Ecommerce sales grew 15.8% in 2015, which far outpaced the growth of sales at bricks-and-mortar stores, according to Multichannel Merchant’s MCM Outlook 2016 survey.
According to the MCM Outlook 2016 results, bricks-and-mortar store sales grew just 4% in 2015.
MCM Outlook 2016 also revealed that the smartphone’s role as an ordering tool is growing. Respondents said that 16.1% of their direct-to-customer orders were placed on smartphones.
That’s the teaser… The first MCM Outlook 2016 report on Ecommerce is hot off the press, and you can click here to download the report.
Here’s a look at this weeks’ news, commentary and events that shaped the direct-to-customer world… and more.
Marketing
Are QR codes seeing a second act? NRF looked into where QR Codes stands among today’s digital technology…
Direct Buy rolls out new savings guarantee program, allowing members to save on merchandise they purchase through the company…
SnapChat will soon include shopping, in its “Discover” section that currently houses new and interesting content, will soon include shopping…
Social commerce becomes increasingly important for retailers in 2016, this is among three top trends that are taking shape this year, according to Bazaarvoice…
Invodo says ecommerce product video and mobile took center stage in 2015, with year-over-year video views up 42% since 2014.
Ecommerce
Blueport Commerce, which provides ecommerce technology for furniture sellers, said its clients’ revenues from smartphones soared 65% President’s Day week, showing consumers are willing to buy big-ticket items on their phones…
The Forter and PYMNTS.com newly released Global Fraud Attack Index shows that the number of attacks by fraudsters was up 163% in 2015…
Barney’s returned to its roots by opening a flagship store in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, it will include iBeacon platform with its mobile app alerting users when new content is uploaded and help customers navigate the store…
With so many in India paying in cash for online orders, Amazon is preparing to fight for India’s mobile shoppers, when it announced it would purchase India’s online payment firm Emvantage…
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that fourth-quarter ecommerce sales in the U.S. were up 14.5% from 2014 to $89.1 billion. The bureau estimated total ecommerce sales for 2015 were $341.7 billion, an increase of 14.6% from the prior year…
Flywire CEO Mike Massaro says there are five things to watch with cross-border payments in 2016, as payments are driven by an increasingly global economy, the adoption of digital-only channels and increased concerns over security and transparency…
Operations
Dollar General has ditched its plans to bring a 750,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center to Wilton, NY, outside Albany, despite an offer of $11 million in tax breaks and economic incentives…
Google Express has gotten into the grocery delivery game, bringing cold and perishable food and drinks to select areas of San Francisco and Los Angeles, competing directly with Amazon Prime Now and AmazonFresh, as well as Instacart…
Skechers is using Manhattan Associates to power its omnichannel operations across Europe…
FedEx said a decision by Brazilian competition authorities to approve its plan to acquire TNT Express for nearly $5 billion is being appealed by an unnamed party. The acquisition has been cleared by the European Union…
Amazon is planning to add pickup lockers throughout Europe; it already has them in the U.S. and the UK…
… And more
Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores has named Janet Duliga as its new Human Resources SVP…
Saks Fifth Avenue brings even more luxury to Canada as it readies to open new store…
Walmart is considering an exit from Brazil. In early December, the big box retailer shut down 60 locations there …
Nordstrom plans to debut a Nordstrom Rack outlet in Toronto in 2018, in which is delay of about two years from when the brand said it would open a Nordstrom Rack there…
Hudson’s Bay Co. is considering an acquisition of bankrupt Netherlands retail chain V&D, according to multiple Dutch media accounts…
HHGregg said Dennis L. May stepped down as president, CEO and a director of the company. The news came shortly after the company reported a 10.9% drop in sales in the most recent quarter, which included the holiday season …
Want to take an in-depth look at how some specialty retailers performed over Valentine’s weekend in terms of site responsiveness? Here’s a deep dive into the subject from the Dynatrace blog…