Sustainability has become increasingly important for businesses over the years, with companies now focusing on creating more sustainable supply chains. A sustainable supply chain integrates environmentally friendly practices throughout the entire process, from sourcing raw materials to product delivery. It not only ensures that operations are environmentally friendly, but it can reduce costs and even […]
Shipping is an essential aspect of any retail business. Whether you are an online retailer or a brick-and-mortar with an ecommerce presence, it is important to find the balance between ensuring customers receive their orders on time and your bottom line. Finding the right method with so many factors to consider can be challenging. Let’s […]
Efficient inventory management is vital to any business’s operations. Demand for this software has nearly doubled over the past five years. There are many different options when it comes to managing products and the choice depends on your goals and the resources you have available. The goal is to find the right balance between buying […]
Join Wayfair and SalesWarp for a webinar event! SalesWarp is excited to partner with Wayfair for a webinar on the benefits of Process Automation and Order Management Software! Jason Savery, a Global Lead at Wayfair, will join Mary Tannous, VP of Enterprise Sales at SalesWarp, for this 1-hour event. Together they will walk through the basics […]
Wayfair – A Viable Marketplace? And How Can SalesWarp Help Wayfair Sellers? Over the past decade, consumers have changed the way they want to shop and merchants are trying to keep up. Shoppers fluidly search, compare, and buy from online stores, marketplaces, mobile apps, physical stores, and social platforms. As innovative technology aids their journey, […]
Let’s consider the challenges and opportunities that retailers face today. With the e-commerce industry growing rapidly, adding more online selling channels makes perfect sense to increase revenue. However, receiving, tracking and fulfilling orders that come from different sources like websites, apps or in-store, is quite challenging by itself. Add to that, managing and keeping track […]
It’s estimated that businesses can add 5% to their bottom line by automating how they manage returns. In this video, I share with you how SalesWarp’s integrated RMA, provides the flexibility needed to handle returns across all of your sales channels, from one easy to use platform. (#RMA, Returns Management, Refunds, Holiday Returns, OMS, WMS, […]
Arm your customer service agents with the real-time automation they need to meet customer demands, easily and consistently. SalesWarp’s integrated customer management operations solutions help boost employee productivity and makes it easier to designate and manage omni-channel cross-functional teams all in real-time. (OMS, CX, Customer Service Automation, CSM, CRM, CXM, Customer Service, Omnichannel sales, brand […]
SalesWarp’s centralized automated Order Management System comes with real-time visibility. With this year’s record-breaking boom in ecommerce sales, in this video, I cover how a centralized automated Order Management System (OMS) solution with real-time visibility can help provide the outstanding purchase experience that consumers demand. (OMS, RMA, CX, Real-time OMS, Sales Channels, Multi-Channel Selling, Ecommerce […]
SalesWarp’s seamless omni-channel customer management solutions It’s estimated that digital customer interaction will increase 40% in 2021. With customers demanding quick answers they demand, shorter wait times and exceptional customer experiences.
5 Tips On How To Fix Stock Outs / OOS (Out-Of-Stock). First, what is OOS (out-of-stock), also known as stock outs? OOS is what customers encounter when they are ready to purchase a particular product, only to find, its unavailable to purchase or out-of-stock. Even though the product was advertised in-stock and available for purchase, […]
Build Brand Loyalty & Avoid Stock Outs with SalesWarp’s (ATP) Available-To-Promise Inventory and Product Management solutions. In this video we cover how to do just that with our forward thinking, inventory tracking software which will give you loyal customers. stock outs, product management, backorders, omnichannel selling, out-of-stock
Automating OMS has never been so easy. In this video, I cover how automating your (OMS) Order Management System and Sales Channel Integration with real-time order and sales tracking capabilities can help sell more and manage less with SalesWarp’s Order Management solutions.
In this video, I cover how unlimited Product Attributes significantly influences buyers. SalesWarp’s Product Management software provides extensive product catalogue capacity with the ability to add unlimited product attributes and product descriptions (d2c brands, b2c product sales).
In this order management system overview video, I cover how SalesWarp’s centralized Dashboard makes Warehouse Management, Inventory Management, Product Management, Workflow Management, Sales Channels sales, Commerce Operations, Enterprise Operations and much more, easier and all in real-time.
This year the National Retail Federation is predicting retail sales will soar to more than $4T. The NRF also forecast ecommerce sales will grow between $1.4T and $1.9 in sales. With the number of transactions increasing, businesses will need more than crossed fingers and spreadsheets to process orders and keep up with customer demands. 2020, […]
While this year has been one of constant change and challenges, we find it inspiring to see how companies are adapting in the face of adversity to help their customers, employees and communities as a result. Here are a handful that are Adapting and Thriving! The Clorox Company Source: The Clorox Company The Clorox Company […]
Our nation needs more critical supplies to stop the spread of Covid-19, we need this urgently for our medical staff, first respondents, care givers and all others who cannot isolate themselves during this crisis. Beyond this first wave of need, we also need these critical supplies to help our citizens return to work, schools or […]
The SalesWarp team is proud to announce our latest partnership with leading warehouse management innovator, QSSI. Our companies have completed a joint implementation for a Fortune Top 10 Online Retailer and have proven that our products and services can exceed the expectations of the largest enterprise companies. This partnership combines the power of SalesWarp’s OMS+ […]
Did you know over half of retailers don’t track their inventory? In fact, over 46% of businesses don’t even use a manual method of managing inventory amounts. Businesses are continuing to miss out on potential sales by not centralizing their inventory. Inventory is the driving force behind a company’s success. You don’t want to lose […]
For years, there has been a growing decline in sales at traditional brick-and-mortar retail stores. Popular stores like Gap, Chico’s, and Charlotte Ruse are closing a large number of their brick-and-mortar stores based on consumer changes. Shopping online isn’t something new but a lot of customers are starting to value convenience over shopping in physical […]
It’s hard to avoid the cost of returns. Maybe your customer’s recently purchased shirt didn’t fit how she’d like or another customer had to cancel an order that had a delayed delivery. Sometimes these situations can be out of your control but having too many returns can create a nightmare for your business from diminished […]
Memorial Day is nearly here! The kick-off for the summer season means many businesses are launching their seasonal sales and marketing strategies. Many sellers plan on dropping their prices over 70% during Memorial Day, so it’s important for your business to create a winning strategy. It’s important to learn the importance of Memorial Day when […]
The key to unlocking the rewards of selling internationally can quickly transform a small brand into a household name. Online clothing store, ASOS, is currently listed in Forbes Top Five Innovative Growth Companies due to their winning strategy for international markets with over 60% of their business coming from outside their London-based headquarters (Webinterpret). ASOS […]
Building brand awareness for your e-commerce store isn’t a walk in the park. Reaching your target niche and creating a following of customers may take time and many strategies before seeing growth. Social media provides limitless opportunity for brands to reach potential customers and create a unique customer experience. As we become a more content-driven […]
Getting lucky in e-commerce doesn’t mean sticking with one strategy forever. As technology continues to change the way we shop, it’s important to keep up with the latest strategies in e-commerce. Online retailers can take advantage of optimizing their sales channels based on changes in consumer behavior. Start feeling lucky on Saint Patrick’s Day with […]
Buying online and picking up in-store, or BOPIS, is quickly becoming a new trend for retailers with brick-and-mortar stores. Businesses are constantly finding more ways to provide faster fulfillment methods to satisfy customer expectations by integrating digital and traditional shopping experiences. According to Invesp, over half of online shoppers say they have picked up an […]
Only 11 percent of millennials plan on making their next purchase in a physical store (Lexington Law). With mobile shopping on the rise, marketplaces like Amazon, Poshmark, and eBates have become popular with millennials who are known to value convenience in online shopping. This new generation of ‘influencers’ value the shopping experience over all else. […]
The race to keep up with customer demands and competitors is a constant cycle for e-commerce businesses. Organizations with traditional ERP systems face limitations anywhere from inaccurate data, less flexibility for customizations, and poor performance. These limitations often lead to a loss of revenue from bad customer experiences from outdated systems. Cloud ERP systems have […]
The beginning of the New Year is the perfect time to start fresh with your e-commerce strategy. Whether your business is continuing to soar or you have just sold your first product, creating a new strategy should always be your first priority for the beginning of the New Year. Sales don’t have to end after […]
The holiday season is right around the corner! Is your store prepared for the holiday rush? Without the right tools for your store, you can risk losing revenue and customers with just one bad experience. Here are five quick tips that are guaranteed to increase your holiday sales this year! Offer accelerated Shipping Offering […]
The U.S postal service recently announced its 2019 rate change which will come into effect January 27, 2019. The impact may affect some sellers over others depending on the type of package being sent, the distance, and what services are used. Here’s a highlight of the major price changes that can impact your store: First-Class […]
Most B2B businesses are increasingly looking at ways to leverage online commerce to become more efficient and streamline their sales. That’s why SalesWarp partnered some time ago with Zoey, a SaaS-based eCommerce solution that makes it easier to transact online. Zoey has long provided the tools to build a complete eCommerce website, but some companies […]
Don’t scare your customers away with these e-commerce nightmares this Halloween! We’ve come up with a list of terrifying situations that can pop up during the holiday season and how you can avoid them. Take a peek if you dare… Overselling During Cyber November It’s the first Monday after Thanksgiving which means Cyber Monday is […]
It’s that time of year folks. No, not the time to hit the gym for your New Year resolution. It’s time to get prepared for new changes coming to e-commerce. Ever since Amazon emerged in 1994, e-commerce has constantly revolved around new technology and even stronger customer expectations. As we shift toward the end of […]
We are excited to launch the latest major series in the SalesWarp family with the release of version 4.1! Our new Series 4 runs faster than ever with more features and flexibility to elevate your sales growth, manage operations, and improve delivery performance. The modular redesign of Series 4 brings a multitude of new features […]
SalesWarp is proud to announce their partnership with coolpetstuff.com. Cool Pet Stuff has made a niche in the pet products market by stocking hard to find pet items and specializing in professional and collegiate sports teams jerseys, collars, bandanas, and other sports team themed items for pets. Cool Pet Stuff stocks the majority of […]
SalesWarp has recently had the pleasure of taking on a new client: Caroline’s Cakes, based in Spartanburg, SC. Perhaps you’ve heard of them? If you haven’t, be sure to check them out online at Caroline’s Cakes Website One thing that really has stood out throughout the implementation period, is Caroline’s Cakes devotion to their customers. […]
Get ReportTotal Retail’s Top 100 Omnichannel Retailers Total Retail released an inaugural report for 2017 ranking the Top 100 Omnichannel Retailers. The purpose of the report is to provide insight to help retailers get a better understanding of the shopping experience and services that shoppers expect. The report defines omnichannel retail by scoring publicly traded […]
The SalesWarp team is excited to announce our official, certified integration with Avalara. Avalara provides cloud-based sales tax compliant services that are fast, easy, and affordable to businesses of all sizes. The SalesWarp / Avalara partnership provides a completely integrated order and sales management solution that is completely tax compliant. This integrated solution allows retailers […]
GUEST POST BY ROBERT RAND, SVP RAND MARKETING Whether you’re targeting B2C or B2B sales, there are a wide range of digital marketing campaigns that you can leverage to attract the right shoppers to your ecommerce store. Regardless of seasons and holidays, it’s always a good time to step back and evaluate your options for […]
It may seem premature to discuss holiday preparation. However, retailers who have survived previous holiday seasons know that it’s never too early to prepare for the busiest time of the year. Strategic planning is crucial for the holidays, considering that the holiday season represents as much as 30 percent of annual sales for many retailers. […]
GUEST POST BY JOSHUA O’CONNELL, VP OF PARTNERSHIPS ZOEY As your business grows, the amount of data and number of processes that must be managed grows as a natural outgrowth of your increasing sales. There’s more inventory to manage, more customers to communicate with, more items being shipped to customers, and so on. That means […]
It’s safe to assume that today’s consumer has never heard the term ‘omnichannel’, and if they have, they probably don’t care what it means. What they do care about is having access to what retailers refer to as omnichannel services – a seamless shopping experience between multiple channels, next-day shipping, in-store pickup options, convenient returns, […]
Last Tuesday (August 1), Amazon sent out an email to Amazon sellers regarding a change in the returns process effective October 2, 2017. This email notified self-fulfilled marketplace sellers (those sellers that do not use Amazon’s FBA services) that processed orders will be authorized automatically for return. In addition to the “automatically authorized” returns policy, […]
SalesWarp and Zoey Reduce Complexities for Multichannel Retailers by Providing Combined Easy-to-Use Solution BALTIMORE, MD – Today, SalesWarp announced a new managed service that combines its advanced order, fulfillment, and operations management platform with Zoey’s ecommerce services. Together, SalesWarp and Zoey create a powerful, easy-to-use, end-to-end ecommerce and marketplace solution that is available to new […]
GUEST POST BY JESSICA THIELE, MARKETING MANAGER – VL EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) has a stronghold in the technology world, and has since its inception. Still in wide use today as a crucial data touchpoint between supply chains, brick-and-mortar stores, order management systems (OMS) and more, EDI is a critical component in moving data and […]
