Thoughtless Ecommerce Fulfillment Will Do Holiday Season Brand Damage

| Brian Barry

A horrible experience with an Amazon order for a child’s Christmas gift quickly morphs into an object lesson for your ecommerce fulfillment operations. You may never get a chance to make a second impression on a new customer. Here are 6 ways to help you ensure that the experience for your customers is consistently excellent.

USTR Weighs Adding Foreign Amazon Sites to Notorious Markets List

| Mike O'Brien

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office is considering adding Amazon sites in the UK, Canada, Germany, India and France to the Notorious Markets list due to alleged growth in sale of counterfeit goods, based on a request from an apparel trade group, according to WSJ. Chinese marketplaces Taobao and Pinduoduo are on the 2019 list.

black friday bot grinch

Can’t Snag a Hot Holiday Toy? A Grinch Bot Probably Got There First

| Douglas P. Clement

So-called Grinch bots buy up popular toys in bulk at Christmas and resell them at a profit. They affected as much as 97% of traffic to ecommerce sites in the week ending Cyber Monday, Radware claimed. Now Congress is considering legislation for the third time to combat the threat. Will a new law or technology solve the problem?

A 5-Step Guide to Dealing with Sellers Violating Your Online Pricing Policy

| Justin Meats

Your online pricing policy protects your margins and ensures customers have a consistent experience with your brand, wherever they buy. So, when a seller violates your policy, it hurts your bottom line and can have a lasting impact on brand perception. Here are 5 steps you can take to address violations of your online pricing policy.

Holiday Shoppers Still Value Stores, But Only With Lots of Brands

| Douglas P. Clement

Twenty-nine percent of holiday shoppers in the U.S. aged 18-34 plan to spend the most in physical stores this season, a number that rises to 39% for all age groups, according to a new study from Capgemini. The survey showed 37% of younger consumers overall would spend on retailers giving them access to multiple brands.

Walmart Shuts Down Fresh Grocery Delivery Via Jet.com in New York

| Mike O'Brien

Fourteen months after introducing same-day grocery delivery in New York, Walmart has shut down fresh grocery delivery through Jet.com as the operation had stumbled badly, according to Bloomberg, including price increases to offset an estimated $20 loss per delivery. Jet will continue to delivery non-perishable items in New York.

Same-Day Delivery Drives Another Ecommerce Surge in Q3 for Target

| Douglas P. Clement

Target’s strong Q3 performance, with 31% growth in ecommerce sales – just under the 34% in Q2 – continued the trend of same-day order fulfillment services driving growth. Target is the first to offer curbside pickup in all 50 states. In Q3, sales volume fulfilled by Shipt more than doubled, while curbside sales grew by more than 500%.

Identity Marketing Firm SheerID Raises $64 Million

| Douglas P. Clement

SheerID, whose software quickly verifies a person’s status as a member of a particular consumer “tribe,” has raised $64 million in an equity round. It defines identity marketing as a form of personalization focused on winning over consumer tribes that align with the brand’s promise. Clients include Target, Amazon, Lowe’s and Urban Outfitters.

Greening Up Your Ecommerce Operations During the Holiday Sprint

| Ann Starodaj

In 2019, over half of shoppers say they’re conscious of the environmental practices of retailers they shop with. At the same time, they love overnight shipping and free returns, which impact the environment. Retailers, striving to please consumers and be sustainable, are caught in the middle. Here are some ways to address the dilemma.

USPS letter carrier

USPS Net Loss More Than Doubles for 2019, Package Volume Up Slightly

| Mike O'Brien

The USPS saw a slight increase in package volume for fiscal 2019, after its first quarterly decline in years during Q3, as the agency is being challenged by Amazon and FedEx rerouting packages to their own networks. Total mail and package volume declined by 3.8 billion pieces or 2.6%, and the net loss more than doubled to $8.8 billion.