Amazon is giving merchants using its Seller Fulfilled Prime a break in terms of service level commitments, removing a plan to have them meet one- and two-day shipping requirements, in light of ongoing challenges on speedy delivery from carriers, CNBC reported.
Social commerce is a great, cost effective way for merchants to expand channels and visibility. 36% of U.S. internet users say social networks have become as important as other information sources for making product choices and 70% of shopping enthusiasts say they turn to Instagram to discover products.
Driven by a pandemic-fueled lack of travel and more disposable income, the China luxury goods market grew 48% in 2020, doubling the country’s overall share, according to Bain & Company. The upward trend is expected to give China a leading share of 45% of the global luxury market by 2025, outpacing Europe and North America.
Dark stores, even as a temporarily approach, can help offset the cost of underperforming stores and the expense of freight and logistics, especially in more densely populated areas. It also takes online fulfillment out of store operations, allowing retailers to concentrate on customer service and minimizing inventory confusion.
As 2020 comes to a close, it’s time to reflect back on a wild and crazy year in retail, to paraphrase the Festrunk brothers from Saturday Night Live. COVID-19 came in like a wrecking ball in February and March, causing widespread shutdowns that hit retail especially hard, leading to hockey-stick growth in ecommerce.
You may have read somewhere that 2020 was an extremely disruptive year in every aspect of the retail industry. Ecommerce, already on a rapid trajectory, took off into the stratosphere as consumer flocked online. To take a look into what we can expect in 2021, four experts offer their views and some bold predictions.
We’re at a tipping point where automation is about to be a mainstream focus of ecommerce fulfillment centers. But while automation may be a sensible investment for bigger players like Amazon, that doesn’t mean it will scale effectively to smaller operations. So, are fully automated facilities really the future, and if so, what will it look like?
Heading in the home stretch of the holiday peak season in an extraordinary year, and past the cutoffs for Christmas delivery by ground at major parcel carriers, transit time performance is holding up well even though expected delays reports are popping up. Vaccine delivery and heavy weather are compounding matters.
As public health concerns have consumers engaging in more online ordering and a down economy impacts spending, typical habits are out the door. In this holiday shopping season like no other, the way retailers address these trends will determine whether consumers return over the long run. It’s all about data-driven engagement.
Mall owners should be looking at a variety of alternative tenants in order to drive traffic and keep their investments vital as more retail stores shutter and pandemic restrictions remain, according to a new report from Placer.ai. The suggestions include micro-fulfillment centers, medical and dental businesses and pop-ups.