Showing posts with label Ecommerce – Tamebay. Show all posts

SellerActive acquired by Cart.com

Mangaging multichannel selling for 800 leading brands, this week sees SellectActive acquired by Cart.com.

The SellectActive customer base represents over $1.9 billion in GMV through integrations with major ecommerce channels including Amazon, Walmart, and eBay with over 50 million listings synchronised each day, so this is a pretty substantial seller community under new ownership.

Founded in September 2020, Cart.com offer end-to-end ecommerce solutions provider delivering a fully integrated and owned suite of software, expert services, and infrastructure to scale businesses online. Their aim is to provide Ecommerce-as-a-Service, offering online store software; digital marketing, fulfillment, and financial services; customer service capabilities; multichannel management; and unified analytics.

Cart.com will fold SellerActive’s powerful multichannel management platform into its expansive end-to-end ecommerce solution to drive broad-spectrum growth and boost revenues for brands.

Founded in 2021, the SellerActive team has built a full-service solution that includes a powerful listings management tool, enabling brands to control how products are presented across major marketplaces and sales channels via a single product catalog. SellerActive also offers intelligent inventory management to eliminate overselling; customizable algorithmic pricing to maximize revenues and effortlessly sync prices; and fulfillment automation with support for shipment splitting, FBA, and multiple fulfillment centers.

Post-acquisition, SellerActive’s hundreds of clients will continue to benefit from the intuitive full-service multichannel solution they know and love, while also gaining access to Cart.com’s integrated suite of ecommerce offerings spanning multiple functions including online storefront software, logistics and fulfillment, as well as powerful AI-driven unified analytics and pixel capabilities. SellerActive’s full team, including industry veterans with longstanding relationships with Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and others, will join the Cart.com team under the leadership of SellerActive CEO Jason Harra, a 20-year marketplace veteran.

“SellerActive was founded to give ecommerce merchants a streamlined, full-service multichannel management solution — and by joining with Cart.com, we’ll be able to scale our offering and integrate with Cart.com’s full suite of end-to-end ecommerce enablement tools. Like us, Cart.com is committed to delivering a frictionless, full-service ecommerce solution, and helping brands to leverage their data to make smarter decisions across their operations. It’s a perfect fit, and we couldn’t be more excited about joining the team.”
Jason Harra, CEO, SellerActive

SellerActive’s products are built using cloud-first principles, allowing nearly unlimited scalability through its strong architecture, horizontal scalability across regions, and robust treatment of data to enable international commerce. It’s a perfect match with the wide range of products and capabilities our internal engineering teams have built which share the same scale, performance, and flexibility attributes to propel Cart.com’s continued growth. By bringing SellerActive’s powerful technology together with 180Commerce’s expertise in professional services, marketplace strategy, and campaign management, we’re creating a true multichannel ecommerce powerhouse to deliver both do-it-yourself software and fully managed services for leading brands
Mike Svatek, Chief Innovation Officer, Cart.com

“Multichannel selling is a vital aspect of the ecommerce space. By integrating SellerActive’s amazing software into the Cart.com platform, we’re extending our ability to generate actionable insights using both industry and business-specific data and product information, to give both established and emerging brands the smart, data-driven tools they need to succeed. We’re delighted to welcome Jason and the SellerActive team to the Cart.com family, and we’re looking forward to introducing them to the thousands of brands already using Cart.com’s one-stop ecommerce solution to drive growth and scale their businesses.”
Omair Tariq, Co-founder and CEO, Cart.com

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Three retail marketing trends to consider in 2022

Today we are back with Harmony Murphy, GM Advertising UK at eBay, to consider three key retail marketing trends for 2022. If you are a brand owner, this is essential reading as you plan your marketing strategies for the year ahead and prepare for changes coming in 2023.

To say that 2021 was an eventful year is an understatement. We saw the tightening and relaxing of Covid restrictions, shopper behaviour continue to evolve, supply chain disruptions and issues such as sustainability rocket up priority lists and, really, there was no telling what would happen from one day to the next.

With our feet now firmly planted in 2022, the businesses that come out on top will be those that stay abreast of fluctuating industry changes and customer needs and evolve their brand strategies as necessary. So, with that in mind, let’s take a closer look at three of the key retail marketing trends that brands will need to consider over the coming year…

1. The Ecommerce experience transcends the transaction

Gone are the days when ecommerce was simply about selling products online. Shoppers’ expectations of ecommerce are rising faster than ever, and they’re now looking for experiences that go beyond the transaction.

What do they want? In today’s fast-paced and always-on world, consumers want a simple, relevant, and engaging shopping experience at every touchpoint — regardless of the channel they’re using to shop. And with consumers today having an eye-watering number of choices for how and where they spend their money (and more people than ever shopping online), brands can’t afford to rest on their laurels.

This year, the brands that come out ahead will be those that optimise their omnichannel strategies and, as part of this, explore innovative ways to bring the benefits of the in-store shopping experience to their online customers. From creating personalised, premium, and intuitive shopping experiences, to emphasising human connections and community, this will help them to streamline physical and online shopping and add value to their customers’ lives.

2. Authenticity and brand values become critical

Over the last few years there has been a steadily growing movement towards values-driven consumerism.

Today’s customers care about what brands stand for every bit as much as what they’re selling. From championing diversity and inclusion to prioritising environmental practices (think retailers that only use sustainable fabrics or cosmetics companies that use chemical-free ingredients), today’s values-driven consumers are actively buying from brands that align to their social and ethical principles.

