Online shopping continues to grow quickly in part because shoppers are now willing to buy more different categories of products online – and that’s having knock-on effects for how retailers manage the balance between stores and online. In today’s InternetRetailing newsletter, we report as analyst Scope Ratings suggests that beauty and homewares goods are currently among the categories most likely to see sales move online – and as pureplay Zalando says its own move to sell beauty products over the last quarter has started well. Both are seeing customers start to opt for convenient delivery and online choice over the in-store advantages of touching, feeling and smelling an item before they buy. That’s a change also being seen as UK customers spend £2bn a year on retail subscriptions. Shoppers are buying items they might not previously have bought simply because of the convenience with which they arrive at their door.
All areas of retail are becoming more convenient as they look to appeal to time-poor customers. Today we report as trade supplies retailer Wolseley reinvigorates its web presence with the launch of a new single website covering previously disparate brands.
The delivery industry is changing too: DPD previously said it would hire 700 new staff to handle the rise in demand for next-day delivery. Today it says it is going to give its drivers more choice about how they are employed as it looks to become first-choice recruiter in a competitive industry.
Today’s guest comment comes from Craig Stewart of Snap Logic, who considers what retailers can do to encourage their customers to keep coming back.
The 6th Ecommerce Cup
The new-look expanded event – now able to cater for up to 50 teams – is to be held on June 21. This is the sixth annual Ecommerce Cup, in which Tamebay is joined by sister publications InternetRetailing and eDelivery to host the event.
The expansion comes after the cup was last year oversubscribed, with so many players taking part that the pre-match briefing had to be held on the pitch.
This year’s 2018 Ecommerce Cup will again be held in Shepherd’s Bush – where the entire venue has been booked out – and is now open for bookings, with places allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to find out more and sign up.
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