The competition between retail giants like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart continues to heat up. At the same time, sellers on each of those marketplaces also face increasing competition. Walmart has over 110 million unique visitors per month, and that number continues to rise as Walmart marches towards Amazon levels. Walmart’s growing marketplace presents a huge […]
GUEST POST BY ROBERT RAND, CTO RAND MARKETING If you’re a manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, or are focusing on selling business-to-business, you may have noticed that finding an eCommerce platform that’s natively ready to meet your needs is not easy. Most shopping cart softwares have been built with retail business-to-consumer uses in mind. That’s why in […]
What is ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and Why is ERP Software Important? The acronym ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning. It refers to the systems and software packages used by organizations to manage day-to-day business operations such as project management, product management, manufacturing, procurement, sales, and accounting. ERP software integrates the various systems associated with […]
As customers expect more from their shopping experiences, retailers need omnichannel solutions that can deliver a consistent omnichannel experience. Retailers must alter their business strategy from a siloed channel approach to a centralized commerce focus. But delivering a true omnichannel shopping experience is challenging. Retailers must integrate back-end and front-end processes and unify various channel […]
Data security has always been a concern for retailers. Even before the Target data breach during the 2013 holiday season, over 85% of retailers said that privacy concerns related to a security breach was a top concern. The Target breach already ranks as one of the worst data breaches ever. Why? Thieves stole massive amounts […]
GUEST POST BY FIT SMALL BUSINESS Before companies had the tools to easily collect business intelligence, executives made more decisions based on experience and expertise. Today, data and analytics are more accessible through advanced technology; however, few decision-makers understand the importance of referencing this data when making business decisions, what the data means, and how […]
SalesWarp Unifies Brand Experience for Active Ride Shop Customers BALTIMORE, MD – Active Ride Shop has deployed SalesWarp’s Omnichannel Order Management and Warehouse solution as the engine to power its growing business. The SalesWarp solution drives efficiency improvements for Active Ride Shop and provides a better experience for its customers. Established in 1989, Active Ride […]
As omnichannel becomes a top priority for retailers, businesses are offering more sales channels and fulfillment options to their customers. With omnichannel retail, inventory management becomes more complex – making it one of the greatest challenges retailers face today. And when it comes to order fulfillment, inventory management is only the beginning. Retailers also have […]
GUEST POST BY MICHELLE DEERY, HEROIC SEARCH Launching a new product in eCommerce requires a lot of labor. Your eCommerce business must find out what its customers want, develop a creative marketing plan, test the market, and most importantly have an effective strategy for when you finally launch your product. All vitally important factors that […]
Launching new products is important for business growth and continued success. However, there’s more to an effective product launch than just listing it on your online store or marketplace. Successfully introducing a new product to your online store or marketplace requires a significant investment of time and extensive planning. If you’re looking to grow your […]
Retailers Gain Additional Sales Channel to Drive Business Growth BALTIMORE, MD — SalesWarp, the retail industry’s premier provider of inventory, order, and fulfillment management solutions, today announced the latest release (3.0.8) of its cloud-based software. Key upgrades include new e-commerce platform integrations, additional marketplace coverage, expanded product catalog functionality, and enhanced fraud prevention. SalesWarp now […]
GUEST POST BY JASON GREENBERG, SENIOR CHANNEL PARTNER MANAGER, SPS COMMERCE Today, more consumers are making online purchases than ever before. This has sent ripple effects through both the retail industry and the supply chain. For some retailers, its meant closing physical stores or even going into bankruptcy. For others, maintaining profit margin means finding […]
SalesWarp is excited to announce our integration with Walmart’s online global marketplace! Our retailers can now sell on one of the largest online marketplaces in the U.S. and gain access to its loyal customer base. We are one of only a select number of solutions providers that Walmart is allowing to access its API and […]
History of Just-In-Time Inventory Management Long before eCommerce or inventory management software, businesses attempted to meet consumer demand by manufacturing surplus quantities of products and stockpiling inventory. They manufactured just enough inventory to satisfy anticipated demand or they heavily relied on their sales and marketing teams to generate more demand to sell the overstocked inventory. […]
The snow has melted, flowers are blooming, and Opening Day has passed. It’s safe to say that Spring has arrived, which means … tradeshow season is here! This year, the SalesWarp team is kicking off the season by participating in and exhibiting at Pitney Bowes’ inaugural, invite-only conference aptly named Retail (R)Evolution. We’re incredibly excited […]
Stamford, CT, April 20, 2017 – Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI), a global technology leader that provides innovative solutions and services powering anywhere-to-everywhere commerce announced today the launch of its Complete Shipping™ solution for partners and retailers to take the complexity out of managing the logistics of unified commerce solutions. With the Pitney Bowes technology, […]
Managing product and inventory data can get messy when selling on multiple channels. There’s data that comes from merchandise planning, your various suppliers, sales channels, forecasting, and kit building, and if you’re manufacturing your products in-house, there’s work-in-process data too. Eventually, all of this data (most likely stored in a spreadsheet) gets imported into your […]
GUEST POST BY ROBERT RAND, CTO RAND MARKETING Choosing a version of Shopify is all about balance. Your shopping cart software should fit into your business plans comfortably and logically. Every business has its needs, and you’ll want to select an eCommerce platform that will support your goals, while not sapping revenue that you need […]
GUEST POST FROM OUR PARTNER, BARCODING In the past three years, there has been a significant rise in the use of radio frequency identification (RFID). In a recent survey of 60 wholesalers and retailers with revenues exceeding $500 million in 2014, 34 percent of respondents said they were currently implementing RFID or had already done […]
One powerful benefit of using cloud-based software is that system updates are performed by our team, not yours. There’s no need for your IT team to install additional features, or perform upgrades – it’s all done behind the scenes as part of our regular maintenance. We notify and work with our clients before performing system […]
You’ve heard it time and time again: the world of retail is changing – fast. Ecommerce isn’t just a way to shop; it’s the way to shop. Omnichannel commerce is no longer an option; it’s a necessity. Fast shipping doesn’t mean 2-3 days, it means same day. Why? Modern retailers have limited control of what, […]
GUEST POST BY JOHN DAVIS, CEO OF NOTICE AND COMMENT (N&C) Many retailers are aware of the value in mining “structured” data from business spreadsheets, to obtain useful intelligence about their operations and customers. Fewer are familiar with the wealth of insights to be elicited from “unstructured” data such as email and social media, using […]
Increasingly, retailers are purchasing Order Management Software (OMS) on a Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) basis. Rather than purchasing software to install, or additional hardware to support it, customers subscribe to a SaaS offering. This eliminates the expense of hardware acquisition and maintenance, as well as software licensing, installation, and support. Retailers buying a SaaS solution also benefit […]
GUEST POST BY NIGEL STEVENS, SEO & CONTENT MARKETING, BIGCOMMERCE Deciding that it’s time to choose a new ecommerce platform is no small undertaking. This is your business we’re talking about here, and the platform it’s built on has a significant impact on not just your day-to-day activities, but your overall well-being. If you’re thinking […]
Successful retailers know that quality customer service is a necessity. They value the truth of this quote from Steve Jobs: “You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backward toward the technology – not the other way around.” These retailers understand the importance of easily verifying – and restocking – inventory with few […]
2016 was an eventful year. Amazon made their first drone delivery, Macy’s CEO resigned, and Wal-Mart bought Jet.com for a record-breaking $3 billion dollars. It was a big year for retail, and a big year for SalesWarp too. The SalesWarp team attended NRF’s Big Show, IRCE, and Barcoding’s Executive Forum, came out with our 3.0 […]
U.S. e-commerce sales reached $396 billion in 2016, and are predicted to grow to a massive $684 billion by 2020. According to Forrester Research, “more brick-and-mortar-focused retailers are stepping up their online game and increasing the percentage of their sales that come from online channels, and Web-only retailers have been growing at an impressive clip, […]
GUEST POST BY RYAN GILMORE, MARKETING MANAGER – ZOEY We’ve just started a new year and I’m willing to bet you have some pretty big resolutions related to your business. Q1 is a great time to evaluate strategies for improving operational efficiency, reducing your operating costs and growing your sales. It depends on how your […]
Ready to jump on the omnichannel bandwagon? It’s not too late to join! Omnichannel is all about providing your customers with a seamless brand experience – regardless of channel. Retailers have a lot on their plates, including order, inventory, and shipping management. The work load explodes once a retailer begins to sell on multiple channels. […]
After a record-breaking holiday season – consumers spent more than $12.8 billion on online sales – retailers are still in holiday mode that doesn’t end until early March, when holiday returns finally end. A drawn-out returns process can poison the customer experience and the bottom line. Putting returns back on the shelf promptly is a […]
GUEST POST BY ROBERT RAND, CTO RAND MARKETING In the early days of E-commerce, many merchants found that just by being among the first businesses to sell online, they could enjoy great long-term success. As the years have passed, and as the volume of digital storefronts continues to rise, it’s become increasingly important to have […]
An advanced order management system is now the new retail imperative. But what exactly is an order management system? An order management system is primarily designed to enable a business to execute orders they receive in an efficient and cost-effective way. It becomes the backbone of your multi-channel retail operation and the driving force that […]
GUEST POST FROM OUR PARTNER, BIGCOMMERCE Click, click, click: that’s the sound of another successful purchase. From a consumer’s point of view, we are in the golden age of retail. With just the click of a few buttons, shoppers have infinite possibilities on what they can ship directly to their door, meaning more freedom—and motivation—than […]
Q: What’s your advice for a multi-store retailer who’s looking to replace their legacy retail management software? A: Your customers expect an omnichannel experience – the ability to browse all channels, including retail, website, and mobile. Often, legacy systems have difficulty scaling. Most of these legacy systems possess limited and restrictive integration methods; as a […]
Retailers – if you’re managing inventory from a spreadsheet, we can guarantee that you won’t be having sweet dreams of Sugar Plum Fairies this holiday season. Sure, it might make sense for a small business to use a spreadsheet when first starting up – it’s inexpensive and easy to use for retailers with low order […]
As the retail industry grows and changes, it’s imperative retailers keep up with fundamental marketplace shifts. One such key marketplace dynamic is omnichannel retailing. Omnichannel retailing means providing a seamless, continuous customer experience across any device or location a customer wishes to shop from. Customers now expect, even demand, a seamless and consistent shopping experience […]
Everything you love about our SalesWarp advanced order management software is now even better with our 3.0.0 release! This is one of our biggest releases to date. We’ve completely refreshed our user interface design, providing greater consistency and easier readability across all pages. This update boasts a lot of general performance and stability improvements. We’ve […]
Now that it’s October, the holiday shopping season has officially begun. The foremost goal for any retailer is to make it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for, as well as find complementary products across categories and channels that lead to a happier shopping experience for customers. Today’s omnichannel environment is making it […]
The month of October brings sweater weather, pumpkin spice lattes, football season, and last but not least, Barcoding Inc.’s Executive Forum. The sixth annual event, held at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on October 6th, is an opportunity for leaders within the supply chain and mobile technology industry to connect, in order to share best […]
As online shopping accounts for more and more of total consumer holiday spending with each passing year, the need for merchants to successfully manage product inventory, order, and fulfillment operations intensifies right alongside. For many retailers, it’s make-or-break time, and for most of the rest a strong holiday sales performance means the difference between a […]
The summer buzz has been hot, and it’s not cooling down as we head into Fall at SalesWarp! Our collaboration with client Zumiez was highlighted by several industry trade publications including RIS News, NRF, and Chain Store Age. In June, we increased our industry reach by exhibiting, hosting the mCommerce Mixer with Shopgate, and speaking […]
If you want to know how good the tacos are at a particular food truck you pass by every day — without shelling out the money and taking your chances first – chances are good you might check out the buzz on a customer review site like Yelp. Why not, right? It only makes sense. […]
It has been a busy and buzzy month! Our developers are hard at work putting on the finishing touches to our newest release, which we will be showcasing at next week’s Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition (IRCE), June 7-10 in Chicago. Expect to see new reporting tools that will take vital business data within the […]
There are many things that an all-inclusive, omnichannel retail management program can do to make running your business easier. From simplifying the steps you need to take to complete orders to helping you find the best deal for your shipments, multichannel management software can save you a lot of time and energy. The right management […]
You’ve worked hard to develop a specific mission and style for your online shop. As a retailer, your brand matters – it’s what connects you to your customers and provides the consistency that they look for when they shop with you. Clients come back because they like the experience you’ve provided and they trust that […]
The best way to simplify shopping processes, and therefore improve your customer experience, is to unify every step of ordering with a fluid design and an all-encompassing order management system.
