The Atlantic shares how Chinese factories have found a new way around U.S. retailers and into our homes: Chinese apps. SHEIN and other Chinese apps are bypassing Amazon to be a new leader in Chinese goods. In addition to Amazon, Target, Walmart, and indie shops now have a new group of digital competitors embedded in customers’ pockets.
Except from The Atlantic article:
MATERIAL WORLD
IS THIS HOW AMAZON ENDS?
An open embrace of cheap foreign products has helped ...
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A recent study conducted by Jungle Scout reports that many consumers prefer to support small and local businesses for their holiday shopping. 20% reported they will buy holiday gifts from indie stores, up from 10% last year. The report ranks independent retailers in 4th place for in-store shopping, surpassing Costco, Walgreen's Best Buy, Sam's Club, Macy's and Home Depot.
The article shares 53% of consumers bought online from independent stores on Small Business Saturday as reported by ...
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I have a friend who recently took a job with a respected women’s clothing retailer after 13 years of retirement. My friend, Leslie, a former school teacher, wanted to be of use and knew that retail was a great opportunity for seniors. She was all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed her first week. She loved that the manager asked her to try on clothes she liked and then suggested outfits that would look good on her. Leslie even purchased a few of those suggestions, couture she never would have ...
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Shop Local analyzed the websites for the top-20 selling brands in the tabletop and giftware industries. We assessed what discounts brands offer when one signs up for a newsletter.
Brand Study Findings:
Of the 20 brands, 5 (25%) offer a discount when one signs up for a newsletter.
For brands that offer a discount, the average discount is 15% off.
Some brands offer other promotions for signing up for a newsletter, including free shipping and a raffle entry.
Shop Local analyzed the websites for the top-40 selling brands in the tabletop and giftware industry. We assessed what promotions and discounts, such free shipping, brands offer. Shop Local did this because a product's price, which is impacted by discounts, is often the leading factor when shopping online. 70% of the brands surveyed by Shop Local offer free shipping.
How to send sync requests to your retailers to grow your sales network.
July 5, 2023
Your Shop Local now makes it easier for you to connect with the retailers that sell your products. We have added a new page to invite your retailers to sync with your brand. This page reduces the number of steps that your brand takes to view unsynced retailers and send sync requests.
The Invite Your Retailers page shows a table with retailers that report selling your brand but that you are not yet synced with it. You can request to sync with more retailers to grow your sales ...
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Bridge analyzed the websites for the top-40 selling brands in the tabletop and giftware industry. We assessed what promotions and discounts, such free shipping, brands offer. Bridge did this because a product's price, which is impacted by discounts, is often the leading factor when shopping online. More than 67% of the brands surveyed by Bridge offer free shipping.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 50% of businesses fail within five years of opening; fewer still make it to their 10th anniversary. So a company with legs surely must doing many things right, right? Not necessarily. Even if you’re providing a great product or service, the most important requisite to success lies in the customer experience. If customers feel ignored by your support team after having a bad experience with a product or service, they’ll shift for a ...
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"A 2021 Harris Poll Consumer Shopping Study showed that 71% of Americans would prefer to buy from an independent retailer over a national chain, as long as they were equally convenient and reliable."
~ SpotOn
I believe these survey results. Shoppers want to shop local, but they don't want to sacrifice selection, price, or speed. Consumers will shop with your indie store if you can offer the same selection, price, and delivery speed as, say, Amazon. Is ...
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More than 65% of brands surveyed by Bridge offer free shipping, while just 14% of indie stores do. Brands often charge just $118 to quality for free shipping, while stores charge $190 (a $72 difference). Where would you shop?
Bridge analyzed the websites for the top-40 selling brands in the tabletop and giftware industry. We assessed what promotions and discounts, such free shipping, brands offer. Bridge did this because a product's price, which is impacted by discounts, is often the leading ...
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Your Bridge now makes it easier for you to connect with and sell your brands’ products. We have added a new page to invite brands to sync products. This page significantly reduces the number of steps that your store takes to invite a brand.
There is no charge for a member to send sync invites or sync products with a brand. Product Syncing is free for retailers, sales reps, trade marts, and interior designers. Participating brands pay for the service.
 ...
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When is the last time you received a Starbucks gift card? I’ve received them as holiday gifts, and I’ve given them to sales reps as thank you gifts. Starbucks gift cards, like their shops, are ubiquitous. They are almost as popular as gift cards from our nemesis: Amazon.com. Just about every month, a company offers me an Amazon gift card if I sign up for a service. WBGO, the local, Newark-based, non-profit radio station known for jazz, recently offered me an Amazon gift ...
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The Knot released its 2021 trends report and stores may be happy to hear that high-end merchandise is trending.
The report shares:
"...there's a newfound focus on elevated homeware items. As one of the resounding wedding registry trends to come from the pandemic, this one is here to stay. ...Couples that do want to register for traditional items like decor, cooking appliances or serveware will opt for high-end, elevated pieces that will stand the test of time—and spark a ...
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When I was 24-years old, a market research company sent me to Philadelphia to survey potential users about a new offering from General Electric Finance. Your first question may be: "Wait, Jason was once 24?" Your second may be: "GE had a consumer finance arm?" Yes, and yes. GE was once a conglomerate with its hands in many industries, from television to nuclear reactors to jet engines. GE, like Toshiba and Johnson & Johnson, has since shrunk. But the era of the ...
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Allison Zisko, the Editor-in-Chief at HFN magazine, can use your help. She is working on a story about fourth quarter promotions. She would like to know:
Will Q4 promotions continue as usual in light of current economic factors? Are promotions still necessary, particularly when margins are so tight? What are vendors and retailers thinking about this?
Background:
Consumer demand for product remains high.
Inventory is limited. Product introductions are hindered by the
I've watched brands use social media to do an end-run around retailers. A recent article from RetailDive substantiates this. Excerpt:
"75% of social media users said they increased their purchases from brands they follow... A 2021 study from NPD found that 51% of survey respondents said they bought items thanks to content in their Facebook and Instagram feeds."
Translation: 75% of shoppers bought more from brands directly--which is bad for retailers. The article ...
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In a world with so many options, how do we as consumers make intelligent choices? We are overstimulated with resources daily, and sometimes this can be overwhelming. Common sense seems to be the driving factor when assessing the alternatives before us, as may be the process of elimination when there is too much to consider. But what is the most influential deciding factor we face? It could be facts that serve as the strongest fuel to drive us to make an informed decision.
It's just 3 days till Black Friday. And on Monday, we have Cyber Monday. Online sales will reach $189 billion this holiday season--a 33% increase over last year. Is your website ready?
I've created these 7 steps to help you get ready:
1. Place products on sale
Be prepared to cut prices more than normal.
Clearly list end dates for sales to create urgency.
There is a general feeling among the public that Amazon is a ruthless behemoth. A survey conducted by CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey showed that 59% of the public think Amazon is bad for business. "This represents a significant shift from just two years ago, when opinion was nearly split between those saying Amazon is bad for small businesses (37%) and those saying it’s good (33%)."
One of the many reasons Amazon is viewed this way is because of ...
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