2014: Infinite Channels, Product Awareness and the Dawn of Pervasive Commerce
In 2014 brands and retailers will make major strides towards a world of pervasive commerce. Here are 5 trends we’ll see in 2014 and beyond.
Operations & Fulfillment
2014: Things Just Got Personal
As we stand at the threshold of 2014, it’s only natural to wonder what the new near will bring. If 2013 was the year of ecommerce, 2014 is set to be the year of personalization.
Omnichannel Retailers Stand to Win or Lose at Every Touch Point
Today we wouldn’t dream of buying that goat until we polled our Facebook friends about where they got their goats and how much they paid, scoured the web for goat merchant reviews, did some in-store showrooming and bar code scanning to see if we could get a better price at a goat place down the street, and maybe used an augmented reality app to see how different goats would look grazing in our back yard.
FedEx Failed For Yankee Candle
Yankee Candle saw trouble with FedEx at least two weeks prior to Christmas, starting with tracking issues that they thought were due to internal system errors. Yankee Candle was also told that FedEx’s Columbus, OH facility was so “overwhelmed” that FedEx had trouble moving packages.
eBags Played it Safe with Last Chance Shipping Offers
While many direct-to-customer merchants pushed last-minute Christmas delivery deadlines to the limit, eBags took a conservative approach that led to fewer holiday hangovers for its team and its customers.
Bare Necessities Blindsided by UPS Issues
Though Bare Necessities ships via FedEx and UPS and uses both shippers’ last mile services with the United States Postal Service, chief operating officer Bill Richardson told Multichannel Merchant the majority of packages it shipped that had not arrived on time were being carried by UPS.
12% of Christmas Gifts Ordered at Standard Cutoff Dates Did Not Arrive
Eight retailers (32%) failed to deliver by Christmas in at least one of the three regions. Of all 75 orders we placed, 12% missed the delivery estimate. And according to StellaService, all but one of these orders were shipped using UPS
UPS Says Christmas Packages Won’t Be On Time
Johnny wants a pair of skates, Suzy wants a sled… but if they’re supposed to arrive on-time via a UPS truck, they may be gettin’ nuttin’ for Christmas. UPS posted … Continue Reading →
These Merchants Have the Best Return Policies
No matter how much thought goes into a gift, however, sometimes shoppers miss the target — which is why something as dry as a store’s return policy can be the redeeming factor when it comes to unwanted gifts.
How to Maximize Returns Efficiencies and Minimize Cost
As more and more merchants focus their ecommerce energy into creating a customer-centric organization, one of the best ways to set yourself apart from the competition is through your returns policy. Regardless of why a consumer returns a good, there are ways for merchants to develop an effective and efficient returns process that keeps customers coming back for more.