Hello and welcome to April: In Review
We’ve seen a number of big changes across the industry this month, as well as the introduction of some interesting new reports. We’ve recapped on each of these in this roundup blog for you.
1. News: Fulfillment by Amazon (Europe) Fee Changes 2018
As of April 26, Amazon will introduce a number of changes to FBA fees across its European regions. These updates include changes to:
- Local Fulfillment Fees
- European Fulfillment Network (EFN) Fees
- Monthly Storage Fees
The updates have also resulted in the elimination of zero fee fulfillment.
But Amazon has confirmed these aren’t the only changes due to affect European FBA fees. Later this year, in both September and October, there will be more changes coming.
If you’re an Amazon seller, you can get a full breakdown of fee updates in this Seller Central post.
2. Report: Try Before You Buy – A Returns Tsunami for Retail
We’ve recently reported on a growing trend within the retail industry – that of ‘Try Before You Buy’ (TBYB) and the tsunami-like effect this is having on returns.
Some key facts to take away from the report are:
- 25% of retailers say they’ll adopt ‘Try Before You Buy’ by 2019
- 50% of consumers are set to buy 3-5 extra items per month if TBYB was an option
- Try Before You Buy could TRIPLE the cost of returns for retailers
- Almost two thirds of retailers are not deploying ANY technology solutions to process returns
You can read and download the full report for free here.
And you can also read an exclusive article on Retail Sector by our very own CEO, Derek O’Carroll, in which he gives his thoughts on what he thinks the true appeal of TBYB is, and what impact it could have on retailers.
3. Fashion: A Step Ahead – Celebrating Success with the Drapers Footwear Awards 2018
Last month, Drapers announced their shortlist for the Footwear Awards 2018. Straightaway, we recognized a number of names on the list – three of which were our customers!
We spoke to nominees Freya Rose, Bobux and Fairfax and Favor to find out more from each of them on what they attribute this success to.
You can learn more in this special blog!
4. Social Media: The Facebook Cambridge Analytica Data Scandal
Recent weeks has spelled trouble for Facebook when it was learned that not only was some personal user data given to a third party (Cambridge Analytica), going against Facebook’s policies, but that same data had never been destroyed when Facebook had requested it to be.
This resulted in the company needing to improve their data privacy regulations and report their improvements to the US Congress in back-to-back hearings earlier this month, resulting in several extra requirements for Facebook advertisers needing to be put in place.
HubSpot have covered this data scandal in a lot of detail. So if Facebook is a large part of your social media strategy, then here are a few of their articles that we think you’ll find particularly useful:
- What’s Happening at Facebook? A Breakdown of the Ongoing Data Story
- 4 Key Questions We Have for Mark Zuckerberg
- Even More Requirements for Facebook Advertisers
5. Partner Spotlight: Some Cities Missing Out on Amazon Sales Tax Revenue According to ITEP Report
One of our key accounting partners in the US, and experts in automated tax compliance, Avalara, recently published another informative blog.
This time, reporting on Amazon not collecting tax on its third-party sales in some states around the US, due to various loopholes and gaps in legislation.
Avalara cover all of this in detail, advising which states may be affected and what it could mean for future state and locality tax laws. Recap on the full story here.
And with that, our April roundup comes to a close. Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog to get more insights like this delivered straight to your inbox!
