Retail and B2B sectors face digital friction in customer journeys

Recent reports highlight significant inefficiencies in how retail and B2B companies manage digital customer interactions. In the retail sector, Jakob Gottlieb notes that complex digital processes at checkout points, such as multi-step SMS verification for loyalty programs, lead to substantial customer loss. One retail chain reported that only 35 percent of customers who began membership registration via SMS completed the process, resulting in nearly 20,000 lost potential memberships every month.

In the B2B sector, a report from Litium indicates a disconnect between business strategy and organizational execution. While 93 percent of Nordic B2B companies integrate digital commerce into their business strategy, only 52 percent maintain a unified internal understanding of the customer journey. Experts suggest that digital commerce must be treated as a fundamental shift in business logic—integrating sales, marketing, and IT—rather than an isolated technical or marketing project to avoid limited returns on investment.