The behind-the-scenes battle going on between the two biggest e-commerce platforms in the U.S., Amazon.com and Shopify, could have significant implications for merchants. Amazon’s real customer is the end consumer, rather than the merchants that make up its Marketplace business. The e-commerce king keeps its eye on its most successful merchants and often introduces its…
Derek O’Carroll
Online retailers are facing a major crisis. Since COVID-19 hit, reduced headcount and social distancing practices within the walls of warehouses and distribution centers mean retail businesses are struggling to manage the stresses and strains of increased e-commerce demand, which is forecast to continue to soar. Grow Carefully While any increase in sales is good…
Since the onset of COVID-19, consumers appear to have re-assessed their priorities when they’re shopping online. Today, consumers are expecting higher levels of authenticity, seeking out brands they can trust will deliver on promises and that also align with their own values. In fact, 52 percent of respondents from Euromonitor’s Lifestyle Survey in 2020 agreed…
Price is no longer king, and brand name alone won’t get you very far with a consumer that now values trust above all else when selecting which retailers and brands to shop with online. Since March 2020, the sustained influx of retailers into the online shopping space has severely damaged the relationship between customer and…
Many companies are now wondering about the long-term impact of coronavirus on the retail and e-commerce industry, and what lasting changes it may leave. Despite the doom mongering, many brick-and-mortar stores are doing very nicely online, and so are smaller e-commerce players, with average e-commerce businesses reporting a 15 percent increase in annual revenue since…
Online retailers are facing a major capacity crisis this holiday season. Since COVID-19 hit, reduced headcount and social distancing practices within the walls of warehouses and distribution centers mean retail businesses are already struggling to manage the stresses and strains of increased e-commerce demand. Capacity issues are largely linked to an inability to process sudden…
Have you ever found yourself browsing Netflix in search of the TV show or film that fits perfectly with your mood? Even with nothing at stake, it’s often difficult to decide what to watch. We’re so overwhelmed by the plethora of options that we end up paralyzed — unable to get up off the sofa,…
In the face of rapidly changing consumer lifestyles and shopping habits, businesses are finding the need to pivot quickly to stay competitive in today’s landscape. Digital transformation is something we’ve been talking about for a long time in retail, but many brands swifty moved online, seemingly overnight, once they realized this is how they would…
Amidst frightening statistics, unprecedented restrictions on personal freedoms and global uncertainty, it’s tough to be positive right now. However, I take comfort in the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a resilience and compassion in many of us that I didn’t know was there. In addition to the life-saving work carried out by…
As we move further into 2020, it's natural for retailers and brands to start thinking about which aspects of their business they should invest in to remain competitive in their marketplace — be it product, labor or technology. In recent years, technology has become the prime concern, and it's imperative that retailers invest in the…
Are online ratings and reviews important to your business? They should be, as the influence of online product reviews on consumers continues to grow. Recently, Brightpearl conducted a survey of consumers, which reveals just how much we now rely on online ratings and reviews. This shouldn't be a surprise. Most people relate strongly to the growing…
The race is on. In a bid to capture increased wallet spend, brands around the globe, over 57 percent of them in fact, are racing to launch direct-to-consumer (D-to-C) channels. This explosion marks a shift in the way products are sold, disrupting established industries and causing a fundamental change in brands’ relationships with consumers. But perhaps…
More and more brands are bypassing stores or retail partners for direct-to-consumer (DTC) strategies in an effort to achieve greater profits, stronger customer relationships and improved loyalty. The DTC market is exploding. Eighty-seven percent of brands have plans to launch a DTC channel, with 23 percent aiming to do so within the next 12 months. Nike’s DTC…
Despite the success of early trailblazers such as Net-A-Porter and Farfetch, the luxury sector has lagged behind the rest of the fashion world when it comes to adapting to a digital future. The luxury sector’s hesitancy in embracing e-commerce is understandable. It's an area of retail that has relied on a sense of exclusivity, as…
A growing online shopping trend may be a great perk for consumers, but it could take a significant toll on unprepared retailers. I’m talking about try-before-you-buy (TBYB), a new shopping trend that enables customers to order multiple items before deciding what they want to keep. There's no up-front cost; shoppers simply pay for items they…
