François Maingret

Tag: sales channels (Page 1 of 3)

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

October 26, 2024 /

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.

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When Most Marketplaces Increase Fees, eBay Removes Them for Private Sellers: Why Would They Do That?

October 13, 2024 /

One of the biggest complaints among Amazon, Walmart, or TikTok Shop sellers is the ever-increasing fees. But eBay UK has taken the opposite direction for private sellers (those who sell items occasionally for personal reasons, without the primary intention of making a profit or running a business). eBay UK has removed selling fees for private sellers across all categories, except for motors. After removing fees for fashion items earlier, eBay has now extended this policy.

They’ve also introduced new features like simplified listings, AI-generated descriptions, and tracked shipping with prepayment by buyers. eBay says they want to tap into an estimated £9 billion in resale potential from 294 million unused household items. I don’t think eBay would do this only to contribute to sustainability (although it helps), so let’s look at how removing fees for private sellers could impact both sellers and the company.

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Is Temu Killing Dollar Stores? Why Are Dollar Stores Stock Prices Crashing

September 27, 2024 /

When I first heard about Temu, my initial thought was about how unsustainable the model seemed. But my second thought went to dollar stores: How could they compete with a website that makes it easy to find thousands of even cheaper items and have them delivered directly to your home, instead of having to search through the aisles of these stores?

Having recently read about Dollar Tree and Dollar General’s stock prices dropping significantly in the last quarter, I immediately wondered if competition from Temu and Shein was too much for these companies. Was my assumption correct, or is the situation more complex? Let’s see what’s happening with dollar stores and see if Temu is responsible for the drop in their stock prices. Then, I’ll quickly review what I observe on the digital side of these companies.

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From Most Hated Brand to Superstar Retailer: An Overview of Abercrombie & Fitch’s Digital Presence

September 4, 2024 /

If I had a time machine, I’d go back to just two years ago, Q2 2022, and buy ANF stock when it was still under $20. Now, it’s hovering around $150, and some analysts are calling it the “comeback of the decade.” In 2016, the brand was considered “America’s most hated retail brand” by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. So, how did the company rise from the ashes to become a major success today?

I’m convinced that part of the answer lies in their digital strategy. Samir Desai, Chief Digital and Technology Officer, said, “The Abercrombie and Fitch Company business through COVID saw their business become 50%, almost 60% digital, so a big spike in digital.” As we’ll see in this brief overview, the company is doing a lot of things right. Let’s review their sales channels, policies, and marketing initiatives.

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Walmart’s Impressive Q2 Ecommerce Performance: Should Brands Prioritize Walmart or TikTok Shops After Amazon?

August 25, 2024 /

If there’s one underdog in the ecommerce world, it’s Walmart. Earlier in 2024, all eyes were on TikTok Shops. We also hear a lot about Shein and Temu, and of course, the current king of online sales, Amazon. But seasoned ecommerce professionals always keep an eye on Walmart. The retail titan finally grabbed more attention with its Q2 results, showing over 20% growth in ecommerce YoY.

This raises an important question: How should brands prioritize sales channels? Should they focus on Walmart or TikTok Shops first? Let’s quickly review Walmart’s performance, see how its marketplace compares with Amazon, and explore what brands should do next.

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TikTok Partners with Amazon – Sign of a Major Ecommerce Change or a Small Piece of TikTok’s Social Commerce Strategy?

August 13, 2024 /

Is there a better way to break our attention spans and budgets than a partnership between Amazon and TikTok? The king of ecommerce is teaming up with the most addictive social media app to allow TikTok users to purchase items directly from Amazon without leaving the app.

Unfortunately, we don’t have all the details on this partnership yet, but people are already speculating on how it will impact the ecommerce world. Let’s first look at what we know about it and what the potential consequences could be for customers, brands, and the future of ecommerce.

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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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Etsy Q1 Earning Call Review – Interesting Initiatives but Poor Threat Assessment?

May 4, 2024 /

“Etsy? Who cares about Etsy Q1 earning call when we can review Amazon’s?” Believe it or not, the world of ecommerce is more than just Amazon. Etsy is a large marketplace that is much more relevant than Amazon for many small business owners. I found that Etsy is working on relevant projects over the last year. And as the competition from Chinese giants is threatening many companies, I thought it would be interesting to see if/how Etsy approaches it. 

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TikTok Getting Closer to a Ban in the US: My Top 3 Consequences for Brands

May 1, 2024 /

Some people say Gen Z will riot if TikTok gets banned in the US. For me, I think business owners and marketing managers have more reasons to be upset. While the major news focuses on geopolitics and the assumed threat regarding data security, I feel that the impact on US businesses is overlooked.

It would be a mistake to assume banning a Chinese app would only have positive consequences for US businesses. Keep in mind that I am not advocating for or against the ban. I understand that this is more complicated than my small area of expertise in e-commerce. But brands should be aware of the consequences of a potential ban so they can prepare for an uncertain future.

So let’s jump to the top three reasons, in no specific order, why I think banning TikTok could seriously hurt some local businesses.

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France Taxes Fast Fashion : Will We See Similar Regulations Expand to Other Countries and Industries?

March 25, 2024 /

Do you feel guilty ordering clothes from Shein? If so, you’re not alone. Thousands of social media users are voicing their concerns about the impact on the environment and the labor practices of the Chinese giant, criticizing influencers’ “Shein hauls.”

Yet, Shein is more popular than ever, with over 250 million app downloads in 2023. The sheer volume of clothing sold and the resulting waste are reasons why some consumers are becoming concerned. But consumers are not the only ones worried: businesses and the government seem to be taking the threat seriously, with France’s parliament backing measures to make fast fashion less attractive to buyers.

Of course, governments say they want to support more sustainable practices. But is saving the environment the only reason behind these potential new regulations? Following the massive success of China-based shopping apps, could we see similar regulations expand to industries beyond just fast fashion?

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