E-Commerce

Product returns are an unavoidable part of running an e-commerce business. They can't be eliminated, so offering the option to return items can be a vital part of a business's strategy. As the adage goes: "If you have too few returns, you're not selling enough." Still, most e-commerce businesses wou...

Concerns over supply chain snags, delivery delays and a yearning for a return to normal are influencing consumer shopping habits this holiday season. "The biggest change this year is that shopping has started earlier than in the past," observed Dave Sekera, chief U.S. market strategist with Mornings...

Consumers have a strong appetite for gift cards and gifting alcohol. But until now they could not do both with a branded gift card. The market had none. Beverage alcohol e-commerce platform company Thirstie on Nov. 23 announced the first-ever alcohol branded gift cards with major liquor brands.

Cash flow concerns and fraud are going to be a menace to both retailers and consumers this holiday shopping season. One of the biggest shopping headaches this year will be a much earlier start to the chargeback cycles. Jeff Wixted, vice president of marketing and client solutions at Accertify, discu...

Technical and logistical problems stretching across multiple industries gives both shoppers and retailers reason to double efforts to avoid being hacked this year. Two factors top the list: runaway inflation and increased cyberattacks.

The year 2020 forever changed the way we work and perform routine tasks. With the emergence of the deadly coronavirus and the resultant adoption of social distancing, even as the virus approaches its second anniversary, the concept of digital, contactless payments remains prevalent. These payments c...

Marketing and business communications company R.R. Donnelley & Sons has released a study which reveals that traditional marketing channels, including word of mouth, direct mail, and in-store signage, are largely untapped and underestimated by marketers. The research uncovers significant differen...

Holiday shoppers can expect to see a lot of out-of-stock warnings online this year, but that won't discourage them for opening their wallets to buy gifts for loved ones. According to retail sales watchers, consumers have launched their holiday shopping earlier than ever, spending US$72.4 billion onl...

Closing physical storefronts in favor of internet-based direct-to-consumer selling options is not necessarily the best approach for typical store owners, according to Mark Delaney, retail industry consultant at Zebra Technologies. The E-Commerce Times heard more from Delaney in a wide-ranging conver...

What draws the consumer to a D2C brand over traditional businesses? Two words: customer closeness. That is, the ability for organizations to feel directly connected to the users of their products or services -- understanding their motivations, lifestyles, opinions, and attitudes. Let's first explore...

During Facebook's most recent earnings call, Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Meta Platforms, which operates Facebook, acknowledged that Apple's actions had created some "headwinds" for the social network which, by some estimates, depends on targeted advertising for 98 percent of its reve...

Misconceptions and poor inventory are confusing potential electric vehicle buyers. Education and marketing are needed to repair those problems. Online car-shopping marketplace Cars.com went virtual on Thursday to help shoppers explore electric vehicle ownership. The website maintains a charged colle...

A proposed law barring high-tech companies from favoring their own products over those of their competitors -- a practice called self-preferencing -- would harm consumers, competition and innovation, according to a report released Monday by The Schumpeter Project on Competition Policy at the Informa...

Supply chain chaos has sellers and shoppers on edge, with no relief in sight anytime soon. To better understand how marketers should navigate this unusual holiday shopping season, we spoke with a variety of experts to get tips on what makes for successful holiday e-commerce marketing -- and why plan...