MCM CommerceChat

The digital landscape has experienced a seismic shift with the recent sunset of Google Universal Analytics (UA) in favor of Google Analytics 4 or GA4, introduced in 2020. As of July 1, Google stopped processing data through UA, creating a forced migration. Ben Hardt, VP of business intelligence and innovation at X Agency, walks us through the changes and the impact on marketers. The post GA4: Unraveling the New World of Google Analytics appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Tailored Brands, a menswear and formalwear retailer that includes Men's Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank, needed to anticipate customers' evolving preferences for various style, color and size choices in its tuxedo rental business. CTO Scott Vifquain and Gurhan Kok, founder of Invent Analytics, talk about how AI-based technology was applied, and the results so far in our MCM CommerceChat podcast. The post Tailored Brands Leverages AI to Optimize Inventory Management appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

It's undeniable that artificial intelligence is having a major impact across industries. But what does that mean in dollars and cents? IHL Group has estimated the business impact of AI, GenAI and machine learning on the retail and restaurant sectors through 2029 at $1.5 trillion. IHL also ranks companies on AI readiness and projected business impact. IHL president Greg Busek breaks down their findings. The post Who Is Leading in GenAI Readiness and Projected Business Impact? appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

With ecommerce returns close to a $1 trillion problem for retailers, companies continue to wrestle with ways to reduce the number of orders getting sent back. In many ways it's a problem of their own making. Simone Theresa Peinkofer, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management at Michigan State University, joins our podcast to share her insights on the problem and what's being done. The post MCM CommerceChat: U.S. Spending on Returns Equals Public School Budget appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Can UPS and the Teamsters reach agreement in time? Should UPS meet the union's demand for higher part-time worker pay, or leave its last offer on the table? Is there a joint realization that too much is at stake? And if it happens, how will other carriers pick up the slack? We discuss all this with Gaston Curk, CEO of postal consolidator OSM Worldwide in this MCM CommerceChat podcast. The post Looking At UPS-Teamster Scenarios appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Managing the costs of returns and leveraging them as an opportunity is critical for retailers.  Returns might be a significant expense, and while managing those costs is critical to maintaining … Continue Reading → The post Returns: Minimizing the Impact of Escalating Costs appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

The INFORM Act goes into effect June 27, to help stem the tide of counterfeit goods on ecommerce marketplaces. The FTC can impose fines and injunctions against marketplace operators that don't provide information on high-volume sellers. Alexandra Megaris of Venable LLP helps us gain a better understanding of its ramifications. The post The INFORM Act: What You Need to Know appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

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Secondhand clothing has come a long way since the days of the community thrift store as quick-acting brands have positioned themselves to capture some of the $100B global recommerce market.  … Continue Reading → The post What's Going on with the Booming Recommerce Industry??? appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

A new global study by IBM found that 61% of CPGs and retailers are purposefully aligning sustainability and operational goals: 77% said sustainability investments will accelerate business growth. Luq Niazi, a global managing partner at IBM Consulting, talks about how companies are allocating resources for sustainability, and how to communicate your efforts to consumers without greenwashing. The post Retailers' Real Appetite for Sustainability appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

The curious case of Walmart's venture into creating a stable of hot startup DTC brands has come to a close, with the 2023 sales of Moosejaw, Bonobos and Eloquii in quick succession. So it's a fitting time to take a look at the six-year-plus journey that began with the $3.3 billion acquisition of Jet.com. We look back and ruminate with Raj Konanahalli, a partner and managing director with AlixPartners. The post Walmart and the DTC Brand Unwind appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

The California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), an amendment to the 2018 CCPA, went into effect Jan. 1, requiring publishers/advertisers to comply with new consumer data privacy guidelines. Other states including Connecticut, Colorado and Virginia are getting onboard. We break down the initiatives and their implications in this podcast. The post Consumer Data Privacy on the March appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Unless Collective, a Portland, OR startup creating plant- and mineral-based footwear and apparel, is one of a handful of companies making a difference by its conscious choice of materials and manufacturing. Co-Founder and CEO Eric Liedtke, a nearly 30-year veteran of Adidas, talks about the company's vision in our MCM CommerceChat podcast. The post Compostable Apparel: A Conversation with Eric Liedtke of Unless Collective appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

