Amazon battles the fakers, experience e-commerce brands in the wild, and text to shop has arrived. All that and more inside .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Here's our favorite day of the week comin' in hot and fresh - Friday!
This week, we've got a little something for everyone--the latest news in the retail and e-commerce space.
From PureWow's text to purchase to Macy shutting down its e-commerce spinoff, there's a lot going on in the world of online retail this week. 😉
USPS is aiming to gain even more business from small-and-medium-sized shippers.
The GMG publisher announced the debut of its newest commerce initiative, wowtext.
As it looks to maintain its digital momentum, Macy's rejects a planned e-commerce spinoff.
In order to combat the spread of fraudulent reviews on its site, Amazon has filed two lawsuits against two firms accused of giving phony-review brokerage services.
Top Retail and E-commerce Stories
Life in the Fast Lane: USPS Launches New Next-Day Delivery Service
Get your shipments to their destination in record time.⏱ The U.S. Postal Service has recently announced that it has introduced a next-day deliveryservice aimed toward local firms shipping within their community.
The introduction of the new service comes as carriers compete for a greater proportion of small shipments. Smaller businesses, unlike big shippers, don't have enormous volumes that might endanger a delivery network and are generally more lucrative for carriers per package.
Text Your Way to Shopping Heaven: PureWow Launches Wowtext
Text message shopping made easy. You can now shop your favorite PureWow products without ever having to leave your messaging app. The brand announced the launch of its new text-to-purchase software,wowtext.
With the new service, customers can simply text the brand's product codes to order the desired item. No more waiting on long checkout processes or forgotten passwords.
Readers of wowtext sign-up and provide payment information through the wowtext platform in order to access the service. Participants will subsequently receive a text message every week advertising a reduced-cost version of an editor-curated product, which they can purchase if they like it.
If the recipient responds, they can reply with how many they would like to purchase, their payment information will be processed automatically, and the product will be delivered to their doorstep.
It's a No from Macy's: Macy's Ditches E-Commerce Spinoff--Will It Affect Other Retailers?
Macy's #NotPleased.Macy'srecent decision to abandon its plans for an e-commerce spinoff signals a potential shift in how the department store views its digital future.
After consulting with AlixPartners, Macy's executives rejected the idea of turning their e-commerce operations into a separate company.
Following its fourth quarter, which saw Macy's comparable sales rise 28.3%, digital sales increase 12% year-over-year, and 36% from the previous quarter, the spinoff was ratified. Comps for the full year increased 43%. Digital revenues increased by 13% from 2020, while digital penetration was at 35%.
#Busted! 🙌 In an effort to combat the proliferation of fake reviews on its site, Two firms are being sued by Amazon for allegedly providing fake-review brokerage services.
According to court complaints filed in King County Superior Court in Seattle, the two companies, AppSally and Rebatest, are accused of creating phony Amazon reviews on the internet marketplace.
The businesses allegedly connected third-party sellers with consumers who would provide a favorable review of their product, in exchange for free goods or money.
A LITTLE MORE
Walmart Start: Walmart launches beauty accelerator for new brands
Native Retail:The new craze in creating customer experiences
FUN FACT
Globally, 53% of online customers would rather pay with their credit cards.
QUICK TIP
Try this. 44% of customers return after having a tailored online shopping experience. Factors such as enabling wishlists, sizing recommendations based on prior purchases, and sending ‘thank you' emails after purchase, can make a big difference in personalizing the shopping experience.
TWEET TWEET
“I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity.” — Oprah Winfrey
It's been 22 years since IKEA, the world's largest furniture retailer, opened its online store, and here's what it looked like back in 2000.
LISTEN UP
On this 21st episode of The E-Comm Show, our host and BlueTuskr CEO Andrew Maff is with Andy Lam of UpwardBaby, an e-commerce brand committed to providing busy parents with high-quality and one-of-a-kind baby feeding products. Started as a side hustle back in college, listen to Andy as he shares his journey at UpwardBaby–from discovering sellable products and creating a good brand story to scaling your e-commerce brand by streamlining your business with outsourcing and smart marketing strategies.