Tag Archives: ecommerce

News

80 percent of UK consumers rely on ecommerce but their purchasing decisions vary by region

According to a study published this week, 80 percent of the UK population made online purchases in 2023. However, there are variances in how each British region is shopping. For example, in many large cities including Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and Liverpool, shoppers are focused on the convenience and style offered by online retailers. Whereas, customers in cities such as Edinburgh and Glasgow prioritise sustainability and ethical practices when making purchasing decisions. London was identified as the most “ecommerce obsessed” city, and consumers’ purchases were largely based on convenience.

Tony Preedy, Managing Director at Fruugo explains how online sellers can tap into regional trends across the UK and globally, for long-term success:

“As this study shows, shoppers are turning to online shopping more and more and the motivations for this differ per region. Clearly, different regions and demographics have specific buying patterns or preferences, so it is important that sellers analyse these behaviours if they are hoping to capitalise on every sales opportunity. By understanding what motivates different consumer groups to make purchases online, retailers can review their marketing and sales strategies to drive more traffic to their product listings. Whether it’s offering personalised recommendations or providing targeted promotions, retailers can create a more engaging and satisfying shopping journey for their customers region by region.

“Additionally, by working with online marketplaces, retailers can expand their reach and the visibility of their products to buyers further afield. Sellers are also far more agile when it comes to tapping into trends and spikes in activity across multiple territories, whether that’s in the UK or overseas. In fact, some marketplaces even offer regional advertising on behalf of their retailers’ products, using their algorithms to profile potential shoppers and identify opportunities to match demand to supply.”

News

Storyblok helps DW Drums play a modern beat with its digital presence

Storyblok, the content management system (CMS) category leader, today announced that DW Drums, a drum manufacturer endorsed by the world’s top drummers, is using its CMS to modernize their content operations.

DW Drums partnered with the digital agency Domaine to build an entirely new digital presence that includes a native e-commerce platform for the very first time.

Stacey Taylor, Digital Production Manager at DW Drums, said: “There’s always a story behind the music. Storyblok makes it easy for our entire team to create content and tell stories about our products and artists in an appealing way that our customers can connect with.”

Alanna Churchard, Director of Engineering at Domaine, added: “Using Storyblok for content management and Shopify for e-commerce is a powerful combination. We’ve only completed the first phase of DW Drums’ digital transformation, so there’s much more to come. Storyblok is so easy to use that part of our vision is to have the artists use it to post visual and written content on their own.”

Storyblok, DW Drums, and Domaine are all attending Shoptalk in Las Vegas between March 17-20, 2024. Stop by Storyblok’s booth (#500) to learn more about DW Drums’ digital transformation.

News, Retail & E-commerce

The power of in-person shopping: insights from Blakely’s CEO

With experiential stores and pop-up shops popping up en masse in the last few months, some say that the high street is making a comeback. We spoke to experts at growing British fashion brand Blakely Clothing investigate this trend.

According to a 2023 PwS report*, net store closures are now at their lowest rate since 2017 and openings are an increasing trend. However, retail footfall is still 10-20% below pre-pandemic levels.

At the same time, the retail pop-up market is growing, with the number of pop-up shops in the UK increasing by around 18% over the course of 2022.** Blakely has been riding the wave of this trend, initially opening their Westfield store in Stratford as a pop-up shop in summer 2023. Gareth Newman, CEO at Blakely, notes that the store soon cemented a permanent position in their brand offering, as the team continued to see a strong interest in in-person shopping.

Blakely, founded in 2012, has primarily operated online, building a large social media community. Although, in recent years the brand has experienced success in an expansion to the high street. Gareth Newman says: “Brick-and-mortar stores drive the human connection we are all missing. After 3 years of lockdown and an eCommerce boom, a whole new generation of brands were born through social advertising and the increase of online shopping. 

