In addition to better serving customers and helping integrate systems, a cloud-native application architecture lets retailers adopt new business models.

Fundamental forces are prompting retailers (both brick and mortar and eCommerce) to rethink their application architectures. Amazon has driven customer expectations on product availability, personalized recommendations, pricing, and delivery. Large retailers like Walmart are trying to counter with online stores, enhanced in-store services (e.g., personal shoppers), and expanded local delivery complemented with scheduled curbside pickup.

How can other retailers compete? Join them by selling products through their marketplaces? For some, that may be okay. But many retailers would rather not participate and remain independent. Accomplishing that requires an infrastructure that supports modern application development and one that can manage data and transactions at any scale.

Additionally, modern infrastructure must let a retailer address fast-changing consumer preferences, shifting demographics, and the growing importance of mobile. And it must be highly scalable, available, and responsive enough to meet the always-on, buy-anywhere expectations of today’s customers.

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