E-commerce has developed rapidly in recent years—and with it, the requirements of companies. By 2025, 59% of all global e-commerce sales are expected to be processed via mobile devices, corresponding to a volume of around US$4 trillion. This clearly shows that flexibility, cross-channel control, and performance are critical to success today.
While classic shop systems such as Magento, Shopify, or Shopware are designed to quickly bring simple product catalogs online, they reach their limits when it comes to complex product ranges and mature IT landscapes. Anyone who wants to sell not only T-shirts but also highly configured products, extensive variants, or services that require explanation will quickly encounter limitations: rigid templates, separate data worlds, manual maintenance processes, and a lack of flexibility when integrating new channels.
This is exactly where composable architecture (also known as MACH or headless architecture) comes in. This approach makes digital commerce experiences flexible, integrable, and future-proof by integrating existing systems instead of replacing them. Companies can use it to freely combine content, products, and data and deliver them consistently across all channels without duplicate data maintenance or risky complete relaunches.
But what exactly does composable architecture mean and how can companies use this approach effectively? In this article, we take a look at the principles, advantages, and specific use cases of this modern architecture.
Composable architecture describes a modular approach to digital platforms. Instead of relying on a single, monolithic system, specialized building blocks are flexibly combined with each other. Each building block fulfills exactly one task, and together they form an architecture that can be expanded, exchanged, or modernized at any time.
The best-known example is the so-called MACH principle:
For companies, this means that composable architecture is not a completely new development, but rather a further development of the existing IT landscape. ERP, PIM, or CRM remain in place, but are connected via APIs and thus become part of the digital commerce experience. This allows new front ends to be built, content to be seamlessly integrated, and processes to be automated without having to maintain duplicate data or replace legacy systems.
In traditional architectures, product information, prices, and content are often maintained multiple times, in the ERP, in the CMS, and in the online store. These redundant processes not only increase the time required, but also the risk of data inconsistencies: a product may still be displayed as available in the store, even though it has long been sold out in the ERP.
Composable solution: A continuous data flow from ERP to CMS and to the headless commerce engine ensures that information is updated automatically and in real time. Companies save time, avoid errors, and ensure that customers always see correct product information.
Many standard e-commerce platforms (e.g., Magento, Shopify, Shopware) are designed for simple product catalogs. They do exactly what they were designed to do: bring products online quickly using standardized processes. This works well for simple product ranges such as fashion or standard items.
However, as soon as individual customer journeys, complex products, or additional order steps are required, monolithic systems reach their limits. The checkout process can hardly be customized, integrations into existing websites are only possible with considerable effort, and the front ends remain tied to rigid templates. This results in inflexible processes that do not adequately reflect either brand character or product specifics.
Composable solution: With headless commerce, shop functions can be integrated at any touchpoint, whether website, app, or third-party platform. The backend processes requests independently of the frontend, and the design of the user journey is completely free. This allows companies to develop tailor-made user experiences that are suitable for complex products and meet customers exactly where they want to interact.
In many companies, product data lives in the ERP, while marketing content is maintained in the CMS. Without integration, the customer is either left with dry data without context or receives content that does not reflect the current product status. This juxtaposition makes it difficult to provide a coherent customer experience.
Composable solution: Connecting headless CMS and ERP data creates a unified information model. Product descriptions, images, and storytelling can be dynamically enriched with real-time data from the ERP. The result is consistent, relevant product stories that build trust and facilitate purchasing decisions.
With traditional systems, every new channel, whether it's a mobile app, a marketplace, or a digital kiosk, means additional implementation and maintenance effort. This often results in isolated systems that have to be managed separately. This makes omnichannel commerce slow and expensive and prevents a consistent experience across all touchpoints.
Composable solution: An API-first architecture creates a central backend data pool that serves all channels. New channels can be quickly connected without multiplying the infrastructure. This enables companies to efficiently integrate marketplaces, mobile commerce, and in-store experiences and offer their customers a seamless, cross-channel experience.
Many companies rely on their ERP systems, and completely replacing them is risky, expensive, and often takes years. At the same time, these systems lack the flexibility to support modern e-commerce requirements such as omnichannel capability, personalization, or self-service portals. The result is that innovation is slowed down.
Composable solution: Instead of replacing the ERP, it is extended with API layers and integrated into a modern digital experience platform (DXP). This allows companies to protect their investments, future-proof their systems, and introduce new digital services without investing millions in risky replatforming projects.
Composable architecture is much more than a technical gimmick or another buzzword related to APIs and headless commerce. At its core, it's about how companies modernize their digital business architecture to remain competitive in the long term. Especially where legacy systems, rigid platforms, or fragmented tools become bottlenecks, a composable approach opens up new opportunities for action.
Traditional, monolithic systems reach their limits as soon as customer expectations or market conditions change rapidly. Adjustments take months, and innovation falls by the wayside. Composable setups, on the other hand, are modular: companies can test, launch, and iterate new features without calling the entire system into question. Each component can be developed and replaced independently, making the architecture extremely adaptable.
Strategic goals such as omnichannel commerce or personalization are particularly difficult to achieve in a monolithic environment. A composable approach, on the other hand, meets the digital ambitions of modern companies: adding new channels, designing individual customer experiences, or integrating additional tools, all without “tearing apart” existing systems.
Instead of rebuilding everything every 3–5 years in large, risky replatforming projects, companies can take a step-by-step approach with a composable stack. This incremental development reduces risks, spreads investments over time, and enables continuous innovation, which is crucial for digital competitiveness.
And last but not least, many companies cannot simply replace their ERP or PIM systems because the investments are too high and the dependencies too great. Composable architecture offers a pragmatic solution here: existing systems are not written off, but integrated into a modern experience layer. This keeps the foundation stable while allowing the digital interface to be designed flexibly.
IKEA replaced its monolithic e-commerce platform with a composable system based on MACH principles, with significant effects on agility, costs, and time to market.
After switching to commercetools and Contentstack, deployment cycles were 60% faster, operating costs fell by 45%, and localized campaigns could be rolled out in just 2 weeks instead of 8. The engineering manager speaks of a transformation towards greater flexibility, speed, and cost efficiency.
This example clearly shows that composable architecture is not only more flexible from a technical standpoint, but also delivers measurably better business results while protecting existing systems and resources.
The move to composable commerce is more than a technical decision; it is a signal for digital sustainability. Companies do not have to throw their existing systems overboard, but can integrate them into a modern, flexible experience landscape. This creates an architecture that evolves instead of having to be rebuilt in rigid cycles.
It is worthwhile for decision-makers to ask themselves critically: Does the current platform block growth, scalability, or speed of innovation? If the answer is “yes,” then it is time to consider a modular, composable architecture.
The advantage lies in the approach itself: instead of undertaking risky replatforming projects at intervals of several years, companies can modernize step by step. Individual building blocks are replaced, new channels are flexibly connected, and processes are simplified. This creates an environment that enables continuous innovation, which is the key to long-term competitiveness.
Composable commerce opens up new possibilities for digital experiences. We show you how to get started quickly, flexibly integrate existing tools, and step by step create an architecture that inspires your customers and drives your business forward.
Contact us today for a no-obligation consultation!