“However, as we spend more and more time looking at our phones there could be a few reasons why consumers are looking to go back to the high street and shop in physical form. If the queues at Bicester Village on Boxing Day 2023 were anything to go by, shoppers are more keen than ever to have the in-store experience.”

Sources:
* https://www.pwc.co.uk/industries/retail-consumer/insights/store-openings-and-closures.html
** https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67911127

With overall in-person shopping footfall still being 10 to 20% below pre-pandemic levels, it’s too early to speak of a total comeback. However, Newman argues that there certainly is an appetite for ‘IRL retail’, particularly in an industry such as fashion: “By returning to stores not only are consumers able to get a feel for the brand but also a feel for the item. In one interaction, the customer can understand the brand, its shoppers and the quality of the item they are purchasing.”

Newman sees brick-and-mortar shops as a powerful way to build community and provide experiences that transcend the possibilities of just online shopping: “An immersive shopping experience has a deeper impact on customer loyalty than that of an online one. Blakely is capitalising on this with pop-up shops, events and most recently a new permanent store in Stratford Westfield which held an opening event with customers, influencers and celebrity guests.”

“Those looking to perhaps dip their toe into the yoga and wellness scene can arrive at an event and test out their new gym gear all at the same time. It is our ethos that brands which drive customer connection are more successful long term than those offering a surface level one.”

In 2024, Blakely is looking forward to exploring the in-person shopping experience, and continue building the brand’s community both online and offline.

News, Technology

Are you ready for Amazon’s new Selling Partner API?

Starting January 1, 2023, all third-party applications that do not fully migrate to Amazon’s new Selling Partner API (SP-API) will no longer be able to efficiently interface with sections in Amazon Marketplace Web Service (MWS). In addition, Amazon has announced that MWS will no longer be available for use by any developer starting January 1, 2024.

If you are a seller who uses Amazon Marketplace Web Service applications, this transition may result in additional administrative costs, a time-consuming task, and a recurrent expense as APIs are updated over time. However, there is a solution that can help you seamlessly move to the new API.

Despatch Cloud, an innovative eCommerce solution provider, has already successfully integrated with the new Amazon SP-API last year. This means that any seller that integrates with Amazon can now move to the new API via our system without any costly development. By joining Channels, Despatch Cloud will do the work for you, providing you with a number of benefits, including:

Seamless connection to a number of shopping carts and marketplaces through a single, supported, and secure API. This means a centralised, easy-to-use software with a team of developers working in the background, so you never have to worry about the behind-the-scenes.
The ability to easily download and fulfil orders on 40+ of the leading marketplaces and eCommerce platforms, with more added each quarter.
Syncing of orders and stock levels across multiple channels seamlessly and without any back-office input.
Inventory automation with support for kitting and SKU mapping without any costly development.
A smart filtering system that allows you to easily navigate orders.
The ability to manage multiple brands and companies with our channel grouping functionality and set up specific filtering rules per group.
Accounting integrations with Xero, Sage and Quickbooks to help you stay on top of your sales and build a solid business strategy.

Don’t let Amazon’s new API changes disrupt your business. Talk to our experts today and see how Despatch Cloud can help you navigate this transition seamlessly. For more information, please visit our website at https://despatchcloud.com/

News

Laser technology specialists Needham Laser Technologies launches retail-ready laser engravers

Laser technology specialists Needham Laser has launched retail-ready laser engravers for commercial creatives to provide next-level customer experience through personalisation and more.

The create. and create pro. have been designed and developed here in the UK. The new retail-ready equipment enables businesses to offer quick and easy etching, marking or engraving services for personalisation, branding and creative design onto a wide variety of products, including jewellery, cosmetics, promotional goods and gifts.

The laser engravers have been specially created to seamlessly fit into retail and workshop environments. The simple operating functions allow for unique personalisation on a range of materials, including silver, gold, copper, steel, glass, painted surfaces and various plastics. Systems are contained within a compact case, which can be custom wrapped to match any brand or business.

