#34 - MMA meets Ecommerce: A week of insight and inspiration
#34 - MMA meets Ecommerce: A week of insight and inspiration
B2B CMOs embrace Ecommerce. Marketplace platform economy growth. Zalando sustainability commitments. Wish jumps in the Recommerce trend. Ecommerce trust report. From Monolithic to Microservices.
Hey there 👋
This week I was at the Czech Online Expo. Sure, I made a lot of interesting contacts and had a bunch of fascinating conversations. But one of the highlights was to see the MMA fighter Jiří Procházka and have the chance to take a selfie. What an inspiring person to be around!
Hope to be able to inspire you and your business today too, with the Ecommerce Insights of the week. Before we get to them, please 🙏 for me:
Like this article (♡ icon)
Subscribe if you haven’t
And after reading, leave a comment with your opinions
5 - B2B CMOs embrace Ecommerce
In the B2B marketing world, CMOs face a big challenge: adapt to online sales or fall behind. With digital natives entering decision-making roles, there's a growing expectation for seamless online buying experiences in the professional world. Companies slow to embrace e-commerce risk losing to more agile competitors.
What should CMOs do? They must lead their companies in embracing digital sales, ensuring the entire organisation is aligned towards providing easy and satisfying online shopping experiences. This involves focusing on what customers really want and creating smooth online buying processes. A clear plan for moving to online sales is crucial for success.
4 - Marketplace platform economy growth
The platform economy, which includes online shops and dropshipping, grew really fast in 2022, much faster than the rest of the online shopping world. This growth is because lots of businesses are starting to sell on these platforms to reach more customers and find new opportunities. A big study by Mirakl looked at 1,500 retailers from countries like the USA, UK, Germany, France, and Spain. They also looked at data from 65,000 sellers who offer 125 million products and make nearly $5 billion in sales every year.
Here's what they found out:
More and more businesses are starting to sell on online marketplaces because they see a good chance to grow.
Sellers are not just sticking to one marketplace; many are expanding to sell on more platforms within a year.
Sellers have different strategies, like selling all their products or just a few special ones on these platforms.
Sellers like to use marketplaces that have lots of visitors, a wide range of products, low fees, and are easy to use.
Sellers do a great job handling customer questions and issues, making things easier for the marketplace.
3 - Zalando sustainability commitments
Zalando has agreed to stop using misleading green symbols and the word "sustainability" on its website after talks with European authorities. From 15 April 2024, they will clearly state how much recycled material is in their products instead. This move is to make sure shoppers get the true story on how eco-friendly products are.
Zalando will:
Remove green symbols and "sustainability" labels.
Provide clear details on the eco-friendly aspects of products.
Update their website with more information on their eco-friendly actions.
They will report on their progress, and a special group will check to make sure Zalando keeps its promises. This is part of larger EU efforts to ensure companies are honest about their products being good for the environment.
2 - Wish jumps in the Recommerce trend.
Wish is starting a new service in Europe where people can trade in their old tech stuff like phones and laptops for cash. This starts in the Netherlands and will spread to other countries. They're working with a company called Remarketed to check the items' condition and give instant cash offers. People can send their items for free and get paid after their things are checked. The service helps customers get some money back and reduces waste by reusing tech products. Wish also sells refurbished electronics, which are like new but cheaper. Other companies are doing similar things because many people in Europe like buying used items to save money and help the environment.
1 - Ecommerce trust report
A Chubb report reveals different trust concerns between shoppers and sellers in social commerce. It shows consumers trust social media shopping more (85%) than traditional online shops (48%). This study, done by iResearch in November 2023, included feedback from 500 consumers and 525 merchants, uncovering top issues like fraud and delivery problems for buyers, with 75% having faced financial fraud.
Retailers, on their part, feel less confident about social media for selling, especially with managing inventory and ensuring smooth payments and deliveries, with trust scores under 40%.
The report underlines the importance of a trustworthy and easy shopping experience to keep customers loyal. It also points out that online shopping is highly trusted in Latin America, more so than in other regions, highlighting the different levels of trust across the globe.
From Monolithic to Microservices
In software development, debates often center around two styles: monolithic, where applications are built as a single unit, and microservices, which divide applications into smaller, independent services. This conversation has evolved to include how and when to migrate from monolithic to microservices, prompted by their growing appeal since 2014. High-profile companies like Netflix and Amazon initially drove interest in microservices, showcasing benefits like enhanced scalability and agility. However, some businesses found the approach didn't always meet expectations, leading to a reconsideration of architecture strategies.
Monolithic architectures offer simplicity and ease of maintenance but can struggle with scalability and flexibility. Microservices, while promoting independent scaling and faster development cycles, introduce complexity and higher operational costs.
The industry response has been towards adaptable solutions that blend the advantages of both. Shopify, for example, provides a mix of commerce solutions that aim to reduce complexity and accelerate market readiness, supporting businesses with scalable and customizable options. This shift indicates a move towards more flexible architectures that can be tailored to a company's evolving needs.