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Tag: e-commerce trends

  • Amazon Delivers 1.5 Billion Products During Holiday Season

    Amazon Delivers 1.5 Billion Products During Holiday Season

    Amazon has reported a record-breaking holiday season, shipping some 1.5 billion products.

    Consumer purchasing has underwent major transformation as a result of the pandemic. Record numbers of individuals turned to online shopping to avoid crowds and practice social distancing.

    Amazon was one of the biggest beneficiaries of this transformation, as customers turned in droves to the online giant. The company delivered some 1.5 billion electronics, toys, home products, beauty and personal care products during the holidays.

    In addition, third-party sellers saw a 50% growth in sales, compared to 2019. Small and medium-sized businesses sold almost 1 billion products via Amazon.

    The company’s growth also resulted in hundreds of thousands of new jobs, with the company adding some 400,000 full and part-time jobs in 2020. The company also spent over “$2.5 billion in bonus pay to front-line workers,” as well as donated millions of items during the holiday season.

    “Amazonians around the world have truly shown what it means to be customer-centric and support our communities this year,” said Jeff Wilke, CEO Worldwide Consumer at Amazon. “When our customers—including healthcare workers on the front lines—most needed essential supplies, our teams and partners went above and beyond to stock and deliver those items. When it became clear that COVID-19 testing was going to be important, Amazonians across the company moved quickly to build our own testing capacity so we could help protect employees and deliver products to customers. And when customers needed a little extra holiday cheer, millions of employees and partners worked together to deliver more savings and holiday gifts than ever before. We couldn’t be prouder of, or more thankful for, our teams around the world.”

    Given the success of online shopping this year, and especially this holiday season, it’s a safe bet shopping is forever changed.

  • 5 Trends That Are Dominating E-Commerce in 2017 So Far

    5 Trends That Are Dominating E-Commerce in 2017 So Far

    The U.S. currently has too many shopping malls. Studies have shown that the country has 24 feet of retail space per capita. However, it seems as if the retail bubble has burst and it’s now time for e-commerce to step forward and fill in the vacuum to satisfy the consumers’ compulsive need to shop.

    Below are just some of the e-commerce trends to look out for in 2017:

    1. The Rise of the (Chat)Bots

    With Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft releasing new updates on their chatbots, other companies are sitting up and taking notice. Chatbots are slowly taking over the customer service aspect of these brands’ technical support. This year will see e-commerce fully embracing this innovation. Complaints, follow-up for orders, as well as real-time engagement, will make the shopping experience better for the consumer. Some chatbots do have avatars, which make them more fun and engaging, and may even take your order in real-time.

    2. Death Knell for Brick-and-Mortar Stores?

     The number of retail establishments and brick-and-mortar stores that have closed down since last year is staggering. According to a Credit Suisse report, more than 8,000 physical stores will cease operations in 2017 compared to just 2,000 in 2016.

    More and more people are shopping online as e-commerce stores slowly perfect their systems. Logistics and shipping costs are declining, which also provide added incentives for consumers to just click away. More often than not, shipping costs are offset by gas and parking costs anyway.

    3. Social Media As an Emerging Force

     Facebook has been branding itself as the all-in-one platform for e-commerce companies. The use of social media to drive traffic to e-commerce sites is not new, but Facebook is making it even easier for brands to sell their products on social media with the Facebook Shop. Customers can also purchase products directly through Shopify, so they don’t even have to leave Facebook. If you’re looking to show off your products to potential customers, Facebook Live is a good platform to do so.

    4. The Mad Scramble for Convenience

     The main reason customers shop online is for convenience. They can shop in the comforts of their home, they don’t have to dress up or drive to the mall through heavy traffic. However, as the competition becomes stiffer, convenience takes on even greater importance. This is the reason why e-commerce stores will really have to invest in the architecture of their websites.

    Lost revenue caused by incomplete transactions due to freezing websites reportedly amounted to $4 trillion. E-commerce sites need to cut the number of steps for their customers, from choosing the product, purchasing, and even delivery. There are just so many e-commerce stores out there who will gladly fill in the gap for businesses that fail to improve the convenience of their service.

    5. Fast Delivery

    Speaking of delivery, e-commerce sites now offer same-day shipping of their products as an added incentive to buy. In fact, you can add a surcharge and the customer won’t mind, at least according to this Forrester report, which states that customers are willing to pay more just so you can deliver the product on the same day they order it.

    E-commerce stores will really have to step up their game if they don’t want to be left behind by this ever-changing trend. During the early days of e-commerce, you could afford to be complacent due to the monopoly of transactions. Now, it’s the consumers who are dictating the direction of the industry and online stores have no choice but to keep up with the pace.