Reimagining commerce with MACH: Ask Certified commercetools Experts

Written by Shelanne Augustine

Technical Content Writer

While we’re all happy to have shut the door firmly on 2020, we can’t deny how the pandemic has transformed commerce.

Today, many brick-and-mortar stores are still closed. And many retailers are looking for new avenues to deliver the same level of service to their customers while minimizing face-to-face interaction. From pre-payment methods to pre-booking shopping appointments, commerce is becoming more complex and creative than ever before.

In this blog, we’ll discuss how MACH is making it easier for retailers to offer their customers a superior shopping experience.

If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re already familiar with MACH (an acronym coined by commercetools in 2018 that stands for Microservices, API-First, Cloud-Native, and Headless). Here’s a quick overview:

While we’re all happy to have shut the door firmly on 2020, we can’t deny how the pandemic has transformed commerce.

Today, many brick-and-mortar stores are still closed. And many retailers are looking for new avenues to deliver the same level of service to their customers while minimizing face-to-face interaction. From pre-payment methods to pre-booking shopping appointments, commerce is becoming more complex and creative than ever before.

In this blog, we’ll discuss how MACH is making it easier for retailers to offer their customers a superior shopping experience.

If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re already familiar with MACH (an acronym coined by commercetools in 2018 that stands for Microservices, API-First, Cloud-Native, and Headless). Here’s a quick overview:

What does MACH mean?

Microservices is a style of architecture that builds an application by housing each of the system’s services in individual, loosely coupled containers – each individually running their processes. By having each service operate separately. This offers several advantages:

Developers can quickly deploy and simply maintain applications.
System errors are isolated, keeping them from interrupting the functionality of the application as a whole.
Developers can select the technology stack (or programming language) that best fits their business.

API-First is a design methodology that focuses on connectivity with multi-channel commerce. This design understands how important it is to have the ability to sell through mobile, wearable, VR, and IoT marketplaces and more. In many ways, API-First means future-first, allowing businesses to stay ahead by giving them connectivity to the popular channels of today and tomorrow.

Cloud-Native architecture makes applications fast and responsive by storing data in the cloud.

Headless design gives companies the ability to select and customize their site’s front-end or build it from scratch.

MACH has enabled industry leaders, including Audi, Bang & Olufsen, and Dawn Foods, to sell across new platforms with new interactive features.

Here are 3 of the exciting ways that headless commerce is making online shopping easier and more enjoyable:

1. AV/AR Shopping

By using your MACH architecture to tap into the user’s camera, your customers can envision your products in their home or on their body.

A recent Wall Street Journal article found that 100 million consumers are expected to shop online or in-store within the next year. This technology poses enormous benefits for furniture, clothing, and beauty retailers by allowing customers to “try before they buy” without ever leaving home.

2. Omni-Channel shopping:

This year, we’ve seen a tidal wave of retailers migrating to omni-channel shopping options like offering curbside pick-up for online orders. Thanks to MACH’s headless approach, customers can enjoy these flexible shopping options – keeping them safe and comfortable while they pay and pick up effortlessly.

3. Internet of Things

(IoT) – I’m sure quite a few of us turned to our smart device to say, “Hey Alexa (or Siri, or Google), order more Lysol spray!” Smart speakers and personal assistants, smart appliances, and our very own IoT Bots are making it easier to shop without having to open a computer, fill out lengthy forms or punch in credit card information.

MACH has enabled industry leaders, including Audi, Bang & Olufsen, and Dawn Foods, to sell across new platforms with new interactive features.

Here are 3 of the exciting ways that headless commerce is making online shopping easier and more enjoyable:

1. AV/AR Shopping

By using your MACH architecture to tap into the user’s camera, your customers can envision your products in their home or on their body.

A recent Wall Street Journal article found that 100 million consumers are expected to shop online or in-store within the next year. This technology poses enormous benefits for furniture, clothing, and beauty retailers by allowing customers to “try before they buy” without ever leaving home.

2. Omni-Channel shopping:

This year, we’ve seen a tidal wave of retailers migrating to omni-channel shopping options like offering curbside pick-up for online orders. Thanks to MACH’s headless approach, customers can enjoy these flexible shopping options – keeping them safe and comfortable while they pay and pick up effortlessly.

3. Internet of Things

(IoT) – I’m sure quite a few of us turned to our smart device to say, “Hey Alexa (or Siri, or Google), order more Lysol spray!” Smart speakers and personal assistants, smart appliances, and our very own IoT Bots are making it easier to shop without having to open a computer, fill out lengthy forms or punch in credit card information.

MACH offers out-of-the-box functionality that can grow with your organization as the digital commerce landscape evolves. Is 2021 calling you to revolutionize the way your customers interact with your brand? If so, commercetools is the best platform for you.

Click here to contact our certified commercetools experts to learn more about MACH and how to use it to transform your selling capabilities.

Reimagining commerce in 2021 with MACH

What does MACH mean?

1. AV/AR Shopping

2. Omni-Channel shopping:

3. Internet of Things

1. AV/AR Shopping

2. Omni-Channel shopping:

3. Internet of Things

Related posts

All You Need to Know About Salesforce’s Order Management System

Bridging Offline and Online Shopping Experiences with SAP Customer Data Cloud

Defining Headless Architecture for eCommerce Businesses

Leave a Reply Cancel reply