Modern E-commerce for Retail Chains: How Composable Commerce and Marketplaces Support Growth 

Large retail chains are increasingly adopting multiple sales models. They’re connecting physical stores with digital channels, launching marketplaces and expanding their product ranges without investing in additional stock. To make this work, they need e-commerce platforms that can handle extensive product catalogues, rising traffic and integrations with existing systems. 

How can retailers meet these demands while keeping technology costs under control? Composable commerce, marketplace platforms and AI tools embedded directly into e-commerce systems offer several ways forward. Univio is building expertise across these areas through partnerships with technology providers including VTEX, commercetools, Mirakl and Open Mercato. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Composable commerce allows retailers to add, upgrade or replace individual e-commerce components without rebuilding the entire platform. 

• Marketplaces and dropshipping enable retailers to expand their product ranges without investing in additional inventory. 

• AI supports sales analytics, product search, content creation and customer service within e-commerce platforms. 

• Univio works with technologies including VTEX, commercetools and Mirakl and is delivering an omnichannel project for more than 220 Bricomarché stores.

Why Do Large Retail Chains Need New E-commerce Platforms? 

An e-commerce platform can run reliably for years while gradually becoming a barrier to growth. This is particularly noticeable when a retailer wants to launch another sales channel, introduce a new business model or connect systems used across multiple stores.  With older platforms, even a relatively small change can affect several interconnected areas. Adding features takes longer, maintenance costs rise and integrating new tools becomes increasingly difficult. 

Large retail chains also need technology capable of handling seasonal traffic spikes, supporting B2B and B2C sales and managing product availability across different locations. Modernizing the e-commerce architecture, alongside improving sales processes and system integrations, can help address these challenges. For many retailers, composable commerce offers a practical approach. 

Composable Commerce: A Platform That Grows with Your Business 

Composable commerce is an approach to building e-commerce platforms using independent components, each responsible for specific capabilities. Product management, search, checkout and order management can all be developed and integrated separately. 

For large retailers, this makes it easier to introduce new sales channels, integrate additional tools and adapt their platforms to seasonal changes in demand without rebuilding the entire system. 

“Large retail businesses need an architecture that can keep pace with growth, handle sales spikes and support new features without having to rebuild the entire system. That’s why we take a composable commerce approach, where individual components can be selected and replaced as needed, allowing the technology to evolve alongside the business. We use Zero Downtime Migration to move to the new platform without interrupting sales or losing data,” says Paweł Peryga, Chief Technology Officer at Univio. 

Marketplaces and Dropshipping: How Can Retailers Expand Their Product Range Without More Warehouse Space? 

Launching a marketplace allows retail chains to offer products from third-party sellers without having to purchase and manage the entire inventory themselves. This model is already used by retailers including Empik, Decathlon and Black Red White. 

Depending on their business strategy, retailers can choose between two models: 

• Third-party marketplace (3P): external sellers list their products on the retailer’s platform. The system supports seller offers, a dedicated seller portal and Buy Box functionality. 

• Dropshipping: the retailer remains the seller of record, while suppliers handle fulfilment and shipping. Integrations enable the exchange of product information, stock availability and order data. 

Introducing a marketplace doesn’t necessarily require replacing an existing e-commerce platform. Mirakl, for example, can be integrated with an established online store, while VTEX provides built-in marketplace capabilities. For more specialized requirements, a custom marketplace can also be developed. 

“Retail chains are increasingly looking beyond online sales to consumers. The same store now needs to serve individual customers and B2B partners, while being ready to embrace a marketplace model when the time is right. That’s why we’re building expertise across multiple platforms, so we can choose technology that fits the client’s needs, rather than the other way around.” says Pola Ziejewska, Head of B2C at Univio. 

How Is AI Supporting E-commerce Growth? 

Artificial intelligence is becoming an integral part of e-commerce platforms. Rather than relying on separate tools for analytics or content generation, teams can use AI capabilities connected directly to their sales data and business processes. 

One example is the library of AI agents available within the VTEX platform. Its Data Insights Agent allows users to ask questions about sales performance in natural language and receive answers presented as reports. 

AI is also changing how customers search for products. Instead of entering exact product names, shoppers can use more descriptive queries such as “sugar-free snacks” or “quick dinner ideas for kids”. AI-powered search uses product information to return results that better match the shopper’s intent. 

