Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

By analyzing returns data, retailers can better understand consumers’ preferences and behaviors. Additionally, this data can help organizations survey their internal supply chain and warehousing proficiencies.

However, there is still plenty of work to be done as retailers strive to minimize return rates and maximize customer satisfaction, according to research from Voxware.

More than half (57%) of consumers are returning items they ordered online or by phone due to retailer error. While 42% noted that the product’s size or color was incorrect, another 15% said they received the wrong product altogether....

As shopping shifts to the web and mobile, retailers need to be increasingly mindful of the different e-commerce channels and how their services and sites stack up against those of competitors, and the industry at large. 

A few key performance indicators, or KPIs, allow retailers to benchmark themselves in specific areas of online commerce. Identifying the right areas for improvement can help businesses adjust and capture a larger share of the e-commerce and retail market.

To understand how the best sell on social and earn a positive ROI on their social investment, we researched 100 of the top social selling e-commerce brands on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. For two weeks, we recorded each of their posts across six dimensions: 1. type (video, image, or text), 2. purpose (promote product or brand building), 3. copy, 4. whether it was linked, 5. whether it was original or user-generated content (including retweets and repins), and 6. posting time.

We then compiled this data and analyzed it for patterns. Here’s what we found to be the best practices for social posting that drives sales

We worked with Shelly Banjo from the Wall Street Journal on a piece about how retailers should use discounts. The Wall Street Journal added a piece of consumer research to accompany the article that was very interesting.

They asked what email headline would get consumers to open an email from a retailer.

Consumers agreed that they are most likely to respond to an email that is advertising a specific (read: relevant) item on sale, not to generic  discounts....

According to eMarketer’s latest forecasts, worldwide business-to-consumer (B2C) ecommerce sales will increase by 20.1% this year to reach $1.500 trillion. Growth will come primarily from the rapidly expanding online and mobile user bases in emerging markets, increases in mcommerce sales, advancing shipping and payment options, and the push into new international markets by major brands.

In 2014, for the first time, consumers in Asia-Pacific will spend more on ecommerce purchases than those in North America, making it the largest regional ecommerce market in the world. This year alone, B2C ecommerce sales are expected to reach $525.2 billion in the region, compared with $482.6 billion in North America....