The Omnichannel Execution Gap: New Global Study by Anchanto Reveals Confidence Is Outpacing Operational Maturity

• Anchanto's global study surveyed 408 qualified commerce decision-makers from brands and retailers generating more than USD 100 million annually across North America, Europe, MEA, and APAC.
• The Omnichannel Execution Gap reflects the divide between perceived performance and operational reality, with disconnected systems, limited visibility, and manual coordination preventing consistent execution across channels, inventory, fulfillment, and delivery.
• While 86% are satisfied with their omnichannel performance, only 12% describe their operations as optimized, 6% have end-to-end visibility, and 55% still report high levels of manual effort.

SINGAPORE, Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Anchanto today released The State of Omnichannel Commerce 2026/2027, a new global study conducted with Demand Metric examining how enterprise brands and retailers are managing the growing complexity of modern commerce.

The study identifies a clear divide between how organizations perceive their omnichannel performance and their ability to execute consistently across channels, systems, inventory, fulfillment, and markets.

The report calls this the Omnichannel Execution Gap.

Disconnected systems, fragmented workflows, limited visibility, and continued reliance on manual coordination remain barriers to consistent execution.

"Brands and retailers have made significant progress in expanding across channels, marketplaces, and fulfillment models. But expansion alone does not create omnichannel maturity," said Vaibhav Dabhade, Founder and CEO of Anchanto. "The next competitive advantage will come from connected execution: bringing systems, inventory, workflows, fulfillment networks, and local market requirements together into one coordinated commerce operating model."

AI leads the agenda, but connected operations remain the foundation

AI and data capabilities lead the commerce transformation agenda, selected by 53% of respondents, ahead of cost reduction and efficiency at 46%. The most valuable use cases are focused on practical commerce decisions, including promotion and pricing effectiveness, marketplace performance visibility, and inventory and fulfillment prediction.

However, AI's value depends on the quality and connectivity of the operating foundation beneath it. Disconnected systems, fragmented data, and manual workflows limit organizations' ability to apply AI consistently across the commerce operation.

"The research shows that omnichannel maturity cannot be measured by channel presence or confidence alone," said John Follett, Co-Founder & Head of Research at Demand Metric. "Many organizations have built extensive commerce ecosystems, but the systems, workflows, and data behind them are not yet fully coordinated. Closing that gap will require leaders to evaluate operational reality more closely and build the connected foundation needed to support automation, AI, and continued growth."

The report concludes that the next phase of commerce will not be defined by the number of channels an organization operates, but by how effectively it coordinates them. Organizations able to connect channels, systems, inventory, fulfillment, data, and local requirements will be better positioned to improve efficiency, protect margins, and scale customer experiences.

Download The State of Omnichannel Commerce: https://anchanto.com/state-of-omnichannel-commerce-2026/

About Anchanto

Anchanto is a global SaaS company providing Brands, Retailers, and Logistics Service Providers with enterprise-grade omnichannel commerce and supply chain technology. Headquartered in Singapore, Anchanto operates across 12 countries in Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East, with integrations to more than 200 marketplaces, webstores, carriers, and enterprise systems. 

About Demand Metric

Demand Metric is a global research and advisory firm that helps organizations empower their people with the expertise, insights, and resources they need to unlock customer value and achieve sustainable growth. Through strategic partnerships with the AMA, ANA, and AIPMM, Demand Metric's resources have become the industry standard for business professionals.

Media Contact:

Charles Py
Chief Marketing Officer - Anchanto
marketing@anchanto.com