Marcia Kaplan - Practical Ecommerce https://www.practicalecommerce.com/author/marcia-kaplan Independent analysis and strategy for online merchants Thu, 14 Dec 2023 16:03:49 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.4 Amazon’s B2B Marketplace Dominates https://www.practicalecommerce.com/amazons-b2b-marketplace-dominates Mon, 24 Jul 2023 08:30:39 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1524613 B2B marketplaces are proliferating. Amazon Business, launched in 2012, is now a $35 billion GMV juggernaut.

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]]> Discount-driven Consumers Spur Prime Day 2023 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/discount-driven-consumers-spur-prime-day-2023 Mon, 17 Jul 2023 11:24:24 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1524457 U.S. consumers looked for deals in Prime Day 2023. Top categories were appliances, electronics, and apparel.

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]]> Amazon Aggregators Face a New Reality https://www.practicalecommerce.com/amazon-aggregators-face-a-new-reality Mon, 19 Jun 2023 14:21:51 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1523050 Amazon aggregators purchase marketplace sellers and then attempt to improve revenue and profits. The boomtimes are over.

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]]> TikTok Shop Slowed by Governments, Consumers https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tiktok-shop-slowed-by-governments-consumers Sun, 04 Jun 2023 11:40:51 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1522283 TikTok's ecommerce efforts in the U.S. and E.U. have faced headwinds from lawmakers — and consumers.

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]]> Mixed Success for Private Label Brands https://www.practicalecommerce.com/mixed-success-for-private-label-brands Mon, 15 May 2023 11:53:04 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1521588 In-house retail brands are typically less expensive and experience robust sales in inflationary periods. But not every initiative is successful.

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]]> Post-Covid Shoppers Are Omnichannel https://www.practicalecommerce.com/post-covid-shoppers-are-omnichannel Sun, 30 Apr 2023 14:25:29 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1520970 Consumers are returning to in-store shopping — after they research online and while they compare competitive prices on-premises.

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]]> Can ChatGPT Improve Customer Service? https://www.practicalecommerce.com/can-chatgpt-improve-customer-service Thu, 13 Apr 2023 12:31:24 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1520443 Cost cuts and employee turnover have taken a toll on customer service. Are conversational AI tools the answer?

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]]> Rising Costs Prompt New Return Policies https://www.practicalecommerce.com/rising-costs-prompt-new-return-policies Mon, 03 Apr 2023 16:59:04 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1519954 The era of free returns, unlimited returns, and returnless refunds has been enormously expensive to most merchants.

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]]> Hubris Upended Silicon Valley Bank https://www.practicalecommerce.com/hubris-upended-silicon-valley-bank Sun, 19 Mar 2023 16:01:16 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1519231 The demise of Silicon Valley Bank was the culmination of balance sheet mismanagement, aggressive expansion, and reliance on a relatively small number of customers.

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]]> Actually, Ecommerce Excelled in 2022 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/actually-ecommerce-excelled-in-2022 Thu, 02 Mar 2023 13:18:00 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1518645 Ecommerce sales in the U.S. and worldwide posted strong growth in 2022, despite headlines to the contrary. Global ecommerce retail sales grew by nearly 10% and reached a record 19.7% of total retail.

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]]> Can Fast Fashion Ever Be Sustainable? https://www.practicalecommerce.com/can-fast-fashion-ever-be-sustainable Sun, 19 Feb 2023 13:51:36 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1518153 Inexpensive polyester-based garments are quick to make and quicker to dispose. The environmental impact is devastating.

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]]> 2022 Holiday Shopping Wrap-up https://www.practicalecommerce.com/2022-holiday-shopping-wrap-up Mon, 30 Jan 2023 11:30:41 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1517302 U.S. holiday 2022 ecommerce sales were slightly higher than 2021 — confounding skeptics who predicted a decline — and comprised 21.6% of total retail spend.

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]]> Trouble Brewing for Buy Now, Pay Later Providers https://www.practicalecommerce.com/trouble-brewing-for-buy-now-pay-later-providers Tue, 17 Jan 2023 11:50:46 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1516847 Consumers love buy now, pay later programs. But after rapid growth, the industry is staggering under rising interest rates, delinquent borrowers, and overexpansion.

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]]> Cryptocurrencies and SPACs Implode https://www.practicalecommerce.com/cryptocurrencies-and-spacs-implode Sun, 08 Jan 2023 14:54:07 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1516635 In 2022, the value of cryptocurrencies and special purpose acquisition companies dramatically declined. Here's our analysis.

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]]> Amid FBA Fee Hikes, Sellers Consider Alternatives https://www.practicalecommerce.com/amid-fba-fee-hikes-sellers-consider-alternatives Tue, 20 Dec 2022 13:56:52 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1515920 Rising fees strain FBA sellers — forcing some to raise the price of goods and others to pursue alternative sales channels. Contributor Marcia Kaplan takes a closer look.

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]]> Sales Report 2022: Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday https://www.practicalecommerce.com/sales-report-2022-thanksgiving-black-friday-cyber-monday Thu, 01 Dec 2022 12:48:24 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1515204 U.S. consumers spent freely this year during the traditional five-day holiday shopping kickoff. We look at the numbers in this our eighth annual Cyber Week sales analysis.