It’s an area that can no longer be ignored and in 2022, brands will need to engrain authenticity and purpose into the heart of their organisation. From products and packaging to marketing campaigns and wider business operations, they will have to showcase what they stand for and are doing to benefit the communities we live in.

For example, with shoppers paying increasing attention to the carbon footprint of their online purchases, retailers need to consider how they can shine a spotlight on their sustainability credentials. From their products and shipping to their brand as a whole, doing this properly and effectively is going to be crucial to building brand trust and loyalty in the year ahead.

3. First-party data becomes first choice

We’ve known for quite some time that the death of the cookie will forever change the face of digital marketing. But even though Google’s decision to cull third-party cookies has been put on ice until 2023, that doesn’t mean brands and retailers should sit back and relax. Instead, marketers need to make the most of the extra time they’ve been given to act now and ensure they’re as prepared as possible for the day the cookie crumbles.

In the months ahead, retailers will have to innovate and find new ways to leverage first-party customer data to create a seamless and intuitive shopping experience for their customers at scale. To truly succeed here, they will need to be transparent about how they will use their customers’ data to improve their shopping experience. This not only shows respect for them, can also build trust and, in turn, lead to a higher conversion rate and improved customer retention.

With that said, however, marketers will also need to tread carefully when it comes to cultivating that trust. After all, there’s a fine line between personalised and creepy when it comes to using customer data, and those brands that get it wrong risk damaging valuable relationships.

With Covid continuing to impact consumer preferences, and with shopper habits shifting directions faster than ever, it’s clear that 2022 is set to be another year where brands will have to be ready to react to changing circumstances, and pivot strategies when needed to stay relevant. But if there’s one thing that remains constant, it’s that the customer is king. As such, retailers need to ensure they are providing a top-notch shopping experience to their customers if they’re to compete and succeed in what is now an incredibly competitive marketplace.

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What the GameStop NFT marketplace means for ecommerce

Whether you’re into it or not, the gaming market has huge potential when it comes to ecommerce and the GameStop NFT marketplace could shine a light on another avenue for that potential.

What’s an NFT?

An NFT is a non-fungible ‘digital’ token. A one-off digital asset that belongs solely to the owner and nobody else, kind of like a painting but in the digital world.

NFTs and the gaming industry

There are a few reasons why businesses should take note of how NFTs could impact the ecommerce landscape for gaming. Firstly, the gaming market is huge and continues to grow at a high rate. These days many games come with digital assets like clothing, weapons, skins and pets and as more publishers release games with micro-transactions, there is bigger potential for the buying and selling of these and that’s where NFT marketplaces can come in.

There is slight resistance though, Ubisoft’s own NFT marketplace caused some backlash and there is still some controversy surrounding non-fungible tokens in general, but as with all new things, there will be hesitancy at first and how gamers perceive a game publisher can also be part of that problem.

GameStop being a retailer could help here, some publishers have pushed gamers to their limits with the sale of digital assets, but an experienced retailer could shine a new light on how we deal with digital sales, and more importantly, push more gaming-related businesses into the NFT game.

The GameStop NFT marketplace

Since their stock surge, GameStop has been looking at furthering its investments. One part of that has been to venture into the world of cryptocurrency in what could be perceived as a smart move. Gamers already at one with the digital landscape could provide a big opening for cryptocurrency and at this point, it’s about trial and error until something sticks.

The GameStop NFT marketplace is yet to launch but they are requesting that anyone interested in joining fills out this form.

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What the GameStop NFT marketplace means for ecommerce

Whether you’re into it or not, the gaming market has huge potential when it comes to ecommerce and the GameStop NFT marketplace could shine a light on another avenue for that potential.

What’s an NFT?

An NFT is a non-fungible ‘digital’ token. A one-off digital asset that belongs solely to the owner and nobody else, kind of like a painting but in the digital world.

NFTs and the gaming industry

The GameStop NFT marketplace

The GameStop NFT marketplace is yet to launch but they are requesting that anyone interested in joining fills out this form.

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DPD finalise CitySprint acquisition, but is it profitable?

DPD have announced that they have completed the CitySprint acquisition, the UK’s premier same day delivery company, following the recent approval of the transaction by the Competition and Markets Authority.

CitySprint acquisition

This completion makes CitySprint now part of DPDgroup and means that DPD UK’s customers will now be able to access CitySprint’s same day and specialist delivery services in the UK, while CitySprint will be able to offer its customers access to DPD UK’s domestic next day and international expertise.

“This transaction makes genuine sense for both parties and we are delighted to have completed the acquisition. Same day delivery is one of the fastest growing segments of the logistics market and this deal will enable us to provide our customers with fantastic new services. Demand for home delivery has continued to grow as consumer behaviour has evolved post-pandemic and DPD UK is perfectly positioned to meet that demand and consolidate our position as a market leader.”
– Elaine Kerr, CEO, DPD UK

“We are delighted to have finally completed this transaction and formally become part of DPDgroup. This represents a major opportunity for both our colleagues and customers as we join forces with Europe’s largest parcel delivery network. There continues to be strong demand for same day delivery services, and we believe we have the right strategy in place to capitalise and build on this within the enlarged DPDgroup.”
– Gary West, CEO, CitySprint

This news follows a period of growth for CitySprint, which supports businesses across the UK with a range of delivery solutions, including same day, bespoke logistics design and specialist services for key sectors such as retail and healthcare. CitySprint’s unique national same day delivery network comprises 30+ service centres across the UK with geographical reach to over 88% of the mainland population within 60 minutes.

