Retail is an always-on operation. We have come to expect seamless, continuous experiences from brands, whether we’re shopping in-store at 2pm or online at 2am.

This always-on mentality is built into omnichannel strategies and amplified by the pressures of peak events and seasons.

Retailers are now expected to meet customer expectations no matter the time, place, or device. Fail to meet these expectations, and customers will turn their backs and head to a competitor.

However, with this heightened demand comes an unavoidable challenge: keeping everything running smoothly around the clock, and how fast you can respond to issues before they become a problem.

The real cost of downtime 

One study by Information Technology Intelligence Consulting found that the average hourly cost of downtime exceeds $300,000 for small and medium-sized businesses, while larger organizations put the figure between $1-5 million.

In July 2024, millions of Windows systems failed following a botched software update from security vendor CrowdStrike. It was the largest IT outage in history with estimates that it cost US Fortune 500 companies $5.4 billion.

With retail operating 24/7, uptime, combined with a fast response and resolution time, has never been more critical.

Slow loading times, checkout errors, and service disruptions can all trigger negative outcomes: abandoned carts, poor customer reviews, damage to your brand’s reputation.

Small issues can quietly bleed revenue and consumer trust. And it can happen without you even noticing.

The retail gap 

Despite the high cost of downtime, there remains a gap between what most retailers have and what retailers need.

That’s because most retailers don’t have real-time visibility when it comes to trade health. Put simply, they’re flying blind.

This is not from a lack of awareness; it’s the sheer complexity of modern retail operations. Fragmented tech stacks, multiple third-party dependencies, and a lack of integration across systems create a mosaic of complexities that make real-time visibility almost impossible.

Internal teams are stretched thin, focusing on the day-to-day while often lacking the expertise and tools needed to monitor performance in real-time. Many in-house teams are working reactively rather than proactively, leading to longer recovery times when things go wrong.

What this creates is a reactive approach to problem-solving, with higher risks of downtime that compromise the customer experience.

What is there to do?

CommerceOps 

CommerceOps is the natural evolution of LiveOps monitoring, providing 24/7 visibility on platform operations to clients.

It combines real-time data across 200 data points on trade, performance, and customer data with the expertise of our team to resolve issues fast, identify root causes, and spot opportunities for continuous improvement – helping to deliver optimized trade.

Retailers need 24/7 visibility of operations. They also need fast response and resolution times to minimize downtime. That’s why CommerceOps is always on – and explains why our response and resolution times are industry leading. 

With a response time 6 times faster than industry average and a resolution time 3 times faster than industry average, CommerceOps provides a best-in-class service to protect your trade 24/7.

CommerceOps uses a tag-based deployment that requires zero code changes to your platform. That means no development bottlenecks, no technical debt, and no disruption to your existing roadmap. You’ll be up and running in just three days.

CommerceOps is designed to run independently, as a standalone service, alongside your existing tech stack – so you don’t need to switch platforms or bring in an agency if you have the internal capability.

Global brands are using CommerceOps, such as Sweaty Betty and Dune London, to ensure their storefronts are protected and performing at all times.

Across our client base, CommerceOps has safeguarded over $1 billion in trade, identifying and resolving friction points before they impact revenue or customer experience.

Our team actions 98% of issues within 30 minutes, and 95% are resolved before development intervention is even needed, which gives retailers peace of mind that someone’s always watching, responding, and optimizing, even while their teams are offline.

Learn how CommerceOps can keep your trade optimized 24/7.