ChatGPT Paid Ads Are Here. Gaining a Competitive Advantage in the New Search Frontier
In January 2026, OpenAI officially confirmed the roll out of advertising within ChatGPT, marking a shift from search as a list of links to search as a live conversation. For ecommerce brands, this is not simply another channel to test. It represents the opening of a new search frontier, where intent, trust, and relevance are shaped in […]
Shopify vs Shopify Plus: do you need to upgrade?
You’ve built something worth scaling. Your Shopify store is performing, orders are growing and the platform has served you well. But now you’re hearing about Shopify Plus and wondering whether it’s the right next step, or simply an expensive upgrade you don’t actually need. This guide cuts through the noise. Here’s what genuinely separates the two plans and, more importantly, how to know when […]
Optimizely Configured Commerce vs Shopify Plus. Choosing the right enterprise engine for 2026
In our work with enterprise retailers and B2B organisations, the decision to choose an enterprise ecommerce platform rarely comes down to features. That distinction matters more than ever. Gartner has consistently highlighted over recent years that many digital commerce and digital experience initiatives underperform not because of platform capability, but because integration complexity and architectural decisions are underestimated. Across Gartner research including the Magic Quadrant […]
Poundstretcher Gets a Brand New Digital Lease of Life: Why Established Retailers Are Turning to Shopify
Poundstretcher has been a household name for decades, a staple of the UK high street trusted by millions of shoppers. Like many long-standing retailers, they recognised that their digital experience no longer reflected the strength, scale or personality of their brand. Today, we are proud to announce that Poundstretcher has successfully replatformed to Shopify with Williams Commerce as their delivery partner. […]
Is Your Ecommerce Platform Holding You Back? The Mid-Market Replatforming Guide for 2026
You built something real. Revenue grew. The catalogue expanded. The team scaled. But somewhere along the way, the platform that once felt like a springboard started to feel more like a ceiling. If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. There is a moment every growing ecommerce business reaches. The technology that served you well at £2 […]
WooCommerce vs Shopify: Which Is Right for Your Business in 2026?
If you’re currently running on WooCommerce and wondering whether it’s still the right home for your ecommerce ambitions, you’re not alone. Thousands of UK merchants are asking the same question in 2026, and the answer might be simpler than you think. The Familiar Story You started on WooCommerce for good reason. It was free, flexible, and built on the WordPress ecosystem you […]
The Era of Efficiency. Ecommerce Predictions for 2026
The Era of Efficiency Five eCommerce trends shaping 2026 By 2026, eCommerce is firmly established as a core pillar of retail and wholesale performance, both in the UK and globally. Globally, online retail sales are forecast to reach around $6 to $7 trillion annually, accounting for more than one fifth of total retail sales worldwide, according to leading industry analysts including […]
The End of Drip Pricing
What the UK’s new price transparency rules mean for ecommerce retailers For years, online pricing has followed an uncomfortable pattern. A product looks affordable on first glance, only for the real cost to emerge step by step. Delivery fees, booking charges, service costs, local taxes, and other mandatory additions quietly inflate the total just before payment. That approach is now firmly […]
Shopify Collabs: A Smarter, More Profitable Approach to Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing has long promised scale and authenticity, yet for many retail businesses it has been resource-intensive and difficult to justify. Identifying creators, managing relationships, tracking performance, and handling payments typically required multiple platforms and significant manual effort. For many brands, the operational overhead outweighed the opportunity. Influencer marketing has rapidly evolved from a niche tactic into […]
Private Equity’s Playbook: Cutting Edge Ecommerce Growth Techniques for Enterprise.
A Williams Commerce Thought Leadership Briefing for Senior Executives. For senior executives running large ecommerce enterprises, maintaining aggressive, profitable growth is the core challenge. The most effective strategies are often not found in trend reports, but in the rigorous, results-driven world of Private Equity (PE). PE firms acquire businesses with one core directive: maximise profitability and achieve exponential growth within […]
Behind the Screens: Matt Hogan on Navigating Paid Media in the Age of AI
In this edition of Behind the Screens, we talk to Matt Hogan, Head of Paid Media at Williams Commerce, about life in one of the most complex and fast-changing areas of digital marketing. Matt brings over a decade of experience across affiliate networks, lead generation, and full-funnel paid strategies for ecommerce and B2B brands. Analytical by nature, he’s passionate about […]
The State of Ecommerce Payments: Regional Realities, Mobile Momentum, and What Retailers Should Do Next
Did you know that by 2030 around 64% of ecommerce will be transacted on mobile. Are you ready for the changes in how customers want to pay online? Providing customers with the payment options that meet their needs, whether that’s mobile first or regionally specific, improves conversion. Download the whitepaper below to find out more […]
