Patchworks predicts integration boom as e-commerce leaders gear up for BFCM and Christmas 2025

Patchworks, an integration platform for e-commerce and retail brands, is forecasting a sharp increase in demand for integration first strategies this Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM) and Christmas season.

This prediction follows a record breaking performance during BFCM 2024, where Patchworks processed hundreds of millions of operations without downtime - marking a 310% year-on-year increase in volume.

It says that more retailers are turning to iPaaS (integration platform as a service) as their scalability layer during critical trading periods, allowing them to meet customer demand while avoiding costly and disruptive replatforming projects.

The company’s platform helps brands like Gymshark, Castore, Belstaff, Mint Velvet and BareMinerals connect e-commerce platforms, ERPs, WMS, marketplaces and third-party apps - all without interrupting the day-to-day. The flexibility of integration allows businesses to plug in new channels quickly, streamline operations and create better customer experiences without a full replatform.

“With consumer behaviour shifting, supply chain pressures persisting and digital teams spread thin, 2025 is the year ecommerce leaders move from firefighting to forward planning - and that begins with integration,” says Jim Herbert, CEO at Patchworks.

“Retailers often think peak trading demands a big technology overhaul, but it doesn’t have to. What we’re seeing is a shift in mindset. Businesses are getting smarter about using the platforms they’ve already got and connecting them in ways that deliver speed, stability and scale. Integration is the key differentiator.”

Chris Perrins, CTO at Gymshark, says: “They turned around our launch in half the expected time, and our first Black Friday integrated with Patchworks ran so smoothly, I got 200% more sleep than the previous year.”

Last year, Patchworks saw a marked increase in new integrations ahead of BFCM, after previous painful peak seasons where legacy integrations failed under pressure. According to Herbert, CTOs and e-commerce directors sought greater control, visibility and peace of mind, prioritising robust connections between e-commerce platforms, ERPs, WMS, and 3PLs to ensure business continuity during the busiest period of the year.

At the same time, last year brands pushed to unlock new revenue streams, rapidly connecting to high traffic marketplaces and social commerce platforms like TikTok. These automated integrations allowed them to scale quickly without overstretching internal teams, a move that’s fast becoming the new standard for modern commerce.

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

E-commerce will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.