First published in Simply Commerce
Why eCommerce won’t win on best practices alone
The next phase of growth comes from rethinking your commerce ecosystem
Feb 10, 2026
“We’re kind of drowning in a sea of sameness.”
That’s how Rob Hoekman, our Senior Director of Experience Consulting describes the state of eCommerce today.
On this week’s episode of The FODcast, Simply Commerce’s CEO, Tim, and Rob unpack how decades of optimization and best practice have led to convergence – in platforms, patterns and experiences – and why differentiation is getting harder, not easier.
They explore:
- How eCommerce capability has become commoditized
- Why replatforming now delivers smaller gains than it once did
- The risk created by years of customization and legacy
- Why brands are being pushed to rethink their entire commerce fabric
Rob’s view is measured but direct: the next phase of growth won’t come from chasing new stacks, but from rethinking how commerce ecosystems are designed and operated.
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