Retailers Becoming Platforms Face Bigger Operational Shifts Than Tech Upgrades

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Retail digital transformation is commonly funded as a technology programme, but the most significant changes are operational rather than technical. The shift that most alters a retailer's economics occurs when the business stops selling only its own inventory and begins hosting third-party sellers, effectively becoming a platform. This transition creates an entirely new discipline called marketplace operations, covering functions that most retail organisations have no designated owner for at the outset. Six core functions change materially in this process: category management, catalog governance, customer service and disputes, fulfilment coordination, finance and payouts, and seller performance. According to a Deloitte survey of 330 retail executives, omnichannel integration and loyalty programmes currently absorb the most early transformation budget, even as the deeper model changes remain underaddressed.

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