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Salesforce eyes up ecommerce with Demandware acquisition
As the retail landscape continually shifts to better align with consumer’s changing shopping behaviour, we are seeing many merges, acquisitions and administrations, as businesses race to provide customers the omnichannel and seamless brand experience they are growing to expect.
The recent announcement that Salesforce is set to acquire Demandware in the second quarter of 2017, for a net value of approximately $2.8bn, is yet another stake in the ground for the future of commerce. Salesforce has claimed it will be using Demandware’s software to extend its Customer Success Platform to assist businesses in strengthening customer relationships.
But let’s not overlook the challenging nature of this proposed acquisition.
Salesforce is a B2B CRM company while Demandware is B2C, focussing on helping retailers and brands reach consumers. They are not the same, but I am willing to concede that perhaps Salesforce has spotted that the lines between B2B and B2C are blurring.
I wish them luck, but I fear that bringing the two businesses together will be a huge challenge for both of them. Their competitors will undoubtedly be stepping into the breach and I also notice that the official announcement is aimed at shareholders not the wider market because at no point does it say what’s in it for users.
To find out more, please read the full interview on Computer Weekly.