With a month of 2023 behind us, everyone in retail is wondering how consumer trends will play out this year in the face of ongoing (but lessening) inflation and a tricky macroeconomic picture, to say the least. To get a better understanding of the months ahead, we spoke with Sarah Wyeth, Retail Sector Lead for S&P Global Ratings. The post Sizing Up Consumer Trends in 2023 with S&P appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Last month, the Department of Labor proposed a change to the way it determines the classification of independent contractors. If it eventually becomes law, the rule change would have a lasting effect on the gig economy and gig workers. Kashyap Deorah, CEO of HyperTrack, talks about the balancing act in front of the DOL. The post Gig Workers Change Considered by DOL appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

For 16 years, Alen has been selling its a top-rated air purifiers on Alen.com and Amazon. Now the company has expanded into retail, with product in 300+ Lowe's stores, with potential for expansion. Alen has seen sales climb 210% growth since 2020. The CEO and the COO of Alen talk about the company's growth and channel approach. The post How Alen Expanded from DTC/Ecomm Onto Lowe's Shelves appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 is intended to promote U.S. exports and make ocean transport more competitive, efficient and economical. But a requirement that invoices list the date of container accessibility is proving to be a fly in the ointment. Bryn Heimbeck of Trade Tech Inc. explains efforts to address the inequity. The post Ocean Shipping Reform Act: Rework Container Fee Assessment appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Companion bills in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate aim to amend the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act, removing the overtime exemption for truckers. Predictably, it's opposed by shippers and rail carriers, and supported by unions, trucking associations and safety groups. A spokesman for a major auto carrier explains why he supports it. The post One Broker's View: Let's Lift OT Exemption for Truckers appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Last week Kroger announced it was acquiring Albertsons for $24.5B, a major deal on the order of Amazon buying Whole Foods in 2017 that immediately reshaped the power structure in grocery. Neil Saunders, managing director and retail analyst at GlobalData Retail, helps us put the deal in context in our latest MCM CommerceChat podcast. The post Putting Kroger and Albertsons in Context appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Kroger and its data arm, 84.51°, have launched a Science and Technology Solutions team. The focus is on delivering science and technology solutions that revolutionize customer engagement in retail. Andrew Cron, Chief Scientist and SVP of Science, and Barbara Connors, VP of Strategy and Acceleration at 84.51°, explain more in this podcast. The post Kroger's 84.51° Labs: Pushing the Boundaries of Data Science appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Amazon aggregators have become much more selective with brand acquisition and they're watching the bottom line, while forming alliances with non-Amazon marketplaces. They're also affected by inflation and consumer spending. Max Firsau, co-founder of Accel Club, shares his thoughts about the space and explains his model. The post Amazon Aggregators: One Player's View on the Shifting Space appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Amazon has purchased iRobot, naturally raising some privacy concerns about the use of consumer data in combination from Roomba, Alexa and Ring devices. It also fits in nicely with Amazon's bigger ambition to own the smart home market. Jason Boyce, founder and CEO of Avenue7Media, discusses this as well as antitrust concerns. The post Amazon, iRobot and the Smart Home Data Play appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

The CHIPS act, which passed Congress in late July, sets aside $52B in subsidies and tax credits to boost domestic production and R&D, helping reduce our dependence on China's semiconductor dominance. In this MCM CommerceChat podcast, Spencer Shute, a consultant at Proxima, helps us understand the importance for retail. The post The CHIPS Act and Retail appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

While scarcity has always been a tool used to drive desirability and prestige, inflation and supply chain issues have been changing consumers' relationship to it. In this MCM CommerceChat podcast, Katie Thomas of the Kearney Consumer Institute, explains the changing nature of scarcity, and how to watch for the scarcity tipping point. The post The Changing Face of Scarcity appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Standards body GS1 US has published a new guideline retailers can use to leverage its Electronic Product Code (EPC)-based RFID technology. It supports claims compliance and is designed to improve inventory accuracy and supply chain visibility. Jonathan Gregory, director of community engagement with GS1 US, explains. The post New GS1 RFID Guideline, Explained appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

