Recent Release | 26 Apr 2023

Transforming E-Commerce

Thought Leadership Team

Oxford Economics

Think Pieces

Embracing Change: The quest to expand profitability drives e-commerce transformation

To understand how organizations are staying ahead of changing consumer behavior, Oxford Economics and SAP surveyed 500 Chief Digital Officers, digital commerce leads, and other senior commerce executives during the second quarter of 2022. The survey sample included 250 executives from B2B organizations in the high tech, automotive, life sciences, industrial manufacturing, and wholesale distribution sectors.

Our research shows that B2B firms put a premium on expanding margins and profitability. They are transforming business models and investing in ex-commerce technologies—as well as data analytics— to improve customer experiences. Digital executives seek platforms that are agile, extensible, deep, and complete, with seamless interoperability with existing systems.

Thriving on Change: The path to profitable e-commerce in Retail

To understand how senior leaders in commerce based organizations are staying ahead of changes to the way people buy and sell all manner of goods, Oxford Economics and SAP conducted a global survey of 500 Chief Digital Officers, digital commerce leads, and other senior titles during the second quarter of 2022. Our sample included 139 executives from the general merchandise, specialty store, fashion, and grocery segments.

In our study, we found that retail decision-makers are rethinking business models to focus on customer experiences and new markets. They typically rank profitability growth (63%) and geographic reach (55%) as their top strategic priorities, but nearly as many cite sustainability as one of their main focuses (51%). It is imperative they be good at many things at once, but perhaps more importantly—they need to be good at what comes next.

Pressure to Change: Customers drive e-commerce transformation in consumer products

Oxford Economics and SAP surveyed 500 Chief Digital Officers, digital commerce leads, and other senior commerce executives during the second quarter of 2022 to better understand how organizations are leveraging platforms to stay ahead of shifting customer behaviors and expectations. The survey sample included 111 executives from consumer products organizations in the food and beverage, health and personal care, and durable goods sectors.

Our research shows that consumer products companies continue to live and die by profit margins. They are seeking ways to increase those margins, enter new markets, and generate new revenue, and they understand that success rests on attracting and retaining customers at a time when demands are higher than ever. To meet these needs, many have invested in new technologies and capabilities while also developing processes for making use of data. And while many benefits have yet to materialize from these decisions, there is hope that they will guide CP organizations down the path to profitability.

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Matthew Reynolds

Senior Research Manager, Thought Leadership

Teri Robinson

Managing Editor, Thought Leadership

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