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.
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If you’re selling on TikTok Shop, or if you consider doing it, you’ve probably heard the big news: Referral fees will increase from 2% to 8% per transaction. TikTok Shops will also cut some of the subsidies they previously offered. While some immediate reactions following the announcements were dramatic, with people claiming the death of TikTok Shop, I feel that most people still see the platform as a viable channel.
My opinion is that TikTok Shop is a unique channel, with a strong value proposition. The lower fees were a tactic to increase the number of sellers on the platform and grow the marketplace. However, it isn’t for every business and some will be more impacted by the new fees than others. I also believe that the importance of the subsidies cut was downplayed, and will have significant consequences this year.
Let’s see how these fees compare with other marketplaces and what I think will be the consequences for businesses.
Continue readingBack in December, several Linkedin posts caught my eye: these were about Zulily laying off part of their workforce, updates by former employees. I have heard of the company and knew it was a significant player in the ecommerce space, but I did not know they were going through a rough time. My initial thought was that they were merely downsizing, like many other tech companies over the last couple of months.
Continue readingAs we get closer to Christmas, many of us prefer to order our presents online and skip the long lines in grocery stores. I make the same mistake every year, waiting until the very last minute to start shopping. And every year, I ask myself the same question: Will my stuff be delivered before Christmas?
For businesses, the holiday season is often a very important time, and setting the right expectations for customers while maximizing sales is key. Let’s take a look at how big retailers do it, what we can learn from them, and what the best practices are.
Continue readingIf you’re selling on Amazon and plan to continue doing so next year, I advise you to stock up on aspirin. Amazon has announced changes to their fee structure, and it will become a lot more complicated to figure out your cost structures when selling on the marketplace.
Some fees will decrease, others will increase, and new fees will be introduced. While selling on Amazon in 2023 could be a little confusing for new entrepreneurs, I imagine that even veterans will need time to adjust to these new fee structures.
Let’s go over the December 5th statement from Amazon explaining what changes will be made, and see who will see their expenses increase the most (and maybe the lucky ones who may pay less than in 2023). I will summarize the fees and try to make them as easy to understand as I can.
Continue readingDid you know that consumers throw away an estimated 60% of clothes within a year of purchase? This is shocking to me, as I still own a T-shirt or two from my high school years. The fashion industry is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions, more than international flights and maritime shipping combined. Companies mass-producing a continuous flow of new, cheap designs like Shein have a disastrous impact on the environment. Some experts also claim that fast fashion has a negative impact on customers’ mental health, leading to feelings of inadequacy if they don’t regularly purchase new items, to impulsive buying decisions, followed by regret and guilt. We have all bought something online and regretted it weeks later, but the fast fashion industry takes it to the next level.
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In this super competitive world, everyone wants to see how they rank. Which football team is leading this season? What are the top 5 best-selling smartwatches? Which car has the best 0-60 times? In reality, the most important question is arguably, “Am I doing well compared to my competition?” That’s where benchmarks come in, and they’re everywhere – from tech, health, and of course the business world.
Continue readingIn my opinion, one of the main reasons behind Amazon’s success is its attractiveness for 3rd party sellers. The large amount of traffic and the easy way to generate sales (profitability is another story) certainly helped. Another big reason is their fulfillment network, notably their FBA program. When I didn’t know much about Ecommerce, I thought the idea of 3rd party logistics programs was genius and a huge opportunity for ecommerce entrepreneurs. It is no surprise that Walmart, a serious contender in the US Ecommerce space, launched their marketplace along with their WFS (Walmart Fulfillment Services) program.
Continue readingI could write a whole article on the Ad that turned Dollar Shave Club into a billion-dollar company. The ad was hilarious, but also communicated the company value proposition very well : quality razors delivered to your door at a fair price. But instead, I want to go over Unilever’s announcement to sell the majority of its stake in Dollar Shave Club to Nexus Capital Management.
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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.
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!