E-grocery platform Farmstead is expanding into suburban markets with an offering tailored to the mass market. It targets the 70% of suburban consumers shopping mid-market grocers and have few delivery options. Co-founder and CEO Pradeep Elankumaran, talks about the business model, outsourcing of its tech stack and expansion plans. The post Farmstead Looks to the Burbs for E-Grocery Growth appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Sustainability in ecommerce operations, the rise of autonomous vehicles and the need for supply chain visibility were all covered in day one of Ecommerce Operations Technology Summit 2022 in Orlando, FL. In this MCM CommerceChat podcast, Michaela Wallin of H&M helps us break it all down. The post Talking Ecommerce Operations Technology Summit with H&M appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Direct to consumer or DTC was hot as a firecracker a few years ago, as brands like Allbirds and Warby Parker flew high by bypassing the retail channel. Now the tide seems to be turning as several of these marquee DTC brands have stumbled. CNBC contributor Alex Kantrowitz helps us break it down in our MCM CommerceChat podcast. The post High-Flying DTC Brands Coming to Earth appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Peel-off stacks, dedicated piles of 50 containers or more, are a great port congestion solution if you're a mega shipper like Walmart, but less so if you're an SMB. But now smaller players can have freight consolidated to create peel-off stacks. Bryn Heimbeck of Trade Tech talks about a pilot project at the port of Los Angeles/Long Beach. The post Creating Peel-Off Stacks at Port for SMBs appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Reminiscent of "The Matrix," the metaverse is a fully immersive virtual world where people can interact and engage in gaming, concerts or live sports. Facebook rebranded to Meta, and brands from Victoria's Secret to Gucci, to Louis Vuitton are staking a claim. Are we there yet? We explore this topic with Nexla CEO Saket Saurabh. The post The Metaverse: Megatrend or Market Noise? appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Abe Eshkenazi, CEO of the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM), said organizations need to take more of a long-term, systemic view vs. short-term fixes in response to a crisis. In this MCM podcast, Eshkenazi stresses the need for better visibility to read demand signals, and consideration of upstream/downstream effects. of efforts in any one node. The post Supply Chain Crisis: Applying Long-Term Thinking appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

BNPL has caught on more broadly in other markets but it's certainly poised to catch on here. Square's pending $29b acquisition of Afterpay is certainly a major indicator, as are other deals. What is the significance of Square/Afterpay, and where is BNPL headed? Rob Galtman, a director at Fitch Ratings, gives us his take. The post Square/Afterpay and the Broader BNPL Trend appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

The last 18 months of lockdowns and restrictions have made it hard for consumers to shop at stores, eliminating the pleasure of leisurely, impulse buying, seeing a product or speaking with an associate. The answer to this problem may be livestreaming shopping. Is it the mall of the future? We talk to Jared Blank of VTEX to learn more. The post Livestreaming Shopping: The New Virtual Mall? appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Instacart has been on its own shopping spree, hiring away Fidji Simo, who ran Facebook's main app, as CEO, as well as Facebookers Carolyn Everson as president and Asha Sharma as COO. What's behind Instacart's Facebook hiring binge? In this latest MCM CommerceChat podcast, we explore the subject with Orlee Tal, CEO of Stor.ai. The post Instacart and the Great Facebook Talent Raid appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Israel Maynard, Senior Director of International Logistics and Fulfillment for outdoor gear and apparel retailer Burton, has been busy working with vendors overseas and partners here to get everything stocked and set for his peak season. We discuss all this in our latest MCM CommerceChat podcast. The post Prepping for Peak Season at Burton appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

After a major software implementation, how do you deal with issues that inevitably crop up? Katie Langrock, VP of Operations at Vermont Teddy Bear and a panelist on this topic at Ecommerce Operations Summit 2021 (Aug. 17-18, Gaylord Opreyland, Nashville), talks about her team's ERP journey in this MCM CommerceChat podcast. The post Ecommerce Operations Software: After the Go Live appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

As the pandemic settled in, many were looking to escape urban environs and get back to the land. Letitia Webster, Tractor Supply's SVP of ecommerce, omnichannel and MDM, and a keynote at Ecommerce Operations Summit (Aug. 17-18, Nashville) talks about how her team met this new demand and improved processes along the way. The post Rolling With the Changes, Meeting New Demand at Tractor Supply appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Finding enough workers is a problem, and you need to be mindful of how the workforce is changing to meet staffing objectives. Mark Irvin, chief inclusion and diversity officer for Best Buy and a keynoter at Ecommerce Operations Summit 2021, talks about how his charge aligns with the company's labor management strategy. The post How Best Buy Approaches Hiring and Staffing Challenges appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

There has been a steady proliferation of autonomous mobile robot makers. This while demand has grown for AMRs in order fulfillment, as ecommerce booms and labor is tight. But can different warehouse robots play nice together? Two members of a standards group explain how it's happening in this MCM CommerceChat podcast. The post Driving Toward Interoperability for Warehouse Robots appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