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]]> Turmoil for Chinese Ecommerce and Tech Companies https://www.practicalecommerce.com/turmoil-for-chinese-ecommerce-and-tech-companies Tue, 22 Nov 2022 13:56:02 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1514638 China's federal government is exerting increasing control over tech companies, including ecommerce. That, combined with a slowing economy, creates uncertainty.

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]]> Ecommerce Flourishes in Latin America https://www.practicalecommerce.com/ecommerce-flourishes-in-latin-america Mon, 31 Oct 2022 13:05:57 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1513084 Ecommerce growth in Latin America during the pandemic was among the highest worldwide. Those habits appear to be permanent.

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]]> Shoppers Buy Necessities, Not Gifts, in Amazon’s October Event https://www.practicalecommerce.com/shoppers-buy-necessities-not-gifts-in-amazons-october-event Mon, 17 Oct 2022 11:46:41 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1512401 Consumers responded to Amazon's Early Access Prime event, but not for holiday shopping. Here's our recap.

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]]> What Motivates Consumers to Shop Sustainably? https://www.practicalecommerce.com/what-motivates-consumers-to-shop-sustainably Mon, 03 Oct 2022 13:30:51 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1511420 Concerns about sustainability vary depending on age, gender, and location. Research shows merchants have different perceptions than consumers on the topic.

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]]> Southeast Asia Tops Worldwide Ecommerce Growth https://www.practicalecommerce.com/southeast-asia-tops-worldwide-ecommerce-growth Thu, 15 Sep 2022 13:18:12 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1510570 There are 10 countries in Southeast Asia. Five of them have the fastest ecommerce growth rates on the planet. Here are the numbers — sales, growth %, and leading providers.

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]]> Ecommerce Briefs: FBA Increases Fees; Walmart Expands Healthcare https://www.practicalecommerce.com/ecommerce-briefs-fba-increases-fees-walmart-expands-healthcare Fri, 09 Sep 2022 11:23:51 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1510104 Amazon Prime and Walmart+ compete for subscribers; FBA imposes holiday fees; Walmart extends healthcare initiatives.

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]]> Stagnant Sales Are Creating an Inventory Glut https://www.practicalecommerce.com/stagnant-sales-are-creating-an-inventory-glut Thu, 01 Sep 2022 12:51:32 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1509261 Recession fears combined with supply-chain excesses have created a dramatic increase in unsold inventory. We explain.

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]]> New U.S. Law to Spur Electric Vehicles, Clean Energy https://www.practicalecommerce.com/new-u-s-law-to-spur-electric-vehicles-clean-energy Tue, 16 Aug 2022 12:26:29 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1508138 The new Inflation Reduction Act impacts U.S. taxation, healthcare, and climate change. The bill's clean-energy incentives will likely produce more electric delivery vehicles and charging stations.

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]]> AWS Boosts Amazon’s Q2 2022 Results https://www.practicalecommerce.com/aws-boosts-amazons-q2-2022-results Sun, 07 Aug 2022 10:00:34 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1507570 Amazon reported mixed results for Q2 2022. Product sales fell, but revenue from Amazon Web Services and subscriptions grew (a lot). We dive into the details.

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]]> The Details of Shopify’s Massive Q2 2022 Loss https://www.practicalecommerce.com/the-details-of-shopifys-massive-q2-2022-loss Sun, 31 Jul 2022 12:09:31 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1507380 Having posted a massive $1.2 billion loss in Q2 2022, Shopify effectively reset its financial outlook. Longtime contributor and analyst Marcia Kaplan looks at the details.

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]]> Prime Day 2022 Recap: Sales, Categories, More https://www.practicalecommerce.com/prime-day-2022-recap-sales-categories-more Mon, 18 Jul 2022 12:54:33 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1506764 Amazon's Prime Day has evolved into an industry-wide event. Since 2017 we've published an annual analysis and recap. Our 2022 installment looks at U.S. growth, average order values, and more.

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]]> For Global Unicorns, It’s Growth and Volatility https://www.practicalecommerce.com/for-global-unicorns-its-growth-and-volatility Thu, 30 Jun 2022 19:16:36 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1505981 The availability of private capital allows companies to delay going public. The result? More than 1,000 private companies worldwide are now valued in excess of $1 billion. But it's not always smooth sailing. We explain.

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]]> Ecommerce Briefs: Google Marketplace; Walmart; Drones https://www.practicalecommerce.com/ecommerce-briefs-google-marketplace-walmart-drones Sun, 19 Jun 2022 10:00:53 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1504831 This installment of "Ecommerce Briefs," an occasional series, includes developments on Google ecommerce, Walmart fulfillment and infrastructure, and drone deliveries.

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]]> 9 Europe-based Ecommerce Unicorns https://www.practicalecommerce.com/9-europe-based-ecommerce-unicorns Sun, 29 May 2022 13:01:12 +0000 https://www.practicalecommerce.com/?p=1503775 Post-pandemic investments soar for many European startups. Here are nine notable ecommerce-related companies valued at more than $1 billion.

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