Ecommerce Age

By Adam Jabłoński, Account Management Strategy Team Manager at RTB House The festive shopping period from Black Friday through to Christmas is the most important time of year for brands, and it’s imperative that advertisers find ways to effectively reach audiences and drive sales as the world saunters toward the new year. On Black Friday 2022 alone, was spent around the world, highlighting just how big of a revenue opportunity the final few months of the year can present to brands.

Retailers are facing mounting challenges to get their customer experiences right, with a staggering 89% of consumers having altered their shopping habits in response to the cost-of-living crisis, according to research from commerce solutions provider Manhattan Associates. The survey of 6,000 consumers from across 12 major international markets found that 84% of shoppers will start their buying journey online.

By Olivia Shaw, Marketing Co-ordinator, Amplience As we say goodbye to the balmy days of September and October rolls in, consumer thoughts are turning to the Autumn season. And it’s a cue for online retailers to refresh their sites for Peak season and put their minds to warmer woollies instead of summer sizzlers.

By Glynn Davies, Founder of Retail Insider My road in North London is not unusual in any way. It is neither excessively long nor does it have a particularly dense concentration of housing along its route. We’re talking about a row of standard two-storey terrace houses. What is interesting on this typical road is that I virtually cannot walk down it without seeing at least one van, car, moped, cycle or lorry delivering goods ordered online.

We’ve all seen the banks of parcel lockers that we’ve all seen outside supermarkets and train stations. They are clearly a sensible idea, and one that I’ve been more than willing to use, but I’m very rarely given the option to do so when ordering goods online. Part of the problem, according to Gary Winter, VP of global strategic initiatives for parcel lockers at Quadient, is that they are invariably linked to a single delivery firm – such as Amazon or InPost – and this limits traction.

By David Maisey, CEO of MultiPay Global Solutions These are testing times for retailers. July’s ONS data found a drop in sales of 1.2% as a combination of wet weather and economic pressure saw consumers reduce their spending. Despite declining sales, retailers are also under pressure to lower prices. A few months ago, Jeremy Hunt, the UK Chancellor, threatened to bring in legislation that set price caps on essential items, forcing retailers to lower their prices in aid to help consumers.

By Zszusa Kecsmar, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Antavo The holiday season is the perfect time for businesses to connect with their customers. As shoppers flock to bricks-and-mortar stores and online sites, they will expect to be treated with relevant and attentive care when it comes to their potential purchases. This is an ideal opportunity for retailers, providing them with the chance to cement goodwill and ultimately drive revenue through each step of their customer’s journey.

By Roland Palmer, General Manager of UK, Benelux and Nordics, Alibaba Group In an ever-evolving business landscape, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are considered the backbone of the UK economy, with their performance critical to UK business growth and prosperity. However, there’s no doubt SMEs are facing major challenges, including rising costs and reduced revenue. Against this backdrop, diversifying their revenue streams through global digital export could have a transformative impact.

Basket, the ecommerce start-up has announced Lee Lythe as Chief Marketing Officer, who will lead on multi-channel user acquisition, and build out publisher and retailer networks. Lee Lythe will join Basket in the coming months after 8 years at Spark Foundry (and former agency brand Blue449), who boasted £369m billings in 2022 and are known for accelerating client business growth.

By Nedim Nisic, ecommerce director at Mondi The ecommerce industry faces a range of fulfilment challenges that businesses will increasingly need to address going forward. From inefficiencies in the packaging process and tightening sustainability requirements, to pressure on warehouse space and availability of trained teams, automated solutions can help to overcome these obstacles.