In our latest MCM CommerceChat podcast, Liz Armbruester of Avalara, and Kevin Permenter of IDC provide an update on the ecommerce taxation landscape, three years after the landmark Wayfair decision. We also discuss the tax implications of the explosion in ecommerce, and how adding new sales channels equals new complexities.   The post 3 Years After Wayfair Decision, Issues Continue appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

As of July 1, the EU is updating how retailers calculate Value-Added Tax (VAT) when selling goods into member countries. This extends a 2015 change to include low-cost ecommerce goods under 22 Euros. Peter Boerhof of Vertex helps us better understand the implications for sellers in our latest MCM CommerceChat podcast. The post Breaking Down New EU VAT Changes appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Amazon has revoked the 200-unit limit for new FBA sellers and changed how it assesses sellers' storage limits. New sellers can start with 500-1,000 units depending on their storage type. It also now subject all sellers to new restock limits. Eytan Wiener, CEO of Getida and a former Amazon power seller, helps us break down the changes. The post Relaxing of Amazon FBA Storage Rules, Explained appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Based in Brooklyn, NY, ecommerce crafts marketplace Uncommon Goods has been tested automated SMS campaigns, including for retargeting. Brian Hashemi, head of marketing and analytics for Uncommon Goods, talks about how the company is testing and learning with its SMS/email mix and working to increase personalization. The post Uncommon Goods Steps Up Its SMS Marketing Game appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

A study last fall by Omnicom showed a drop of those professing to be brand loyal, from 65% in March to 49% in November, with the pandemic, social issues and product pricing and availability as driving factors. Allan Levy, CEO of Alchemy Worx, joins our MCM CommerceChat podcast to talk about guarding against loyalty erosion in 2021. The post Keeping Brand Loyalty as Eyes Wander appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Last week Amazon spent $131 billion for a 19.5% share in ATSG, which operates aircraft it leases. And many believe Amazon Logistics is looking to restart delivering non-Amazon volume from its shippers. So what is up with all this activity and investment? We talk with Kiri Masters of Bobsled Marketing about the pieces that are in place. The post Amazon Logistics: Ready for Prime Time? appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

While there may not be as many women buying drills and crosscut saws at Home Depot these days, it appears that men and women have a lot more in common these days in terms of shopping preferences. Rodney Mason, CMO of daVinci Payments, breaks down the implications for marketers in the latest MCM CommerceChat podcast. The post The Shrinking Gender Gap in Shopper Preferences appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

With Amazon announcing that CEO Jeff Bezos is stepping down in Q3 from day-to-day management of the company he founded in 1994, what will change? Will the well-oiled flywheel continue to spin? We address all this and more in the latest MCM CommerceChat podcast with our guest, James Thomson of Buy Box Experts. The post Talking Jeff Bezos Departure with an Amazon Alum appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Amazon has had a problem with "brushing" on its 3P marketplace, where unscrupulous sellers boost star rankings by loading up listings with irrelevant, bogus reviews. What is Amazon doing to counteract this practice? How widespread of a problem? Chris McCabe, a former investigation specialist at Amazon, helps us understand. The post Fake Reviews and Brushing on Amazon appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Cyber Weekend 2020 presented yet more evidence of the the monster that is mobile commerce: 40% of Black Friday sales were from smartphones, Adobe said. As mobile apps going hand-in-glove with this phenomenon, we talked to Lexi Sydow of App Annie about mobile app trends to follow in 2021, including TikTok and livestreaming. The post Mobile Apps in 2021: TikTok, Ad Spend and Livestreaming appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

Whether we see a reduction of the pandemic in 2021 (hold breath here), the retail landscape has been forever changed and omnichannel is locked in. How will retailers continue to adapt in a very challenging environment? We talked to Dave Cesaro, executive director of client strategy at Valassis, to get his thoughts on what to expect. The post Omnichannel in 2021: What to Expect appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.

The Online Merchants Guild is suing California's taxing authority for holding Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) sellers liable for back sales tax. The issue: Is inventory stored in California by Amazon, which in many cases the individual sellers many not even be aware of, taxable? Scott Peterson of Avalar helps us unpack the issue. The post Dustup Between California Tax Authority and FBA Sellers, Explained appeared first on Multichannel Merchant.