Any Other Business: 12 March 2021

This week’s AOB looks at the latest e-commerce news from around the world including Amazon’s competition for start-ups, and the reason 73% of online shoppers said they would abandon a brand.

Fruit and luxury footwear are two things you wouldn’t normally associate with one another, but a new fashion collection is changing that. Italian-American brand Prota Fiori¹ is targeting eco-conscious consumers with its fruit skin footwear. It collaborates with Italian wineries to make grape skins from wine waste and apple skins out of the biological residuals from apple juice; materials which are then used to make shoes.

The innovative creations come as sustainability and being eco-friendly have an increasing influence on people’s purchasing decisions: 78% of consumers say they would like to know everything about their clothing and the people who make it².

Online shoppers expect to be able to find what they need quickly and easily, yet a new report has revealed that many brands are failing to hit the mark.

In a survey³ of nearly 2,000 consumers, 90% said they expect online shopping to be equal to or better than the in-store experience, yet 50% said they sometimes or always experience a problem when shopping online. 42% said that finding information is the most common problem they experience, whilst 43% have had a poor user experience because of issues with website navigation.

For those companies that don’t get it right, the outcome is pretty blunt – 73% of consumers said they will simply abandon a brand after three or fewer negative customer service experiences. Significantly, 44% of customers rarely, if ever, complain directly to the company, which means companies are missing the opportunity to gain feedback to help improve their services.

The report adds that for brands, "a website's role can be far more significant than just boosting a customer's satisfaction score. By considering service and support throughout the customer experience, brands can create customer loyalty, repeat business, and even word of mouth referrals.”

From live chat to your social media strategy, discover how to give your customers the best online experience with these top tips.

Twitter is testing a new way to help brands sell on social by displaying tweets that link out to e-commerce product pages. The social media giant is experimenting with tweets that include a “Shop” button and integrate product details into the tweet itself, including the shop name and product price.

Last month, Twitter touched on its e-commerce ambitions during its investor day. “We know people come to Twitter to interact with brands and discuss their favorite products” said the company’s Revenue Lead, Bruce Falck⁴. “In fact, you may have even noticed some businesses already developing creative ways to enable sales on our platform.”

“This demand gives us confidence in the power of combining real-time conversation with an engaged and intentional audience. Imagine easily discovering, and quickly purchasing, a new skincare product or trendy sneaker from a brand you follow with only a few clicks,” he added.

However, he warned that Twitter’s exploration of e-commerce is in its very early stages. Watch this space…

Is your e-commerce start-up bursting with potential? Well, listen up, because Amazon has got a competition you may be interested in. The online marketplace has launched the first edition of the Amazon Launchpad Innovation Awards⁵, designed to support new businesses.

Start-ups registered in the EU and the UK that sell physical products to consumers are eligible to enter the competition until March 28. A judging panel will select the five most innovative businesses from a shortlist, all of which will win a €10,000 grant, free access to Amazon Launchpad for one year, and several marketing placements. The start-up that receives the most public votes will then be crowned Start-up of the Year and win an extra €90,000. 

The awards are part of Amazon Launchpad⁶, an initiative that gives entrepreneurs the resources, expertise and global support to jumpstart and accelerate their start-up brands, with the ultimate aim of bringing more innovative products to Amazon customers. Since its inception in 2015, it has helped over 2,000 new brands.  

“Innovation is part of our culture. We continue to invent on behalf of customers, but we’re also the destination for innovative new products from small businesses”, Xavier Flamand, Director of EU Seller Services, said⁷.

And finally, a date for your diaries. The Global E-commerce Summit⁸ will be held online, March 16-17. The 24-hour virtual summit will explore key trends in the global e-commerce industry, with a focus on Covid-19. This includes how to overcome supply chain challenges in Europe, and how e-commerce companies in North America and the Middle East can make the most of new opportunities brought by an increase in online shopping.

Check out our exclusive 2021 calendar featuring all the key e-commerce conferences and exhibitions that you can attend this year to help your business grow.