Yes, I know, another lawsuit involving Amazon. But unlike many others’ past lawsuits, I struggle to see what Amazon is doing wrong. The complaint accuses Amazon of setting up the “Buy Now” button so users pay more than they should. Let’s see what this lawsuit is about, and why Amazon may be acting in most customers’ best interest.
Continue readingAuthor: Francois Maingret (Page 6 of 13)
Every company claims to be “Customer-centric”, and claims to make customer satisfaction their priority. Of course, everyone wants to keep their customers happy and maintain a good relationship with them. And in these brands-customers relationships, companies would rather see the power balance shifting towards them. It is easier said than done, even in the case of multi billion dollar businesses: customers as a whole sometimes have a lot of power over these massive companies. Some of us may remember Peloton, which was a massive success during Covid but faced customer backslash when they increased their prices and when alternatives became available again once the pandemic improved.
Continue readingWhen I first heard about Temu, my knee-jerk reaction was to think it would be a Shein for random items, from kitchenware to toys. I also thought the target audience would be similar, Gen Z, especially after I saw some young influencers showing off their “Temu hauls” on TikTok.
Recent reports proved me wrong: Boomers placed on average 5.6 orders last year on Temu, while Gen Z only ordered 2.6 times.
Continue readingIn the last couple of months, we’ve been hearing about AI all day, every day. Everyone and everything claims to be using AI these days. Marketing tools, dating assistants, deep fake scams, you name it. I think no one was surprised to hear about Rufus, the latest generative AI-powered shopping assistant, recently introduced by Amazon.
My first reaction to this announcement wasn’t how this would help me as a consumer, but how this would impact my work as a marketer. We are still in the very early stages of this adventure, but we can already do some guesswork. Let’s quickly review the announcement, then try to imagine what the implications are for the millions of businesses selling on Amazon.
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Have you found yourself needing a toaster-shaped desk lamp? How about a $1.28 keychain stapler? Or a 200-pack of men’s ankle socks? If so, I’ve got you covered. Temu has it all, and quickly became one of the most downloaded shopping apps in the US, offering millions of relatively inexpensive products shipped directly from China, targeting low-income Americans.
In recent news, Temu announced they would open their marketplace to US and European sellers. While this sounds like an obvious way to expand their operation, this information surprised me and made me wonder about Temu’s long-term strategy. Will they still pursue low-cost items, or are they attempting to diversify their offer?
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I see the value proposition as the cornerstone of a successful business, something I often go back to when I discuss important business and e-commerce concepts. Another key part is marketing and how to communicate this value proposition to the world. However, I believe an often overlooked aspect is addressing the right target demographic.
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Below is one of my recent LinkedIn Post. I wanted to also share it here on my blog, as I think the data I collected and charts I built can be insightful to those of you selling on Amazon.
Is Amazon saturated? I don’t have the answer, but I do have some interesting anecdotal data (and some good news if you’re in the market for a massage gun).
I looked at a random product, massage guns. First, the evolution of the sale price for the current top 5 massage guns on Amazon. Most launched in 2020 (the first few months of data isn’t always available).
I recently saw a news article about a surprising innovation in my home country: fitting rooms at the post office. What does fashion have to do with shipping packages? You guessed it, ecommerce returns. Why would I want to change and try on clothes in a post office? Well, in some cases it could make sense. Beyond the unique aspect of this move, I thought it was a good reminder of why local specificities still matter in an ever more connected ecommerce world.
Continue readingAbout This Blog
My name is François, I’m the author of this blog. I love writing and talking about business and ecommerce. I hope you enjoy my work, feel free to contact me for any suggestion!