It’s important to us that we keep you informed about the latest trends in your industry, specifically last-mile challenges and customer pick-up centers. In case you missed them the first time around, here is a summary of our most popular posts thus far.

Shipping: it’s the blessing and the curse of every e-commerce business. E-commerce is the fastest growing segment of the retail economy, and direct shipping to customers is the grease that keeps it moving. But that “last mile” of delivery — from a distribution point to your customers’ hands — can be especially challenging.

The average value for an online purchase in the U.S. is just over $85. Would you leave $85 lying out in the open for anyone to take? Probably not. Yet we do this on an almost daily basis with packages that have equal and sometimes greater value, as they are left unattended on porches and front steps.

Recent studies show that 58% of men and 50% of women enjoy making their purchases online, but going in store to pick up their item. Reasons range from convenience, to cost savings, to security.

Here in the United States, we seem to have a real soft spot for things that are trending across the
pond in the United Kingdom.

Just think about some of the most popular shows on American TV — “The Office,” “Antiques Roadshow,” “House of Cards,” “American Idol,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Dancing With the Stars,” “Undercover Boss,” “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire,” and “Wife Swap.” Every one of them was copied from a popular TV show in the UK. 

And now we Americans have commandeered an emerging e-commerce phenomenon first identified by our neighbors abroad called “Click and Collect.” You may have heard the concept under another moniker — such as in-store pickup. Either way, if you're an e-commerce business owner, it's a concept you should know and embrace.

The new year inspires all of us to make resolutions and — here’s the hard part — actually achieve them. You know how it
goes: Fitness centers overflow with people who have resolved to lose weight in January. But how many of those people will be there in 3 or 6 months? Just a handful who have the resolve to see through their goals.

The holiday shopping season is here, and now is the time when your customer service will show whether it deserves candy or coal in its stocking. Your reputation rides on how your company interacts with your customers, many of whom are probably under the seasonal duress that the holidays heap upon them. Those customers may be cranky, short on time, indecisive, confused — they put your customer service to the ultimate test. 

A few weeks ago, I blogged about one of the most dynamic new trends in e-commerce: cross-channel sales. This is the trend toward consumers selecting and buying their items online and picking them up at a physical location, be it a retail store or distribution center.

Are you delivering when it comes to customer service? And not just as compared to your direct competitors. A recent Accenture study found that customers compare and contrast their digital shopping experiences — even those that offer totally different products or services.

That means the bar has been set by e-commerce giants like Amazon and Zappos, who are known for their customer service. These companies have grown customer expectations. Customers now expect, above all, two things:

If your business accepts credit cards, you know that fees are a part of doing business. In fact, merchants say the fees they pay to accept credit cards are rising and have become increasingly unpredictable. You may incur a laundry list of charges, including:

Eliminate the threat of package theft and wasted time waiting on deliveries by opening a customer convenience center.

Purchasing online should save the consumer time and effort, right? For some, not always. Millions of people live in high-density markets where buying online actually causes a dilemma, not a solution.