How profitable is the CitySprint acquisition?

Here’s where it gets interesting though. Yesterday I received a delivery of 100kg of cement purchased from Wickes. It came from the Reading Wickes store which is about £15 miles away and the delivery charge was just four quid. Having only ordered the cement the evening before, this is effectively a same day service and I’m struggling to see how CitySprint make any money no the deal. £4 hardly covers the diesel for a van to drive £15 miles, although admittedly they’ll also be doing other drops but nowhere near as many as the 150-200 daily drops a DPD driver makes. With bulk goods ranging from sand and cement to timber, fence panels and 8 by 4 foot sheets of ply, a CitySprint driver can probably only do around a dozen drops.

It’s possible that Wickes are in part subsidising the delivery cost, but their top charge appears to be £7.95 and even at that price their’s not much meat to pay for a driver, van, insurance and diesel.

CitySprint offer an absolutely amazing service and I adore them. DPD have always been a leader in delivery experience too. But will there come a time when the cost of deliveries has to rise because someone has to pay for them and currently, at least with CitySprint, I don’t feel like it’s me the customer.

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5 Ecommerce trends to look out for in 2022

According to ecommerce experts Optiseller, there are five new ecommerce trends that will affect all online sellers in 2022. Optiseller experts say it doesn’t matter what platform or marketplace you sell on, these trends can and will affect every aspect of selling online in the year ahead.

Optiseller are speaking at Tamebay Live on the 25th-27th January. To hear more from them, register today for your free pass to the entire event and get access to watch sessions on demand after the event closes.

5 Ecommerce trends for 2022

1 – Online sales are continuing to increase

It’s no surprise that the first trend we look at is that online sales are continuing to increase at a rapid rate. According to a survey conducted by Credit Karma, a personal finance start-up, about 70% of Brits say buying online has become their preferred shopping method, up from less than half prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

With the decline of the high street, more and more people are shopping from the comfort of their own homes. The global research from Episerver, which surveyed more than 4,500 shoppers, found that 38% of UK consumers buy online at least once a week, more than any other region surveyed. Closely followed by 26% in the US and 21% in Australia.

“These figures are promising and put into context the opportunities that are out there for online sellers. However, sellers need to stand out from their competition as marketplaces are only going to become even more competitive. eBay alone has identified that there were over 100,000 new ‘pandemic start-ups’ formed in 2020 during the height of the UK lockdown. These new businesses have sold over 72 million items across listings to the 29 million eBay shoppers who use the platform every day. Highlighting the need for all sellers to consider their listings, promotions and positioning to stay ahead of the competition.”
– Richard Falconer, COO, Optiseller

2 – Mobile shopping is growing rapidly

If your site isn’t optimised for mobile transactions, you need to step into the 21st century now or you’re going to lose out. By the end of 2021 mobile transitions will make 72.9% of the total worldwide ecommerce transition (Statista).

Commonly known as m-commerce, mobile commerce is the process of buying and selling products or services through a mobile, tablet or another hand-held device. And with today’s society being mobile obsessed there has never been a better time to be mobile-friendly. According to Ofcom people in the UK check their mobiles every 12 minutes daily, just think of all the traffic and potential customers you could miss out on.

“Mobile shopping has the very real potential to become the top channel for online purchasing and could change consumer shopping habits forever. According to Insider Intelligence mobile will inch closer to becoming consumers’ preferred channel for online shopping within the next five years. Get ahead of the game and set yourself up for success by being mobile-friendly.”
– Richard Falconer, COO, Optiseller

3 – Social media impacts consumer buying decisions more than ever before

Similar to m-commerce, with the growth of social media platforms and the influence culture of today’s society, social media is pivotal in the consumer buyer journey. According to GlobalWebIndex, 71% are more likely to purchase products and services based on social media referral alone.

The Deloitte report also noted that consumers who use social media during their shopping process are four times more likely to spend more on purchases than those who do not. This huge figure really hits home how important it is to stay ahead of the trends to ensure that you’re reaching your customers and ultimately selling more online.

““You might not think that your products would do well on social media, but the Deloitte report provided some insight into which product categories work best on social media. According to their data, 56% of consumers buying baby products are influenced by social media, compared to 40% for home furnishings, 33% for health and wellness and 32% for car parts and accessories.”
– Richard Falconer, COO, Optiseller

4 – Environmental factors that influence ecommerce

With COP-26 recently held in Glasgow, the Earth’s future is truly at the forefront of the world’s minds. It’s no surprise that a research report by PFS and LiveArea, ‘Selling Sustainability: Adapting to the New Conscious Consumer’, found that consumer attention in the UK and Ireland have turned to the sustainability of the buying cycle and the environmental impact associated with their changing shopping habits.

For many consumers, the temporary closure of physical shops has provided the opportunity to reassess and re-evaluate their shopping habits. More than 37% of shoppers now say that they are more conscious of the environmental impact their online shopping habits have than before the pandemic. Meanwhile, nearly 73% of consumers expect online retailers and brands to use recyclable packaging or minimise their use of packaging. And according to a study by Deloitte, nearly 1 in 3 customers claim to have stopped purchasing certain products because they had ethical or sustainability-related concerns about them.

These findings really hit home how important sustainably is to consumers and how every seller should consider their environmental impact whether that is choosing recycled packaging or using a low emission courier.

5 – Supporting local on the up

The pandemic saw nearly 50 chain shops close per day in the first half of the year (2021) on the British high streets, retail parks and shopping centres, research shows. This scary reality has promoted the UK to shop local.

