Any Other Business: 15 July 2022

This week’s AOB looks at the latest e-commerce news from around the world, including the “boxes of air” crisis, and why augmented reality might just be a worthwhile investment for your business.

New research¹ has revealed that a staggering 5 million unnecessary delivery trips are made each year due to oversized and inefficient packaging.

In fact, items packed in excessively large cardboard boxes mean that every year, 85 million cubic meters of “air” is being shipped to British homes – the equivalent of 34,000 Olympic swimming pools. Meanwhile, the unnecessary journeys are emitting more than 85,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

“Wasted materials are not an accident, waste happens because of choices made at the design stage,” Stefano Rossi, DS Smith’s CEO said². “The role of design in protecting our planet just can’t be overestimated – we need to adopt a circular approach, designing out waste to keep materials in use for as long as possible […] Now is the time to design the air out of online shopping.”

Discover how to ship items efficiently with our exclusive guide. It will even save your business money!

Have you considered investing in AR for your e-commerce business? It could just pay off. According to consumer research by Snapchat³, two-thirds of shoppers are less likely to return a product after using an augmented reality feature, whilst 80% said the technology makes them feel more confident in their purchases. Perhaps unsurprisingly for a digital-first generation, Gen Z shoppers are particularly fond of AR, with 92% saying they prefer AR reality tools for e-commerce.

Furthermore, the technology benefits more than just the customers. “Virtual try-ons and 360 product demos can help lessen the need for returns and in-store visits,” Helen Lin, chief digital officer at Publicis Groupe, said⁴. “Think about the impact this could have on customer service, supply chain, and overall sustainability.”

Software start-up Stockagile⁵ has completed another round of successful fundraising. The platform offers cloud-based tools to help omnichannel SMEs unify all their operations, including inventory management, real-time catalog synchronizations, and analytics of products’ lifecycles across all sales channels. Clients can also access reports monitoring everything that is happening in their stores, warehouses and showrooms.

“The future of retail will be to work in an agile, optimized and automated way,” co-founder and CEO Miquel Subirats says⁶. “SMEs have to sell the maximum with the minimum resources to be sustainable; this is only achieved with digitization. Stockagile digitizes processes and connects sales channels using the best technology to help merchants earn more. We have the goal of automating many of the processes of the retailer itself, such as deciding prices and placing orders with suppliers.”

The Barcelona-based company, which aims to be “a leader in omnichannel sales management in the retail sector,” will use the funds to develop its product and launch a new marketing strategy.

Software start-up Stockagile⁵ has completed another round of successful fundraising. The platform offers cloud-based tools to help omnichannel SMEs unify all their operations, including inventory management, real-time catalog synchronizations, and analytics of products’ lifecycles across all sales channels. Clients can also access reports monitoring everything that is happening in their stores, warehouses and showrooms.

“The future of retail will be to work in an agile, optimized and automated way,” co-founder and CEO Miquel Subirats says⁶. “SMEs have to sell the maximum with the minimum resources to be sustainable; this is only achieved with digitization. Stockagile digitizes processes and connects sales channels using the best technology to help merchants earn more. We have the goal of automating many of the processes of the retailer itself, such as deciding prices and placing orders with suppliers.”

The Barcelona-based company, which aims to be “a leader in omnichannel sales management in the retail sector,” will use the funds to develop its product and launch a new marketing strategy.

E-commerce has traditionally been the domain of B2C businesses. Yet, the B2B sector is undergoing a digital revolution, fuelled by the pandemic and an increasing number of millennials in key decision-making roles. So, it’s perhaps unsurprising to learn that sales on B2B marketplaces grew 131% to US$56.5 billion in 2021 and are projected to increase to US$130 billion in 2022. That’s according to recent research from Digital Commerce 360⁷.

When B2B buyers were asked their reasons for switching to e-commerce sites over the pandemic (rather than face-to-face sales), the leading answer was the selection they offer (52% of respondents.) So, are B2B marketplaces the right direction for your business? Discover more with our exclusive guide.

Selling on Etsy? The craft marketplace has just launched a new Etsy Seller app packed with features to help small business owners effectively manage their stores. Via the app, sellers in the US can:

• Add photos and listing videos directly from their smartphones

• Have quick access to order statuses and insights about their store’s performance

• Purchase and print shipping labels

• Manage their inventory

And there’s more in the works. “The new Etsy Seller app’s technology enables us to quickly roll out updates based on seller feedback, so we’ll continue to add features and iterate as we go,” a statement from the company said⁸. “We’ve already planned a number of exciting updates in the coming months.” Watch this space…