Amazon is testing pricing for non-Prime members to get free shipping in selected areas, raising the threshold from $25 back to $35 – the same as for shoppers who aren’t members of Walmart+ – as it probes the potential to increase order value when shoppers add items. Amazon has yo-yoed the order threshold as it reads the tea leaves of analytical data on shopper behavior and pulls the levers.
The Federal Trade Commission has filed suit against Amazon, alleging it duped millions of consumers into signing up for its Prime subscription program, then made it difficult for them to quit, an allegation the company vigorously denies. The FTC claims Amazon intentionally complicated the cancellation process, adding it “slowed or rejected changes that would’ve made it easier …”
We had just heard about Walmart’s new fulfillment service competitive with FBA, when we learned the retail giant was launching a membership program a la Amazon Prime. Recode reported Walmart will begin testing the membership program as early as March, initially as a rebrand of same-day grocery service Delivery Unlimited.
There’s no doubt that subscribers want to feel special. Subscription commerce companies can satisfy their desire by personalizing offerings in a few different ways. But these all add to the complexity of order fulfillment operations. Here are a few factors to consider when looking to personalize your subscription commerce offerings.
Subscriptions aren’t just for digital content anymore. The online subscription model is expanding to embrace a wider range of vertical industries, from consumer electronics to packaged goods. Just about anything that is consumable, repeatable or has a finite lifespan may be a candidate for subscription commerce. Here are 3 key questions every company needs to ask itself now.
2015 has come and (nearly) gone, and for the retail industry, it has been a year of big change. From a variety of new payments options and requirements to new ways to sell online, there are a number of trends propelling the industry forward. Here are Dax Dasilva’s predictions for which retail trends will bubble to the top in 2016, and how winning retailers will react.