According to Shopify, 57% of consumers expressed a willingness to purchase from new and independent businesses for the first time. Whether you are new to selling on-line or have been selling on-line for years using multiple marketplaces, this gives you the confidence to know that if you are an independent business that consumers will purchase from. Gone are the days of people only purchasing from big brands that are well known, everyone has a chance to sell on-line in today’s market.

“To round up, it’s clear that the future of ecommerce for 2022 is looking bright with lots of opportunities out there for new and experienced sellers. The trick is to stay ahead of the trends, differentiate from the competition and ultimately sell more on-line.

Whether you already sell on eBay or you are thinking of expanding your marketplaces to eBay, there has never been a better time to sell on-line. But to succeed, sellers need to put data at the centre of their business operation and keep up with the new ecommerce trends. As an ecommerce data platform with over 50,000 users in 160 countries, Optiseller help sellers control, manage and monitor their performance as well as grow sales.”
– Richard Falconer, COO, Optiseller

To read in more detail download the Optiseller eGuide on the 5 Ecommerce Trends That Will Help You Win In 2022 eGuide

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2022 Double June Bank Holiday for Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

You may have caught on the news today that Buckingham Palace have announce celebratory plans for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. What you may not have clocked is that there will be a four day Bank Holiday weekend at the start of June. A double June Bank Holiday will need planning for as you may either be giving your staff an additional day off or be paying overtime rates if they come in to work.

While the celebration is taking place in June (hopefully with amazing British Summer weather), the Queen will actually celebrate her Platinum Jubilee on Sunday the 6th of February.

As well as New Year’s Day (for which the Bank Holiday was the 3rd of January due to the 1st falling on a Saturday), the 2022 Bank Holiday schedule is:

Friday 15th of April 2022 – Good Friday
Monday 18th of April 2022 – Easter Monday
Monday 2nd of May 2022 – Early May Bank Holiday
Thursday 2nd of June 2022 – Spring Bank Holiday
Friday 3rd of June 2022 – Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday
Monday 29th of August 2022 – Summer Bank Holiday
Monday 26th of December 2022 – Boxing Day
Tuesday 27th of December 2022 – Christmas Day

You’ll notice that the traditional Spring Bank Holiday has been moved from late May to the 2nd of June, with the addition of a Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday on the 3rd, to create a four day weekend.

Typically we only get four day weekends at Easter and on some years at Christmas, so the ecommerce industry should be well prepared for the catch up which will take place when four days worth of shipments enter the system on the 6th of June. It’s likely that large retailers will still have collections over the weekend and couriers will be delivering – perhaps not on the Bank Holidays themselves but weekend deliveries on Saturdays and Sundays are now pretty routine for the carrier industry.

It will be worth checking well in advance with your carriers which days they will be collecting in the first week of June – once you’ve confirmed your pick up days, this will enable you to determine which days you need staff to be working and whether to operate on a skeleton holiday crew, or if you still have daily collections whether overtime arrangements for the double June Bank Holiday are indicated.

It might seem churlish to suggest that this is a sales opportunity, but the reality is that there will be plenty of requirements for (properly licensed!) collectibles, flags and bunting, BBQ and garden furniture and all the trimmings that go with such a celebration. With the fragility in the supply chain the world is currently seeing, make sure you get your orders in with suppliers early and have stock on hand well in advance of June as once the day has past consumer appetite for Platinum Jubilee merchandise will rapidly wane!

2022 is a time to celebrate and, regardless of whether you are a Royalist or not, most people will be welcoming the additional Bank Holiday to mark this historic occasion for the UK’s longest serving monarch.

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Meet the company: PHL Digital

January is often the time for New Year’s resolutions and for businesses this should include taking a hard look at your website and considering how it could perform better for you. That’s why today we sat down with Laura Palmer, Business Development Director at PHL Digital, to talk websites, what’s needed for a fully ecommerce enabled website in 2022 and how PHL Digital could help you:

Who are PHL Digital, and why has a fulfilment company launched web development?

We are a digital team skilled in building affordable Shopify ecommerce websites. PHL Digital use technical know-how to provide modern and innovative solutions to businesses and retailers. We have gained a wealth of real-world ecommerce experience from our parent company, PHL Group. A logistics business with over 20 years in retail fulfilment.

PHL Digital is uniquely different because we offer an end-to-end ecommerce solution. This model means we can build, launch, maintain and update your website. We can also hold stock, pick, pack and ship orders, manage returns and handle all your customer service. You don’t have to use our fulfilment services to become a customer of PHL Digital, but working with us, you will benefit from our deep understanding of how ecommerce works.

We offer exceptional value and service by combining industry knowledge with technical expertise. Building fully customised websites that don’t cost the earth whilst providing all the functionality and support your online business needs to grow and flourish.

Why January?

January is a great time for retailers to think about refreshing their websites. Fresh from experiencing all the gains and pains of peak season, with some breathing space to translate that learning into an objective-driven plan for improvement. At PHL Digital, we don’t advise customers to just look at the past. Consideration should also focus on the future, for example, Covid, Brexit and changing consumer trends. Retail has never evolved so fast as in the past two years, and pro-actively keeping ahead of change should be a top priority.

From January onwards, most retailers have about eight to nine months until the next peak season. Although a Shopify website build takes only 2 to 8 weeks, it’s never a bad idea to give yourself time to do some robust market research and planning. Also, allowing time for your website to “bed-in” for a month or two before it’s really put to the test is a great way to resolve unexpected user issues. Feedback from customers is invaluable to any online retailer wanting to maximise sales opportunities. So my advice is to get ahead now and kick off your discovery process.