Retailers can improve their workflow - and consumer's experiences - by streamlining their shipping and inventory management.
As the business expanded, BillyTheTree experienced growing pains. Like many retailers, the business struggled to find a balance between increasing online sales and declining retail margins. By 2013, the company had reached a critical juncture. The business lacked a centralized, automated system to push out product and inventory updates to its various sales channels. Weber […]
The third part of the SalesWarp 2.9 Release blog series highlights multi-channel fulfillment with Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA). If you are a seller on eBay, or sell products through your own branded website but don’t want to go through the hassle of managing fulfillment internally, you may have considered or are already using FBA. Fulfillment […]
As a small online retailer, you know that gaining exposure to more customers can make a significant difference in how well your business does. The advent of the omnichannel shopper, new online marketplaces to sell on, and even click-and-collect, has not made it any easier to do so.
Selling on multiple shopping channels can be tricky, especially if you have to manage them separately and, in many cases, manually. If you're evaluating eCommerce solutions, make sure they provide the following functionality.
We are excited to announce the release of our new order management extension for Magento, SalesWarp Order Manager, now available for download (for FREE) from the Magento Connect Marketplace to retailers using the Magento Community Edition. Retailers know that order and inventory management is critical to running a successful online business. Using SalesWarp’s Order Manager […]
Use the steps below in order to check your Magento Store Version. Now why is this important? Well, like every extension, our SalesWarp Order Manager for Magento supports specific versions of Magento Community Edition. To see which versions we currently support, check out our Magento Connect listing. Here is your 2-step process for checking your […]
Multi-location inventory tracking is designed for retailers with their own internal warehouse. One major challenge SalesWarp 2.9 has addressed is figuring out where inventory is at all times. Is your inventory in transit to be fulfilled by Amazon (FBA)? Is it sitting in the corner of your warehouse as backstock? Are there too many items […]
Avoiding these missteps will help your new omnichannel market thrive.
As a retailer, you've likely been there before - an eager customer places an order on your website, wanting their product to come in as soon as possible. You go to have their order pulled from your inventory to ship it out, only to struggle to find the product, or find out that your courier is unable to meet the timeline you've promised.
You asked and we listened! For retailers looking for multi-vendor eCommerce software that will make it easier to manage inventory across multiple vendors, this update is for you! We have packed 7 new features into one BIG release to transform the way you manage inventory from dropship vendors and replenishment vendors. One of the biggest […]
Happy New Year Retailers! I don’t know how busy your holidays were, but we have been busy putting the finishing touches on our latest software release. Why you ask? NRFs BIG Show, that’s why. At NRFs BIG Show 2016, we will be introducing new in-store fulfillment tools that deliver powerful order routing logic and an […]
We are very excited to announce the launch of our newly redesigned website. What you’ll see is a focus on a cleaner, more modern design, easy-to-navigate functionality, and a content-rich experience.
Have you started your own online business? Do you have trouble managing products, orders or inventory? Are you selling on Amazon and eBay? If you answered ‘yes’, are you overwhelmed trying to keep up with the demands of selling on these channels? SalesWarp helps retailers like you manage multiple marketplaces (and your own website) – […]
How synchronized inventory, consolidated data and complete customization led to 300% growth and a platform to “DREAM BIG”
Shipping is a critical component to a retail business, especially when selling online. As an online retailer, you know this. To reach new customers and to keep current customers happy, at times, you may have to absorb the cost of shipping. “It’s the cost of doing business,” you say. So how can you ship smarter […]
A big focus of SalesWarp 2.8.1, has been on improving SalesWarp’s ease-of-use, performance and support. Two features in our latest release encompass just that with Zendesk and SendGrid integration. Zendesk Plugin Zendesk, a Customer Support Platform, is a tool used by SalesWarp to respond to software issues, questions, and feedback submitted by users. We’ve now […]
Major retailers and retail specialists warn that merchants unprepared for new payment technologies may fall behind this holiday shopping season, as recent changes to credit cards could slow down the checkout process for consumers. EMV chips are changing the way customers pay The more secure chip-based EMV cards are the payment card industry's attempt to tackle […]
According to a survey released by the National Retail Federation, consumer spending this holiday season will be up from last year in all categories, reaching the highest levels in the survey's 14-year history. Consumer spending this holiday season to increase Shoppers are anticipated to spend more than $800 during the holidays this year, with approximately […]
At the 2015 Shop.Org Digital Summit, we announced that with the latest release of SalesWarp 2.8.1, we now have a Bigcommerce store connector. Bigcommerce is a popular, cloud-based, eCommerce platform for fast-growing brands. These new features allow Bigcommerce users to update products, fulfill orders and process shipments from within SalesWarp.
Information can be used by retailers in a variety of ways, but offering data visibility across the organization is vital to omnichannel success. With retailers expanding to a variety of new channels, gaining information about customers and creating detailed profiles has never been easier. Yet at the same time, many merchants still are not using […]
Online has quickly become the primary retail channel for many sellers. The barrier to entry is incredibly low compared to operating offline stores, particularly with the advent of online marketplaces that allow retailers to sell their goods to wide audiences in a matter of clicks. However, an effective multichannel eCommerce approach is vital to the […]
Retailers often find themselves implementing new applications and solutions to respond to new needs and demands of their business. What they fail to realize or take into account is how these new solutions tie into their existing systems. In mange cases, these solutions either don’t communicate with their other systems, or are culled together in […]
One way that sellers are getting more out of their regular patrons is via “buy online pick up in-store” fulfillment options that drive customers into nearby physical locations. The reason this omnichannel eCommerce strategy works so effectively is that it extends the purchase window even further. If retailers simply fulfill online orders and deliver these […]
Just as the Internet revolutionized the commerce landscape, mobile devices are set to do the same to the omnichannel shopping experience. While online and brick-and-mortar stores are still the primary place of purchase for many customers, smartphones and tablets are playing an increasingly larger role in the shopping process, whether consumers are reading reviews of […]
For retailers, product recommendations may seem like a self-serving tactic – they want to offer relevant items to customers to garner more sales. However, as it turns out, customers also find product recommendations useful. One study conducted by marketing platform provider Listrak found that as many as 80 percent of customers find product suggestions they […]
The Internet of Things brought radical new changes to businesses across a variety of industries, and the retail sector is one of them. While there was a bit of hesitation when it came to integrating this technology, with some businesses not sure about how these tools would function or whether they would generate a meaningful […]
We’ve been hard at work on SalesWarp’s 2.8.1 release, and there are so many new features, we can’t even fit them into one blog post! For now, here are all the delicious updates we’ve made to managing products in SalesWarp. Check out the full release notes of all the 2.8.1 features and improvements.
Fall is in the air! Time for pumpkin-flavored everything and football madness. It’s the lull between Back-to-School and Holiday, aka the calm before the storm for retailers like you. It’s also time for Shop.org, the National Retail Federation’s digitally-focused arm, to put on their annual Summit and Expo. This year it takes place in Philadelphia […]
Progress is important for any small retailer, as merchants generally want to see their sales figures and customer bases growing and expanding.
While same-day shipping has yet to become the norm, more people are willing to pay extra to receive an item the same day they purchase it from an online retailer.
If Santa checks his list twice, retailers are going to want to check their calculations twice as well - UPS recently announced that this holiday season, the company will be penalizing retailers that cannot accurately forecast how much merchandise they plan on moving.
Marketplaces have become increasingly popular tools for retailers across a variety of niches and categories, ranging from electronics sellers to apparel specialists.
One of the greatest advantages of selling products online is the global reach retailers can acquire, provided they have the order fulfillment means to pick, pack and ship items effectively.
When it comes to retailers that sell high-end or luxury goods, data collection and customer information is even more important.
More retailers are using drop shipping than ever before to offer more products to customers than they could otherwise.
When it comes to peak shopping periods, the holidays are king but back-to-school is often queen for many retailers.
Earlier this week, a new online marketplace, Jet.com, opened the doors to its virtual showroom.
Earlier this month, Amazon announced the first-ever Prime Day, a shopping holiday devoted to Amazon Prime subscribers, who were treated to numerous deals.
A growing number of shopping holidays have cropped up over the years, including tax-free weekends and free shipping days.
