The Future of Headless Commerce: Trends and Innovations

API first is an approach to building an online store focusing on the application programming interface (API). Different services can be handled by dedicated APIs or microservices, which the developers and customers input fine-tune. This approach allows for flexibility and quick response to customer feedback, with a better user experience (UX) for developers.

Lower development costs and better performance lead to cost savings for businesses. Business leaders like Amazon, Netflix, and Stripe have already adopted API-first eCommerce. Microservices eCommerce is projected to reach $7.5 trillion in revenues by 2025.

AI is huge everywhere these days, and, of course, businesses are seeking ways to enhance their sales with it. Since most consumers these days want and expect a personalized shopping experience, AI is being used to analyze data and behavior and drive more personalized interactions.

The future will be full of individualized product recommendations, deal-finding, product comparisons, dynamic pricing, and rewards. Chatbots already provide sales and customer service assistance and are sure to become more sophisticated over time. By 2030, AI is projected to contribute over $15 trillion to the global economy.

Subscriptions are already hugely popular for everything from pet supplies to streaming services. UBS issued a report forecasting the subscription economy to reach $1.5 trillion in 2025, with an annual growth rate of 18%. This is a trend that mustn’t be missed!

60% of total web traffic comes from phones, and the number of people who shop with their phones is also increasing. As a result, future web development will focus on developing the mobile experience first and scaling for laptops and other devices later. Catering to mobile customers will ensure they don’t browse away from your website out of frustration because of a confusing layout or unreadable text.

There’s now a lot of incentive for traditionally digital or traditionally physical retailers to expand their business into the space they’ve been neglecting. With the rise of mobile apps, smartwatches, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), and the Internet of Things (IoT), headless commerce allows for delivering a seamless experience across various channels.

With so-called “click-and-mortar” setups, customers today can shop where and how they want and can either have their items delivered or pick them up in-store. Customers expect these shopping experiences to be seamless, and brands are investing in the technology needed to integrate once-separate business areas. A consistent omnichannel presence enhances customer satisfaction, leading to higher engagement and conversions.

Composable commerce is the next step forward from headless architecture. Instead of having one or more frontends communicating with a single backend, there are multiple independent packaged business capabilities (PBCs)–often groups of microservices–that communicate with other PBCs via APIs. Businesses can choose the PBCs for their eCommerce platform that best meet their needs, and can add more later without disrupting the existing system.

Customers across all age groups care about environmentally friendly business models. This is especially true for our youngest and most important market segment of the near future. According to the PDI Business of Sustainability Index, 91% of Gen-Zers wish to purchase products from sustainable companies. Businesses will have an incentive to develop eCommerce platforms that pose minimal environmental impacts. Energy savings often result in cost savings.