Business services provider Manhattan Associates has released findings from its 2026 Global Unified Commerce Benchmark for Specialty Retail, a comprehensive assessment of how well retailers have connected digital and physical experiences to drive growth, profitability and loyalty. And, according to the company, a lot of work remains to be done.
Conducted by market researcher Incisiv, the benchmark study derives from real-world purchases and returns at more than 400 specialty retailers across the globe. The study reviewed 330 capabilities spanning four key experience areas: shopping, checkout, fulfillment and service. The unified commerce report did not address broadliners such as Amazon, Walmart and Costco. However, it did cover major retailers Manhattan Associates considered in specialty channels, such as Home Depot, Nordstrom and Wayfair.
The Unified Commerce Maturity Index for Home Furnishings and Furniture retailers placed three Ikea divisions — Sweden, Mexico and the United States— in its Leading bracket along with Wayfair. The Advanced group included West Elm and La-Z-Boy, while the Developing group included The Container Store, Williams-Sonoma, Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel and CB2. Among those retailers in the Basic group were Rejuvination, Lamps Plus, Sleep Number and Rooms To Go.
In the larger picture, retailers designated as Leading, in addition to those in the Home Furnishings and Furniture category, included Nordstrom, Best Buy, Sephora U.S., Home Depot and Neiman Marcus.
According to Manhattan Associates, the 2026 benchmark study indicated that while the retail industry has made steady progress in unified commerce maturity since 2023, when it first introduced the index, only 7% of retailers have achieved true unified commerce leadership. A third are still stuck in the Basic category, Manhattan Associated noted.
Leaders are translating connected, data‑driven yet customer-centric experiences into nearly two times higher growth rates than their basic peers, the company asserted. The benchmark study highlights a new competitive reality where scale, assortment and brand presence alone no longer guarantee growth. As the marketplace evolves, retailers can integrate developments into their unified commerce strategies to advance execution.
Other findings from the study include, Manhattan Associates pointed out:
AI Is Reshaping Commerce. Artificial intelligence as applied to retail will unlock more than $500 billion in value globally by 2030 as projected, shifting the focus from simple task automation to intelligent systems that anticipate demand, personalize in real time and address friction before customers encounter it consistent. AI shopping assistants, predictive fulfillment, in‑store personalization and intelligent cross‑channel support with context‑aware escalation have become the new frontier of commerce .
Consumer Journeys Have Fragmented. More than 66% of consumers now use two or more channels before completing a purchase, moving easily between marketplaces, social platforms, messaging apps and retailer-operated sites and physical stores.
Execution Economics Are Pressured. Global logistics and fulfillment costs have risen by more than 20% in the past three years, as consumers have come to expect faster delivery, flexible fulfillment and seamless service as standard.
Inventory Intelligence Is Growing. Real‑time visibility and dynamic allocation are driving significantly higher inventory turns, up 50% in North America, helping reduce stockouts and markdowns.
Manhattan Associates added that functions that once were differentiators are now table stakes, as 38% of the capabilities that differentiated leaders in 2024 have become operations necessities in 2026, including basic real‑time inventory visibility, digital wallets and cross‑channel support.
“Retailers are being asked to do something incredibly hard right now: deliver faster, more personalized experiences while also protecting margin,” said Katie Foote, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Manhattan Associates. “What this benchmark makes clear is that the retailers pulling ahead are not doing it with one standout channel or a single capability. They are doing it by reimagining the entire customer journey and connecting the business end to end, from shopping and checkout to fulfillment and service.”