A special report, from the editors of Internet Retailer, on a selection of IRCE 2015 exhibitors and the technologies and services they provide e-retailers Technology is at the heart of every e-commerce business, from the e-commerce platform that keeps a site up and running to the warehouse technology required to get an order picked, packed […]
In the past, retailers treated each channel as its own specific entity - an online site might as well have been managed by a completely different brand than the physical store.
While the 2015 holiday season may seem like it is a long ways away, the fact of the matter is that making any sort of improvements to the way merchants operate takes time.
Retailers are always looking for ways to improve the return and exchange process to not only serve customers more effectively, but also to reduce the costs of adding items back into circulation.
Most retailers are using a variety of systems and solutions to improve their operations and bolster efficiency.
The point-of-sale is no longer just a place where items are purchased and cash is stored.
Two-day delivery has become the new norm for many online shoppers.
Marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay attract a large number of prospective customers.
Amazon's Prime subscription service, which gives buyers numerous perks ranging from free two-day shipping to streamed content such as movies and music, continues to grow.
Competition is fierce in the modern retail market, and even the smallest of advantages can help merchants win customers from rival sellers.
Retailers often plan far in advance to prepare for key holidays and peak periods, such as Valentine's Day or "back to school" season.
Order fulfillment has always been a real challenger for merchants, but in an era where every retailer is trying to cut costs and consumer expectations have never been higher, it has become a paramount problem.
The retail industry has traditionally been a sector that changes rapidly, and that has never been more so the case.
Best Buy recently announced the company will extend its online marketplace to Canada, which will enable sellers to reach prospects in the country
Every person has their own unique terminology, which may be influenced by their parents, their geographical location, age or even gender. If you ask someone what they call an "MP3 player," some people may use the proper name. Others may call it an "iPod" (even if it is not that specific brand) or a music player.
One of the most disruptive trends in the recent years has been the adoption of cloud services.
The number of retailers deploying drop shipping to improve their operations and offer more inventory to customers is growing.
More retailers are using drop shipping to effectively increase the variety of products they can offer to their consumers.
A meeting of the biggest players in online retail is happening in Chicago this week at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition. With Internet Retailer anticipating attendance of nearly 10,000 people, IRCE Chicago represents a great opportunity to learn, network with others, discuss upcoming trends and promote your brand.
One of the growing trends observed in the retail industry has been the rise of marketplaces - shopping channels that allows all merchants to come together and sell goods on a specific website.
It’s been a busy and exciting year for SalesWarp since last year’s IRCE show in Chicago. With only a week left before IRCE 2015 kicks off, SalesWarp 2.8 is on the verge of being launched! So what have we been working on all this time? Well, for one, we have put a focus on simplifying […]
With the rise of the Web and better warehouse management tools, many merchants have begun carefully considering expansion into international markets.
If it has not become woefully apparent already, eCommerce is the way of the future for retailers.
Mobile devices have been a hot commodity in recent years, with the launch of the latest iPhone every year becoming almost a new holiday.
Everyone knows that selling online can be a significant boon to potential business.
Retail, and particularly eCommerce, are fast-moving business sectors in a variety of ways, ranging from best practices to the technology used to execute initiatives.
Amazon has provided many retailers with a significant opportunity to extend their reach and sell to more shoppers.
Retailers unanimously agree that system and channel-wide inventory visibility is key to their success and their ability to serve customers adequately. However, comparatively few retailers actually have the solutions in place that grant them this system-wide visibility, and even fewer are actively synchronizing inventory across all of their different channels. This impacts their ability to […]
Retailers are making greater use of eCommerce software and other solutions that give them unparalleled visibility into their inventory levels across all channels and more information about their supply chains in real time.
From personal experience, everyone knows how frustrating it can be to go to a brick-and-mortar store only to find the item you wanted is not in-stock.
It seems to me that when many retailers (usually small to medium) start looking for a back-end management system (what I’ll call it for now) to improve their operations, they seem to want to search for an ERP system. Why is that? An ERP system is typically NOT designed to meet the needs of today’s […]
Whenever someone buys anything nowadays they always check out multiple websites and local retail stores. Shoppers use every connected device they have to do their research; desktop computers, connected games consoles, smartphones, laptops and tablets. Personalized websites are particularly popular, with 55% of shoppers saying that it is easier to find interesting products on websites […]
Retailers have been capitalizing on drop shipping in droves.
Robin Weber started his jewelry website when he was 18, with $300 from selling his high school textbooks and from tutoring classmates. He now runs a multi-million dollar business. In 1996, at 10 years old, Weber, who grew up near Stuttgart, Germany, migrated with his parents to Belleair Bluffs, near Tampa, Fla. Born into a […]
Drop shipping has quickly become a top asset in the eyes of many retailers.
Many retailers are investing heavily in the omnichannel experience, however, for most sellers, it is still a learning process.
For a long time, many merchants were beginning to question the relevance of brick-and-mortar stores. While they remained an anchor of most omnichannel efforts, there is no denying that many customers were trending toward preferring digital experiences.
The best practices for inventory allocation have changed over the years, generally out of necessity as the nature of the omnichannel shopping experience has evolved.
Retailers are quickly realizing the benefits of using a common inventory pool for all channels, rather than allocating stock to specific channels.
While most customers do not know what goes on in retailers' warehouses, they can often tell how efficient merchants are at utilizing these storage centers based on how well the shelves are stocked and how long it takes them to receive an online purchase.
Retailers understand that mobile devices have quickly become one of the most common ways people consume media.
While drop shipping may negatively effect profit margins - retailers need to pay their fulfillment partners a cut of the sale - there is no denying it can be incredibly beneficial.
Order fulfillment is not a perfect practice, as much as merchants wish it were.
Order management systems bring a lot of value to the table for merchants, allowing them to simplify the way they deal with orders across all channels (digital or physical) and fulfillment locations (brick-and-mortar stores or warehouses).
Customers are increasingly using a variety of sales avenues to make retail purchases, from brick-and-mortar stores and direct mail catalogs to online websites and mobile apps.OK i
While retailers loathe abandoned shopping carts, many probably understand from personal experience why they happen.
Order fulfillment has quickly become both an art and a science, with merchants deploying both a number of creative practices and some cutting-edge technology to improve the way they fulfill customer purchases. In years past, a bit of ingenuity could go a long way in helping to get customers their purchases as quickly and effectively […]
Historically, the goal of retailers has been to adequately serve audiences.
The retail environment has changed so drastically in the last couple of years – many customers have come to expect delivery within two to three days, and in some cases the very same day. In the eyes of customers, speed matters. In order for sellers to meet these lofty expectations, they need to leverage order […]
While order picking may be a back-end operation, that does not mean the process cannot be felt elsewhere.
The price of goods has been on the rise for the past few years, ranging from food and drink to clothing and electronics.
If merchants want to maximize the efficiency of their order fulfillment process, the first thing they must realize is that not all orders are created equal.
Amazon's marketplace sellers have seen a tremendous amount of success in recent years, prompting many merchants to being selling their wares through the site.
Retailers can only sell what they have in stock, so running out of inventory must be avoided at all cost - with no product, there are no sales.
While the average customer may use a bevy of retail channels to make a purchase, that does not mean they view all of these different avenues as being unique.
Just because a customer is ready to make a transaction, that does not mean they have finalized their purchase.
The retail industry is thriving.
It comes as little surprise to merchants how customers are increasingly making purchases through websites.
One of the great perks of shopping online is the ability for retailers to customize shopping experiences around the interests of their customers.
Uber has taken the nation by storm, helping people get from point A to point B at a lower price point than they could previously.
Over the past week, a debate over the color of a particular dress has sparked much interest on social media platforms across the globe.
While some merchants have pushed toward unconditional free shipping as a way of wooing customers, others are simply offering the perk on purchases that cross a specific threshold.
Retailers understand the importance of offering items at a competitive price point. While there are numerous determining factors that impact whether people make a purchase with a seller, price is one of the more prominent variables.
Confidence is a key factor when making a purchase.
Customers are cost-conscious and always looking for a deal.
Omni Channel Pain Point No. 4 February 2015 Our pain point for February is one that we hear often from retailers, especially those selling on multiple channels: “I’m juggling inventory to avoid overselling a product.” The term ‘juggling’ is something you want to hear a clown say in reference to the bowling pins he’ll be […]
Drop shipping is a proven strategy being utilized by many merchants.
One of the biggest benefits of operating an eCommerce website is the fact that merchants are no longer confined by geographical proximity when it comes to reach and engaging prospects.
The weather in the cold, wintry months of the year has always been a factor for merchants.
Inventory is one of the areas where more genuinely is better.
Retail is an age-old business industry.
For many merchants, 2014 was an outstanding year in regard to their digital efforts.
Many retailers made it their goal in 2014 to continue to pursue an omnichannel retail environment.
Merchants were criticized in the 2013 holiday season for failing in the post-purchase process - many gifts just did not arrive when people expected them to, meaning Santa was a no show for some households.
Merchants across North America are likely preparing for one of the first consumer holidays of the 2015 year - Valentine's Day.
Fulfilling online orders was not always the complex challenge it is today.
People hate waiting. Whether it is for food at a restaurant, a program or movie to finish downloading, in line at a retail store or for a product ordered online, people get impatient quickly.
Many retailers like to think of the purchase as the final step of the sales process, but for many, it is but one single phase.
Whether merchants are based in North America and selling internationally to Chinese customers, are domestic retail entities or are planning to launch a marketplace in the region per the recent policy changes, the recent growth of sales encountered by some online stores can only bring good news.
When most people think about grocery shopping, the first thing that comes to mind is heading to the local store to buy the goods they need.
Many consumer product good brands, which include manufacturers of consumable products such as soap, paper towels, razor blades and other similar items, have traditionally been sold in physical stores just because of the nature of the products.
Several of the smartest minds and biggest names in the retail industry gathered at the National Retail Federation's Big Show and discussed a variety of topics and trends.
The customer comes first - or so many retailers claim.
Credit card companies bend head over heels to accommodate the needs of their customers, which is great for shoppers and credit card users.
SalesWarp attended the National Retail Federation’s BIG Show last week in New York. There are big trade shows and then there are BIG TRADE SHOWS. NRF was definitely the latter. With thousands of retail professionals flooding the area around the Javits Center and two full floors devoted to the EXPO hall, NRF was the biggest […]
Retail is, and always has been, a progressive industry driven forward by competition.
Marketplaces have not only become increasingly popular among smaller merchants, which are utilizing name-brand platforms such as Amazon to increase their reach, but also among the marketplace creators.
Traditionally, retailers have relied on getting customers into their stores (whether physical or digital) and making a purchase directly from them.
Each person is different and has their own unique preferences. However, a growing number of shoppers have increasingly expressed a preference toward making purchases online.
With millennials not only accounting for greater portions of the workplace but also increasingly accepting more responsibilities and prominent job titles, business-to-business organizations are making more online purchases.
If there was any ever doubt that people would continue to make more purchases online, the latest eCommerce report from IBM's Digital Analytics Benchmark should eliminate any second guesses.
Amazon has established itself as the bell of the ball in the retail world.
Effective order fulfillment has always been the cornerstone of successful eCommerce operations.
Mobile devices have radically changed the retail landscape.
The past 12 months saw the rise of unique challenges that many merchants conquered.
One survey from Shopper Approved polled more than 25,000 customers, asking why they purchased items online instead of in-store.
Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave this past year (or a crevice with James Franco in 127 Hours – a great movie by the way if you haven’t see it), you have definitely seen how retailers are continuously striving to deliver that omnichannel experience customers expect. With the rapid improvement of eCommerce platforms, channel […]
The 2013 holiday season was plagued with late shipments due to unexpected sales activity combined with poor weather conditions in the lead up to Christmas Day.
While many retailers would like to just assume that once a product has been sold to the customer, that is the end of the buying experience, returns and exchanges do happen.
The warehouse has become a pivotal part of omnichannel retail approaches.
While many retailers look at solutions such as inventory management and order management software as tools to help them operate behind-the-scenes more effectively, it is just as important to realize these solutions can help them improve customer-facing operations as well.
In an effort to save time and money, many merchants wind up selling products as kits.
The last two months of the year is a peak sales period for most North American retailers, with many making a significant chunk of their annual sales within this time frame.
Earlier this year, Google rebranded its same-day delivery service - now called Google Express - and rolled it out to more cities.
Most products that share the same SKU are identical, and there is no reason to differentiate them.
Warehouse and distribution center operations have only grown more pivotal in recent years.
In three weeks I will hop on a train in Baltimore, bound for New York and the National Retail Federation’s annual Expo & Convention. Nicknamed ‘Retail’s BIG Show,’ this is definitely one of the biggest and most influential gatherings in retail, known for hi-tech demonstrations and a bird’s eye view of where the industry is […]
Omni Channel Pain Point No. 3 December 2014 Omnichannel retailing…we’ve heard this term over and over this past year and it really comes down to one core deliverable…a seamless customer experience. But how do you begin to deliver this in an industry that has been turned upside down by technology, processes and, above all, by […]
Flash sale sites have gained a lot of prominence in recent years, with merchants such as Zulily enjoying a great deal of success through this medium.
Amazon, one of the primary shopping destinations for many North American consumers, announced it would be delaying deadlines to allow customers to make last-minute purchases, Internet Retailer reported.
Transportation costs money.
When one thinks of the term "marketplace," images of bustling tents and booths may come to mind, with merchants and shoppers haggling over prices like in the old days.
There is an exception to every rule, except for when it comes to the necessity of referencing exception reports.
With retailers such as Amazon boasting millions of marketplace sellers and billions of products sold over the past year, many merchants are looking to enter the fray. Marketplaces are attractive options on a number of different levels.
While it is easy to group different selling avenues, such as eBay, Amazon, Newegg, Rakuten and Sears, under the marketplace umbrella, doing so undersells just how different all of these channels can be.
The holiday season can be a trying period for many merchants.
Fulfillment by Amazon is a great service that allows retailers to offload many of the time-consuming tasks of order fulfillment by letting Amazon handle all the dirty work of picking, packing and shipping products.
Same-day delivery is a difficult offering for retailers to present their customers, given all of the complications associated with it.
For the longest time, retail operations were very siloed and departmentalized, with each channel and business team operating almost independently of each other, much like the mythical nine-headed hydra.
Omni Channel Pain Point No. 2 November 2014 Over the past year, product information management has become a common pain of retailers expanding to new sales channels. And not just B2C channels; B2B product management is one of the most complex areas to handle since retailers can be distributing to a wide variety of other […]
The shopping experience has quickly become a point of differentiation for many sellers.
The omnichannel revolution has turned into an arms race between many merchants, with retailers implementing numerous multichannel order management features designed to connect the online and offline shopping experience.
People have little patience for irrelevancy.
As of November 18, Amazon will be implementing restrictions that prevent some retailers from selling products in the online store's toys and games category.
While most people love the convenience of being able to shop online or through their mobile devices, having to wait and pay for shipping is one of the leading detractors of the digital shopping experience.
During the holiday season, consumers' budgets may run tight. In fact, one recent report from the National Retail Federation suggested the average person may spend upward of $804 this year, a 5 percent increase compared to expenditures for the 2013 holiday season.
There are several eCommerce solutions that, when implemented, will help retailers deliver omnichannel experiences to customers
The shopping cycle never ends. Whereas brick-and-mortar stores have finite hours, people shopping on the Web can technically make purchases whenever and wherever they want.
With the holidays right around the corner, many retailers are working on perfecting the shopping experience.
When retailers think of the holiday season, they may think of brick-and-mortar stores crammed with tons of shoppers, lines of people at the register and a full parking lot of potential buyers.
It may only be October, but for many merchants, the holiday season starts next week.
When discussing omnichannel retail efforts, it is generally in the lens of the consumer-facing merchandising landscape.
Inventory is essentially frozen capital.
If you have a smartphone or tablet, you probably know first hand that not every website is made the same.
For many retailers, the new point of contention is order delivery.
A recent podcast with Retail Solutions Online and Jeff Hedges, President of material handling at OPEX Corporation, provided insight into the hidden costs of automation in the warehouse.
Why do people choose to shop with a specific merchant?
The retail industry's investment in the holiday season is astounding.
Multichannel order software and other omnichannel tools have become commonplace in today's retail environment
Omni Channel Pain Point No. 1 October 2014 Over the past few months the SalesWarp team has been collecting pain points from retailers we speak to on a daily basis. Not just any pain points, but specifically pains they experience managing an online business, more specifically around delivering an omni channel experience. As retailers rise […]
For many customers, one of the biggest pain points of shopping online is actually receiving the product.
For many years, the retailer was the middleman who connected brand manufacturers to customers.
Many merchants have turned to offering subscription services as a means of bolstering sales and adding another revenue stream.
Recently, I was in Target shopping for a comforter. As I was buying two of them (one for each kid), I found that there was only one on the shelf in the size I needed. Before I could even look for an alternative or search my smartphone, a sales person came around the corner to […]
Although many retailers may not think of Halloween as being a peak shopping holiday, it increasingly has become one.
There was a time where being a United States retailer meant serving only local customers.
Last week the SalesWarp team returned from the Shop.org Summit, held in Seattle, Washington. With sunny, fall weather and multiple delicious meals at downtown restaurants, we all thoroughly enjoyed Shop.org’s 2014 location.
Internet Retailer recent published research detailing mobile conversion rates.
Retailers across the United States are going on and on about how important it is to provide services to their customers through a variety of different channels, spanning from offline stores to digital marketplaces and mobile apps.
Retailers have increasingly been engaging channels on new and unique channels.
It was not long ago that eCommerce solutions were often limited to the biggest and most successful retailers.
Over the past few years, eCommerce operations have gained steam with many merchants, who are beginning to realize the always-available nature of the Web makes for an attractive shopping channel.
Many retailers have begun offering their products on marketplaces such as eBay, as it enables them to extend their reach to new customers.
Some merchants consider other retail sites such as Amazon or eBay to be competitors - they are just another destination for customers to go to make purchases.
The 2014 holiday season is slated to be a big one, with a recent report from Deloitte suggesting overall sales will increase by as much as 4.5 percent from last year.
If merchants want to better understand the needs of their customers, they need to put themselves in the shoes of their shoppers.
For ages, the primary point of contention among merchants was pricing.
Retailers no longer need to be limited to reaching people in specific geographic locations.
Modern shoppers tend to utilize a vast number of channels to research, shop and purchase products. It is not unusual to see one person research a product on a retailer’s home page, compare prices on marketplaces and then finally buy the item at a nearby brick-and-mortar location. With that in mind, coordination across all of […]
One of the biggest differences between best-in-class retailers and the rest is the effectiveness of their warehouse operations.
The holiday season is so important to the success of any retailer.
There are hundreds of different shopping cart solutions out there, designed to serve any merchant with various needs.
If retail executives have paid attention to any industry tradeshow or conference in the past 12 months, they've likely heard of omnichannel eCommerce operations.
With the 2014 holiday shopping season right around the corner, order fulfillment has become a top priority for many merchants.
Over the past decade, many retailers have implemented omnichannel eCommerce operations, allowing them to reach shoppers seamlessly, regardless of where and how consumers shop.
Many merchants are expanding their eCommerce operations to include multiple channels, connecting their online and offline assets to better serve their customers.
Retail is a competitive sector, and the growth of eCommerce has only amplified that element.
Retailers can reach customers in any corner of the globe thanks to the Internet.
Retailers have always looked eagerly to foreign markets as a way to increase sales. In the past, such a bold move was generally limited to industry leaders such as Wal-Mart due to the huge expenses associated with opening new brick-and-mortar stores.
Personalization has come up in a number of different retail facets.
When many retailers think of third-party marketplaces, they think of the two big dogs in the picture: Amazon and eBay.
Implementing and deploying eCommerce solutions can be expensive, but over time, the cost has gone down significantly.
There is no doubt many merchants have realized the power of mobile devices as shopping tools, and have rolled out websites and apps that have been fine-tuned to serve on-the-go customers.
Online retailers have the very distinct advantage of being able to access a wide array of data and metrics.
Although many retailers have spoken excessively about the importance of embracing omnichannel shopping, that term in itself is rather ambiguous.
We’re excited to announce that SalesWarp ENTERPRISE is now FFC Verified as an Order Management System. What exactly does ‘FFC Verified’ mean? Given by FitForCommerce, a leading eCommerce consultancy, FFC Verification is a process that evaluates and validates eCommerce technology provider claims about their offerings. In such a rapidly changing industry, FitForCommerce seeks to establish […]
Shipping has quickly become a signature point of competition for merchants in online merchandising, with numerous retailers striving to not only offer free shipping, but speedy deliveries as well.
Retailers have a lot of options as far as online marketplaces are concerned, ranging from highly popular sites such as Amazon and eBay to more niche online stores such as Newegg.
Much like Amazon, eBay has established itself as one of the premier marketplaces that retailers simply have to use if they want to maximize their reach.
When most merchants talk about omnichannel operations, they generally refer to the implementation of mobile devices or offering in-store pickup to online shoppers.
Small retailers often start using inexpensive eCommerce solutions that let them serve their customers on a budget.
Last week I came across an ad for the Dollar Shave Club on Facebook and decided to take a closer look (first shave pun). Being a marketer and always on the lookout for new cool brands, the first thing that caught my eye was the graphics – the logo, the ad design, the clean look […]
The Internet not only changed how people shop, but also how many retailers handle their eCommerce operations.
Data has become core to the success of any merchant, and customer information is of the utmost importance.
Retailers have begun implementing omnichannel shopping experiences, allowing customers to shop from a wide breadth of different but equally relevant channels, ranging from brick-and-mortar stores to their smartphones.
Big data has taken over most industries, ranging from advertising to retailing.
Amazon has changed the way many retailers think about selling products.
Global expansion sounds like a daunting task and for a long time, it was something that only the largest and most successful retailers considered.
One of the longest standing challenges of selling products online remains shipping costs.
The retail landscape is changing rapidly and growing more complex.
Many online sellers are looking for new ways to improve their eCommerce operations, but perhaps the best way to reach more customers and improve revenue generation is to look offline instead of online.
Merchants are always looking for ways to improve the retail experience and encourage customers to make more purchases.
Mobile devices play an interesting role in eCommerce operations.
Ecommerce sites are by no means perfect, there are always opportunities for things to go wrong.
Although customers may perceive all the different online marketplaces (ranging from Amazon to eBay) as the same, they appear to be quite different from the perspective of the retailer. Each site has its own audience and niche, but even more importantly, its own specific requirements and specifications that retailers must meet in order to list […]
Many retailers are devoting so much time and resources into implementing omnichannel strategies that they are forgetting about one of the core pillars of retail: Customer service.