Birmingham’s Assay Office, which is responsible for quality assurance testing and hallmarking precious metal items, has implemented the technology. ChloBo, Benefit and ghd are also among some of the brands that already utilise Needham’s personalisation systems.

Hannah Ellis, Head of Sales and Marketing at The Needham Group, said: “As consumers are increasingly looking to buy, give and receive personalised items and gifts, we recognised a need for a quick, easy and sustainable approach to offering a next-level customer experience service, all within a small and stylish casement for their shop floor. Laser engraving allows businesses the opportunity to add value to the original product by offering personalisation as an add-on with minimal impact to their carbon footprint.

“What’s more, with pressure growing for businesses to reduce their carbon footprint, laser engraving personalisation generates less waste than other forms of personalisation as there are no additional materials required within the process. When engraving, the laser simply concentrates on the area where it is focused on to create the required design.”

The create. range powered by Needham Laser Technologies is an official Made in Britain manufacturer, which recognises manufacturing of very high standards in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Both the create. and create pro. laser engravers are thoroughly assessed here in the UK for compliance with necessary directives and standards – not all imported laser systems are subject to the same level of regulation.

Examples of the types of products that can be personalised with a fibre laser engraver include rings, bracelets, lockets, watches, glasses, packaging, pens, water bottles, keyrings and so much more.

The create. and create pro. launch will be exclusively showcased at Spring Fair 2023 between 5th-8th February. Visitors will have the opportunity to see the lasers in action, talk to laser-engraving experts and see a demonstration of how easy it is to personalise various products. Needham Laser Tech is encouraging visitors and exhibitors of the fair to bring products to their stand (2K58 MODA) to try laser engraving first-hand onto their products.

News

85% Of Brits Consider Preferred Payment Method A Crucial Factor For A Positive Online Shopping Experience

Preferred payment method is #1 factor among UK online shoppers that leads to a positive shopping experience, with over 49% of all online shoppers are most likely to abandon the purchase if their preferred payment method is not available, a study by DECTA reveals.

London, U.K., 26 January 2023 – A recent study by DECTA showcases the role of embedded finance in boosting conversion rates and improving the online shopping experience.

The primary goal of the study was to showcase how adoption of embedded finance leads to higher conversion rates and positive customer experience. For this, DECTA conducted a survey among British online shoppers aged 19-68 and US shoppers aged 23-68 years totalling 1504 respondents.

The report also delves into the main reasons why consumers may abandon their online shopping journey and explores the potential of additional revenue streams that online retailers can gain through the adoption of embedded finance.

Faster payments: payment speed is the second most important feature for positive consumer experiences among British participants, with 68% of those surveyed considering it to be either the most important feature of positive experience, or very important in this process.

Same Page Checkout: failure to provide a straightforward and convenient checkout process could be a major bugbear, with Baymard Institute reports that $260 billion of lost orders are recoverable annually solely through a better checkout flow and design.

Additional Embedded Services: embedded solutions, such as instalment payments and insurance offers are on the rise in the USA: these add-ons were seen as a rather more important aspect of purchasing decisions. Indeed, 54% of respondents reported that insurance has been either very important or the most important factor for a positive purchasing experience.

Frictionless Payments: frictionless purchases can be extremely important for positive customer experience, and this is critical as online purchasing becomes more complex and regulated. Statistics show that reducing customer friction is a $213 billion opportunity for businesses in the United States alone. As technology and expectations evolve, the importance of delivering a smooth purchasing model and experience is increasing in importance.

Loyalty Rewards: this is another $1.6 trillion opportunity that embedded finance functionality can deliver for online merchants, with 90% of companies in the United States having loyalty programs, collectively representing a staggering 3.3 billion memberships.