What do PHL Digital do?

We have already mentioned our Shopify ecommerce capabilities. I think it’s essential to add that with our experience in multichannel logistics, we are exceptionally skilled at building sites for marketplace sellers. Again, this is expertise learned from a real-world application. We know what works and how other retailers have successfully expanded their business and improved efficiency through web solutions.

PHL Digital also develops business websites and promotional microsites for brands and marketing agencies. We offer a wide range of technical services to a diverse customer base, from start-ups to big-name brands. One of our most exciting areas of service is building custom web applications. Apps are very much about providing a unique solution to a specific challenge, and it puts our problem-solving skills and innovation to the test. We relish the challenge of designing a simple and elegant digital solution.

Why Shopify?

PHL Digital Why Shopify We work with other platforms, such as WooCommerce, but usually recommend Shopify as the preferred option. For us, it comes down to Shopify’s three key benefits;

Security
Efficiency
Flexibility

Shopify is a highly secure and robust platform, which is hugely important for today’s retailers. Shopify handles all higher security functions, leaving developers to focus on meeting the rest of the client’s needs. In terms of efficiency, Shopify provides developers with all the tools needed out-of-the-box to do their job quickly and effectively. This efficiency translates to lower costs and quicker turnaround times. Critically, the flexibility of Shopify allows retailers to have a fully customised design without busting the budget. Shopify can be extended, by skilled developers, to go beyond its original intent. New trends like headless commerce can open Shopify to an almost limitless design scope.

For marketplace sellers and SME’s, if you take the above benefits with the fact that Shopify connects to all the major marketplaces and has almost limitless integrations, it’s a clear winner for any multichannel retailer!

Can’t I just do a Shopify site myself?

If you’re a small business with a small product catalogue and marketing isn’t vital, then yes. Shopify provides the tools to build a passable ecommerce website yourself. However, building a website in-house to save money might be a false economy. When you add up the internal costs, the potential loss in sales and the time that could have been used to drive your business forward, it might not be as price-effective as hiring a value-driven agency like PHL Digital.

If having an extensive product catalogue, strong SEO, and memorable branding is critical to your business, you will probably need a customised theme. Rarely do pre-made themes completely fit your business and industry sector.

Professionally customising a theme takes specialist know-how that you will need to recruit in-house or through an Agency. However, a skilled designer will deliver a better-performing website with excellent SEO, faster site speed, and higher ranking. Shopify developers will also be able to take a pre-made theme and fit it around your brand to get the exact look and feel you need.

Case Study – Organix Online Shop

The Challenge

Organix wanted to build a D2C ecommerce solution to drive brand engagement and awareness. Their core audience consists of busy parents and careers anxious about offering Toddlers healthy, age-appropriate food and snacks.

The Solution

The Organix branding had to be reflected across the online shop, with the overall aesthetic underpinning their family-friendly and organic promise.

An easy, intuitive UX is essential to Organix’s customer demographic. We created enhanced product categories, broken down by age, special offers and bundles. This powerful function allowed customers to quickly locate the products they wanted and purchase with confidence.

To add a little fun and engagement to the shop, we developed a personalisation function that allows the addition of a child’s name to selected products.

The Results

Since launch, online sales have continued to grow month on month, smashing through all the original targets and KPI’s.

How do I get started?

Finding the right digital partner can be a challenge; you need an agency that truly understands your vision and goals. We are always happy to have an initial exploratory email or chat about a potential project to see if we are the right fit for you.

Simply drop us an email, pick up the phone (01938 538689) or book an online meeting to give us a brief description of who you are and what you want to achieve.

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Covid test kits to be available in 10,000 PayPoint conveniences stores

With Omicron spreading at a rate of over 180,000 new cases per day, Covid testing is something that’s here to stay for the foreseeable future. The good news is that with Government changes in testing rules, employees may be able to return to work sooner in the near future if they have either been infected or if they have been travelling overseas… but they will need access to Covid test kits.

If the reason for testing is overseas travel, then access to NHS test kits is prohibited and they’ll need to purchase a test, but relaxations in rules mean that from next week these can in some cases be Lateral Flow Covid test kits rather than more expensive PCR tests.

PayPoint and Randox have today announced an expansion of their partnership, to boost access to Covid test kits and provide a vital service to travellers returning to the UK, in line with the Government’s new arrival requirements for Day 2 testing, announced on Wednesday 5th January.

The expanded partnership between PayPoint and Randox will mean even easier access to low-cost COVID-19 testing, by enabling people to order a Randox test online for click and collect at a local store within the Collect+ network, initially available in over 5,000 locations, and soon in over 10,000 locations nationwide.

The service launches today to coincide with changes to travel policy which, from 4am on 9th January, allows fully vaccinated arrivals from non-red list countries to take a lateral flow (antigen) test, with a PCR test only required if a positive lateral flow result is returned.

In addition, from mid-January, PayPoint will give consumers the ability to walk into a local store and pick up Covid test kits immediately in over 2,500 locations, with no need to order online. This service will be offered in partnership with major convenience retailers including Scotmid Co-operative and Spar in the North West and Scotland.

“By drawing on our 40 years’ diagnostics experience, unparalleled testing capacity, and well-established logistics network, which now includes an extensive number of new locations from PayPoint, Randox is able to respond quickly to changing travel requirements and simplify the process of ordering Day 2 lateral flow tests.

