One of the things I like the best about ecommerce is that it is always evolving, based on consumer behavior and new technologies. One of the best examples of this change is product discovery: We went from typing a shop URL directly, to searching for products on Google, searching them on Amazon, then on Tiktok. Is the next step to have ChatGPT become our shopping concierge, doing all of the heavy lifting for us?
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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 However, this model is becoming increasingly outdated.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.
Continue readingI have not been posting as frequently on this blog, for several reasons. One of them being that I am working on different projets, but I will tell you more about it when the time is right.
However I still post frequently on my LinkedIn page, and I wanted to share a couple of recent posts.
Amazon Expands Its Delivery Network
What is better than next day delivery? Same day delivery. And what’s better than same day delivery? Next 3 hours delivery.
Continue readingIt’s a rare day when I don’t see complaints about the fees Amazon and other platforms charge. And I understand, the cost of doing business online is becoming unsustainable for many SMBs.
Is the solution to emulate China’s e-commerce regulator and ask platforms to charge reasonable fees and better support small businesses?
Would that encourage people to start businesses and innovate, or would that create even more clutter on these marketplaces? Not to mention how complex this would be from a legal standpoint.
Ideally, we would be able to see new sales channels emerge, with more reasonable fees, that would allow SMBs to breathe. But network effects make it very difficult for new entrants to grow. And it looks like whenever a platform reaches a critical size (Amazon, Walmart, eBay…), it aligns its fee structure close to the ever-increasing industry standard. I am not saying there is price fixing among e-commerce giants, but this creates a very difficult environment for sellers.
What is the solution? At a large scale, I don’t know. At a smaller scale, it is more important than ever for businesses to create products and services that have healthy margins and don’t only rely on sales channels they don’t fully control.
Are we about to see department stores return to their former glory, or are they a relic of the past? Only time will tell. However, reading business news makes me a little pessimistic about their future. Maybe I missed something big here, but the latest news on JCPenney led me to think the company won’t make a comeback anytime soon.
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What do you do when the ugly sweater you got for Christmas doesn’t fit? Chances are, it’s pretty easy to return it—and maybe even hopefully exchange it for something you actually like. Now, multiply this by millions of dissatisfied customers, and you’ve got “Returnuary,” a term I have recently read in the news to describe the period of time in January, after the holidays, when retailers see an influx of returns.
The scary part? According to an article published on PYMNTS, the rate of product returns went from 8.8% in 2012 to 14.5% last year. Returns aren’t just a pain for retailers —reverse logistics are also a massive expense.
Continue readingI’ve made many questionable investment decisions over the years, but buying Walmart stock is not one of them. Don’t worry, I’m not here to give personal finance advice, but rather to talk about the retail giant and how it compares to the current king of ecommerce, Amazon.
For many years, Amazon has dominated the ecommerce world, performing much better than all of its competitors. But 2024 was different: Walmart is no longer flying under the radar and is getting more attention from marketers. But how big is it really?
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Benjamin Franklin may have said, “In this world, nothing is certain except death, taxes, and supply chain nightmares before the holidays.” And I’d agree with him. To be fair, the marketplace has become so competitive and complex that large variations in volumes are bound to create some troubles. However, it seems like this year has been especially challenging for those selling through Amazon FBA.
Should we blame the port strike earlier this year, larger volumes of inventory being shipped, or other factors? In today’s article, I’d like to go over what happened with Amazon and see how the company is dealing with it. We’ll then look at how sellers were impacted, but more importantly, why fixing these issues is critical for the ecommerce titan.
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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.
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!