Retail Critical Issues

Poor product visualisation is preventing almost a quarter of B2B customers from making purchases online, according to a new report by full-service e-commerce agency, PushON.

Cross-border ecommerce provides organisations with, theoretically, a low-cost opportunity to break into new markets. Yet from the cost of air freight to the complexity of international returns plus consumer expectations for full disclosure of import tariffs at checkout, successful global ecommerce is significantly more complex than it might first appear. Johannes Panzer, Head of Industry Strategy for Ecommerce, Descartes, dives into the complexity behind making international ecommerce transparent, efficient and cost-effective.

The recent news that Asos has been named the retailer ‘best at communicating’ in a poll of UK university students, beating the likes of Nike, Topshop and Urban Outfitters, reflects the importance for retailers to ensure that they take a personalised approach to engaging with their customers.

By Richard Piper, Director at Webloyalty.

Over the past few years we have seen the rise of the savvy shopper. Two years ago, the number one driver of retailer choice was quality, followed by the range of products on offer.

Where are tech-savvy retailers investing their budgets this year? That’s the question on the lips of both retail budget holders and tech vendors.

Facebook has come out top of the list of the UK’s small to medium sized businesses’ most used social media channels, according to research from Close Brothers Asset Finance. With double the number of selections, the social media giant beat Twitter and LinkedIn into second and third place. Instagram and YouTube also scored well, with Pinterest receiving the fewest votes.

Shaping visitor experiences to maximise money spent. Driving in-store sales through smartphone notifications. Justifying premium mall rents with hard traffic data and lowering operating costs. These are just a few benefits of making shopping malls smart.

Contrary to recent headlines, the recent ONS figures highlight the UK high street is far from dead. In fact, the figures show that January 2019 has broadly returned to a strong growth rate of 4.2% – the highest since December 2016.

By John Perry, managing director at SCALA, provider of management services for the supply chain and logistics sector.

With EU negotiators seemingly ruling out the possibility of a second referendum, Labour demanding customs union membership, and Theresa May still doggedly pursuing her universally unpopular agreement, we seem to be hurtling ever-faster towards a no-deal Brexit.

Concerns about sustainability and quality means that consumers are moving away from fast fashion and are more likely to invest in longer-lasting clothing, according to research by the Fashion Retail Academy.