“We have a very structured plan around all we’re trying to do to grow our package business,” said Cliff Rucker, vice president of sales for the USPS. “When you think about it, over one-third of our volume is gone since 2006 on the letter side, so that’s why we see packaging as a growth area.”
Once viewed as an extra customer incentive, “free” shipping has quickly becoming the norm for retailers when selling online. With online retail giants like Amazon upping the ante, it seems like there is no other option for retailers but to keep up and take the hit to the bottom line.
But omnichannel retailers are starting to realize they don’t always have resort to margin-eroding “free” shipping to compete.
News that Amazon will begin collecting sales tax in Minnesota starting next week has led to speculation that the company may open a warehouse, data center or some other operation in the state or buy an existing firm, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Online-only retailers don’t need to charge sales tax in a state unless they have physical presence or affiliated business there.
Your small business can perform like an omnichannel powerhouse if you simply adhere to the following tips and tools.
For marketers, Canada represents a new and lucrative opportunity. However, for companies unfamiliar with the intricacies of Canadian regulation, the transition can seem confusing and costly.
Retailers considering whether to enter a new market via cross border with third-party logistics partners or with an in-country presence should consider factors like their cost of capital and inventory carrying policy, as well as what existing assets can be leveraged in that country, two experts told Multichannel Merchant.
Retailers face many unique challenges when selling online to international markets. For example, U.S. merchants need to know what imports are prohibited; when to apply import duties, taxes and tariffs; and how to comply with country-specific forms, country-specific product coding, and local shipping rules.
This year, customers will be more likely to send an email than place a phone call. Unfortunately, email has the lowest rate of issue resolution of all channels. Here’s a few key learnings from StellaService to ensure retailers are ready for this year’s holiday season.
With the right omnichannel strategy in place, retailers can enhance engagement between the customer and store associate, better leverage inventory positions and maximize the store footprint. To prepare to go omnichannel, retailers’ checklist should focus on the following five points
In the MCM Outlook 2014 survey, the largest number of respondents (26%) said UPS was their primary global carrier, followed by FedEx and the United States Post Office (18%) and DHL (12%). This outcome may be the result of a largely U.S.-based audience, as DHL is generally considered the world’s shipping/logistics leader, followed by FedEx and UPS.