Year in Review: What 2024 Can Tell Us About How Modern Commerce Is Evolving
A year of change and uncertainty, and what we can expect from the ongoing evolution of the composable space.
The end of the year is a natural time for introspection—a chance to reflect on what was, extract lessons, and use them to propel forward into the new year. For digital commerce, 2024 was a transitional period. The movement toward composable solutions entered the mainstream, bringing with it both opportunities and growing pains.
Earlier this year, I published a five-part series exploring the state of composable commerce. From its history and evolution to the importance of strong relationships and ecosystem partnerships to how AI is playing a pivotal role in commerce, series served as a snapshot of a space that is by nature always evolving.
Now, as we close the year, it’s time for one last reflection: What can 2024 teach us about what lies ahead in 2025 and beyond?
New Verticals, New Opportunities
When modular architectures first emerged, early adopters were primarily retailers. Many of these businesses were already familiar with headless platforms like Drupal and WordPress, making the transition to composability more natural. Retailers also faced immense pressure during the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing rapid innovation and adoption of new technologies. As a result, retail became the proving ground for composable architecture.
When I spoke with him earlier this year, Marcus LaRobardiere, VP Marketing for NewStore noted, “The devil is in the details and retailers want to customize their way, how they go to market, how they build customer experiences.” Adding, “Omnichannel is complex, requiring a lot of different systems and processes, and people are looking to solve these challenges.”
Retail’s need for detailed customization and control set a standard, but other sectors began to recognize that they, too, could benefit from modular flexibility and 2024 marked a turning point. MACH THREE drew businesses from 14 different sectors— a clear sign of the model's growing appeal.
Brent Bellm, former CEO BigCommerce and COO/President of HomeAway, noted one of the big draws for businesses across industries and verticals is capability like never before. “A composable approach, instead of making them even more dependent on their development teams, can actually unleash innovation and design freedom,” he said.
Consumers are savvier than ever, and demand the same calibre of experience in their business purchases as they get in personal shopping interactions. Wholesalers, distributors, and manufacturers in the B2B space started adopting composable solutions to improve customer experience, streamline operations, and enhance sales processes. Even traditionally cautious industries like finance and healthcare began exploring composability, as its proven outcomes and clearer paths to success reduced perceived risk.
In 2025, adoption will deepen in these sectors, but the journey will look different from retail’s early explorations. New adopters are more focused on measured, incremental transformations rather than wholesale overhauls.
Composability, Modularity, and Modern Commerce
Looking back, 2024 wasn’t just about adopting specific technologies—it was about embracing a new mindset centered on flexibility, interoperability, and scalability. Composable and headless technologies ushered in this mindset, but they are no longer the only tools serving it.
Bellm noted the shift when I spoke with him earlier this year. He cited some of the additional perceived complexity of composability as part of the reason, adding, “What the world of composable most needs now is for composable to be made a lot easier than it has been historically. To make it unbelievably easy to put forward.”
As businesses demanded simpler, more flexible solutions, pre-integrated accelerators and pre-packaged offerings gained traction. Expect to see even more of these offerings in 2025, along with mergers and acquisitions that consolidate adjacent capabilities into single providers to make the purchasing and managing of composable solutions more streamlined for buyers.
But it wasn’t just the far edge of MACH-based solutions that shifted this past year— all-in-one solution vendors also began adjusting to changing market demands. Leaders in the space like Shopify and Salesforce began incorporating the principles of composability, adopting headless capabilities to provide greater flexibility. This convergence signals a future where businesses no longer have to choose between simplicity and power. Modern commerce now enables both to coexist, with composability at its core.
New Solutions Take Center Stage
Economic headwinds encouraged pragmatism among buyers this year. While some composable solutions, like CMS platforms, maintained a strong foothold in 2024, we saw a growing interest in niche tools like PIM (Product Information Management), POS (Point of Sale), and OMS (Order Management Systems). These solutions gained prominence as more businesses sought specialized capabilities that could integrate seamlessly into composable ecosystems.
“There’s been a higher demand for predictability; I think that's even more important than ever before. And a little bit of reluctance to invest in the bigger, more expensive projects, with brands instead really looking toward smaller projects with clear outcomes,” said LaRobardiere.
Adoption approaches evolved alongside tool preferences, with more brands favoring incremental migration strategies over higher-risk, more costly overhauls. In a conversation with Lee Robinson, VP of Product at Vercel, he highlighted the phased approach saying, “We believe all migrations should be incremental, because it de-risks the value proposition of integrating these tools and allows the business to see impact faster.”
Even as industries stabilize and return to growth in 2025, businesses will continue to favor data-backed investments in specialized tools over large, generalized solutions.
The Role of AI
No discussion of 2024 would be complete without addressing the seismic impact of artificial intelligence on commerce. AI transformed from an emerging technology into an essential part of commerce this year. From personalized product recommendations to smarter inventory management, AI proved its ability to enhance customer satisfaction and drive business outcomes.
Looking to 2025, the next wave of AI innovation will further integrate with composable architectures. As Robinson explained, “You want tools that allow you to experiment and try out these different models without having to re-architect your application every couple of months because there’s a new AI tool that comes out.”
The modularity of composability allows businesses to experiment with various AI models and tools without the need for massive system overhauls. This adaptability will be crucial as AI continues to evolve at breakneck speed, making it easier for businesses to stay competitive and innovate.
Looking Ahead
As businesses navigate a landscape defined by rapid technological advancements, economic pragmatism, and the ever-expanding potential of AI, the lessons of this year are clear: flexibility, interoperability, and incremental innovation are essential for success. In 2025, the continued refinement of composable solutions, deeper adoption across sectors, and a maturing AI ecosystem will offer businesses new opportunities to adapt, thrive, and lead in a dynamic digital economy. The road ahead is one of possibility, and those prepared to embrace it will define the future of commerce.
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.