AI agents can also assist with generating product descriptions, handling customer enquiries through conversational channels and managing retail media campaigns. 

“The important shift is that AI’s role no longer ends with producing a report. It can identify the cause of a problem, suggest what to do next and, in certain processes, help carry out the recommended action. The team still retains control over priorities and how the platform operates.” says Tomasz Cyrek, Country Manager for VTEX in Poland. 

E-commerce Replatforming: How Can Retailers Migrate Without Disrupting Sales? 

Moving to a new e-commerce platform carries risks, from interrupted order processing and integration issues to potential data loss. For large retailers operating around the clock, even a short period of downtime can have serious consequences. 

To address this, Univio uses a Zero Downtime Migration approach, designed to keep sales running throughout the migration process. The process begins with an assessment of the existing architecture, mapping dependencies between systems and planning the data migration. The new platform is then integrated with the retailer’s existing IT environment, including ERP, PIM, CRM and WMS systems, as well as payment and delivery services. 

Once the individual components have been tested and verified, user traffic is gradually switched to the new platform. Cost control is another important consideration. Univio’s Technology Track approach focuses on developing the platform in stages, based on the organization’s business needs and technical capabilities. This helps retailers avoid investing upfront in features they won’t need until later. 

Find out more about Univio’s approach to e-commerce replatforming. 

Univio and Bricomarché: A New VTEX Platform for More Than 220 Stores 

A recent example of modern e-commerce development at scale is Univio’s project for Bricomarché, part of the Les Mousquetaires Group.  The project involves building a VTEX-based platform to support B2C, B2B and omnichannel operations across more than 220 stores. Univio is delivering the implementation as a VTEX technology partner with Diamond status in Poland. 

One of the project’s main objectives is to bring the product ranges of individual stores together into a single shopping journey. Customers will be able to browse more than 156,000 products without selecting a specific store beforehand. 

Once items have been added to the basket, the platform is designed to identify the most suitable location for fulfilment, taking into account product availability and delivery costs. The investment follows significant growth in Bricomarché’s digital sales. Online sales increased by 391% between 2020 and 2024, while the mobile app now accounts for more than 20% of online sales. 

“Digital commerce is currently facing pressure on two fronts: costs and technology. Organizations are investing in AI, automation and new platforms while also dealing with growing complexity across data, channels and business models. In these circumstances, choosing the right platform and technology partner is one of the most important strategic decisions a management board can make. Implementing VTEX at Bricomarché addresses both pressures by simplifying the architecture while creating opportunities for further growth.” says Tomasz Gutkowski, Chief Commercial Officer at Univio. 

How Should Large Retail Chains Choose an E-commerce Platform? 

Choosing an e-commerce platform should start with the retailer’s sales strategy, existing IT architecture and the capabilities of the team responsible for maintaining the system. Not every organisation needs a fully composable architecture or its own marketplace from day one. In some cases, upgrading selected components or integrating new tools with an existing store will be enough. In others, replatforming may be the better option, allowing the business to restructure sales processes and prepare for additional channels. 

Univio helps retailers assess their options, select suitable technologies and plan e-commerce modernization while accounting for costs and business continuity.  Planning to expand your e-commerce platform, introduce a marketplace or replace your current system? Speak to Univio’s experts about an approach tailored to your business. 

FAQ 

Can You Launch a Marketplace Without Replacing Your E-commerce Platform? 

Yes. Depending on the existing architecture, retailers can integrate their online store with an external marketplace engine such as Mirakl. Some platforms, including VTEX, also offer native marketplace functionality. 

How Does Composable Commerce Differ from a Traditional E-commerce Platform? 

Composable commerce uses independent components that can be developed or replaced separately. In traditional monolithic architectures, individual functions are generally more tightly connected, which means changes may require modifications across larger parts of the system. 

Can You Migrate to a New E-commerce Platform Without Interrupting Sales? 

Yes. Zero Downtime Migration involves transferring data and functionality in stages while gradually switching traffic to the new platform. Successful delivery depends on careful integration planning, data synchronisation and testing. 

What Does VTEX Offer Large Retail Chains? 

VTEX supports B2C, B2B, omnichannel and marketplace operations. The platform provides capabilities for managing product offers, orders and the shopping journey, alongside integration options for external systems. The specific functionality implemented depends on each retailer’s business requirements.