The availability of value for money tests that can be collected at the customer’s convenience thanks to our partnership with PayPoint means people in the UK don’t need to wait for home delivery or a walk-in clinic appointment when ordering a COVID-19 test.”
– Dr Peter FitzGerald, Managing Director, Randox

“Our expanded partnership with Randox will deliver yet another vital service to help keep people safe in communities across the UK. Consumer convenience and accessibility are at the very heart of what we do and this is another example of our agility, responsiveness and the great relationships we have with our retailer partners in the ever-changing landscape across the UK.”
– Nick Wiles, Chief Executive, PayPoint

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Marketing your Brand at Tamebay Live

Whether you are a brand owner, retailer, or looking to build your own brand, marketing your brand on marketplaces, social media and your website is key. But how do you make your brand stand out from the crowd? At Tamebay Live we’ve lined up a series of masterclasses to ensure you’re ahead of the pack in 2022.

Register now to attend these sessions live online when you’ll also be able to put questions to the presenters. If you register you will also get access to watch the sessions on marketing your brand after the event ends.

Marketing your Brand

Amazon – 26th January 3:40 pm

Meet Thomas Poulain, Senior Marketplace Consultant in a session titled ‘Learn how to grow your brand on Amazon with our unique tools for brands owners and representatives’. Join this session to learn how you can proactively protect your brand, enhance its presence, arouse customers’ interest and build customer loyalty on Amazon with our tools designed specifically for brands representatives. This webinar will be presented by one of our senior marketplace consultants and will cover Listing Creation, Brand Registry, A+ content, Stores & Vine. We will be joined by an experienced Selling Partner who will share their experience and best practice at using these tools to grow their business on Amazon. Finally we will end the masterclass with a Q&A session.

eBay – 11.05am 25th January

Meet eBay with Will French, Senior Manager – Fulfilment & Logistics & Irene Keay, Senior Manager – Shipping & Logistics in a session titled “How to reinvigorate your EU sales and beyond – Making your inventory available to a Global Buyer base”.

ChannelAdvisor – 26th January 10:00 am

The last year has had a dramatic impact on the retail industry. There has been a shift in almost everything digital, as consumers have adapted their shopping habits. This shift in consumer behaviour is changing the way brands promote their products.

In this presentation, Izabela Catiru from ChannelAdvisor will look at the rapidly changing digital marketing landscape, sharing strategies and tips to help drive ecommerce success. Join this session to learn:

How to build a future-proof digital marketing strategy
Why are retail media and social media marketing important for your short, medium and long-term success
What are the key industry trends shaping the industry

Advanced Commerce – 26th January 11:05 am

In a session titled “Visual Merchandising: helping shoppers navigate the Paradox of Choice”, Advanced Commerce CEO, André Brown will be explaining the importance of visual merchandising, why AI alone isn’t enough and why display sequencing is a retailer’s secret weapon.

globaleyez – 26th January 1:30 pm

“Clean Marketplaces – how to protect your brand and boost online sales” is the title of a session from Oliver Guimaraes at globaleyez who will explore how to secure a clean marketplace environment for brands and consumers by establishing strong measures and cooperation against the dangerous implications of grey markets, counterfeits, look-alikes and other non-compliant sales.

Alibaba – 27th January 1:30 pm

Join the Live Streaming for Brands masterclass with Zarina Kanji, Alibaba Group Business Development UK & Nordics. This will be a discussion of livestreaming in general and a brief history of the platform, followed by a focus on Alibaba-specifics and how livestreaming accelerated due to the pandemic – now brand critical to launching in China. Mass-streaming and VIP-streams (exclusive to restricted numbers of clients) are increasingly common and are set to shape the future hybrid world of retail.

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Your audience is on social media so why isn’t your business?

Social media; a breakthrough in technology that put everything everywhere is looking even brighter for business right now and it’s time to take note.

You’ve probably noticed that more and more social media platforms are dipping their toes in ecommerce capabilities, giving online (and offline) businesses another rapidly growing channel. They are utilising the pandemic that pushed people online by capitalising on large consumer bases already sitting comfortably in the palm of their hands.

It’s clearly no surprise that Accenture is predicting that the already huge global social commerce industry will grow three times as fast as traditional ecommerce with Millennials and GenZ at the wheel.

With Millennials making up the largest portion of adults worldwide, GenZ covering those who haven’t known life without the internet and both leading the way with 62% of global social commerce spend by 2025, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be considering social media as an option for your business.

It’s a social revolution

At least that’s what Accenture’s report, “Why Shopping’s Set for a Social Revolution” shows. So, let’s look at the findings, and see just how important social commerce could be for your business.

64% of social media users surveyed made at least one social commerce purchase in 2021.

59% of social buyers surveyed said they are more likely to support small and medium-sized businesses through social commerce than when shopping through ecommerce websites and 63% said they are more likely to return to that seller again.

44% of those surveyed are more likely to buy from a brand they haven’t come across before meaning businesses have some fantastic opportunity to grow their customer base on social media.

Social commerce is a hit in developing countries.

What about trust on social media?

Consumers still lack trust when it comes to social commerce… surprising isn’t it? We can hardly blame them when differentiating between good and bad sources is still so hard. When trust is broken, getting it back is far from easy and when it comes to making purchases on any platform trust that consumer purchases are protected and can be refunded is a must. So, between it all, highlighting this as a consideration to your customers is a pivotal part of gaining trust and selling on social media.

