Demandware Advances its One Platform Strategy with Acquisition

Enterprise cloud commerce solutions provider Demandware has agreed to acquire Tomax, which is a cloud software company that provides an integrated solution for retail point-of-sale (POS) and store operations.

Through the acquisition, Demandware will be able to deliver a unified platform powered by the cloud. In fact, the combination of Tomax's POS with Demandware's scalable cloud platform will create a unified commerce offering that enables retailers to deliver seamless experiences across all consumer touch points. The acquisition is expected to close this month.

"The retail landscape is rapidly changing with more than 70 percent of specialty stores saying their next POS will be a unified commerce platform," said Greg Buzek, founder and president of IHL Group. "Traditional siloed systems are not meeting the needs of the consumer who requires the same experience across channels and devices. Retailers need to have a 'single version of the truth' - one view of the enterprise organization and information about the consumer from point-of-sale to digital commerce. Demandware's acquisition of Tomax significantly advances its One Platform strategy, making the company one of the early leaders in delivering this important solution to market."

It is important to note that the acquisition will provide retailers with access to comprehensive consumer, product, inventory, order and price data. Moreover, the combination of Demandware and Tomax will enable retailers to provide personalized and consistent experiences throughout the customer journey, which can increase sales opportunities and drive revenue growth. Plus, Demandware's single platform for consumer engagement and transactions can help retailers lower IT expenses, reduce operational complexity, empower store associates and improve inventory visibility across the enterprise.

"We have demonstrated that our cloud solution is a superior model for managing consumer engagement across channels," said Tom Ebling, CEO, Demandware. "The addition of Tomax's POS technology and deep in-store domain expertise allows us to accelerate our One Platform strategy by extending our reach further into the physical store. This transaction creates a tremendous opportunity for Demandware, by expanding our market to include in-store retail sales."

Ebling also notes that the experience of the Tomax team, led by CEO Eric Olafson, will be invaluable as Demandware executes its long-term strategy.

"By joining Demandware, we will continue to drive transformational change into retail through a single platform powered by the cloud," stated Eric Olafson, CEO, Tomax. "The One Platform strategy will help retailers reach omni-channel nirvana -- a single point of control and digital backbone that continually innovates and provides actionable consumer and product intelligence to drive growth and optimize margins across the retail enterprise."