Omnichannel vs unified vs total: The quick definitions

I see total commerce shifting from buzzword to real buying criterion for retail IT. In this guide, I show where total experience fits, how to make store, ecommerce, service, and data act like one system, the stack I actually recommend, and a 90-day pilot I’d run without a replatform. I’ll also clarify how total commerce differs from omnichannel and unified commerce, which capabilities drive ROI (reliable buy online, pickup in-store/BOPIS, return anywhere, order-aware support), and the KPIs I track to prove impact.

What is total commerce?

When I say total commerce, I refer to how your store and online shop (and other sales channels) behave as one system: same prices and inventory, reliable pickup and returns, and support that already sees the order. Practically, it’s one shared view of products, orders, customers, and inventory used across ecommerce, POS, fulfillment, and service.

Is total commerce the same ...