also from a back-end data perspective, where unifying data streams allows for cleaner analysis and smarter decisions. Since Foxtrot started as an app and then moved into retail, Bloom said their organization has always viewed commerce and their customer relationship through a holistic lens.

We also explored how technology is being implemented to support this vision, and how open architecture is essential to allow flexibility as the industry evolves. Whether you’re layering in new tools or integrating with existing systems, the ability to adapt is key. Given Foxtrot's tech roots, they built a lot of their own technology, but Bloom recognizes that building isn’t always the best solution, especially when it’s a technology that is not core to their business. Foxtrot likes to build technologies that will enable them to deliver unique customer experiences.

Obstacles to Unified Commerce for Independents

Since many independents lack the development team to build their own technologies, how can independents successfully adopt unified commerce solutions that best cater to their shoppers? At IGA, we begin with data: if a store hasn’t performed a recent marketplace assessment, we help them understand their shopper, competition, and any first-party data they may have. We then guide them through a marketing audit to assess where they are on their digital journey, define success metrics, and ensure the solutions match both their readiness and goals. In many cases, we act as a marketing department for hire, bringing strategy and execution at an accessible cost.

Obstacles often include lack of understanding of digital tactics and limited access to actionable data. We educate our stores on different digital elements they can use to reach their particular shopper depending on what their objectives are and we also help them analyze the data from each campaign. IGA offers bespoke solutions: custom CTV campaigns, store-specific creative, and highly tailored plans for both CPG and retail partners. Whether it’s showcasing a store’s homemade guacamole, highlighting a prime meat program, or featuring their bakery’s unique offerings, we never take a one-size-fits-all approach.

According to Zambo, Allegiance supports their retailers by being educators, advocates, and strategic partners, helping them adopt tools that fit their scale and business model.

Staff Training Is Key To Implementing Digital Tools

Another key part of the conversation centered on education and adoption — both for store associates and shoppers. Associates are a store’s front line; you wouldn’t launch a new in-store promotion without training your team, and the same holds true for digital tools. Associates must be able to clip digital coupons, help customers register for accounts, and become champions of the tools themselves. Meanwhile, shopper education should happen across all available touchpoints: in-store signage, websites, email, SMS, social media, and more.

The Future of Unified Commerce

So, what’s next in unified commerce? Besides artificial intelligence (AI) and automating some routine daily tasks that will help store operators reallocate labor in more meaningful ways, unified commerce can enhance the in-store experience. Grocery retail has a head start over other sectors like fashion or home improvement because of how essential the channel is. Many other retail verticals are pushing in-store shoppers to buy online — even while in the store — which isn’t a great shopper experience.

For example, my husband went to buy a leaf blower at a popular home improvement store. They only had a few products available, which were locked up behind a cage. He had to find a store associate so he could look at the products, and wasn’t happy with the selection. The associate told him, “We have way more products online.” You have a shopper, willing and ready to buy a $300 item, and you tell them to go home and look online? As a retail marketer, it was cringe-worthy!

But the in-store experience still needs reimagining. It’s not about flooding stores with screens, but about solving real problems for real shoppers. I use the example of the “5:00 dinner dilemma." The shopper is at the store at 5:00 p.m. looking for dinner ideas. If you can meet that customer with a helpful recipe or meal solution in the moment, delivered via a smartcart screen or display elsewhere in the store, you win their loyalty. It’s about bringing smart, helpful digital experiences into physical stores in ways that feel natural and valuable.

The future of unified commerce isn’t just tech-driven — it’s shopper-driven. And as independent grocers, we’re uniquely positioned to lead with personalization, agility, and community connection.