Back in the fall, Macy's spokesman Jim Sluzewski said his company would consider further expansion of its ship-from-store initiatives after it evaluates its 2012 holiday sales figures. The chain already expanded the project to more than 290 stores before the holiday season began.
Retailers have been faced with big challenges, including the emergence of smartphone shopping and the continued e-commerce boom. It is no secret that today's e-commerce shoppers now expect to receive items quickly. Since retailers frequently offer comparable products at similar prices, speed of delivery is becoming an increasingly important factor for many online shoppers. This puts tremendous pressure on warehouse operators.
It's no secret that business-to-business buyers have come to expect the same ease and convenience of online buying they enjoy for personal shopping experiences when it comes to making corporate purchases.
A whopping 94 percent of B2B purchasers surveyed in the 2012 hybris State of B2B E-Commerce study said suppliers need to create an online buying experience as simple as using a B2C website.
Any time merchants can cut costs, they're in a better position. They can either lower their prices, allowing them to be more competitive, or they can pocket the savings and earn higher margins.
U.S.-based retailers looking to get into international shipping should expect to see an increase in revenue, according to Craig Turnbull, CEO of Bongo International, just as long as they understand the market, the shipping industry and the needs of their customers. "There is an opportunity to increase revenue from 3 percent to 10 percent," Turnbull said.
Online shoppers in the U.S. will spend $54.47bn this holiday season - nearly a 17-percent increase over the $46.63bn spent last year, according to the 2012 Mindset of a Multichannel Shopper survey.
Shopping, even for major items like a wedding dress, is now something people do while strolling through the park - by smartphone or other device. In 2011, U.S. mobile commerce sales surged 91.4 percent. By 2015, analysts estimate total m-commerce sales will reach $31bn - a 363-percent increase from 2011.
Slow-moving merchandise is one of the many nightmares an online retailer has to consider - and a problem that needs to be addressed. Non-moving inventory stresses both retailers' operations and budgets because it ties up both precious warehouse space and capital that can be used for other products or business expansion.
Determining the best way to store and ship products is a crucial part of your business. There are a number of options for doing so, and two of these are becoming increasingly popular: drop shipping and third-party order fulfillment.
