With Forrester Research forecasting online sales to reach $210 billion in 2012 and $249 billion by 2014, online retailers are at the cusp of tremendous growth and opportunity. So what should you do to grab a substantial piece of that $210 billion pie this year? Based on industry predictions and our own experiences at Fifth [...]
Continue Reading...When was the last time you took a good look at your operations? Most multichannel retailers treat their retail operations as the stepdaughters treated Cinderella – leave it to do the dirty work of the pick and packprocess while they focus on the more glamorous functions like site design, merchandising, and social marketing. But since [...]
Continue Reading...They say that necessity is the mother of invention. As far as retail is concerned, economic uncertainty and weak employment has given rise to a slew of inventions (not to mention innovative practices and technology). At the National Retail Federation’s BIG Show this year, the buzz was all about the technology used by consumers that [...]
Continue Reading...I was actually pretty happy with your customer service, up to the point where you asked me to take a survey about your customer service. – Bill Maher By now, you must have analyzed your holiday sales data to figure out what went right (and wrong) during your busiest season. So if you don’t mind [...]
Continue Reading...Yes, it’s that time of the year when returns start coming in from customers who bought in haste during the holiday season (or those who got a gift they could live without!). January is the month when retailers traditionally expect the returns to start pouring in. Consider these stats on retail returns: Liquidation.com, a website [...]
Continue Reading...So the holidays are over, but the aftermath of record-breaking sales is about to get even crazier for online retailers. The more consumers buy, the more they have to return – and in ecommerce, sometimes the return process and its affect on your inventory management can be greater than when you sold the item in [...]
Continue Reading...Outsourcing your retail fulfillment is a sound business strategy and a great option for many online retailers. But in 2012, as the uncertainty of the economic crisis continues and customers shop with caution after a record-setting holiday season (NRF predicts holiday sales reached a record $469 billion), there is mounting evidence to suggest that retailers [...]
Continue Reading...Think only brick-and-mortar stores are in the holiday hiring mode? Not really, says Forrester Research. According to Shop.org and Forrester’s 2011 State of Online Retailing report, online retailers are increasingly posting “Wanted” signs on their digital storefront in a bid to attract merchandising, design, and analytics talent. With the new year rapidly approaching and with [...]
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