Bigcommerce acquires Zing to accelerate its omni-channel strategy

Ecommerce software provider Bigcommerce has announced its acquisition of Austin-based startup Zing, a provider of mobile retail technologies. The deal is Bigcommerce's first acquisition, and will see the company absorb Zing's team and acquire its intellectual property. It will allow Bigcommerce to make a range of APIs and technologies available to its point of sale partners, enabling the development of omni-channel solutions for retailers. With over 30 percent of Bigcommerce's 85,000 online retail clients also operating one or more bricks and mortar stores, solutions include real-time syncing of inventory between online and bricks and mortar stores, in-store pickup, order management, and integrated customer data and reporting. Nate Stewart, Zing's co-founder and CEO, said in a media release that the company's mission aligns with that of Bigcommerce. “Since the company’s inception, our mission at Zing has been to help business owners sell more effectively through products that simplify and streamline how they manage their retail operations, both online and in store. There is no better embodiment of that mission than Bigcommerce, and we’re thrilled to bring our expertise to a company that has proven itself to be the most flexible and scalable platform for emerging brands to grow their business,” he said. Zing will continue to operate as a standalone product, with its long term focus being to accelerate Bigcommerce's open platform approach to mobile point of sale. Eddie Machaalani, co-founder and CEO of Bigcommerce, added that with the retail industry reaching a point where retailers of all sizes expect to deliver "next-gen experiences," Zing's technology will allow for the creation of omni-channel solutions that consolidate store and inventory management and deliver personalised experiences to customers. “Nate and the Zing team have done a remarkable job extending the Bigcommerce platform in a way that enables our merchants to do this and more, and I have full confidence their expertise and IP will further advance and expand our omni channel strategy,” Machaalani said.