Hello and welcome to April: In Review
Now that we’ve arrived at the beginning of May, we have well and truly left winter behind us. The birds are chirping, the weather is improving and we’re looking forward to seeing lots of spring inspired retail stores. But for now, just sit back, grab your iced tea and read our round-up of the retail news, views and debates that graced computer screens throughout April.
1. News: Amazon & eBay marketplace sellers accused of £1.5bn tax avoidance
Online retailers such as Amazon and eBay have come under fire in recent weeks, after being accused that they are not doing enough to ensure foreign sellers charge the right amounts of tax on their goods.
British MPs argue that the “prolonged failure to collect the right amount of VAT from online sellers outside the EU resulted in lost tax revenue of up to £1.5 billion in 2015-16”, [across the UK], and they want to see an end to this as soon as possible. We predict US governments won’t be too far behind this one either, especially considering how collecting sales tax varies between U.S. states!
Amazon and eBay have both claimed this problem was due to a lack of awareness on their part regarding overseas sellers. According to a spokesperson, “they are now educating traders and providing relevant tools to help with correct tax reporting and compliance.”
If you’re selling on one of these booming marketplaces, make sure you read up on tax rules and look out for resources potentially heading your way from Amazon and eBay!
2. Article: The true story of fake goods being sold online
With the ever increasing dotcom boom firing on all cylinders, this article focuses on the dark and murky corners of the internet, resulting in counterfeit products and fake goods. Our very own Chief Executive Officer, Derek O’Carroll spoke to Raconteur about this problem and how these kinds of sellers have been able to get away with it.
Read the full article to find out more about this scam and what global government bodies are doing to put a stop to it.
3. Infographic: Maximize Your Retail Business Success: 10 Tips for a Great Ecommerce Website
Earlier in the month, we had great fun putting our heads together to decide what would make for a great ecommerce website. And we had even more fun creating a colorful and punchy infographic to display the top tips!
From designing mobile-responsive websites, to chucking out stock images, there are heaps of ways in which you can improve your website, and get it shaped up for maximum sales potential and growth for your retail business.
Check it out, and let us know what you think by writing us a note in the comments section below!
4. Opinion: Will Virtual Reality mean ‘Virtual Retail’?
As we head deeper and deeper into 2017, the debates, discussions and opinions around automation, technology and virtual reality have swelled to huge proportions. Getting in on this action is PWC (connoisseurs of all kinds of professional services and industries), where they discuss how likely it is that virtual reality will result in ‘virtual retail’ shopping experiences.
According to the blog article, fashion giant ASOS has a proof-of-concept VR store, which you can already try out on your smartphone or Samsung Gear VR device. And even eBay are experimenting with a VR shopping platform!
What do you think? Is ‘virtual retail’ going to be more than just a concept? And do you think it’ll reach us as early as 2017? Drop us a line in the comments to spark up a discussion.
5. Video: Amazon Fools with Petlexa and Alamo Rental Cars Get Us Excited for a Self-driving, Self-vacationing Car!
At Brightpearl HQ, we love hearing about companies who like to “keep it light”, despite all of the hard work that comes from running a retail business. At the beginning of April every year, we’re thrown (feet first) into hearing about heaps of retailers ‘pranking’ consumers on April Fool’s Day. So, with the honor of finishing up with April as light-hearted as it began, we’re going to leave you with a couple of videos you can watch at your leisure. These retailers had big April Fool’s plans – tell us, were you fooled this year?
Amazon Echo (with Petlexa) – let your animals speak to your Amazon Echo device, (yes, even when they break your best china and need to buy replacements).
Alamo Rental Cars – a self-driving, self-vacationing car (where can we get one of those)?
And on that note, we shall leave you and say “see you next month”. In the meantime, why not subscribe to the blog to get next month’s round-up of the best retail news delivered straight to your inbox?
