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Friends of Commerce 2025 Year in Review – Strategic Partnerships, Expanded Services, and Industry Recognition

Friends of Commerce reflects on 2025 – a year defined by expanded global delivery, deepened strategic partnerships, and the introduction of secure AI services.

Clients aren’t asking whether they should modernize. They’re asking how to do it without breaking what already works. We’re doing the same in our own operations, and in our broader partner ecosystem.”

— RJ Stephens, CEO and Co-Founder

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES, January 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Friends of Commerce (FoC), a leading B2B eCommerce and digital transformation consultancy, reflects on a milestone year defined by expanded global delivery, deepened strategic partnerships, and the introduction of secure AI services in response to accelerating market demand.

In 2025, as businesses faced mounting pressure to modernize systems, integrate platforms, and prepare for AI-driven commerce, FoC focused on one consistent priority: helping clients move from manual, fragmented operations to modern, scalable digital infrastructure without increasing risk.

Industry Education and Thought Leadership
FoC’s role as an educator and industry advocate expanded throughout 2025. The firm delivered “Manual to Modern,” a presentation at industry events and private sessions, helping business leaders understand the operational, financial, and competitive risks of remaining on disconnected, manual systems.

Delivered in partnership with Acumatica Partner of the Year, BennettPorter, the presentation addressed real-world integration challenges, buyer expectations, and the path to scalable digital commerce. FoC also saw its ecosystem leadership expand as an alliance partner of Acumatica, working closely with ERP partners to help B2B organizations align back-office systems with modern commerce platforms.

Strategic Partnerships Driving Scalable Execution
A cornerstone of FoC’s growth in 2025 was the continued expansion of its long-standing partnerships. Firstly, the firm strengthened its role as a Shopify Plus Partner, with a focused emphasis on B2B commerce implementations. In parallel, FoC was named the inaugural partner in Commerce’s B2B Quick Start Accelerator program.

Most notably, the past year involved expanding partnership with Clarity Ventures, a commerce and integration platform provider supporting complex, enterprise-grade digital ecosystems. FoC and Clarity Ventures have collaborated on many of ERP-integrated commerce initiatives over the years, and in 2025 expanded their work to support more technically sophisticated, AI-ready environments by leveraging the Clarity’s latest AI orchestration platform, OpenRails.

Scalable Growth Through Expanded Services
FoC’s ability to respond quickly to market demand in 2025 was enabled by its flexible business model and a broad partner ecosystem. FoC expanded its consultancy offerings to include SuiteCommerce and SuiteCommerce Advanced, addressing a growing gap in options for B2B companies operating within the NetSuite ecosystem.

As client needs rapidly evolved, FoC expanded its service offerings to include AI readiness and implementation, secure automation planning, and intelligent workflows integrated directly with ERP and commerce platforms.

In 2026, Friends of Commerce is launching an AI-focused division, Friends of AI. This division is a new sub-brand and consulting platform dedicated to driving secure, practical AI adoption in the mid-market B2B sector.

“Our clients aren’t asking whether they should modernize anymore. They’re asking how to do it without breaking what already works,” said RJ Stephens, CEO and Co-Founder of Friends of Commerce. “We’re doing the same thing in our own operations, and in our broader partner ecosystem.”

Looking Ahead to 2026
As Friends of Commerce looks to the coming year, the firm remains focused on helping B2B organizations navigate increasing complexity across eCommerce platforms, data, and AI adoption. By pairing proven partnerships, disciplined execution, and a scalable delivery model, FoC is once again well-positioned to support clients moving into the next phase of intelligent commerce.

About Friends of Commerce
Friends of Commerce is a B2B eCommerce and digital transformation consultancy based in San Diego, California. Since 2019, the firm has focused on upper mid-market B2B and DTC companies embarking on digital transformation for the first time or transitioning from legacy systems. Friends of Commerce delivers transparent, end-to-end solutions spanning ERP integration, eCommerce strategy, secure AI implementation, and ongoing optimization.

Laura Barbera
Friends of Commerce
laura@friendsofcommerce.com
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