Multichannel Merchant Sector Spotlights

Dedicated Content Focused on the Hottest Topics Impacting Ecommerce Operations

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Not Just Product Packaging: The Ecommerce-Environment Conflict

Ecommerce utilizes far too much product packaging, which adversely affects the environment. However, even if there was a marked reduction, the very nature of the industry still impacts environmental health in a big way. All aspects of the supply chain, from materials to transportation, can benefit from significant improvements.

Retailers Get Hip to Recommerce: Why this Trend is Here to Stay

Given the increased focus on sustainability and an Instagram-fueled focus on one-of-a-kind, vintage items, the growth and revenue potential of recommerce was inevitable. To be successful with this approach, you need to ensure that the customer experience is at its best, which is challenging given the logistics. Here are some tips.

Greening Up Your Ecommerce Operations During the Holiday Sprint

In 2019, over half of shoppers say they’re conscious of the environmental practices of retailers they shop with. At the same time, they love overnight shipping and free returns, which impact the environment. Retailers, striving to please consumers and be sustainable, are caught in the middle. Here are some ways to address the dilemma.

Sustainable Ecommerce Packaging: Boost Loyalty and the Bottom Line

At Ecommerce Operations Summit 2019, Hanko Kiessner, CEO of Packsize, Jamie Markland, associate director of operations at Boll & Branch and Rob Bass, chief supply chain officer at Best Buy, discussed their ecommerce packaging sustainability journey and the benefits realized. Here are some of the insights they shared.

Ecommerce Packaging and the Sustainability Imperative

Packaging is the last touchpoint of an ecommerce order, and it’s also a branding vehicle that has to protect your product. Sustainability is another imperative, as tons of excess materials end up in landfills and customer perception is a concern. Learn what brands are doing and how innovation plays a role in sustainability efforts.

2019 Ushers in Next Wave of Catering to Empowered Consumers

Throughout 2018, retailers focused on providing creative, interactive and friction-free shopping experiences for customers. In 2019, you can expect this evolution to accelerate, with personalization and obsessive customer focus at the heart, and new influencer marketing catering to a more individualized consumer experience.

Understanding the Sustainability Impact of Ecommerce Packaging

Companies use a host of tools and processes to keep damage rates at an acceptable level such as quality control checks and returns tracking reports. But preventing damage during shipments isn’t just a better business decision, it’s a sustainability imperative. The problem is, almost no one is looking at it as one.

Take a Look at Crocs’ 2013 Sustainability Report

The company’s second report provides an update on its sustainability-related accomplishments and objectives, and sets goals in three categories: workplace and supplier standards, environmental management and community engagement.

UPS, shipping, financial results, operations and fulfillment, FedEx, TNT

UPS Explains Rationale of New Optoro Partnership

Multichannel Merchant recently caught up with Steve Brill, vice president for retail and global B2C for UPS, to dig a bit deeper into the rationale behind the agreement. See what each side brings to the table, and the benefits created by the combined solution.

Tips for Converting Your Holiday Returns Into Sales

While the holiday returns can be a headache, ecommerce brands have an opportunity to use them to generate long-term loyalty and drive additional sales. Here are a few useful tips to help your ecommerce brand turn a traditionally stressful time of year into an opportunity to drive loyalty and first-quarter sales.

ecommerce returns

8 Ways to Lessen the Profit Impact of Ecommerce Returns

Ecommerce returns are a fact of life for multichannel merchants, but there are a number of creative ways to reduce their frequency – and the expense hit that goes straight to the bottom line. Here are 8 tips to help you do exactly that.

UPS Releases Holiday Returns and Expected Volumes

UPS is projecting its holiday returns volume as millions of packages make their way back to retailers and manufacturers. See how the major carriers handled the shipping crush, and what FedEx in particular did to keep its seasonal shipping spike low.

4 Ways to Turn Ecommerce Shipping into Your Competitive Edge

What do consumers expect and what are businesses offering in ecommerce shipping? How much do free shipping and fast shipping matter? What about returns and tracking? Based on survey data from Shippo, here are key ways you can turn shipping into a competitive advantage.

Gaining Perspective on Your Operational Performance

Meeting the demands of today’s always-on shopper has never been more challenging. So how can you gain a window into how you’re doing compared to others in the industry as you set your investment priorities? Multichannel Merchant’s exclusive benchmarking project with F. Curtis Barry & Co. will help you gauge your operational performance across key functional areas.

Nordstrom Wins Award for Excellence in Customer Returns

How you handle returns goes a long way toward defining how customers perceive your brand and how loyal they will be. So what are some of the key elements that make up a great returns experience? See why Nordstrom won the 2016 Excellence in Customer Experience award in this important category.

DSTLD Sees Benefits of Outsourcing Its Fulfillment Operations

Ecommerce-only luxury denim seller DSTLD has seen the benefits of outsourcing its operations, including returns, allowing it to focus on growing its brand. See how the company transitioned from operating its own facility, saving on shipping and giving its customers hassle-free returns.

8 Steps to Improving Inventory Management and the Bottom Line

Even the most efficient multichannel merchant often struggles with managing excess inventory. Common practices such as discounting or liquidation devalue products and undermine sales. And ecommerce makes it easier for shoppers to find cut-rate products. Here are 8 steps to help you avoid the biggest inventory management mistakes and come out on top.