Mike O'Brien
Mike O’Brien has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for … well, quite a while. At Multichannel Merchant he focuses on the world of direct-to-customer operations and fulfillment, editing MCM’s weekly O+F Advisor newsletter, and programs the annual Ecommerce Operations Summit conference. Previously Mike was a senior account executive for Marx Communications, a boutique public relations firm working with marketing and advertising technology companies. Other past work includes stints as a media relations consultant for a concert promoter, a marketing communications specialist for a pharma software firm, a research analyst covering corporate e-learning and a daily newspaper reporter on every beat imaginable – except sports.
Brick-and-mortar retailers selling online saw a 15% boost in advertising spending last week based on COVID-19, according to data from MediaRadar, while big-box chains like Target, Costco and Walmart are dialing it back as demand for essentials like cleansers and groceries has been overwhelming.
Driven by coronavirus impacts, U.S. ecommerce sales recently surged in a number of categories, with e-grocery sales doubling between March 13-15 compared to March 1-11, overall ecommerce sales rising 25% in the same comparison and BOPIS increasing 62% from a year ago, according to new data from Adobe Analytics.
Reality as we know it has been interrupted. Our entire lives have been put on hold. And it’s not a great feeling. How has this impacted you? While you’re working from home, carve out a quick minute to answer this Multichannel Merchant survey: https://bit.ly/341qzM4 and share the effect COVID-19 has had on your business.
While ecommerce was initially thought to be a boon during the coronavirus crisis, with stores and malls in lockdown, execution is proving to be anything but as a growing chorus of drivers and facility associates complain about the danger of exposure. Workers at Amazon, Instacart and Whole Foods staged protest walkouts.
If nothing else, bad actors perpetrating ecommerce transaction fraud are clever opportunists, and a crisis like the ongoing coronavirus outbreak is proving a perfect opportunity for them to prey upon unsuspecting sellers and consumers, experts agree. The rise of contactless deliveries and working from home are among the entry points.
While much is unknown about the long-term impact of coronavirus, retail supply chains will certainly look different once the crisis is past, industry observers agree. Multichannel Merchant spoke with experts from enVista, Le Tote and Johnson Stevens to get their views on the current situation and where things are headed.
Similar to XPO Logistics’ decision to postpone its exploration of divesting assets due to current market uncertainty caused by coronavirus, a bankruptcy court judge has granted a 45-day stay on the Chapter 11 filing of sporting goods retailer Modell’s due to the ongoing crisis and its impact on closing sales.
The impacts of the coronavirus spread are being felt everywhere across retail and ecommerce, with first stores and now ecommerce operations shut down to comply with government orders, and warehouse workers and drivers testing positive, forcing facilities to close so they can be scrubbed and restarted.
Just two months after announcing it was exploring strategic alternatives, including selling off one or more of its business units but keeping its LTL services intact, the company pulled this option off the table due to the effects of the coronavirus on markets. XPO had been looking at divestiture after a two-year, $8 billion acquisition spree.
While most of retail is in the doldrums due to coronavirus, grocers are seeing explosive growth, and e-grocery has been accelerating rapidly due to shutdowns. Scott DeGraeve, COO and co-founder of Locai Solutions, and Doug Baker, VP, industry relations at FMI, discuss what they’re seeing across the sector, and how it will change.