eCommerce Weekly Roundup Issue #11
The North Media eCommerce Weekly is a hand-curated newsletter from the team at North Media compiled every Sunday to bring you the best in eCommerce. To get this via email, sign up here.
ToysRus may be down, but they’re certainly not out (Read more)
In case you missed it, ToysRus has been having some major problems recently, having filed for bankruptcy protection in the US and Canada early last week. The Toy retailers known for its giant giraffe had trouble competing with larger online sellers like Amazon and Walmart as well as saw children’s entertainment needs shift to mobile games and apps. The company may be down, but they’re certainly not out. If you’ve been following this newsletter, you certainly know how many cases we discuss involving traditional brick-and-mortar retailers implementing a new consumer-experience-first mentality. As the retail landscape evolves, companies are attracting shoppers into their stores by offering them experiences they can’t get online.
ToyRus came out of the woodwork this week to announce their new messaging and changes to their stores. The campaign is summed up by the headline: “yesterday we just sold toys, but today… WE PLAY!” The changes highlight an emphasis on consumer experiences by creating an in-store play area where parents can bring their kids to enjoy activities and test out toys. The “Play Labs” are a feature that certainly cannot be replicated online. The company goes on to list other initiatives that include placing a giant Etch a Sketch screen in NYC for everyone to enjoy, showing up to college campuses with Frisbees and other “big kid” toys, having a presence at this year’s Comic-Con and developing a partnership with Nickelodeon. The announcement of this new branding initiatives certainly sounds like a move in the right direction; the question is: is it too little too late?
The ultimate guide to shipping for Black Friday Cyber Monday (Read more)
Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) is just around the corner and it is arguably the biggest weekend of the year for eCommerce sites. A big chunk of your annual sales will come from this weekend alone and so it is important to be well prepared. Last week we looked at 5 Black Friday Cyber Monday social media campaigns you could put in place, this week we look at how to make sure your shipping is optimized to get all of those sales out the door.
If everything goes according to plan and those social media campaigns paid off, you will see a record-breaking amount of sales this BFCM. Now the tricky part, fulfilling and shipping those record-breaking amount of sales. It’s important to remember that the customer experience is not over once the purchase is complete. The shipping process is a very important touchpoint that will impact your customer’s likelihood to repurchase from you. Some quick tips: start by mapping out your shipping process by listing each step involved. Stock up on supplies to ensure you have enough of each item to handle your forecasted sales. Figure out your shipping costs and pricing and pay attention to the unboxing experience. Read this in-depth Shopify guide to arm yourself with the knowledge you need to kill it this BFCM!
Celebrities jump on the subscription model (Read more)
These days you can have anything shipped to your house on a regular basis through a subscription model — because’ everyone needs a new jar of honey delivered to their front door every month. What’s not to like about the subscription model? If you can find a loyal base of customers who love your product, the orders will continue to role in on a regular basis. And now celebrities are cashing in the business model too. The latest is Modern Family star Sofia Vergara announcing the launch of EBY, an underwear enterprise that lets users sign up to receive three pairs of new underwear every three months.
Sofia added a social element to her business model, electing to donate 10% of net profits as micro-loans to underprivileged women across the globe to help start or grow a business. On her site, three pairs of underwear will cost $48, roughly in the mid-range when it comes to pricing. “Everything is being done on the phone or the computer, you don’t need to leave the house to shop anymore” — Sophia’s groundbreaking wisdom she shares with her first female entrepreneurs.
Saks Fifth Avenue leverages AR to improve their salon experience (Read more)
Who wants to go the hair salon just to get their hair done anymore? That way of doing things is so 2016! At least Saks Fifth Avenue thinks so. The luxury department store is testing out new futuristic salon concepts in stores that incorporate augmented reality. The AR features allow clients to try on and preview products available in the salon’s inventory, test lipsticks from a try-on bar cart, and can complete product purchases from an iPad.
The introduction of the new technology comes as brick-and-mortar shops continue to try and differentiate themselves from online retailers. Retail stores are using their physical space to create a unique experience first and shopping second and Saks Fifth Avenue’s Salon Project is a prime example of the way retailers are reorienting themselves as experimental destinations. As we’ve mentioned before, it’s not that retail is dead, but bad brick-and-mortar surely is.
Ikea snatches up TaskRabbit (Read more)
Ever used the service TaskRabbit before? Here’s how it works: imagine it’s a beautiful Sunday afternoon, the sun is shining, and you’re lying in your hammock drinking a beer, Homer Simpson style. As you gently rock back-and-forth, you feel a slight tingle of grass graze your backside. You realize it’s been 19 days since you last mowed the lawn. You’re one too many beers deep to do it yourself, so you open your TaskRabbit app, a marketplace that features thousands of “taskers” willing to complete any odd job you throw at them. A couple of finger taps later and voila, your problem is solved!
Swedish furniture maker Ikea announced their purchase of TaskRabbit for an undisclosed amount. What does Ikea plan to do with a service for freelance on-demand job seekers? Well, everyone knows how frustrating it can be to assemble a piece of Ikea furniture. Turns out that is one of TaskRabbit freelancer’s most requested service. By purchasing the platform, Ikea brings their team of freelance taskers without the cost of full-time hires. Having an experienced person assembling their furniture also adds a safety component. Last year, Ikea had to recall 29 million chests, and dressers sold in North America and China blamed in multiple deaths and injuries of young children. While the move comes amid a push by Ikea to boost the quality of its goods and grow e-commerce sales, the news allowed avid Ikea shoppers everywhere to breathe a sigh of relief.
