Mumbai: WPP has partnered with Stripe to develop new commerce and payments solutions on behalf of joint clients. With this announcement WPP is now a consulting partner within the Stripe Partner Ecosystem (SPE). This is a programme which provides a package of resources and access to consulting firms.

WPP, together with Stripe, will engage in strategy and consulting to help clients with a range of initiatives including digital transformation, new product launches, e-commerce design and development, mobile applications and payments infrastructure. WPP will receive early access to new product releases and go-to-market strategy in addition to receiving support from Stripe’s team of commerce and payment experts.

A recent report on the future of commerce suggests that 57 per cent of global consumer spend is already online, and 60 per cent of shoppers say they will increase their usage of digital shopping channels in the future.

By partnering with Stripe, WPP will enhance its digital commerce capabilities across its business which includes over 13,500 commerce specialists globally. The news follows WPP’s recent acquisitions of commerce agencies Diff and Fenom, and exemplifies the company’s continued investment in its commerce offer for clients. Ranked as a leader in Forrester's latest global commerce services wave, WPP already manages more than $40 billion of direct and $20 billion of marketplace GMV for clients.

Stripe is a financial infrastructure platform for businesses. Millions of companies such as Amazon, Ford, Maersk, Shopify and Le Monde use Stripe to accept payments, grow their revenue and accelerate new business opportunities. Stripe’s partner ecosystem provides the services and technology to enable enterprises across all industries to transform their ecommerce experience.

WPP CTO Stephan Pretorius said, “As companies increasingly move to digital channels to improve the customer experience, it becomes important that they implement a robust system with quality data to integrate their brand and commerce strategies. Through the deployment of best-in-class technology platforms, like Stripe, we’re able to support bold client ambitions, promote powerful data-driven commerce performance and remove friction in delivering first-rate customer experiences."

Stripe VP global partnerships and alliances Dorothy Copeland said, “The increase in online spending is accelerating, and companies need to innovate quickly to stay ahead of consumer demand. By combining Stripe with WPP’s extensive commerce experience, businesses can modernize, get more out of their digital channels, and grow entirely new revenue streams.”