The Evolution of Composable Commerce: From Niche to Necessity
As businesses of all sizes embrace composable commerce, a look at the origins of composability and how it’s evolving for modern business needs.
Until recently, composable commerce was considered a niche approach to digital commerce. Overlooked by all but the most eager early tech adopters, most businesses were content to stick with the all-in-one solutions that had launched e-commerce to the world.
Tides have shifted, however. What was once niche has now become a mainstream strategy for businesses of all sizes, reflecting a broader shift in how companies view their technology stacks: as adaptable architectures that can be tailored to meet specific business needs.
In recent months, I spoke with leading experts about the MACH and composable ecosystem's evolving landscape. This article is the first in a five-part series exploring key themes, from alliances and interoperability to AI’s influence on MACH's future. Today, I examine how the composable ecosystem has evolved and what a broader definition of MACH and composable solutions means for clients, vendors, and the tech space.
The Early Days: Laying the Foundations
Initially, composable commerce was more of a philosophy than a clearly defined approach. Jaime Cairns, Chief Strategy Officer at Fluent Commerce, pointed out that even before Gartner coined the term “composable commerce” in 2020, the architectural principles were being put into practice by the early leaders in the category.
“[It’s] an architectural principle that’s been around for a very long time: Best-of-breed components integrated together to provide outcomes,” said Cairns. “We were doing it before it was termed composable. We’re very specialized… and that necessitates a whole bunch of other systems to act in concert. So philosophically, we were always composable, whether it was called that or not.”
The initial focus was on enabling agility through specialization. To achieve the desired business outcome, companies like Fluent Commerce needed their systems to work seamlessly with others, which necessitated a shift away from the traditional, one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, it placed an emphasis on flexibility, and being able to integrate and replace components as needed without disrupting the entire system.
Gaining Traction: Moving Beyond the Early Adopters
Gabriel Dillon, now Head of Partnerships at Ninetailed by Contentful, has been involved in the composable ecosystem for nearly a decade. He noted that as the benefits of a modular approach became clear, composable commerce attracted a wider audience.
“At the very beginning, the innovators were definitely developers trying to solve a concrete, real problem, and composable technologies lend themselves to that because they are discrete, point focused solutions,” noted Dillon. “I think buyers have evolved to a point where they think of the technology as enabling the right kind of business, rather than defining the business in advance.”
However, with broader adoption comes the challenge of distinguishing true MACH-native vendors—built for modular, API-first architectures—from those retrofitting older systems to appear composable.
“It's not enough to just say ‘We've got APIs too!’” said Dillon. “They are offering that as an alternative to MACH, because they realize that there's value in providing truly composable solutions, but they're missing the point that you can't just slap an API on something and have it be MACH.” True MACH vendors have it in their DNA— their roadmaps, sales motions, and product offerings are all aligned with the principles of composability.
This distinction is critical for businesses assessing their paths to success. As more companies enter the composable commerce space, it becomes increasingly important to evaluate vendors not just on their claims but on their ability to deliver genuine, sustainable outcomes. Dillon advises businesses to look closely at a vendor’s history, their commitment to MACH principles, and their long-term roadmap to ensure they are partnering with those who can truly support their composable commerce journey.
The Tipping Point: The Role of Industry Alliances & Defining Composability
The growth of composable commerce has been driven by industry alliances like the MACH Alliance, which has played a pivotal role in setting the standards and principles that make composability simpler, safer and more powerful. By promoting interoperability and collaboration among vendors, the MACH Alliance enabled the evolution of vendor relationships and the technology as a whole. TJ Brenninkmeijer, EVP (EMEA) of Bloomreach, has closely observed this evolution.
“I think the great thing about the MACH Alliance is that it's a philosophy. [It] created a pool of people just interested by ‘What's this movement all about?’” he noted. That curiosity and interest helped the space grow rapidly, and gave vendors access to a larger audience than they could reach on their own, accelerating adoption and helping to demystify composable commerce for businesses that were still on the fence.
With that growth has come an inclination to cast a wider net and include as many players as possible. But outcomes still matter and during our conversation, Brenninkmeijer highlighted the struggle to balance inclusivity with the need for authenticity and proven outcomes.
“The MACH [Alliance] has done a tremendous job in validating if these vendors are actually complying to the MACH standards,” Brenninkmeijer stated. “I think as long as that validation is there… there should be no limitations towards the vendors— as long as they comply to the philosophy.”
Merely adopting the language of composability without a genuine commitment to its principles can lead to poor outcomes. A bigger ecosystem can be a good thing, but if we start watering down what MACH means by including dabblers who stray too far from the core principles, we risk undermining the very benefits that composable commerce promises.
Mainstream Adoption: A New Era for Digital Commerce
Today, composable commerce is no longer a niche approach as more businesses recognize the value of adaptable platforms for achieving business outcomes.
“All the players now, they know they have to adapt to this new philosophy of being API-first, being cloud native, being headless and be able to support that. You can always discuss to what extent certain vendors can or cannot support this new approach but they all are moving in that direction,” Brenninkmeijer observed.
By adopting composability, businesses can not only respond more quickly to changing market conditions but also scale their operations more efficiently. They can experiment with new technologies and services without being locked into a single vendor or platform, giving them the agility they need to thrive in today’s fast-paced digital landscape. What was once seen as risky or experimental is now recognized as a smart, strategic move.
“There's far more focus around the outcomes that our customers are able to see in terms of revenue and cost of operations and efficiency of operations and scalability and so forth,” concluded Cairns. “But it's far more about the outcomes delivered than it is about the technology itself.”
Looking Ahead: The Future of Composable Commerce
As we look to the future, composable commerce will continue to play a central role in the evolution of digital commerce. With the rise of new technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning, the need for flexible, adaptable architectures will only grow.
In a world where change is the only constant, businesses that embrace composable commerce are positioning themselves for long-term success. To stay competitive, the question is no longer whether to adopt composable commerce, but how quickly you can do so.
Jason Cottrell
Founder and CEO, Orium
Jason Cottrell is the CEO & Founder of Orium, the leading composable commerce consultancy and system integrator in the Americas. He works closely with clients and partners to ensure business goals and customer needs are being met, leading the Orium team through ambitious transformation programs at the intersection of commerce, composability, and customer data.