The word "omnichannel" has become omnipresent in the lives of e-commerce business owners. The customer-driven demand for multiple shopping methods is forcing companies to transform their logistics and inventory strategies.
Joe Craparotta, on February 1, 2017
The word "omnichannel" has become omnipresent in the lives of e-commerce business owners. The customer-driven demand for multiple shopping methods is forcing companies to transform their logistics and inventory strategies.
Joe Craparotta, on January 11, 2017
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.
Joe Craparotta, on January 4, 2017
The holiday shopping season is over, and, if you are in the e-commerce business, you probably saw a handsome bump in sales. Nationwide, online purchases increased by about 17 percent during the 2016 holiday shopping season.
Now comes the challenge: holiday returns. Items purchased online have a shockingly high return rate — anywhere from 15 percent to 30 percent, depending on the item. (Clothes and electronics tend to have the highest returns). That rate is about three times as high as the return rate of in-store purchases.
Holiday returns create a logistical problem and inflict a very large expense on your bottom line. For businesses that operate purely online, customers are no doubt expecting that you will pay for the full cost of shipping the item back to you. They’ll also expect a full refund. And your resale value of the item is probably greatly diminished, especially if the packaging was opened. Once all the tallying is done, you’ll no doubt lose money on that item.
As e-commerce continues to be the fastest growing segment of the retail market, you can be sure that the amount of returns — and their drag on your bottom line — will grow just as fast. It’s little wonder why CNBC recently called gift returns a “ticking time bomb” that cost retailers $260 billion last year.
Joe Craparotta, on December 28, 2016
With New Year's Day almost upon us, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the past year and start making resolutions for 2017.
If you manage a business, hopefully 2016 was good to you. In general it was a kind year for many e-commerce businesses, with consumers shifting their buying habits heavily toward online retailers. The period between Black Friday and Christmas Eve saw e-commerce sales increase substantially — up 17.2 percent from the prior year. And that shift is predicted to increase again in 2017.
Along with that phenomenal e-commerce growth comes some interesting trends in consumer behavior and expectations. Let’s take a look at three of those trends, and how you can embrace them to make your 2017 more successful and profitable.
Joe Craparotta, on December 20, 2016
Getting your goods through that last mile of the journey to your customers is the hardest and most expensive part of the trip. And now there’s a growing customer demand that has made it even more troublesome to pull off: same-day delivery expectations.
Joe Craparotta, on November 30, 2016
What’s the biggest challenge your supply chain faces? If it’s keeping pace with your customers’ ever-changing demands for faster/cheaper/better delivery service, you are not alone. It’s an issue that’s been topping many of the supply chain surveys of 2016.
There are a few key reasons delivery service can be challenging. We’ll focus on two big ones in this blog — the last-mile delivery challenge and the cost/convenience factor.
Joe Craparotta, on November 9, 2016
The business of retail sales is changing fast. Study after study documents the meteoric rise of e-commerce, a sales phenomenon that is growing roughly four times faster than retail sales overall. By the end of this year, retail sales through online channels are expected to grow to $1.9 trillion worldwide, a 23% increase over last year’s figures.
Joe Craparotta, on November 1, 2016
It's the holiday sales season, and, for retail e-commerce sellers, that means the two most lucrative months of business are here.
Joe Craparotta, on October 4, 2016
Consumers today expect speed and convenience when it comes to getting their products in hand. To meet that demand, many e-commerce retailers and direct-sales businesses are choosing automated locker systems as a last-mile delivery solution. For example, online giants like Amazon have placed locker systems in convenient, easily accessible, and safe locations, like 7-11 and Staples office supply stores.