Complete Study Results: https://www.decta.com/company/media/the-role-of-embedded-finance-in-boosting-conversion-rates-a-report

Acquisitions & Partnerships, Logistics, Logistics Tech, News

ShipStation partners with The Delivery Group for last-mile deliveries

ShipStation, the world’s leading cloud-based ecommerce shipping solution, today announces that it has partnered with The Delivery Group (TDG), a leading tech enabled ecommerce delivery specialist. This partnership will see TDG added to ShipStation’s carrier services in the UK, allowing ShipStation merchants to select TDG as their carrier of choice for deliveries.

TDG specialises in technology-driven ecommerce that enables a full end-to-end delivery service across the UK and 220 countries worldwide. By joining ShipStation’s carrier services platform, TDG can provide more merchants with quick and easy access to its UTrak and ETrak services that offer a range of tracked and untracked delivery services. These are supported by best-in-class customer services and a fully automated operational network, supplying customers with more cost-effective shipping options.

David Randall, VP of Carriers at ShipStation said:

“At ShipStation we’re always looking to add innovative and best-in-class carriers to our platform, as we look to offer our merchants the right delivery options for every single shipment. TDG has a proven track-record in providing excellent value for growing merchants who are looking for an easy-to-use service for their distribution and delivery needs. We look forward to working with them to provide our customers with even more choice when it comes to domestic and international shipping.”

Mark Calladine, Group ecommerce and International Director at TDG, said:

“We see our new partnership with ShipStation as a major opportunity for growth, especially as more retailers turn towards an omnichannel model to scale – blending the physical high street with the online shopping ecosystem. Working with ShipStation, we can offer their customers quick and easy access via a carrier integration to our shipping and distribution services for more last mile deliveries. By working together, TDG and ShipStation offer businesses the right delivery product at the right time and for the right price.”

To find out more about how the ShipStation and TDG partnership, please visit: https://info.shipstation.com/the-delivery-group

About ShipStation
Every day, tens of thousands of e-commerce retailers rely on ShipStation to solve the day-to-day challenges of importing orders and processing shipments. The trusted leader in shipping software since its founding in 2011, ShipStation helps online sellers scale their businesses and deliver exceptional customer experiences, with an intuitive online solution that allows them to efficiently ship orders – wherever they sell and however they ship. The multi-channel and multi-carrier platform offers the most integrations of any e-commerce solution, with more than 300 partnerships with leading shopping carts, marketplaces, carriers and fulfilment services, including UPS, Royal Mail, Parcelforce, Amazon, Shopify, and BigCommerce. ShipStation is headquartered in Austin, TX, with offices in France, Sydney and London.

About The Delivery Group
The Delivery Group is a leading national and international e-commerce and specialist mail services provider with the capacity to handle over 1 billion items per annum via its multi-carrier platform.
With a turnover in excess of £250m and employing 500 staff, The Delivery Group operates from four highly automated facilities at Warrington, Luton, Bristol and Maidstone with an additional Central London satellite in Bermondsey.

Logistics, News

Driffield based company, Despatch Cloud, collaborates with Fast Despatch Logistics to extend services.

Despatch Cloud is thrilled to announce its collaboration with Fast Despatch Logistics (FDL), a rapidly-ascending third-party logistics service provider in the UK, Europe, and Asia. FDL caters to several of the globe’s largest eCommerce, last-mile, and parcel delivery giants.

“We’re delighted to have added FDL to our growing list of couriers and offer Despatch Cloud customers access to the 7-day-a-week FDL service, at excellent rates” Paula Tagg, Chief Operations Officer of Despatch Cloud.

Through this collaboration, Despatch Cloud clients will now have access to FDL’s dependable and expeditious delivery services, empowering them to better serve their own clients and meet the surging global demand for swift and trustworthy delivery.

About Despatch Cloud
Despatch Cloud is a pioneering cloud-based logistics management platform that aids businesses in streamlining their delivery processes and enhancing the efficiency of their operations. With advanced features and integration with multiple couriers, Despatch Cloud assists businesses in saving time, cutting costs, and improving customer satisfaction.

