Category: Business strategy (Page 1 of 4)

Are We Really Surprised By Target Q3 2025 Results? Why Their Digital Strategy Doesn’t Work and What They Could Have Done Better

November 21, 2025 / Francois Maingret

I remember only a few years ago the millions of memes about Target and how people would go there to buy a loaf of bread only to return home with a bunch of clothes and appliances. But in more recent years, I have seen lots of posts about empty shelves, strategic mistakes, or poor results.

On the ecommerce side, I must admit I am not impressed with the company, and believe they made a lot of mistakes over the years that cost them significant market share in ecommerce. Following the release of the Q3 earnings report, I’d like to go over the results, what I think went wrong on the online side, and what I think Target could have done better.

Walmart’s Ecommerce Journey : From 2 DCs to 4,600 Micro-Warehouses

November 16, 2025 / Francois Maingret

Following the news of Doug McMillon retiring, I thought of how far Walmart went in ecommerce with McMillon as a CEO. Today, Walmart is killing it, and is a channel ecommerce professionals can’t ignore. But the early days were a little rough for the retail giant. Back in 2000, while Amazon was working on its strong fulfillment network, Walmart.com went live. Limited assortment, glitchy search, and shipping times that would make any Zoomer scream in disgust.

In this post, I’ll go over Walmart’s difficult start, the Jet.com adventure, and the pandemic shift that turned stores into a massive asset. We’ll also see where they stand today and how they compare with the top dog Amazon. Omnichannel is, as we will see, a key part of Walmart’s success. If you’re a seller, shopper, or just curious, there’s a lot to learn from Walmart strategy and how the company went from a retail dinosaur to one of the top ecommerce platforms today.

The Doll That Broke a Marketplace: How Shein’s Paris Scandal Exposes the Hidden Flaws of 3P Models

November 8, 2025 / Francois Maingret

Since I am covering a somber story, I will not start with a provocative hook and dive straight into the article. In just 48 hours, Shein’s European expansion came to a major stop. On November 5, the ultra-fast-fashion giant opened its first permanent brick-and-mortar store in one of Paris most iconic department stores, the BHV Marais. When Shein probably had high hopes this would help them in Europe, the brand has seen major backlash from news, politicians and customers alike. And as we will see in this article, the source of the incident is a textbook illustration of 3P models flaws and risks.

Amazon Prices Are Up This November: Tariffs Are Only Part of the Story

November 2, 2025 / Francois Maingret

When I shop on Amazon these days, I sometimes notice the sticker shock on some items. That protein powder I grab monthly, or the Christmas cards I like to buy, seem to be more expensive than last year.

According to a recent AOL report, prices on a sample of 50 products rose 4.2% in the three weeks after the latest tariff announcements in April, higher than similar bumps at Walmart and Wayfair.

Shoppers feel it, sellers deal with it, and people want to know who is to blame. Sure, tariffs grab the headlines, but there is more at play here, and I thought it would be interesting to unpack it. In this post, I will walk through the tariff piece, why Amazon is not breaking out those costs on product pages like rumors said they would, and the other pressures building up in the background. Spoiler: It is not just tariffs, but a more complex mix of economics and platform shifts.

Think Your Product’s Too Boring for Ecommerce? Meet WD-40

October 31, 2025 / Francois Maingret

When we think of successful ecommerce brands, flashy images pop into our heads: trendy clothes from Gymshark, elaborate skincare serums bought on Ulta.com, or Tiktok-viral snack boxes. These are the examples I see every day on LinkedIn in dozens of posts, as people tend to focus on the “sexy” side of retail, products that say lifestyle, luxury, or impulse buys.

But let me tell you, what you see on LinkedIn is a small fraction of the ecommerce world. The largest part is flying under the radar. Few people think of the utilitarian items, like industrial cleaners, hardware essentials, or maintenance supplies that we need in our homes and businesses. In fact, B2B transactions alone are projected to account for over 80% of global ecommerce volume by 2027, making B2C look small.

