WPP acquires Cloud Commerce Group for omnichannel sales tools
WPP has acquired UK tech company Cloud Commerce Group (CCG), a provider of e-commerce solutions, the holding company has announced.
WPP has acquired CCG, a British e-commerce software company
CCG provides multi-channel e-commerce software to retailers and wholesalers – primarily in the UK and Europe – which integrate with eBay, Shopify, Magento and Amazon. It claims to enable retailers to generate over £1bn in gross merchandise value each year. The company is based in Lancaster.
Mark Read, chief executive officer of WPP, said: “Clients look to WPP to help them market, sell and fulfill across multiple e-commerce channels and marketplaces. With over £1bn revenue transacting through its platform, Cloud Commerce Group already has demonstrable scale and success in managing the complex omnichannel commerce needs of global brands.
“I’m excited about how CCG’s expertise will further strengthen the breadth and depth of our commerce offering to deliver growth for our clients.”
Following the acquisition, CCG will join the Wunderman Thompson network to boost its “market-leading commerce and technology proposition,“ according to a WPP statement.
The acquisition may in part be motivated by increasing client demand for better tech solutions from agency partners. A report published today by digital consultancy Kepler, based on a survey of over 150 senior marketers from leading brands across FMCG, automotive, retail and finance, found half of top marketers think optimizing their relationship with tech platforms was their biggest challenge. A third said that their media agencies have strong enough relationships with the major tech platforms.
With the acquisition of CCG, WPP will hope to bolster Wunderman Thompson’s credentials in this area – and dissuade clients from investing in in-house solutions. Kepler’s survey found 69% of decision makers already use both in-house and agency support for their platform marketing.