About Fast Despatch Logistics
Fast Despatch Logistics is a trustworthy provider of logistics solutions, with a focus on last-mile delivery, eCommerce fulfilment, and parcel delivery. With a formidable presence in the UK, Europe, and Asia, FDL is equipped to tackle the delivery needs of businesses of all sizes.

E-Commerce, News, Thought Leadership

Retail expert shares the top six eCommerce trends for 2023 and why businesses shouldn’t ignore them

There are over 60 million eCommerce users in the UK alone (Source: Statista), meaning the vast majority of UK residents now shop online. When a new generation of tech-savvy kids start shopping, the industry will only expand further, so it’s crucial that online retailers continue to innovate if they want to keep growing too.

James Khoury, eCommerce expert and CEO of fulfilment provider, Zendbox, has shared his predictions of the top eCommerce trends all online retailers should be leveraging in 2023.

1. Omnichannel Shopping

“It’s no longer enough to only have a website; online stores now need to make their goods accessible across a range of selling platforms. Consumers are channel surfing more than ever, often discovering brands on social media before they find their website. People are more price conscious too and will be looking to compare prices for your product, or similar ones, on search engines or comparison sites.”

“Make a list of the channels and platforms available to you and optimise each avenue. Now might even be the time to look into what will potentially be the next ‘super app’, TikTok (Source: VideoWeek), which is beginning to offer an all-in-one solution where consumers can shop and pay for products without ever leaving the app. As part of your omni channel approach, focus efforts on these types of apps in line with your website, social media accounts and, if applicable, your bricks and mortar store.”

2. Mobile First

“It’s predicted that by 2024, mobile sales will reach over £100 billion (Source: Statista), thanks in no small part to Gen Z and the rise of Gen Alpha. It’s more important than ever to adopt a mobile-first approach to retail sales and maximise every eCommerce opportunity.”

“It’s no coincidence that this upward trend in mobile sales aligns with the exponential growth of social commerce. TikTok has experienced the largest increase in the percentage of consumers willing to buy from social media (Source: JungleScout). People can discover your brand on social media and then buy from the comfort of their mobile phone. What’s more, optimising your social media platforms allows you to take advantage of user generated content (UCG), balancing out any additional marketing spend. Developing a mobile-first strategy should go hand in hand with social selling and will likely be essential in 2023.”

3. Green Commerce

“The word ‘sustainability’ won’t be going anywhere in 2023. In fact, more and more retailers will be looking to increase their green credentials. This means offering things like sustainable packaging, more eco-friendly shipping options and carbon offsetting.”

“Alongside green pledges, there may well be an influx of reCommerce sites or outlets. Online second-hand stores and rental services have gained popularity in recent years, and even charity shops now have an online presence. Some existing retailers allow customers to recycle old items in return for vouchers, and others have set up marketplaces as an offshoot, where they resell past season and pre-loved stock. This may well depend on the product itself but, in any case, a circular strategy is mission-critical for businesses that want to stay competitive in 2023.”

4. User Experience

“Consumers are more likely to convert or share data when they receive a personalised experience, with some 80% of frequent shoppers only shopping with companies that personalise the experience (Source: YouGov).”

“Putting the user at the forefront of your eCommerce efforts is paramount to success. Get to know your customers across all platforms, and use any information to create offers and upselling opportunities based on their specific behaviours.”

“Add to this an excellent customer service experience and a range of delivery and payment options. Fuss-free returns will also attract new customers and retain existing ones. With a host of software, plug-ins and analytics now available, there’s little excuse in 2023 to neglect the customer journey.”

5. Inflation

“Not so much a trend as a necessity. The economic downturn has made customers savvier than ever before. Purchases are carefully considered, and choosing which e-tailer to buy from may come down to which one has the most budget-conscious options.”

