Commerce That Connects Part 2: Building Loyalty Beyond the Buy Button at Essity

As organizations modernize commerce architecture, the next competitive frontier is customer experience, particularly in the moments that follow checkout. For Essity, connected commerce means strengthening long-term relationships while building the flexibility needed for future buying models.

In a recent SAP CX Expert Exchange with SAPinsider, Daniele Tedesco, E-commerce Global Process Owner at Essity, gave insights on how Essity built the foundation for scalable Digital Commerce and  explained to Robert Holland, VP and Research Head at SAPinsider, how the company is evolving beyond foundational capabilities to deliver more responsive, customer-centric journeys.

Elevating the Post-Purchase Experience

“While much of digital commerce focuses on the moment of purchase, Essity is directing increasing attention to what happens afterwards,” Tedesco noted.

Inventory visibility, fulfillment transparency, and order tracking are now baseline expectations for both consumers and professional buyers, he said. Strengthening these capabilities helps simplify customers’ daily workflows while deepening long-term relationships, a critical differentiator in competitive manufacturing environments.

As Tedesco noted, “lifelong customers are often won in the post-purchase journey.”

This shift reflects a broader recognition across manufacturing sectors: loyalty is increasingly shaped by operational reliability rather than just product quality. When buyers can depend on accurate inventory information and predictable fulfillment, the commerce experience becomes an extension of the partnership.

Preparing for the Next Era of Commerce

Looking ahead, Essity is closely monitoring how AI may reshape purchasing behaviors. Whether transactions are initiated by humans or intelligent agents, resilience and adaptability will remain essential.

By leveraging SAP Commerce Cloud alongside its ERP environment, the company has built an architecture capable of supporting both headless and traditional storefront models. This optionality allows Essity to pivot as engagement models evolve while maintaining strong integration with core business processes.

As purchasing behaviors evolve, whether driven by humans or intelligent agents, organizations need platforms that allow them to pivot quickly. Essity’s approach demonstrates that adaptability is not a future enhancement but a present-day architectural requirement for enterprises operating on a global scale.

“The result is a commerce ecosystem designed not just for today’s channels, but for whatever comes next,” Tedesco concluded.

What This Means for SAPinsiders

Post-purchase experience is becoming a competitive differentiator. Essity’s focus on inventory visibility, fulfillment transparency, and order tracking signals a broader shift in manufacturing commerce. Increasingly, loyalty is shaped by what happens after checkout rather than the transaction itself. SAPinsiders should evaluate whether their operational workflows are designed to support long-term relationships, not just order capture.

Flexibility future-proofs the enterprise. Commerce architectures that support multiple front-end models while remaining tightly integrated with ERP systems, position organizations to adapt quickly to emerging technologies, including AI-driven buying patterns. Optionality at the architecture level ensures that companies can evolve without repeatedly rebuilding their digital core.

Connected commerce expands reachable markets. Essity’s ability to sell directly to smaller pharmacies that were previously difficult to serve illustrates how digital channels can unlock new revenue segments without proportionally increasing sales overhead. For SAPinsiders, connected commerce is not only about improving experience; it can materially extend market reach and create growth opportunities that traditional models may overlook.