November/December 2014
3 Omnichannel Predictions for 2015
As another year comes to a close, it's time for my annual roundup of omnichannel retail predictions for the year ahead. As in year's past, I'm focusing on a few interesting trends I saw come to light this year that I believe will become even more widespread next year.
Boxing Solution to KO DIM Pricing
In case you haven't heard — although it's likely you have — next year the major parcel freight carriers (i.e., UPS, FedEx) will be shifting from pricing based on package weight to package size. What does this mean for online retailers? The short answer: it's going to cost you more to ship your packages. Upwards of 20 percent more, according to some industry reports.
Gorjana & Griffin Turns to E-Gifting for Customer Acquisition
Gorjana & Griffin, a Laguna Beach, Calif.-based socially conscious lifestyle company that makes fashionable, high-quality jewelry, is acquiring new customers and increasing conversions thanks to an e-gift checkout solution it implemented earlier this year.
lululemon's New Mobile App Provides Customers a Faster, Easier Way to Shop
lululemon athletica, the yoga-inspired athletic apparel company, released a new mobile shopping application this fall designed to give its users a faster and more convenient way to shop via their iPhone (the app is available for free in the App Store).
Negotiation Tool Helps Drive Conversions for Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores
Approximately $4 billion worth of merchandise will be abandoned in online shopping carts this year, according to a recent Business Insider Intelligence report. Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores (SHOS), a seller of home appliances, hardware and tools, is recouping some of those lost sales by letting customers bid on how much they're willing to pay for an item.
Not Your Father's Postal Service
I still remember when Oldsmobile ran its memorable ad series using the "it's not your father's Oldsmobile," in an attempt to attract younger buyers and change its image. Watching the U.S. Postal Service lately makes me think of that ad because it's also looking to attract the next generation of customers and change its image. Gone are the days when the Postal Service was all about mail and little else. As First Class mail volumes — the Postal Service's high-profit margin bread and butter — continue to decline, the USPS is looking hard at other sources of revenue.
Solving the Puzzle
Retailers today seek to deliver an inspiring, seamless brand experience to consumers across all channels — online, in-store, mobile, call centers and social media. For consumers, the promise of omnichannel retailing is a consistent brand experience based on easy, fast access to the information they need and the products and offers they want.
The 50 Best Tips of 2014
One Kings Lane, a flash-sales site for high-end home goods, has taken a different approach to building a high-quality affiliate program. Its solution is to block coupon, loyalty or any other nonbrand relevant sites from its affiliate program. This puts all affiliates on a level playing field, making the program very attractive to those affiliates who
Think Small Data
When I was in school, there was a guy on our basketball team who could dunk like it was nobody's business. Left hand, right hand, two hands behind his head, you name it. He also had the unfortunate habit of dribbling the ball off his foot and ricocheting it across the court. He sat the bench.
Tips for Managing Retail Partners Selling Your Products on Amazon
Q: "I hope you can help me. We sell our products to outdoor specialty retailers and websites as well as to consumers via our Amazon Webstore using the Fulfillment by Amazon model. We've noticed that some of our retail customers sell our most popular styles on Amazon as well, and oftentimes win the Buy Box. While we don't want to upset that relationship, we also don't want to forfeit higher-margin sales on Amazon by allowing them to list our products there. We're interested in developing a policy to address this issue. Any ideas to help?" — Ed Raftery, Vice President, TrailHeads
