Big Retailers Share Holiday Fulfillment Features, Temu Tops App Store Rankings, and More News
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Christmas is just around the corner. For many, that brings a time of joy and relaxation. For others, it’s a frantic time when sales grow, but so does the workload. Last week, we talked about Uber’s latest innovations and Amazon’s formal complaint against Microsoft. This week, we’ll cover new fulfillment features of big retailers, Temu’s meteoric rise, and more. Let’s jump in.
Today’s news is 1,380 words.
Walmart, Amazon, and Target Share New Holiday Fulfillment Features
As the 2023 holiday season draws ever closer, the big guns in the web retail world are preparing for last-minute shoppers.
This week, major retail platforms have added various features to make the hectic purchasing before Christmas as smooth as possible.
So, what’s new? Amazon has added a new feature to its search results page. A new message stating, “Arrives before Christmas” will label all items that will be delivered to customers right in time for gift-unwrapping time.
Another capability they’ve added is a Santa’s sleigh icon to the map-tracking feature. With it, shoppers will be able to see where the delivery driver is once they get close to the drop-off point. According to the company, it’s the perfect solution for customers ordering a surprise gift.
Walgreens introduced free one-hour delivery for orders of $20+ during peak shopping moments around Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Target also promises one-hour delivery for customers who place an order via Shipt before 4 p.m. on December 24. The same goes for Walmart, which promises a delivery in two hours.
As for fulfillment cutoffs, most retailers announced digital order cutoffs to be at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
What does it mean for eCommerce sellers?
As you know, the end of December is always a busy period for retailers, and this year won’t be any different. With the major retail platforms offering express delivery and extended services around Christmas, you need to be ready to meet those expectations.
If you don’t want to spend Christmas Eve packing and shipping items from your warehouse, you should prepare for last-minute shopping in advance. Check out some of the best shipping and fulfillment tools available to help you out.
Big Retailer News
Temu Tops App Store Rankings and Threatens Amazon
Aside from holiday shopping, the end of Q4 also brings yearly reports and analyses that show us what the future might hold. One such report from this week shows us that Temu, a Chinese retailer, topped this year’s App Store ranking.
It’s the most downloaded free app on the App Store. While we can attribute this to the simple fact that Amazon users downloaded the American giant’s app for years, it would be shallow to disregard this news completely.
In fact, Temu has had a higher level of engagement than Amazon. We’re far away from Temu knocking Amazon off its perch. But, it’s something to keep an eye out for, especially given the fact that Amazon sees TikTok, another Chinese company, as a potential rival as well.
What does it mean for eCommerce sellers?
Competition between major retail platforms is always a good thing for eCommerce sellers. If you haven’t already, you should definitely consider adding Temu to your sales channels and see if you can make a profit there.
With the growth of the platform, it might be smart to get in there now before the marketplace becomes overly saturated.
MORE: Top online marketplaces in 2023
RELEX Solutions Discloses AI-Powered Price Optimization Features
Many believe artificial intelligence will have the same impact on our lives as the internet. While it’ll take years to see whether they’re right or not, it’s certain it will improve many aspects of business processes – online retail included.
One way we’ll be able to use AI is by automating processes and optimizing decision-making. The perfect example is RELEX Solutions’ new AI-driven price optimization capabilities.
RELEX Solutions is a company that focuses on helping consumer brands and retailers achieve profitable growth by improving customer satisfaction and lowering operating costs. They’ve collaborated with major brands such as AutoZone, The Home Depot, Dollar Tree, and PetSmart.
This week, they introduced advanced AI to their price optimization solutions. The key features include:
- Optimized price recommendations with a data-driven approach,
- Streamlined pricing process that adds to the transparency and clarity of the decision-making process,
- Flexible rule setting for different price strategies,
- Scenario testing to see the impact of price changes on various metrics, such as competitive positioning, sales, and margins.
What does it mean for eCommerce sellers?
The sooner we accept AI will be an inevitable part of running a modern business, the better. However, there’s a fine line between being open to new trends and jumping into an undeveloped environment and trusting software to do everything for you.
However, when a company like RELEX Solutions applies AI to their system, it’s a clear indication there are new, better ways to optimize your sales process and minimize operating costs. Even if you don’t plan to partner with RELEX, make sure to keep an eye out for similar solutions.
MORE: AI in retail
Also in the News
- Etsy axes 225 workers in a cost-cutting drive. Retail Gazette.
- TikTok Shop wants to beat Amazon at its own game. The Business Times.
International Retailer News
Amazon India Introduces AI-Generated Customer Reviews
It’s virtually impossible to go over eCommerce and business news without seeing a dozen AI-related news articles. It might be getting overwhelming, but this is not something successful retailers sleep on, and we won’t let you doze off either.
Amazon India launched AI-Generated Review Highlights. It’s a new feature in which AI writes a short paragraph to highlight a listing’s features and customer satisfaction. The algorithm goes through existing human-written reviews and summarizes the general sentiment.
Highlights will show up next to the product detail page. Kishore Thota, Director of Shopping Experience of Amazon India, claims AI-Generated Review Highlights serve to “empower customers with the information they need to make informed decisions.”
The AI model will use only trusted reviews from verified purchases, with the hopes of not letting spam reviews meddle with the trustworthiness of the feature.
What does it mean for eCommerce sellers?
Now, perhaps more than ever, it’s destructive to neglect the importance of a well-written listing and positive feedback. If you’re a retailer whose big chunk of profits comes from Amazon, it’s important to focus on customer experience and satisfaction.
With AI going through all reviews and summarizing them in an easy-to-digest format, you can no longer bank on the fact that most customers won’t go through thousands of reviews for each product.
TikTok Returns to eCommerce in Indonesia via Investment
In October this year, the Indonesian government banned online shopping on social media platforms, aiming to protect smaller businesses and the privacy of users’ data. This ban forced the social media platform to shut down its eCommerce service, TikTok Shop.
Evidently, this hasn’t stopped the Chinese company from entering the Indonesian eCommerce market, albeit in a different format.
The South Chinese Morning Post reports that TikTok has agreed to make an investment of $1.5 billion, acquiring 75.01% of Indonesia’s largest eCommerce platform, GoTo’s Tokopedia.
Tokopedia will merge with TikTok Shop (i.e., take over its operations) and gain access to 124 million TikTok users in Indonesia.
What does it mean for eCommerce sellers?
Indonesia’s eCommerce market is already a massive one, standing at $62 billion this year, with a report from Google, Temasek Holdings, and Bain & Co. showing that it will grow to $160 billion by 2030.
With TikTok bypassing the regulations and now becoming the major player in the market, it’s easy to see how you can benefit if you plan to enter the Indonesian online retail space. The social media platform will become a major sales channel for online purchases, and it’ll make it easier for eCommerce sellers to expand their customer base.
MORE: Three ways to be more effective at marketing your online store
Also in the News
- First European retail media report card highlights huge growth opportunities. Kam City.
- EU court rejects Brussels appeal over Amazon tax ruling. Fashion United.
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