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Export support service from UK government

Are you unsure about the customs process for the UK-EU border? The UK government has launched an export support service for UK businesses to answer your export-related questions by phone or online. This is a free service which you can access at gov.uk/ask-export-support-team

The service covers topics that include the following:

Exporting to new markets
Required paperwork for selling your goods abroad
Rules for a specific country where you want to sell services

The export support team will try to answer your question straight away. If they do not know the answer, they’ll contact you within 3 working days.

You can contact the export support service via telephone on 0300 303 8955 or ask a question online here.

Amazon have published a link to the UK government export support service and are also keen to hear your comments about the service and how we might improve their own services as a result. If you’d like to share your views with Amazon and let them know what support you would appreciate for cross border selling on Amazon, you can do so here.

Register for Tamebay Live 2022 Title Sponsor Amazon

For further help from Amazon, register to attend Tamebay Live and on the third day of the event, the 27th of January, Amazon will present a masterclass on Expanding Your Business to Europe with Amazon New Cross-Border Fulfilment Programs.

You can register for the event for free here and you’ll also be able to watch all masterclasses on demand after the event if you miss any.

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Royal Mail 2022 Price Changes

There’s good news from the Royal Mail 2022 Price Changes as many customers will notice a drop in the cost of postage this year. However some prices are rising.

Royal Mail 2022 Price Changes for International Business Contract customers

International tracking and signature services (country-priced)

Royal Mail are reducing prices for tracked and signature service. In particular, Tracked parcel prices into France, Canada and Poland will see significant (>10%) reductions

Untracked International Business Products (country-priced)

Royal mail are changing prices to reflect changes in delivery and conveyance costs – see the Price Guides for more detail on these changes

Zonal-priced international services (Tracked, untracked and Response)

Royal Mail will be increasing all zonal product base prices by 4-6%.

Majority of temporary air carrier supplements removed

For the majority of destinations, Royal Mail have removed temporary air carrier supplements. They have done this because air capacity costs are currently forecast to become more stable in 2022. This allows Royal Mail to account for air costs (alongside other operational costs), in ou business contract prices, which is part of the normal review of costs and pricing. Royal Mail have however retained separate air carrier supplements for four destinations, where the forecast costs for air capacity are still not sufficiently predictable to accommodate them in normal pricing.

The air carrier supplement will still apply to Tracked, Tracked & Signed, Signed and Untracked services to: China; Russia; Iceland; Israel.

International Surcharge reduced

Royal Mail introduced an International surcharge to help them respond to the impact of the volatile currency market on key cost areas for our business; fuel, conveyancing and International delivery charges. They say that an flexible International surcharge enables them to keep prices as low as possible while enabling them to react to future currency and fuel related cost changes. Following favourable movements in Sterling exchange rates, Royal Mail will be reducing this surcharge from 6.5% to 4%.

Royal Mail 2022 Price Changes for online postage

If you don’t have a business account with Royal Mail, you can check out their 2022 prices for buying postage online here.

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Merry Christmas 2021 and a Happy New Year for 2022

The Christmas 2021 break is almost here and tomorrow is the last shipping date for next day deliveries to arrive in time for Christmas. We’re hoping that you’re getting ready to wind down and enjoy the long 4 day weekend and that goes regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas in either a religious or secular manner or ignore the festivities. The past two years have been a long and for many a tiring time with multiple lockdowns and restrictions on our lifestyles and many in ecommerce have worked harder than ever.

Here at Tamebay we’ll also be taking a break but we’ll be back at our desks on the 4th of January to bring you the latest ecommerce and marketplace news in the New Year. Although we are taking a break from our regular daily news publication, we will still be checking our emails (although less frequently than usual) so if anything critical happens we’ll be sure to let you know.

We’re also looking forward to welcoming you to Tamebay Live in January along with our headline sponsor Amazon and a host of speakers from other marketplaces including eBay, Alibaba, Fruugo, and EnableAll. Plus as you would expect a stellar line up of industry speakers and retailers to share their knowledge and experience to help you grow your business. Mark the 25th, 26th and 27th in your diaries and register now to attend Tamebay Live in the new year and we’ll see you there.

Between now and the New Year, it’s time to take a break and we hope, Covid allowing, you get to spend some quality time with family and friends and recharge the batteries ready for 2022. However, we know that some of you will be busily working between Christmas and the New Year, but hopefully with the weekends and Bank Holidays we genuinely hope that you get to take some time for yourself.

We’re also sadly only too aware of those who are currently suffering with Covid or are being forced to self isolate over the Christmas period. This includes some of our team from the office. Our thoughts are with you and we have our fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.

At this time of year, we’d like to thank you for reading Tamebay and especially to thank all of the readers who have commented on the site, emailed in tips, stories and even those that send in complaints to keep us on our toes. And of course the marketplaces, suppliers and industry experts to assist us with bringing you the latest news and information on a daily basis.

All that remains is for use to wish you a very Merry Christmas 2021 and all the best for the New Year in 2022.

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New year, potential new UK Online Sales Tax

The Government published a Call for Evidence on 21 July 2020, as part of its Review of Business Rates, to gather views from stakeholders on all elements of the business rates system and a number of alternative taxes. This included questions on the scope and potential impacts of an Online Sales Tax. The Government concluded the Review at the Autumn Budget 2021 and announced that it will consult on a UK Online Sales Tax. The consultation will be published in the new year.

