A four-way debate

We don’t run events to show off or do self-promo. We dive into these because we believe in what we do—and in the people shaping this industry. We want to play an active role in growing and improving the eCommerce ecosystem. And the best way to do that is by giving a voice and a platform to everyone involved: tech providers, platforms, solutions…

That’s what eCommerce a Cucharadas is about—real, open conversations where everyone gets to speak.

At our July edition, we handed the mic to four eCommerce platforms that didn’t just pitch slides—they jumped into the debate without flinching: BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce, Shopify, and LogiCommerce. And while each defended its position, they all agreed on one thing: eCommerce is changing fast.

Competition: everyone competes—but not the same way

Let’s face it: competition is part of the game. And it’s a good thing. Especially in eCommerce platforms, where every player has its own angle. But what makes the difference today isn’t the tech label—it’s how well the solution fits the business.

You have to know what the client really needs. You have to guide them, keep things realistic, and help them avoid building something they can’t afford or maintain.

And as a platform, you have to know which verticals you’re strong in, where you add value, and where it’s better not to fight an uneven battle.

From our side as an agency, it’s clear: the challenge isn’t picking a platform. It’s building a tech stack that aligns your business goals, team capabilities, and growth roadmap.
And that’s not something a platform does alone.
That’s where the partner makes the difference.

Front-end: is it losing its place?

It’s not the end of front-end. It’s the end of “one interface fits all.”

At i4, we’ve been building front-end architectures for years—setups that hold up under pressure, scale with the business, and support brand experience. But this session reminded us: the front is no longer the only touchpoint.
That doesn’t make it weaker. It makes it more complex.

Ignacio (moderator) put it clearly: shoppers can now buy without ever touching a website. A chat, a WhatsApp photo, or a connected device can trigger the whole process—no classic interface needed.

This doesn’t mean front-ends are dying. It means we’re dealing with a growing ecosystem of interfaces.
So platforms and integrators need to stop thinking of “the front” as a single screen—and start treating it like a dynamic system.

AI doesn’t kill brand experience—just changes how it starts

Andrés (Shopify) and Gonzalo (BigCommerce) nailed it: AI is everywhere now. It helps users skip the boring stuff and jump straight to what they want.

AI can suggest products, build prompts, assemble outfits. But the core of the decision is still brand, product, and price.
That’s why brand experience—visual or conversational—needs to be built with real thought, clean data, and smart systems.

In a headless context, the challenge isn’t just designing a pretty front—it’s activating brand experience across every channel, from a PWA to a WhatsApp flow with generative AI.

WhatsApp, prompts, emotions: designing without screens still needs design

This is already happening:

  • Clients using generated images instead of photoshoots
  • Sales reps closing sales via WhatsApp with AI-powered recommendations
  • Purchases triggered by a story mention

This isn’t future—it’s now.
And behind it all is a hard truth: conversational interfaces aren’t simpler—they’re more complex. They need a clear product structure, tight logic, and solid data pipelines.

Building modern eCommerce means designing for conversation. That takes a clear product hierarchy, clean data, and connected systems. If your catalog’s a mess, your bot won’t save you.

Analytics in eCommerce: not a plugin—an architecture choice

Analytics is still a major blind spot in many eCommerce setups. Everyone talks about data, but very few teams use it well.

In this roundtable, we said it straight: this isn’t about counting visitors or clicks. It’s about truly understanding customer behavior, activating audience segments, building journeys, and pulling insights that actually impact product, marketing, and revenue.

Every platform has its approach. But they all ran into the same truth:
Analytics usually gets added too late.

We all see the same pain points:

  • Every store measures the same thing in a different way
  • Every role (CMO, CEO, CFO) wants a different report
  • KPIs rarely get defined until it’s too late

That’s why analytics isn’t an add-on. It’s the foundation.

If you don’t plan for it from the start, you’ll struggle to measure, activate, and optimize.
The real problem isn’t “having data.” It’s knowing what to do with it—and having the infrastructure to capture, process, and act on it.

If you can’t:

  • Spot audience trends in real time
  • Understand why one product sells more than another
  • See when and why people abandon their carts

…then you’re not measuring what matters.

Analytics isn’t just another feature. It’s what links your tech, your strategy, and your user experience.
And that’s why stores today need to sell, learn, and grow—at the same time.

Tech evolves. But the real challenge is still human.

Each platform had its strong points—analytics, scalability, personalization, flexibility… But the key takeaway was simple:
There’s no one right answer.

Choosing an eCommerce platform isn’t just about features, connectors, or pricing models.
It’s a strategic decision that has to:

  • Start from the business
  • Understand the full context
  • Anticipate the challenges
  • And build toward real goals

A solid platform? Needed.
A partner who gets it, adapts it, and helps it grow with you? Essential.

At i4, we walk the talk.
We don’t host events just to make noise. We host them because we live in this space.
We talk to merchants every day. We implement, migrate, optimize, scale.And we know: success isn’t just about which platform you pick.
It’s about how you turn that choice into real business value.

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And while you write to us, you can watch the recording of the discussion paneln. Some things happened that we haven’t told you about. 😉