If you talk to any retailer about some of the bigger points of competition, shipping is sure to be a focus of conversation.
There has been a lot of debate lately about the merits of warehouse management systems and warehouse control systems.
When retailers think of the back-to-school shopping season, the first thing that comes to mind may be long lines at the register with screaming kids and annoyed parents.
As eCommerce and mobile commerce sales continue to grow, more and more retailers are trying to win a slice of the pie. Thanks to online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, and widely available ecommerce technology, starting an online retail business is easier than ever before. That also means it’s more competitive than ever. Let’s take […]
In a world of brick-and-mortar retail, being a niche retail store was a challenge.
Inventory management is one of the core functions of any retailer.
It’s a simple concept to understand – the more places merchants are available, the broader their potential reach. If all retailers have is a website, they won’t be able to engage people who shop at Amazon and other marketplaces, in physical stores, through mail-in catalogs, on the phone or through any other means. At the […]
A comScore report released earlier this year noted strong eCommerce growth in North America during the first quarter of 2014, which is good news for any merchant selling products online.
Retailers have access to a tremendous amount of information about their customers.
Buying behaviors are mysteries that many consumers are still trying to figure.
Retail is an industry that is constantly changing and what works for one online store right now may not work for a different brand later. {see above}
Customers are critical to the success of a retail business.
Retailers are increasingly using a broad number of channels to reach customers, ranging from eCommerce stores to online marketplaces. As such, product information management has become a top priority, because failure to create a centralized hub using product management software can affect the consumer’s shopping experience. In part one of this series, we talked about […]
The eCommerce platform powers everything behind online and offline retail operations.
Merchants extending their reach to a retail marketplace can achieve significant benefits, most notably by optimizing brand exposure.
Accurate customer profiles are important to sellers because they help with mission-critical functions.
Inventory management doesn't have to be a guessing game.
Successful retailers in the world of both B2C and B2B eCommerce need to be available to their customers through as many avenues as possible.
Creating product listings can be a significant challenge.
Omnichannel eCommerce operations open retailers to new opportunities, enabling them to reach more customers across a greater number of channels.
Shipping is an important part of any eCommerce operation.
One of the leading eCommerce trends has been the usage of multiple sales avenues to engage customers.
With merchants extending their reach across multiple channels, product information management has become a top priority. Failure to create a centralized hub for product information management can lead to major challenges. Disparities of product data between multiple channels could lead to a confusing shopping experience, resulting in a poor impression of the retail brand among customers […]
Shopping cart abandonment is a big problem for sellers.
Enterprise resource planning is a critical retail function. With the right ERP solution, merchants are able to reduce costs, improve productivity, better use their personnel and achieve other mission-critical objectives.
When retailers are looking to improve their operational efficiency, one of the first places they look is the warehouse.
Traditionally, customer service - in the context of the retail sector - takes place at a booth in the front of a brick-and-mortar store.
Retail marketplaces have become increasingly common, with big-names such as eBay and Amazon joined by smaller, niche marketplaces to offer sellers a number of different avenues to engage customers.
If there is any doubt regarding the importance of mobile eCommerce, a new report from Custora illustrates why smartphones and tablets must become standard considerations of online sellers.
Order fulfillment has become a top priority for many retailers, given the current omnichannel landscape of the industry.
It may seem early to start thinking about holiday sales, but after the struggles many merchants encountered last year, it's never too soon to consider the most lucrative time of the year for the retail industry.
Amazon has long touted the success of its Amazon Prime subscription service, which grants members free two-day shipping among a slew of other attractive benefits.
An eCommerce business starts with a great online store.
With the Internet increasing the reach of retailers by a considerable margin, the usage of warehouses has become imperative to the success of retailers.
A few weeks ago SalesWarp attended the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition in Chicago. We met with hundreds of retailers and asked them all the same question, “What is your biggest omni channel pain point?” The results provide unique insight into the variety of challenges retailers face today. Some of the top pain points reported […]
There are three different types of inventory retailers generally deal with: Fast-moving, slow-moving and non-moving goods.
Retailers need the ability to automate operational processes. With multiple sales channels, fulfillment locations and order steps, having the ability to design custom order routing rules to circumvent manual tasks becomes invaluable. SalesWarp ENTERPRISE has always offered retailers a way to create order routing rules by building custom order flows to match the needs of […]
Omni channel retailers need to be organized. The typical omni channel retailer sells on multiple sales channels (Magento, Amazon, eBay, Brick-and-Mortar) and fulfills orders from multiple locations (Warehouse, Drop Shipper, In-Store). With operations spread out over all these different areas, an omni channel retailer’s biggest asset is one system to manage it all. One system […]
SalesWarp is constantly adding new features and updating the interface of the SalesWarp system to make it easier for our clients to use and navigate. The newest 2.7 release of SalesWarp ENTERPRISE is now available to new customers, and existing customers have the option of adding the new 2.7 features. As part of SalesWarp’s Product […]
Most retailers acknowledge that new technology is playing a significant role in their everyday eCommerce operations.
The impulse buy is no new concept to retailers, however, the way new technology affects this breed of purchases may present some new challenges to merchants.
Shipping has quickly become the new battleground on which many retailers fight to come out on top.
Competition is fierce in the retail sector, with merchants fighting over everything from prices to service features.
Many retailers are investing heavily in new technology, from product information management to logistics software.
You can only sell products if you're reaching customers, which is no easy task in the modern retail landscape.
Last week several members of the SalesWarp team were in Chicago for the 2014 Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition (IRCE2014). We met with hundreds of retailers and asked them all the same question: “What is your biggest omni channel pain point?” We received great responses, ranging from inventory management to cross-channel product publishing. It didn’t […]
Many retailers get frustrated about high shopping cart abandonment rates, but it's important for them to realize that this is often an addressable concern that they can improve with enough time and effort.
However, offering customers a uniform shopping experience has become increasingly difficult due to the rise of multiple shopping channels.
The concept of a fluid, dynamic flow of inventory has quickly become an attractive concept to many retailers in recent years.
For young retail organizations, third-party marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay can be a significant boon to their eCommerce operations.
Whether you're a serial entrepreneur looking to launch an additional retail brand or a first-time merchant hoping to ascend from being an Amazon seller, establishing eCommerce operations is no easy task.
Online marketplaces present huge opportunities for retailers.
If you’re like us and you’re heading to IRCE 2014 next week, no doubt you’ve been busy preparing for your trip. If you’re retailer, you may be outlining your plans, figuring out what companies you want to visit that may have a solution to solve your eCommerce pains. At SalesWarp, we’ve partnered up with some […]
Not all eCommerce is the same. Traditionally, B2C and B2B eCommerce brands have possessed different strengths and weaknesses.
Merchants across North America have made integrating omnichannel solutions into their practices a top priority.
For many retail stores, the looming prospect of showrooming is worrisome.
Amazon is making moves once again to further redefine eCommerce operations.
Merchants are constantly on the lookout for ways to improve their operational efficiency.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems just aren’t cutting it for the modern eCommerce retailer. ERP systems are software packages that integrate data and related processes in a single space. They span a variety of business-specific functions, everything from inventory to finance.
The evolution of the retail supply chain in recent years is only natural considering the way in which retail channel management is actively changing.
These past few weeks SalesWarp has been busy preparing for the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition taking place in Chicago on June 10-12th. Last year’s SalesWarp team will be exhibiting in Booth 410 along with our newest member, Ali Walton, SalesWarp’s Social Media Manager. This time we are doubling our booth size to deliver attendees […]
If there was any ever question about mobile shopping, a new report from Branding Brand should dispel any concerns.
Order management is a complex process made extra challenging by the fact that retailers are dealing with more channels through which they sell goods.
Abandoned carts are an unfortunate reality of eCommerce operations. Sometimes, people just don't want to follow up with a purchase they've initiated.
Most retailers want to improve their interactions with shoppers, but without customer service metrics, that can be a challenge.
It's not uncommon to see the disclaimer "all sales are final" hanging on a sign in a brick-and-mortar store or in the fine print on an online marketplace.
Why do people go shopping where they do?
Retailers are well aware of the valuable insight digital information can bring.
Retail personalization has been a hot topic in recent years.
High-end specialty merchant Neiman Marcus recently announced significant organizational changes designed to help the apparel brand keep up with the changing face of the retail world.
To meet the needs of our client GearHead.com, we recently developed a new inventory management feature for SalesWarp ENTERPRISE that assigns a precise location to each product. GearHead, one of the largest online retailers of OEM and aftermarket parts for ATVs, motorcycles, snowmobiles and dirt bikes, manages a product catalog of over 1.5 million SKUs. […]
How things can change in just a few years. It seems like it was only yesterday that Apple launched the iPhone, yet over the past eight years, one simple device has forever changed the face of the retail industry.
The retail industry is changing rapidly. The rise of the Web and mobile devices have made it possible for shoppers to engage retailers regardless of where they are, whether in the comfort of their own homes, commuting or anywhere else.
Technology has been influencing the direction of the retail industry significantly over the past two decades, particularly with the rise of the Internet and eCommerce operations.
There are few industries as competitive as the retail sector. Merchants are always looking for ways to surpass their competitors by expanding their product offerings, adding new features, lowering costs, improving customer service, opening new stores, redesigning their websites or anything else they can do to gain an edge.
Over the past few years, smartphones have had arguably the biggest impact on the retail industry.
The supply chain became a central focus for many merchants in the midst of the economic recession.
Over the past few years, major retailers have been shifting more of their resources online.
Technology has changed the face of the retail landscape.
Most merchants strive to achieve repeat business
Inventory management has always been a difficult task for retailers, as it requires an immense amount of record keeping and forecasting to ensure they are always adequately stocked and prepared for what lies ahead.
Retailers now have far more points to engage prospective customers through.
Operational efficiency is the name of the game for many merchants.
With companies such as Amazon and eBay account for significant portions of annual eCommerce transactions in the United States, more big-name retailers are looking to join the race.
With the dawn of omnichannel retailing, customers have more options than ever before when deciding where and how to shop.
The Internet has greatly extended the reach of merchants, who can now sell products to customers in just about every corner of the globe.
With a bit of creativity and utilization of modern eCommerce solutions, merchants are quickly turning shipping - which has traditionally been viewed as a necessary expense by customers - into a nonfactor.
Amazon's got a pretty solid hold of the ecommerce market, but smaller retailers are optimizing their online and in-store strategies to gain a competitive edge.
With the growing popularity of online shopping, retailers need comprehensive ecommerce software that helps them to consolidate their marketing efforts.
Converting a purchase is the end goal of the sales process.
Gearhead.com offers 1.5 million SKUs, replacement parts for many brands of motorcycles, snowmobiles and recreational vehicles. And it often orders parts only when customers order them. Here’s how it’s automating that complex process. Gearhead.com LLC offers 1.5 million SKUs. But it only stocks best sellers, and orders other items when customers place orders on its […]
In the past, retail channels were solitary and operated independently of each other. Inventory offered through one channel was reserved for that specific channel, while customer information, sales data and other important metrics were generally also unique to that specific avenue.
When many merchants think of mobile eCommerce, they think of smartphones, designing apps and optimizing their websites for these devices.
Customer satisfaction is paramount to the success of any retailer.