“Things like free delivery and free returns are very attractive right now. Having a BOPIS option, where users can buy online and pick up in store, can be a good middle ground to reduce overheads for you as a company and delivery charges for your customers. Offering a range of payment options will also help to assuage any buying-related anxiety – for example, buy now, pay later (BNPL) arrangements.”

6. Payments

“As well as offering BNPL, simply having a roster of payment options will encourage more shoppers in 2023. One of the biggest reasons shoppers abandon their cart is due to a difficult payment or checkout process. Digital and mobile wallets now account for around half of global eCommerce payment transactions (Source: Statista) and so implementing this is going to be vital.”

“PayPal now has 429 million users worldwide too (Source: GlobalData), making it hugely popular for eCommerce. There is still space for the traditional card payment but as above, offering payment methods that satisfy different user demographics sets eCommerce stores up to bring in more of the available market revenue.”

“Perhaps the biggest takeaway for eCommerce in 2023 is choice. Users now expect different payment options, flexible returns, sustainable choices and to be able to shop on various platforms. The worst thing any online retailer can do is stay stagnant. Moving with the times is a must.”

Appointments, News

Shipping and fulfilment firm champions internal promotion with Head of Business Development hire

Gareth Thomas has been appointed as Head of Business Development at the global order fulfilment company Systemise Fulfilment.

Gareth was formerly Head of Operations at the firm’s warehouse in Brigg and has worked at the company for 4 years. In his new role, Gareth will lead the full suite of customer support, sales and marketing activity at Systemise Fulfilment. He brings with him a wealth of industry experience, having built his own successful business and warehouse.

Gareth Thomas, commenting on his promotion, explained: “After launching and growing the Brigg warehouse successfully over the past 4 years, with the support of Kevin and Kylie – I was ready for a new challenge where I can help the wider business to grow too – so taking on this role seemed like the natural next step in my career. I’m happy to say the Brigg warehouse has also been left in the capable hands of Rachel Dunn.”

Keen to nurture a great workplace culture for employees, Kevin Blackburn and Kylie Thomas, the co-directors of Systemise Fulfilment, are prioritising internal promotions and ensuring that employees have a pathway to grow and develop in their roles.

The company has recently introduced a new reward and recognition programme for employees called the ‘Systemise Fulfilment Blueprint’ – to clearly state their commitment to employees. The programme aims to recognise employees for their achievements, provide tailored progression routes and offer extensive employee benefits, including discounted products and an employee profit-sharing scheme.

Systemise Fulfilment also recently appointed Nikki Thomas as Head of Global Human Resources, promoted Rachel Dunn to Head of Partner Operations at their Brigg warehouse, Rebecca Phillips to Head of Partner Operations at their Scunthorpe warehouse and Siobhan Riley to Head of Quality Assurance across the organisation.

Kevin Blackburn, Director at Systemise Fulfilment, commented: “As the business has grown significantly over the last 12 months, we’ve been reviewing our team structure and making changes that will allow every aspect of the business to run more efficiently. Gareth has extensive experience in the industry with over 7 years of experience. He has built and run his own warehouse and knows the business inside and out, so promoting him from warehouse operations to this key leadership role to support me was a no-brainer, and the transition has been seamless.

“Internally promoting Gareth and adjusting the team structure has also opened up new opportunities for other deserving team members to be promoted, including Rachel, Rebecca, Shaun, Owen and Siobahn, as well as opening up opportunities to bring in additional expertise to the team, which we have seen with the appointment of our brilliant Head of Global Human Resources, Nikki Thomas earlier this year.”

Systemise Fulfilment provides a one-stop solution for prep and order fulfilment needs – handling the receipt, inspection, preparation, quality control, storage, shipping, and order process for Amazon FBA and eCommerce businesses. To date, Systemise Fulfilment has shipped over 4 million units for partners and customers worldwide, expanding its operations in the UK, Europe, and the USA.