With cloud-based services having transformed the online business world, CrescoData’s Managing Director, Mark Gray, explains how development platforms are revolutionising retail.
THE EVOLUTION OF E-COMMERCE ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS
The advent of the World Wide Web has transformed lives and permanently altered how consumers buy products.
E-commerce is now a major market as a result, with China leading global online sales rankings.
In today’s digital age, retailers require the support of a technology company to seamlessly showcase their products and services.
CrescoData, established in 2014 in Singapore, fulfils this need by providing a service to thousands of brands across 140+ online channels, including TikTok Shop, eBay, Amazon, Lazada, and more.
A software as a service (SaaS) and communications platform as a service (CPaaS) technology company with offices across Australasia, including Melbourne and Sydney (Australia), Auckland (New Zealand), Singapore, and Pune and Noida (India), CrescoData was acquired in 2021 by US-based Pitney Bowes Inc.
The company’s headless technology solution offers a fully flexible enterprise platform that links any back or front-end tech stack to online marketplaces and social channels.
“We recently introduced a new platform, which is a self-service product listing automation engine that helps businesses of all sizes easily connect their products to available channels,” introduces the Managing Director of CrescoData, Mark Gray, who has over 20 years of experience in technology having sold on marketplaces himself.
Gray has focused on creating and launching online selling platforms using SaaS technology products and is responsible for the success of Catch.com, TheMarket.com, and Westfield Direct in Australia and New Zealand.
“I have always had an affinity for finding solutions to help brands expand their online presence and enhance retailers’ success through multi-channel marketing,” he excites.
THE MARKETPLACE SPACE
Consumers in the Asia Pacific region are finding it easier than ever to shop online due to the availability of mobile apps, the rise of simpler payment gateways, and increased trust in the online process, which has significantly transformed the way people buy online.
“The e-commerce industry is at an exciting inflexion point, as for the first time, retailers and brands are seeing huge growth outside of mainland China in places such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
“Previously, only brands committing large sums of investment to online marketing and e-commerce were succeeding. However, the expansion of online shoppers beyond China on platforms such as TikTok Shop, Shopee, and Lazada are leading to rapid success,” observes Gray.
Indeed, e-commerce is fast-paced, making it exciting and even more impressive that CrescoData helps some of the largest and most predominant brands to manage their products across multiple regions and platforms.
The company has a few competitors who manage data in a similar way, however CrescoData is unique because it is the only headless solution that allows for serverless connectivity, making it the most flexible and scalable platform on the market.
“Most customers come to use our services because we solve their integration challenges with ease and without the need for an expensive IT team or large ongoing costs,” Gray affirms.
Earlier this year, CrescoData rolled out its support for TikTok Shop in six global regions.
“We experienced significant growth when the first brands launching on TikTok Shop started using our connector. Since March, the stores we support on the platform in Singapore have grown by over 400 percent.”
With the rise of live auctions on marketplaces supported by CrescoData, brands are discovering new methods to engage with their customers and repurpose content from their websites and other marketing platforms.
“We expect the gross monthly volume of live auctions to exceed traditional online marketplace sales in the next four to five years,” predicts Gray.
TECHNOLOGY IN TANDEM
When the team at CrescoData collaborates, they achieve excellent results.
This was exemplified at the end of 2023, when the company decided to postpone all product development projects to focus on launching Marketplace Maximizer.
“The whole team – marketing, sales, support, and engineering – all pitched in to ensure the product was ready for market in only three short months,” Gray recalls.
This call to action resulted in CrescoData winning the prestigious Pitney Bowes Global Disruptive Product of the Year award for the successful launch of Marketplace Maximizer in May 2024.
The acquisition of CrescoData by Pitney Bowes Inc. also added significant value to the company by incorporating Send Tech, a substantial and growing technology division.
“Send Tech is utilising our back-end solution to add to its existing products and offerings in the US and globally in 2025,” he outlines.
Moreover, CrescoData has a robust partner programme that is run in conjunction with its customer service initiatives.
“With over 140 integrations, each one has its own partnership piece attached. In some cases, the company introduces new brands and products to online marketplaces, and in many instances, the online channel will offer to use CrescoData’s technology to ensure their retailers’ success.
“Our partner programme is a win-win strategy focused on making everyone profitable, including the brand or retailer, the online channel, and us,” explains Gray.
Additionally, the merchant observes month-to-month increases in sales volume, is able to list products more quickly and efficiently, and can be found more easily, meaning that everyone benefits including the end customer purchasing products.
ACCELERATING THE FUTURE OF E-COMMERCE
Over the past few decades, the e-commerce revolution has transformed how businesses operate and opened up new opportunities, forever altering the way consumers shop.
Furthermore, cloud-based services enable retailers to expand their global presence and open new revenue streams without requiring a physical storefront.
CrescoData is proud to be part of the future of the e-commerce industry, further enhancing the online shopping experience and helping businesses to adapt and grow. With the rise of new technology, the company can help navigate the digital landscape and take advantageous leaps.
For the remainder of the year and into 2025, CrescoData, supported by its parent company Pitney Bowes Inc., plans to expand into new territories including Japan, South Korea, India, North America, and Europe.
“Our priority will continue to be adding as many new online channels as possible, focusing on social commerce and new brands to help them grow online,” Gray concludes.
In the future, CrescoData plans to expand its technical footprint by becoming hard-baked and integrated into more Send Tech technologies.
This strategic move will provide additional value to the vast array of existing Pitney Bowes Inc. customers already in the network.