Currently it’s a fact that the high street is struggling and has been for a long time due to business rates, whilst ecommerce generally benefits from lower business rates as their warehouses are out of town in lower rated industrial parks. However the high street has been in decline for years and with larger retailers and supermarkets siting themselves in out of town centre retail parks it’s easy to see why. The attraction of free and ample car parking compared with the cost of shopping in town is just one of the multitude of reason people don’t find going to a high street with boarded up shops sprinkled between charity shops, betting shops, coffee shops, travel agents and the like that attractive any more. Cookie cutter shops which are the same in every town and city across the country make high street shopping something for the die hard consumer compared to the option many have taken – clicking a button and seeing the purchase arrive next business day by their friendly neighbourhood courier.

The real concerns of a UK Online Sales Tax is who will it apply to and will there be a threshold below which it’s waived? It would certainly be another barrier to entry to the micro business selling online – forget the financial implications and think about the paperwork as you decide which of your sales was online and which were down the market or took place in your shop. Then, even for the largest of retailers does click and collect count as online or is that to be treated as a simple reservation for an in-store purchase? Any UK Online Sales Tax will be fraught with complications and doubtless in the upcoming consultation will have large retailers lobbying to be treated as special cases. Don’t forget, this comes on top of the much hated Digital Service Tax which has already been passed on to small businesses by some of the largest marketplaces and and they are likely to do the same with any UK Online Sales Tax if they can get away with it. (Special shout out to eBay who absorbed the Digital Sales Tax and, as was intended, didn’t pass it on to eBay sellers!)

The Government will use this consultation to explore the arguments for and against introducing a UK Online Sales Tax. That includes evaluating the economic impacts of such a tax and assessing any potential concerns. If you want to have your views heard, keep a look out for the consultation when it is opened next year.

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How To Help Boost Ecommerce Revenues During A Time of Crisis

Lauren Hérouard, Senior Marketplace Manager at ChannelAdvisor today looks at how to boost ecommerce revenues during a time of crisis. With the rapid spread of COVID in recent weeks, it looks very much like we will enter 2022 in much the same way as 2021, although perhaps with not quite as severe restrictions on our lifestyles.

How To Help Boost Ecommerce Revenues During A Time of Crisis

ChannelAdvisor has been on the front lines of ecommerce since 2001, helping brands and retailers to streamline sales, connect with customers, optimise operations and expand to new channels.

Continued supply chain issues in the second half of this year have left many brands with far less available stock to sell during peak than previous years. Low product availability has led many to prioritise strategic selling through retail distributors and their own sites, while marketplaces have, for some, been put on the back burner. However, the massive audience and analytics infrastructure of marketplaces make them valuable channels in or out of a crisis — and smart brands should be utilising these digital shopfronts to capture consumer interest.

Ensure Data is Accurate To Analyse Inventory

Marketplaces can provide useful testing grounds for brands, by using customisable platform functions, stock can be allocated depending on consumer demand. In the thick of peak season as demand for stock rockets you may find your most popular products and sizes running low so knowing your data is accurate is crucial. In the current climate, with the supply chain under severe pressure, brands will also need to watch stock supply more closely as we could expect these issues to rumble on into the New Year. Ensuring inventory is available to shoppers will keep consumers buying and help small brands navigate this difficult period until stock availability and shipping returns to some normality.

Assess Infrastructure

The days of unshakeable brand loyalty are largely over – recent ChannelAdvisor research found that 81% of UK shoppers will have no qualms about buying from a rival if their initial option is out of stock.

Product availability could continue to be a pressing concern as we head into 2022 and there are also ad hoc occasions that may limit stock, such as unexpectedly fast-selling product lines. We advise brands to use marketplace contingency tools to prepare for this, ensuring infrastructure is set up to automatically remove popular items as soon as there is an overselling risk. This will help retailers avoid out of stock messages on marketplaces and keep customers coming back to purchase their goods. Brands need to be smart about how they use these channels and with the right ecommerce partner, retailers can utilise data and online tools to take advantage.

Utilise Niche Products And Older Stock

It’s important to remember that many marketplaces enjoy far higher traffic than many own-brand websites and even some retailer channels. For this reason, we recommend that brands continue to list niche products on marketplaces when stock availability challenges occur. Instead of being reliant on hero products to drive revenue growth, by placing products that historically haven’t sold as well on the marketplaces that receive higher volumes of website traffic can help boost sales and drive revenue you otherwise may not have received.

Having a flexible inventory plan enables you to keep your most popular items on your own channel and also boost traffic to your less popular products on a marketplace.

Similarly, marketplaces offer a tremendous opportunity to sell older stock that would usually be sent to outlets at a heavy discount. Sites such as eBay or Secret Sales are a great revenue opportunity for excess, refurbished or Grade B products and items with minor defects — usually harder to sell on your own site or through retailers — now provide another stream of revenue. Not only can this drive higher sales and diversify your product options, it is also a great sustainability option and reduces waste in the long-term.

Performance Windows

Our final recommendation is to analyse your performance windows on a daily basis. By implementing an agile strategy, brands can move products from channel to channel depending on where they will perform best. We’re seeing innovative brands optimise their pricing strategies via our platform tools, allowing brands to change prices multiple times a day to support their inventory strategy.
Choose The Right Partner

Data and analytics has never been more important and having the right support is invaluable — fortunately there has never been a larger ecosystem of partners available. We’re seeing brands expand their ecommerce operations across digital marketing, shoppable media, marketplace and fulfilment partners, which can add complexity for sales and marketing teams. Having a holistic view of your operations is a great place to start and could prove crucial to the future success of many companies.

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