To generate sales without cutting margins and avoid partaking in this race to the bottom, retailers should think about how else they can offer value to their customers. A sure-fire way that retailers can do this is to provide a service that shoppers cannot get elsewhere and are willing to pay a premium for.
UPS took a big leap this week by investing in crowdsourced startup Deliv, getting a seat on its board and a front-row seat on its operating model. Stay tuned to see how the carrier is able to leverage this relationship to better understand and take advantage of the burgeoning sector of the on-demand economy.
Pureplay ecommerce retailers are disadvantaged by the high cost of marketing and shipping, making their business model challenging and ultimately unsustainable in the long-term, according to a report released this week by L2.
With the goal of bringing the best Japanese products to Chinese consumers, Rakuten launched a beta version of a new online marketplace on JD Worldwide this month. Plans are underway to expand the merchandise range over time, with an initial focus on categories such as cosmetics, snacks and health food products.
Rakuten expects Fit.me to further strengthen its ecommerce offerings and marketing solutions by providing a greater personalization of the retail experience for shoppers while driving operational insights and efficiencies for retailers.
As we move further into 2015, here are five hot ecommerce fulfillment trends that should garner a lot of attention. See how you can implement these trends in 2015.
In this video interview, Multichannel Merchant content producer Daniela Forte talks with George Chang, senior vice president of sales, merchandising and marketplace for Rakuten about the current holiday shopping trends as we look ahead to 2015.
When the parent company of an affiliate network also buys one of the largest affiliates in the space, it raises a lot of red flags and also leads to an important question: Is an affiliate program and its data the property of the retailer, the affiliate and/or the network, and who can it be shared with?
Answering that question requires creating more transparency in the affiliate industry. For many retailers that means transitioning from Generation 1 to Generation 2 affiliate programs and ensuring that, first and foremost, their best interests are being represented.
Jayson Humphrey, strategic partnership manager for ChannelAdvisor, offers key insights on how to create a winning strategy for online marketplaces.
11 Main is looking to take away share from market leaders Amazon.com and eBay by adopting a more disruptive tack vs. the “me too” approach of Japanese operator Rakuten.