François Maingret

Category: Business strategy (Page 1 of 3)

The Difference Between Counterfeits and Dupes – And How These Products Impact Brands

May 19, 2024 /

If you’ve been following my content, you often hear me say building a strong brand is one of the most important things in today’s business environment. And one of the signs you have a strong and successful brand is when you start seeing counterfeit products.

According to OECD data, the global trade in counterfeit goods in 2023 was $1.023 trillion, or 3.3% of the total global trade. And despite efforts from brands and marketplace operators, these products are all over merchant websites, including some of the most popular.

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Selling Private Labeled Items from Alibaba on Amazon Is the Fast Lane to Failure

May 12, 2024 /

I recently saw an intriguing article in my recommendations. It was a guide on how to find products on Alibaba to resell on Amazon. I wondered why Google would recommend articles from 2017? But no, the article was published recently by a major company that sells market research software.

I get it, everyone is looking for the easy, quick, and risk-free way to get rich. And people have been selling that dream since commerce was a thing. We’ve seen it with dropshipping, with “Alibaba to Amazon” private labeling, or with the millions of pyramid schemes out there. Hell, I am sure people in ancient Greece were selling courses on investing in olive oil and wine.

Even though the article doesn’t present itself as a “get rich quick” guide, I found it overly optimistic. I don’t blame the company; it was well-written and probably does a great job at selling their software. And it isn’t misleading either; there is a lot of good and useful info in there. But because I know there are aspiring entrepreneurs reading my content, I’d like to discuss the risks of this strategy. The market has changed drastically since people started selling products sourced from Alibaba on Amazon, and I think it is necessary to understand these changes.

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Chewy is Losing Customers : Can the Ecommerce Giant Surprising Strategic Move Help Them?

March 29, 2024 /

When I moved to Texas from France, I was surprised to see this many dogs when walking around. I thought every other person had a dog. I wasn’t too far off: 66% of U.S. households (86.9 million homes) own a pet, with dogs being the most popular pet (65.1 million U.S. households own a dog).

As a result, the pet care market is huge, $246.66 billion worldwide in 2023 and is projected to grow to $259.37 billion in 2024. Of course, this market is very competitive, and even the largest companies have to constantly innovate to grow.

The e-commerce giant Chewy announced surprising plans to expand, and I’d like to discuss whether other retailers should emulate them.

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How Much Power Do Consumers Have Over Your Business?

February 10, 2024 /

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. 

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Who is Your Target Customer?

January 27, 2024 /

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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Examples of How the Legal Landscape Affects Online Businesses

October 31, 2023 /

Remember when the ecommerce world was the Wild West? Back in the early 2000s, when companies could collect any data they wanted, and there were little standards for online transaction security. Times have changed, but threats are still there, and we now see new regulations every day. Authorities and regulators must ensure that consumers are protected, and the business environment is fair for all its actors. You can hear about it in the daily news. The Federal Trade Commission is going after Amazon, the Indonesian government is taking action against social media, etc. The legal environment has a massive impact on competitive dynamics, and it is important that entrepreneurs understand the current regulations where they operate. 

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Ecommerce Rivalry Unveiled: How to Navigate a Competitive Environment

September 3, 2023 /

In the grand theater of ecommerce, competition takes center stage, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. But not every performance is a heart-pounding Shakespearean tragedy. Each business has its unique script, stage, and actors, and the intensity of rivalry among competitors can vary dramatically.

Today, we will explore the competitive dynamics of the business world, with a special focus on the ecommerce world. For the business strategy nerds out there, we’ll delve into Porter’s analysis of the intensity of rivalry and apply it to online businesses. We’ll review the key factors that impact the intensity of rivalry before looking at strategies to successfully navigate a competitive environment. So, let’s dive in and discover what keeps our audience applauding.

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From Likes to Sales – Why Social Commerce Can’t Be Ignored

August 6, 2023 /

Have you ever been scrolling on your Instagram feed, seen a picture of a model wearing a pair of shoes you really like, and then found a View Products tag? That is social commerce: the fusion between ecommerce and social media. Kids are now born with a smartphone in their hands and social media on the screen. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok drive huge amounts of traffic daily and have billions of users worldwide. Companies had to find ways to monetize all this traffic and data, and social commerce is one of them. This relatively recent way of selling is significantly impacting the digital marketing world, and it is getting bigger by the year. But how big is it exactly and should you use it? Let’s find out.

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Benefits of Online Marketplaces

Harnessing the Benefits of Online Marketplaces

July 8, 2023 /

If I had a dollar for every “Get rich with Amazon FBA” course out there, I could quit working and retire early. Whether these courses are useful or not is irrelevant. The sheer number of gurus selling these methods shows how much attention Amazon has been getting for the past decade. Their net revenue went from $61B in 2022 to over $513B in 2022. However, Amazon is not the only marketplace out there. Everyone knows eBay—I remember waking up early to bid on video games and pairs of rollerblades when I was still in middle school. There is also Walmart Marketplace, which is gaining more and more traction, or Etsy for those who like shopping for handmade goods.

Because of the millions of customers these platforms attract, it can be a tremendous opportunity for entrepreneurs. While selling on marketplaces has its risks and issues, they can still be very profitable sales channels. After writing about the dark side of marketplaces, I’d like to talk about the flip side and go over the main reasons why some companies would consider joining one of these platforms.

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