INDUSTRY RETAIL. TECH

Showcasing innovative technology in the retail sector

The survey of 1,000 retail and SaaS decision-makers found 68 % believe their companies would grow faster and 65 % say they would generate more revenue if they were not tied to a single provider. Nearly three-quarters( 73 %) report hidden costs associated with their platform, adding an average of 35 % to the original contract price.

The research also reveals a sharp disconnect on the impact of all-in-one platforms inside organisations. While 72 % of executive management say all-in-one platforms have accelerated innovation, 58 % of project managers say they have limited, dictated or prevented it. Despite this dissatisfaction, companies remain locked in. Just 16 % say they stay with their current platform because they are genuinely satisfied, while nearly 40 % cite concerns about lost sales and high costs as the top barrier to switching.

The findings come as retail and SaaS companies face growing pressure to scale across borders while managing increasingly demanding regulatory, payment and customer experience requirements. To cope, many turn to merchant of record( MoR) solutions. But, too often, the same lock-in shows up, resulting in fragmented tech stacks, checkout friction, siloed data and reduced flexibility to adapt and scale.

“ Companies often adopt all-in-one platforms for convenience, but what looks simple at the outset can limit flexibility, increase tech debt and reduce control as businesses expand into international markets,” said Sam Ranieri, CEO of Reach.“ The traditional MoR model aims to fix this by solving complexities when selling globally. But it is making the same mistakes and restricts the ability of merchants to adapt. All this points to the next phase of retail and SaaS growth coming from technology choices that prioritise flexibility, speed and control. As MoR infrastructure, this is where Reach is focussed: on delivering behind-thecurtain value that fits into the merchant’ s world and enabling global growth through configuration, not integration.”

Key findings:

Leaders say platform lock-in is limiting growth and adaptability

• Sixty-eight percent believe their company would grow faster without being tied to a single provider

• Sixty-seven percent say being tied to a single platform reduces their ability to adapt to changing customer and business needs

• Sixty-five percent say they would generate more revenue without platform lock-in

Hidden costs and workarounds are widespread

• Seventy-three percent report hidden costs associated with their platform, increasing total spend by an average of 35 %

• Sixty-six percent say they have paid for additional tools or workarounds outside their core platform subscription

• Sixty-four percent report experiencing tech debt from maintaining platforms and integrations

There’ s a stark contrast between executives and operators on platform performance

• Seventy-two percent of executive management say all-inone platforms have accelerated innovation while 58 % of project managers say they have limited, dictated, or prevented innovation

• Seventy-eight percent of project managers say platform simplicity claims do not reflect their day-to-day. • 46

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