When it comes to raising revenue, targeting the right consumers helps. For many retailers, affluent demographics are ideal - because they earn more annually, they also tend to have larger disposable incomes and can likely spend more at stores.
Managing inventory is key to the success of many retailers. How well they buy, sell and manage their stock can have huge ramifications on the success of their eCommerce operations.
One of the core challenges many retailers have traditionally struggled with is managing their inventories effectively and efficiently.
Yesterday, we published our first Q&A with Merchandising and Production Manager, Jill Kerr from luxury jewelry retailer, Kendra Scott. SalesWarp will be conducting interviews with a variety of retailers on a variety of topics depending on the person’s role at the retail company.
Merchandising is a key function for any brick-and-mortar retailer, and successful merchandising can make or break a retailer's sales potential.
The 2013 holiday season made one thing readily apparent: The convenience of shopping online is a significant boon, but only when orders arrive when they're supposed to.
Data is becoming an increasingly important facet of successful eCommerce operations.
SalesWarp recently sat down for an interview with Jill Kerr, the director of merchandising and production at Kendra Scott, to talk about the importance of accurate data and managing products across channels.
Many retailers, established merchants and fledgling brands leverage Amazon as a means to sell more products to a broader audience.
As the number of smartphones in the hands of customers grows, so too does the importance of leveraging these mobile devices as way to engage customers.
In part one of the eCommerce Software Flexibility blog series, I talked about how flexible order management software can help online retailers improve order management and their eCommerce operations. Flexible eCommerce software gives online retailers the ability to configure automated tasks to perform tasks that meet their specific business operational needs. When an online retailer is managing inventory stocked […]
Retailers can have the perfect website, the right eCommerce solutions, great marketing and responsive customer service, but if they aren't selling the right products, these other factors won't matter.
When many retail executives think about improving the bottom line, they think of different strategies to drive sales.
During the 2013 holiday season, major retailers and online merchants tripped head over heels to launch sales and give their customers the lowest price possible.
A Baltimore e-commerce software provider has received $500,000 under the state’s InvestMaryland program. SalesWarp, founded in 2009, will use the funding to grow its line of products including its Spark product which that offers e-commerce management through cloud hosting. The company currently has 12 employees and plans to double that number by the end of […]
It may have seemed five years ago that the iPhone was a novelty item for tech-savvy millennials and affluent people.
With emerging regions gaining greater access to high-speed Internet, the potential audience for online retailers continues to grow.
The 2013 holiday season was generally successful for retailers, with several industry organizations reporting year-over-year increases in sales across platforms - online, mobile and brick-and-mortar.
Despite many analysts claiming the recession is over and asserting that the economy is making a grand recovery, customers still seem to be thinking twice before making any big purchases.
Many merchants understand the value of an eCommerce platform, as the right one allows them to improve their operations quite significantly and tackle complex challenges such as inventory and order management more seamlessly.
Retailers have long placed a priority on securing repeat customers.
Retailers often rely on third-party logistics providers to fulfill their end of the bargain in order to get purchases to customers in a timely fashion.
Customers are increasingly using their mobile devices for a variety of activities related to shopping, from product research and conducting transactions to simply finding nearby brick-and-mortar locations.
Flexibility is one of the most sought after benefits when an online retailer is looking for eCommerce software to fit their business. Conforming ones business to a standard, cookie cutter structure can be detrimental to competitive advantage and how a business is able to deliver service expected by its customers.
Electronics giant Best Buy recently released its holiday earnings report, which ended on Jan. 4.
When retailers talk about points of competition, the first thing they often think about is price.
Merchants making use of third-party marketplaces such as eBay may want to consider optimizing these sales channels, as they appear to be flourishing.
New products fuel the retail industry.
Today's retail landscape is defined by flexibility and convenience. If people are shopping on a retail website and an item is out of stock, they aren't going to hold their purchase until merchants get a new shipment.
In the retail industry, terms such as "omnichannel" and "cross-channel" have made their way into the lexicons of many business owners and experts.
Merchants selling on Amazon's marketplace had a tremendous year in 2013.
For many years, brick-and-mortar retailers were fearing "showrooming," which is when consumers head in stores to view a product before buying it online to take advantage of.
People have been shopping online for the greater part of two decades now and are expecting the experience to evolve alongside the technology they use to power their shopping sprees.
Retailers use sales for a variety of reasons.
Selling on third-party marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay can be a significant boon to many online retailers.
Retail has changed drastically over the years, with the rise of new technology and the Internet changing how many people shop and view the role of the merchant.
Although many people prefer beating the long lines at retailers and shopping online instead there is one key drawback of eCommerce operations: shipping.
Supply chain management is a pivotal part of any successful eCommerce operation.
It goes without saying that technology is the key to merchant success in the current retail landscape. Merchants can use eCommerce software to streamline the efficiency of their operations, from inventory management to shipping and logistics.
A Baltimore startup that helps retailers manage their online business has snagged $1.2 million in funding and is looking to raise another $6 million as it prepares for a major expansion. 6th Street Inc. will seek the additional funding this year as the company ramps up hiring, looks for more customers and finds larger quarters […]
It's become almost a trope at this point - the friend or family member that does nothing but stare at their smartphones every few seconds, regardless of whether he or she is eating a meal, having a conversation or doing any other activity.
Free shipping is important to customers, there is no denying that much. One study from Forrester found that nearly half of customers (44 percent) abandon their shopping carts before completing the transaction because the shipping ended up costing too much.
The holiday season is the biggest time of the year for most retailers. However, even after the most successful holiday season, it's quite likely that merchants will have excess stock.
In the eCommerce world, ensuring that consumers get their products in a timely manner is one of the most essential tasks for retailers.
If you ask parents what their biggest fear is during the holiday season, most will agree: disappointing their children. One of the most common ways for this fear to manifest itself is at the retail store - parents arrive either online or in store at the last minute, go to find the item their child wanted most this holiday season and discover it's out of stock. It's a nightmare come true in the eyes of many parents.
Recently, a potential client approached us with a project. They knew we were the right fit for their business – scalable, flexible, and providing functionality for managing multiple online stores and warehouses from one system. However, they were using Volusion, a shopping cart we did not have an integration for…yet. The client agreed to work […]
Retail has traditionally revolved around human interaction, with staff engaging customers when they are looking for products, processing purchases and then dealing with returns if they are necessary.
This year was a big one for retailers. The economy continues to recover from the economic recession and with it, consumers' discretionary budgets have gone up as well, leaving them with more money to spend at retail.
Brick-and-mortar retailing is still a cornerstone of operations for many businesses. Merchants devote a tremendous amount of their resources to maintaining the physical components of their businesses.
Every retailer has peak shopping periods. For many, it's the end-of-the-year holiday shopping season, but merchants could have multiple peaks throughout the year.
Retailers have been reaping the rewards of mobile shopping habits over the past few months.
It's midway through December and the holidays have nearly arrived but for many, holiday shopping has only just begun.
Smartphones are typically referred to as being "always-on devices" because they are constantly connected to the Internet, regardless of whether it's through a mobile network or Wi-Fi connections.
Over the past few years, retailers have been trying to extend the duration of the Black Friday holiday shopping period.
Retailers are no strangers when it comes to leveraging new technology. Whether it's the cash register, mobile devices or some new back-end technology, merchants have always used the tools available at their disposal to improve retail operations and drive greater revenue.
Inventory is the key asset of any successful merchant, regardless of whether it sells its products online, in brick-and-mortar stores or via any other sales channel.
A new study from Overstock.com has confirmed what many retailers have already observed anecdotally: More consumers are shopping online and that trend will extend deep into the 2013 holiday season.
Even as recently as a year ago, many traditional brick-and-mortar retailers were feeling immense pressure form the perceived threat of online-only merchants.
For some customers, holiday shopping can be tedious. Retailers can alleviate some of this pressure by simply ensuring they are fulfilling their end of the bargain and delivering a hassle-free shopping experience.
It's hard to think of a customer who doesn't use mobile devices in one way or another to inform their shopping decisions. According to comScore, as many as 60 percent of Americans have now made the switch to Web-enabled smartphone devices, which means they are in the majority.
When constant upgrades become daily tasks, or a software’s functionality just isn’t meeting growth demands, it might be a sign that it’s time to replatform your eCommerce software. According to the infographic below, created by Monetate, an overwhelming 72% of eCommerce companies plan to change their platform technology solution in the next 3 years. 46% […]
With more people relying on their smartphones and tablets as shopping companions, you would think most retailers would place a priority on developing websites that can be used quickly and easily on these devices.
During the holiday season, inventory management becomes an even more pivotal ingredient to success due to the increased volume of sales.
The hype surrounding mobile devices has become almost palpable.
Is your retail business prepared for Cyber Monday? An infographic by Best Computer Science Schools, displays “How Cyber Monday became the new Black Friday”. In 2012 nearly 1.5 billion dollars were spent with online retailers on Cyber Monday alone. The draw of Cyber Monday? It seems to be free shipping. 96% of consumers surveyed cited […]
A new report from Deloitte found the average consumer expects to spend $421 on holiday gifts for their friends and family this year, up from the $386 doled out in 2012.
Effective Oct. 22, online retailer Amazon has raised the minimum order size to get free shipping up to $35, a $10 hike from the $25 mark the company has observed for the past decade, Multichannel Merchant reported.
With the economy on the mend and many consumers becoming slightly less budget-conscious, savvy retailers are the benefactors.
Customers don't like to pay for shipping, and several studies have even indicated that shipping expenses and the delay between ordering a product and receiving it are the two top reasons why some people would rather shop at a brick-and-mortar store.
Merchants have been selling goods since the dawn of time. Although the technology has changed over the years, it was more steps instead of gigantic leaps. In the end of the day, when people thought of shopping, they thought of going into a physical store, making a purchase and then going back home.
The end-of-the-year holiday season might be getting even longer if consumer shopping behavior is any indication. A new report from CFI Group, a customer satisfaction technology and analytics firm, has found that a significant number of shoppers – particularly the highly-coveted millennial group – are starting their holiday shopping earlier than they have in years past. […]
It's common knowledge that consumers are more picky when it comes to pricing than they have been in the past.
If merchants aren't actively pursuing mobile commerce, they are leaving precious sales on the table. Consumers are increasingly using their smartphones and tablets for everything from researching products to making the final purchase, and retailers need to respond to this paradigm shift by embracing these devices just like their target audiences.
Seemingly every week, retailers hear reports about customers spending more money online and preferring to avoid lines by buying items through the Internet.
Retailers seem to excel in the omnichannel market when they can seamlessly manage inventory, product information, and which products are presented to which channels at what time. While they may operate in different industries, those who are most successful provide excellent customer service no matter where the customer is purchasing.
In eCommerce, the ability to process and manage orders efficiently is crucial, not only to customer satisfaction, but to your bottom line as well. With consumers accessing your products from multiple channels and on various technology platforms, the need for an intelligent, automated order management system is more important than ever. Your order management system […]
Earlier in the year, I shared Monetate’s infographic about creating the “Ultimate Customer Experience” by promoting confidence and trust in your brand. I’d like to revisit this infographic, as our September webinar on delivering an omnichannel customer experience quickly approaches.
