Hits of the Week 8-11-23

| David Hurwitz

ICYMI: L.L. Bean, looking to expose more shoppers to its iconic mix of outdoor apparel and gear, is blowing out omnichannel: expanding wholesale, opening U.S. and Canadian stores and launching … Continue Reading →

MCM CommerceChat: U.S. Spending on Returns Equals Public School Budget

| Ian McRae

With ecommerce returns close to a $1 trillion problem for retailers, companies continue to wrestle with ways to reduce the number of orders getting sent back. In many ways it’s a problem of their own making. Simone Theresa Peinkofer, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management at Michigan State University, joins our podcast to share her insights on the problem and what’s being done.

Second Prime Day On Tap in October

| Mike O'Brien

When is Amazon Prime Day not Prime Day, but actually is? When it’s rebranded as Prime Big Deal Days. The ecommerce giant has once again announced a second sales event in October, as it did in 2022, when it was called Prime Early Access Sale. Amazon said only that it will be running in 19 countries. Last year it performed poorly compared to the July event, according to Bank of America.

Back-to-School: Omnichannel Experiences Help You Ace It

| Steve Sivitter

Because omnichannel consumer experiences drive back-to-school shopping, brands must champion consistency across all retailers carrying their products. The effort pays off, however, increasing the likelihood that consumers will trust your brand. Focus on an omnichannel strategy that delivers a consistent customer experience, anticipates customer needs and addresses concerns.

MCM Ecommerce & Marketing 8/9/23

| David Hurwitz

ICYMI: The American Circular Textiles Group (ACT), a coalition of apparel brands, recommerce companies and recycling solution providers, is asking the EPA to include textile waste in a draft plan … Continue Reading →

Economic Picture Iffy, But NRF Calls for Record Back-to-School Spending

| Mike O'Brien

Economic signals are a bit of a mixed bag heading into the important back-to-school and back-to-college shopping season, an economist with the National Retail Federation said, with inflation easing but spending on services and essential items still impacting spending on goods. In spite of this unsettled macro picture, the NRF projects record spending on K-12 and college.

MCM Ecommerce & Marketing 7/26/23

| David Hurwitz

ICYMI: Given the explosion in retail media networks, the Interactive Advertising Bureau put out a buyer’s guide to help brands make more intelligent media planning and buying decisions. Kroger and … Continue Reading →

Prime Day 2023 Sets Record

| Mike O'Brien

Prime Day 2023 was a winner, based on data from Adobe Analytics, with an estimated $12.7 billion spent over the two days in the U.S., up 6.7% from $11.9 billion last year, and Amazon called day one on July 11 its single largest sales day ever, with 375 million items sold worldwide. Considering the state of the economy and consumer sentiment, that kind of a result is quite an achievement.

Returns Challenges, Opportunities Covered in New Webinar

| Ian McRae

Always a thorny issue for retailers, returns has turned into quite the conundrum in 2023. New solutions are sprouting up every day, but the rising costs have ballooned. Meanwhile customer expectations around are rising, so where are we now? To help answer that question, we talk to Brian Kilcourse of Retail Systems Research, in this Multichannel Merchant webinar.