Hello and welcome to March: In Review
February | January | 2016 In Review
The days are getting longer and the gloomy Winter days are officially behind us as Spring is finally here! As we say goodbye to March and get ready to take on April, we’re giving you one last chance to relive this month by recapping on the 5 hottest pieces of content. We’ve done the hard work by scrolling through news feeds, reading tonnes of blogs, and watching a variety of videos to find the best retail and ecommerce content to hit the internet in March! Here’s our pick of the best…
1. News: Ebay guarantees 3-day delivery on 20 million items and Amazon.com now collects sales tax in every state
It’s been a big month for marketplaces (as per usual!) as both eBay and Amazon announced updates that have made the news. eBay stepped up their game by announcing guaranteed 3-day delivery on 20 million items and Amazon revealed that from April 1st they will begin to collect sales taxes from all U.S. states.
Firstly, let’s look at eBay’s new “Guaranteed Delivery” program which will begin this Summer in the U.S. eBay’s delivery times are already pretty impressive as 63% of transactions are delivered within three days. However, eBay’s Senior Vice President of North America, Hal Lawton said “Guaranteed Delivery will give shoppers even faster delivery options and the confidence that their items will arrive on time”.
Online retail giant, Amazon are always making the headlines but this time their big announcement revealed they’d now be charging sales tax in all U.S. states from April 1st 2017. So, what does this mean for Amazon’s third party sellers and FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) sellers? Our friends at TaxJar have written this great blog which shares what this means for sellers. If you sell on Amazon, make sure you’re aware of what this means for your business.
What do you think of eBay improving their shipping game? Are you affected by Amazon’s changes? Let us know in the comments section at the bottom of the blog.
2. Article: Automate to Accumulate
This article shares how “Automation is THE tool of the here and now for retail SMEs” in order to compete with the likes of Amazon and enable retailers to streamline their back-office processes. Our very own CEO, Derek O’Carroll, shared his opinions and advice with Retail Technology earlier this month. Derek covers how automation can help speed up the pick, pack, ship process, allow you to do more with fewer staff, and enable you to offer flash sales.
Read the full article to find out more about how automation is essential for retailers to be more efficient and take your retail business to the next level.
3. Blog: The Pros and Cons of Dropshipping
Is dropshipping right for your retail business? Find out in this blog from BigCommerce which covers everything you need to know about dropshipping including what it is, the pros and cons, and how to find the right dropshipper. Additionally, the blog shares dropshipping success stories from various retailers and 19 dropshipping companies to get started.
If you’re considering dropshipping then this blog is well worth a read!
4. Opinion: Retailers sound alarm over Brexit negotiations
Article 50 has been triggered this week and Brexit has officially begun. So, what do fashion retailers and trade bodies think? Drapers investigated the priorities and concerns of those working in the fashion industry. The main recurring theme in the article shows that people are unsure what’s going to happen in life after Brexit.
Drapers shared a quote from Adam Mansell, the UKFT’s chief executive; “There are still a lot of unanswered questions surrounding Brexit and triggering article 50 does not necessarily solve any of these issues. We don’t know what will happen in terms of imports and exports, intellectual property, regulatory frameworks and several other issues.”
How will Brexit affect your retail business? Let us know in the comments section!
5. Video: Eliminating Errors with EDI and retail management software
This month we hosted an informative webinar with our friends over at B2B Gateway on how retailers can eliminate data errors with EDI and retail management software. The blog covers the highlights from the webinar including the common errors that can be eliminated with EDI and retail management systems, the benefits of using such software, and how it all works!
Watch the webinar video to learn:
- How to reduce data errors through EDI
- 3rd party logistics: do’s and don’ts
- How using retail management software can support your business
That’s all for this month! In the meantime, why not subscribe to the Brightpearl blog for retail advice and news straight to your inbox?