Neglecting their digital strategy is a huge mistake many companies make, thinking they don’t belong in that space. Today, I want to do a mini case study on one company that did not make this mistake: WD-40.

Who’s Steering the Ship? Why Brands Have Less and Less Control Over Ecommerce Customer Touchpoints

July 4, 2025 / Francois Maingret

When I built my first brand, I saw it as my creation, something I would have full control over. But it did not take me long to realize how wrong I was. But I wasn’t the only one making that mistake: either online or offline, many brands aim for maximum control over every customer interaction. However, this model is becoming increasingly outdated.

Historically, a brand’s network of stores, physical locations, and merchant websites was a relatively controlled environment where the company could carefully control the messaging, customer service, and experience. The first touchpoint a customer had with a brand was typically something directly controlled by the brand, like a website, a retail store, or an ad.

In 2025, the e-commerce journey is a lot more complex. The ever-increasing diversity of online sales channels, digital platforms, but also consumer behavior and new technologies completely changed these dynamics. This leaves brands with significantly less direct control over customer touchpoints, and a strong need to adapt their strategies.

Zombies and Witches Favor Online Shopping: How Spirit Halloween’s Online Strategy Meets Their Expectations

October 26, 2024 / Francois Maingret

If you live close to a large city, you’ve probably seen all these Spirit Halloween stores popping up recently. It’s impossible to miss them with their bright orange signs. I find it impressive that a company can generate enough revenue during the Halloween season to have the resources to open all of these temporary locations. But what’s even more impressive is that, even when operating within such a short time frame, they place a heavy focus on the online experience.

Let’s see how this company operates and review some key parts of their online strategy. Spirit Halloween recently added some interesting shipping options and seems to perform well online. Halloween is certainly an interesting time of year for businesses, and I thought it would be insightful to examine one of these extremely seasonal businesses that succeed online.

New Flashy Ad Campaigns Won’t Always Fix Your Business – Why Ecomm Entrepreneurs Should Consider All 4Ps of Marketing

August 2, 2024 / Francois Maingret

You’ve probably heard of the “Four Ps of Marketing.” If not, the 4Ps—Product, Price, Place, and Promotion—are the key elements that help businesses strategize how to develop, price, distribute, and promote their offers effectively.

If a company was a house, Price and Place would be how much the house is worth and where it is located—very important elements that are frequently discussed. Promotion would be the fancy cabinets and the fresh coat of paint on the kitchen walls. There are millions of blogs, YouTube channels, and TV shows about home decor, and many homeowners think their house will double in value if they put a fresh coat of beige paint on the walls. Finally, Product is the house itself: the walls, foundations, plumbing, insulation. It is not the “sexy” part of the building, something people even avoid discussing sometimes, but a house with structural issues will be a lot less attractive to buyers.

Levi’s Focus on DTC: Why I Think the Brand Has What It Takes to Be Successful

July 29, 2024 / Francois Maingret

Hot take: I think over 95% of businesses selling on large Amazon would fail miserably if they opened a DTC channel. Anyone can build a storefront on Shopify, list their product, pay $100 a month membership, and start selling. But how many entrepreneurs can sell profitably in significant volume via a DTC channel? People complain about Amazon’s fees without realizing that for many brands, CACs would kill them if they had their own channels.

On the other hand, some brands are seeing massive success with DTC. One of these brands is Levi’s, which claimed to have doubled their DTC revenues in the last decade and now making this channel a major part of their strategy. According to Michelle Gass, Levi Strauss & Co. president: “With the strong momentum and consumer permission, now is the time to accelerate our transition to D2C, where we will evolve our culture and operating model, and our consumer centricity will drive every aspect of how we operate.”

This brings me to think, what makes Levi’s a good candidate for a successful DTC channel, and when should a business stay away from it?

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

May 19, 2024 / Francois Maingret

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.