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E-commerce: $100 billion in unwanted gifts to be returned this year in the US
E-commerce: Online Retail Traffic Rose by Double Digits in run-up to Christmas
A global technology company’s Holiday Retail Index revealed that online shopping spiked dramatically the weekend before Christmas 2019. According to the retail index, in comparison with November, E-commerce traffic increased by double digits over the three days between December 20-22. On Friday 20th December, E-commerce traffic boosted to 21%, on Saturday 21st December it rose to 21%, and on Sunday 22nd December it increased to 14%.
J&P Comments
With consumers rushing to purchase gifts in time for Christmas, it is no surprise that E-commerce traffic increased dramatically in the run-up to the festive holiday. Holiday promotions from retailers and consumers aiming to meet shipping deadlines will also have contributed to the spike in traffic.
E-commerce: Beauty is booming on Amazon
According to a retail analyst who works for a top data firm, Amazon is increasing its investment in beauty to the point where it has shown it “has got clear ambitions in this space”. This year Amazon launched its own-brand skin care line, Belei, and also teamed up with cosmetics company L’Oréal to launch Modiface, which enables users to try on make-up virtually. The retail analyst, Florence Wright, has said “This is an opportunity for brands to really drive their presence on the platform.”
J&P Comments
Amazon’s investment into the world of beauty presents excellent opportunities for brands who sell cosmetics – with beauty rapidly growing as an online retail category, online businesses that specialize in beauty and personal care need to consider selling their products on Amazon if they do not already.
E-commerce: Adyen announce international payment app with McDonald’s
Global payment platform Ayden, announced its partnership with Mc Donald’s by extending its services across Mc Donald’s markets global market. Ayden’s platform provides simplicity and scalability through one integration so that food and beverage brands have a consistent customer experience everywhere they operate. This service is ideal for various markets that operate in a B2C business as it also provides a single data view and customer insights.
J&P comments
Ayden’s scalable platform will enable Mc Donald’s to continue providing customers with a seamless experience through a variety of payment options which aligns with the uniqueness of the market.
E-Commerce: November 2019 saw highest online growth in 18 months
According to an organisation that monitors the performance of the UK’s online retail market, in November this year online sales increased 54% in comparison to October. This is the highest level of sales growth that has been seen since April 2018. Research also demonstrated that online sales grew by 16.4% in November 2019 in comparison with the same period a year ago (November 2018). The senior consultant of Capgemini, Lucy Gibbs, has said the growth is due to festive holidays such as Black Friday: “The highest growth this year has been seen in the discounting periods.”
J&P Comments
These results demonstrate the incredible impact that holidays such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday have on online sales trends – however, there have been some concerns expressed by insight experts such as Andy Mulcahy, who has warned that the growth in November’s sales is an indication that consumers will have less to spend in December.
E-Commerce: New Rules introduced by European Commission on Cross-Border Payments
The European Commission has introduced a new rule which affects cross-border payments between EU countries. From now on, all cross-border transactions made in Euros which take place in non-Eurozone Member States will be priced at the same value as domestic payments in these countries. EU States which don’t use the Euro as their currency will be included in this rule, such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Denmark and Hungary.
J&P Comments
This is a key step in the European Commission’s project to transform the EU into a single market, and this progression will ensure that cross-border payments will be cheaper for consumers and businesses. This is also evident from the fact EC Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis has said “This is a positive and concrete example of how the Single Market can bring real benefits to European consumers.”
