Which Popular Companies Are Using Headless Commerce?

In the growing e-commerce space, personalized experiences, selling everywhere, and participating in B2B and D2C have become more vital. This has led many companies to go “headless”—maximizing API functionality to rapidly deploy new features that achieve these things.

Below, we will list some of the companies that have gone headless to achieve scalability and extensibility in e-commerce and their overall business. After this we will look more closely at two businesses that have gone headless.

Headless Companies

The following companies are currently using headless commerce setups.

Marketplaces

• Amazon – The largest online marketplace offers users the ability to make orders in a variety of ways by integrating Echo, which relies on voice commands, as well as Dash, which handles orders specific to devices it’s connected to by the push of a button.
• Etsy – Their API-first architecture supports multiple devices, addresses server-side performance problems, and was quickly adopted by development teams.

Direct-to-Consumer

• Toyota – This auto giant has recently employed headless commerce tools with APIs and middleware to facilitate integration with legacy and IoT. This enables them to deliver an outstanding experience in both B2B and B2C scenarios. In the past, they’ve also used tools like Mobify for their mobile experience.
• Sony – This large electronics manufacturer and retailer combines an OMS with other ecommerce marketplaces and deliver impressive customer experiences for B2B, B2C and IoT-driven commerce with chatbots where necessary.
• Tesla Motors – The sustainable energy company is actively recruiting senior Java engineers to help customize their headless commerce solution.
• Nike – In a bid to switch to a mobile-first approach, Nike adopted a Node.js BFF (Backend for frontend) shim combined with React SPA for a more robust mobile shopping experience, eventually eating into part of Adidas’ share of the market.
• McDonald’s – From acquiring Dynamic Yield’s AI-powered personalization platform for web, app, and IoT, to accepting payments from WeChat, McDonald’s is doing headless commerce on a whole new level.

Business-to-Business

• Avery Dennison – This company has improved their B2B experience by diversifying their order management with a mobile scan-to-order app, supported by APIs for massive call volumes.
• Berlin Packaging (formerly Freund) – The packaging supplies company redesigned their website to offer new e-commerce tools like one-touch re-ordering, future orders, and more functionality boosted by a headless approach.

Business-to-Employee

• DuPont – On top of their existing commerce platform, the chemical manufacturer added a storefront on Knowde.com to provide customers with advanced search and quote-request tools, technical product data, and online orders for samples.
• Cargill – The food, agriculture, and nutrition company uses a B2B commerce solution that combines content management, commerce, and other existing systems.

Headless Stories

Toyota and McDonald’s are using headless commerce to sell more and create better buying experiences for users.

Toyota’s headless approach

Toyota re-imagined their sales approach, bringing the salesman-dealership experience online with an exquisite user experience.

For starters, they’ll allow you to submit a location by zip code to give you the most accurate information on available physical outlets on a detailed map, filtering the product offerings accordingly.

You can then go step-by-step with the specifications, choosing models, engine components and functionality, colors, safety packages, and other accessories.

Their image setup also makes it easy to switch from exterior to interior, angles, color previews, and even overall picture sizes. To top it all off, they allow you to email, print, and download details of your build.

McDonald’s headless approach

McDonald’s has not only combined different CMS software like PrestaShop and Drupal for France and Australia; they have also brought extra sites like goldenarchesunlimited into the fold.

McDonald’s has added site features that enhance the way they sell fast food (e.g. mobile ordering) to have a faster drive-through or over-the-counter pickup based on your order number, on top of saving favorite meals.

You can also use McDelivery via UberEats, deliveroo, Doordash, and Menulog. They are selling branded merchandise that changes with the season, from bags to swim trunks, journals, and more, competing formidably with KFC, Taco Bell, and Dunkin’ Donuts.

The recent e-commerce boom just might not be a 2020-only phenomena. If you haven’t already, consider upgrading your commerce platform with headless technology to extend products to other channels and boost business.

Gerald Ainomugisha

Tech advocate and writer @ fabric.