Manhattan Associates Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH), today announced the findings of its 2026 Global Unified Commerce Benchmark for Specialty Retail, the industry’s most comprehensive assessment of how well retailers connect digital and physical experiences to drive growth, profitability and loyalty. Conducted by Incisiv, a leading retail research firm, the Benchmark is based on real-world purchases and returns. It analyses more than 400 specialty retailers across EMEA, LATAM and North America on 330 capabilities spanning four key experience areas: Shopping, Checkout, Fulfilment, and Service.

The 2026 Benchmark reveals that while the industry has made steady progress in unified commerce maturity since 2023 when it was first launched, only 7% of retailers have achieved true unified commerce leadership while 33% are still stuck in the Basic category. Leaders are translating connected, data‑driven yet customer-centric experiences into nearly 2X higher growth rates than their basic peers.

The Benchmark highlights a new competitive reality in specialty retail, where scale, assortment and brand presence alone no longer guarantee growth. Key insights include:

• AI is reshaping commerce: AI in retail is projected to unlock more than $500 billion in value globally by 2030, shifting the focus from simple task automation to intelligent systems that anticipate demand, personalise in real time and resolve friction before customers encounter it. AI shopping assistants, predictive fulfilment, in‑store personalisation and intelligent cross‑channel support with context‑aware escalation are defining the new frontier.
• Consumer journeys are fragmented: More than 66% of consumers now use two or more channels before completing a purchase, moving fluidly between marketplaces, social platforms, messaging apps and retailers’ own sites and stores.
• Execution economics are under pressure: Global logistics and fulfilment costs have risen by over 20% in the last three years, as customers expect faster delivery, flexible fulfilment and seamless service as standard.
• Inventory intelligence: Real‑time visibility and dynamic allocation drive significantly higher inventory turns – 50% in NOAM, 45% in EMEA and 27% in LATAM – helping reduce stockouts and markdowns.
• Yesterday’s differentiators are now table stakes. 38% of the capabilities that differentiated leaders in 2024 have become table stakes by 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 personalised experiences while also protecting margin,” said Katie Foote, SVP & CMO, 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 fulfilment and service.”

The 2026 Benchmark also reveals how unified commerce maturity is evolving by region:

• NOAM retailers benefit from deep ecommerce foundations and mature data infrastructure, leading in shopping and checkout personalisation and cart execution.
• EMEA retailers stand out in operational consistency, cross‑border fulfilment and privacy‑conscious experiences shaped by a complex regulatory landscape.
• LATAM retailers are closing the gap faster than any other region, driven by rapid adoption of alternative payments, messaging‑led service via WhatsApp and mobile‑first fulfilment models.

“There is no single blueprint for winning in unified commerce. Different regions are moving at varied speeds and solving for different customer expectations. However, the common thread is clear: retailers that invest in connected experiences and precise execution are seeing the results in growth, resilience, and strong customer loyalty,” added Foote.

Click HERE to view and download the complete 2026 Global Unified Commerce Benchmark for Specialty Retail. Receive up-to-date product, customer and partner news directly from Manhattan on LinkedIn.