Category: E-commerce

July 17, 2024

FTI Consulting research has charted the continued e-commerce growth in the years following the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the firm predicted that e-commerce sales would exceed $1.07 trillion, a milestone it had previously projected would occur in […]

June 28, 2024

While the categories of electronics, apparel, furniture and groceries represent the largest portion of online sales at over 50% of overall spend, most consumers are buying less expensive products in those categories as a hedge against inflation. Cosmetics has been […]

June 26, 2024

The launch of TikTok’s small business accelerator initiatives follows the U.S. debut of TikTok Shop last September. The in-app e-commerce space allows merchants to connect with millions of users on the platform and create custom product collections on their business […]

June 21, 2024

Forter and Talker Research’s report suggests that consumers are altering their shopping behavior in response to ongoing inflation woes. Food-at-home prices saw an annual rate bump of 1.2% in March. The Consumer Price Index’s latest report noted that food prices […]

June 11, 2024

Alibaba.com, the global B2B ecommerce platform of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, has launched Alibaba Guaranteed, a program designed to help simplify global sourcing for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Alibaba Guaranteed will offer products at fixed prices, with shipping […]

May 31, 2024

While businesses are widely encouraged to respond to negative online reviews, a new study finds responding to positive online reviews is more of a “minefield” and some should be ignored. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Baruch College’s Zicklin School […]

May 29, 2024

Walmart is diving deeper into immersive experiences. Walmart Realm features influencer-led, virtual shops that are meant to shorten the distance between inspiration and shopping. “At Walmart, we’re embracing innovation with e-commerce experiences designed with the virtual world at the heart,” […]

May 24, 2024

It’s not enough that Walmart has decided to open 150 new stores in the U.S. Beyond the real world, Walmart has launched a virtual shopping platform, Walmart Realm, that represents a significant evolution in the world of e-commerce. This innovative […]

May 20, 2024

The role of the call center agent is changing as customer habits evolve and technology advances. Rising interest in digital self-service prompted L.L. Bean to cut its call center hours starting in July, though a large majority of its 500 […]

May 13, 2024

As Instacart works to bring its technology to more grocery stores, the company is looking to smart carts to help lead the way. The company, which continues to depend heavily on its legacy e-commerce business to drive revenue, expects to […]

May 1, 2024

U.S. online grocery growth is expected to significantly slow but still outpace in-store growth by three times over the next five years, according to Brick Meet Click’s new U.S. eGrocery Sales Forecast. The report, sponsored by Mercatus, predicts that overall […]

April 30, 2024

Nordstrom’s marketplace launch comes after the retailer last month said it planned to lean into its e-commerce business. CEO Erik Nordstrom said during a Q4 earnings call that the retailer is enhancing its online personalization features. In recent years, other […]

March 1, 2024

More local governments are restricting or outright banning new warehouses that may be required to support the next stage of e-commerce growth. Among the recent local uprisings, the Board of Trustees of the city of Deerfield, Illinois, in early February […]

February 5, 2024

Amazon is launching its first AI-powered shopping assistant to empower mobile shoppers to search by query with answers delivered in a conversational context. Called “Rufus” after the dog of two early employees, the chatbot is based on a large language […]

January 5, 2024

Supply chains have always been critically important. When retailers invest correctly, logistics presents the opportunity for not only hard cost savings but long-term value creation as organizations find innovative ways to deliver products into the hands of consumers. Logistics operations […]

December 29, 2023

The humble sneaker has long been a staple item in closets everywhere for consumers of all ages. The consistent appeal of sneakers and sportswear has grown in recent times with customers, particularly from the Gen Z demographic, continuing to favor […]

December 19, 2023

Despite tight budgets and wariness about the economy, U.S. consumers have come through for retailers in 2023, and that has continued into the all-important fourth quarter. Even with some holiday promotions moving into October, Black Friday and Cyber Monday helped […]

December 5, 2023

The Bank of America survey respondents signal their intention to continue spending more online next year following a rise in e-commerce spending this year. In July, FTI Consulting released a report predicting that American consumers will drive online retail sales […]

November 13, 2023

August’s overall retail sales in the U.S. showed continuing resilience, with actual growth of 0.6% after economists polled by Reuters had predicted just 0.2% growth. However, the overall data masks some key data points that may be of concern to […]

November 2, 2023

With many retailers no longer offering free online returns, in-store returns promise to see an uptick. Are stores ready? A study led by researchers at the University of Portsmouth supported by the ECR Community Shrinkage and On-Shelf Availability Group concluded […]