How to Boost Traffic, Increase Conversions and Deliver a Seamless Customer Experience We have an exciting and unique webinar for online retailers this month. With the help of one of our partners, Rand Internet Marketing, we are going to show you how to drive more traffic to your online store through search engine and online […]
As a retailer, product information management (PIM for retail) can be one of the most time-consuming processes associated with building and managing an eCommerce business. You need to integrate with suppliers, standardize all of your product data and easily publish to your online stores, marketplaces and other sales channels. For example, you may have 50 […]
The Cloud-based version of our Enterprise eCommerce Management Software For the past three years our enterprise-level clients have driven the development of SalesWarp ENTERPRISE. As their needs have grown, SalesWarp has listened and added functionality to the platform, helping to streamline retailer’s daily eCommerce operations and processes. While our focus has been on these larger […]
Just because retailers are competing with Amazon on the same channel, that doesn't mean they have to outdo Amazon at its own game.
The Internet makes global eCommerce operations much easier - retailers are no longer limited to their geographical home base, anyone from anywhere in the world can access their websites.
Consumers use all the resources at their disposal to influence potential purchases, actually complete the transaction and then receive the product.
The eCommerce industry has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the past five years due to the economic recession, but it seems the majority of retailers fully anticipate the upcoming holiday season to be a big one.
From the perspective of customers, online shopping is a purely digital affair. They do all of their research via social media, read reviews on product websites and make the purchase through an eCommerce platform.
Much like in the United States, Canadian residents are spending more of their money at online retailers as opposed to in brick-and-mortar businesses.
It's critical that you make the exchange process as painless as possible when your loyal patrons do want to return a product.
The retail industry continues to grow, with data from comScore finding sales were up 2 percent overall in the first quarter of 2013.
With retailers devoting more focus to the shopping experience across channels, including mobile and Web-based platforms, it's crucial they pay particular attention to how these sites are operating.
Back-to-school shopping was quickly becoming Christmas in July for many retailers, with a combination of budget cuts from educational institutions and increased preparedness by parents translating into an immensely profitable month for merchants in past years.
There is a popular notion that many merchants cling to, which suggests millennial consumers between the ages of 18 and 34 prefer shopping online compared to other channels. While that's true to some extent, a recent report from Urban Land Institute illustrates that isn't always the case.
The USPS is offering real-time shipping, which will improve the online shopping experience.
Slow-moving products are a reality and how you deal with these not-so-popular items can truly make or break your profit margins.
A recent report from eMarketer illustrates the rampant surge in Web-based retail expenditures, with experts anticipating a 17 percent increase in sales worldwide this year.
Merchants aren't done innovating in the eCommerce market yet. They are developing new ways to fine-tune the shopping environment, which is driving even more consumer dollars and improving the overall customer experience.
ECommerce continues to be important for successful retailers, but as online extensions begin to mature, many merchants are looking to the omnichannel shopping experience as the next step.
Customer data can influence which products you carry, but it's crucial collect data from all retail channels.
Online shopping has paved the way for the rise of niche retailers - people who sell obscure items that are made specifically for unique target audiences.
Recently we’ve had some conversations with various manufacturers around consolidating their B2B and B2C eCommerce operations. With the growing demand for B2C-like B2B eCommerce experiences, there is the challenge of running operations efficiently with multiple systems. A multichannel eCommerce management system that connects your ERP system, vendors, shopping carts and marketplaces to synchronize your orders, […]
It's easy to be swept up by new trends, particularly in ever-changing and always-evolving industries such as retail. At the same time, it's critical to understand what consumers have come to expect out of your retail brand and react to that instead of simply doing whatever's popular at the moment.
Retailers often need to cast a wide net and reach the broadest audience possible to achieve success in the highly competitive industry. Even niche retailers still need to engage a large, dedicated customer base to make their eCommerce operations work.
B2B merchants typically serve smaller audiences, but at the same time, they do much more business with these customers. This means it's critical that retailers take the time to learn about their clients so they can serve them better.
If you want to avoid abandoned shopping carts, you need to make the buying process as seamless as possible.
It's critical that you understand the full breadth of what omnichannel entails. Many retailers believe it's the simple integration of mobile, brick-and-mortar and Internet operations all under one roof. However, a successful omnichannel approach to operations is much more involved.
Back in ’96 ERP systems quickly gained popularity among brick and mortar retailers who needed an all-encompassing solution to manage their data and increase efficiencies across business departments. The introduction of the ERP system brought about more collaboration, standardization, automation, and integration to all different business applications. However, the ERP system came with tradeoffs.
Tools such as SalesWarp can help you get your data under control.
A few weeks ago the SalesWarp team attended IRCE out in Chicago. After a flat and straight, 12-hour road trip from Baltimore and dreaming about relaxing in our booth for some time now…
As many as 71 percent of smartphone owners have admitted to doing some sort of shopping experience on their handsets, but 88 percent of those customers also reported experience issues that soured their outlook on the channel.
Expanding to online retail can be help you reach a broader audience, but can also be a challenge without the right technologies.
Replatforming may be the best choice for retailers taking on more shoppers.
A new report from Exolevel found that merchants who treat their online, mobile and physical retail stores as different, distinct channels may be losing shoppers who prefer a cohesive, unilateral experience.
Changing to suit your customers needs allows you to stay competitive.
It seems Americans are increasingly opening up and spending their hard earned dollars online and at physical retail locations, according to a new report from the Commerce Department.
Surprisingly, corporate millennials also tend to use the same approach as consumer buyers.
As the number of Internet users across the world continues to grow, the potential market for eCommerce businesses will also surge.
The most pivotal time of year - the holiday shopping season - is a mere five or six months away, and you're going to need this time to prepare marketing, operations and other logistics to ensure you're ready to serve customers a satisfying shopping experience.
Omnichannel shopping is growing increasingly more common, and a new study conducted by Kentico Software suggests retailers who aren't optimizing the shopping experience across every platform stand a substantial chance of losing repeat customers.
Given the cost-conscious nature of modern consumers, making a profit as a retailer can be extraordinarily challenging as merchants try to set prices low enough to interest customers but high enough to earn revenue.
A flexible and accommodative return policy can be just as important to winning customers as free shipping and other perks.
In the past, eCommerce was viewed as it's own business category. Retailers would open their online websites with the specific intent to attract and sell to Internet shoppers.
Digital shopping carts are commonly used across eCommerce websites and are effective tools to encourage customers to buy multiple items. However, it isn't uncommon for shoppers to place multiple items in their cart and then close out of your website, leaving you high and dry.
The eCommerce landscape seems to be shifting everyday, with fewer consumers using laptops to browse the web and more picking up mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones.
Many merchants are considering the use of same-day fulfillment, a strategy that promises to get customers the items they purchase the day they buy them.
The MFA would reportedly help state governments collect $11 billion in lost tax revenue according to a 2009 report from the University of Tennessee. For merchants, that fact is irrelevant; the bigger issue is that the law makes shopping online more expensive for consumers and complex for retailers.
The retail industry lives or dies on the financial condition of the consumer, and responding to economic situations appropriately can give you a significant edge over your competitors.
Amazon, eBay and other such third-party marketplaces can be a tremendous boon to sales, but there are some innate drawbacks with selling on these platforms.
With the right eCommerce software, you can track the origin of sales, customer activities and marketing campaigns, allowing you to take action on various insights.
Mobile devices have become increasingly integrated in the shopping experience, with many retailers striving to create an omnichannel engagement platform that utilizes the Web, smartphones and brick-and-mortar locations to reach consumers and win their sales.
Even when it comes to products that are non-perishable, shipping can be a touchy subject. By extension, direct-to consumer food merchants are tasked with an even more difficult challenge.
Ineffective shipping processes can make or break sales.
Pricing strategy is a challenging thing to get right but can make all the difference in today's eCommerce landscape.
SalesWarp recently closed its second round of financing and is planning a third round before the end of the year. The Canton e-commerce company is also adding five employees in engineering and product management to its current full-time staff of 16. Private investors funded the first and second rounds, CEO David Potts says. He declined […]
With every eCommerce business there comes challenges surrounding the many processes and technologies that manage different functions and departments. Having an eCommerce management system that can integrate and consolidate as many of these needs as possible is crucial to success. The following infographic shows the five main features any eCommerce software solution should provide a […]
The rise of the omnichannel shopping experience is something that many retailers have observed over the past few years, and if merchants haven't already embraced this new way of shopping, many will do so in the future.
For the retail industry, the times they are a-changing. In decades past, brick-and-mortar would be the cornerstone of successful retail businesses, with direct mail catalogs or television-based shopping initiatives serving as support.
Retailers have always tailored their businesses to the needs and desires of their customers, so it's no surprise that better shopper data and analytics are allowing them to accomplish this goal with greater success.
Consumers are opening their wallets and spending more at retail establishments, a sign that should make many merchants cautiously optimistic.
A lot has been said about the importance of merchandising, and for good reason - if you want to run successful eCommerce operations, you need to be stocking the perfect goods for your target audience.
If you’re heading to IRCE 2013, you’re probably like us right now. You’re preparing all of marketing and show activities right now. You’re ramping up your pre-show marketing campaign if you’re a vendor, and if you’re a retailer, you’re identifying all of the sessions and potential vendors you want to make sure you visit.
Shipping is a difficult topic for many retailers, and is one of much discussion.
Retailers have existed for thousands of years. As long as there have been people buying and trading goods, there have been marketplaces and merchants that facilitate this activity.
When merchants don't have the right products in stock at the right time or can't deliver them according to schedule, they risk doing serious damage to their reputation.
ECommerce has seen aggressive growth over the past decade. Data from comScore suggests the sector saw double-digit percentage growth each and every quarter.
Do you remember when you first designed your eCommerce website? It was likely driven by features - you wanted to have all these retail categories, service options, shipping offerings and everything under the sun right there and accessible to consumers.
When the web was still young, the only way you could sell goods to others was by opening your own eCommerce websites.
It's time for retailers to celebrate one of their favorite target demographics: mothers.
Although the wavering economy has some consumers pinching pennies and shopping less frequently, the luxury goods market is still extremely lucrative.
When customers are visiting your web store, the worst possible scenario is that they are unable to find the goods they are looking for.
Much has been spoken about the importance of the "omnichannel" shopping experience, with retailers across the globe trying to unite their mobile, web and brick-and-mortar operations to better appeal to customers.
Retailers often get so hung up on reaching a wider audience they forget about the most important people: their existing customer base.
One of the most pivotal functions of any successful retailer is the ability to offer the right products to customers. Merchandising is concerned with the planning, sourcing, purchasing and arranging of the acquisition of these products.
If you're a merchant with your hands in the mobile, web and brick-and-mortar retail pies, you know how difficult it can be to bring all three channels together to create a cohesive shopping experience for customers.
As the old saying goes, "the early bird gets the worm." There are fewer industries in which that statement is more true than retail.
Order management and shipping has traditionally been a challenge for merchants, and it's one that has only grown more complex as eCommerce has surged.
The United States Postal Service has made several moves to shave a day off the traditional delivery week, bringing it down from six days to five.
When you run a brick-and-mortar store, geography is a natural limitation - unless you offer a truly unique product selection or deliver an extremely good customer experience, people aren't going to travel from hours away to make a purchase from you. One of the core benefits of eCommerce is that it essentially does away with geographic limitations.
Generally speaking, most eCommerce entrepreneurs take two approaches: They go horizontal and offer a variety of products to shoppers or they go vertical and specialize in a particular niche.
Data is currently in vogue at businesses across the globe.
For many eCommerce merchants, shipping has always been an obstacle with which they must contend.
