E-commerce Solutions for Manufacturing and Retail

Grow your retail business with new customer trends

Article | April 7, 2020

Retailers know how important it is to drive customer engagement a business's success depends on customer retention, growth and ultimately sales. As an entrepreneur and the owner of retail jewelry brand Blossom Box Jewelry, I understand first-hand how important and often difficult it is to develop sales and marketing plans and strategies that will resonate with a target audience and provide a competitive advantage over other brands. With markets becoming increasingly saturated, it's crucial to create key differentiators for a business to remain successful. Throughout the year, I track customer e-commerce trends and online purchasing habits to identify ways to reach my customer base more effectively. That's the key to turning site browsers into paying customers: reaching shoppers the way they want to be reached, adapting business strategies to fit their needs, learning from their behaviors, and ultimately forming meaningful connections.

How Art Van went from a retail juggernaut to a house afire

Article | March 8, 2020

The Warren-based retailer's sudden announcement that it would wind down operations comes only three years after its late founder, Art Van Elslander, sold the company to a Boston-based private equity firm, Thomas H. Lee Partners LP, in an estimated $550 million deal. How did a seemingly healthy, valuable and beloved company go so wrong so fast? After its 2017 acquisition, Thomas H. Lee set an aggressive strategy to open 200 more stores and double revenue to $2 billion by 2020. But being saddled with roughly $400 million in debt and no financial cushion to respond to the disruption of changing furniture habits left Art Van's business model sitting on a tinderbox. Management missteps were all the fuel needed to burn the house down.

The Retail Industry and the Persistent Digital Threat Landscape

Article | March 17, 2020

In today’s age of digital transformation, retailers have changed the ways in which they interact and engage with consumers — starting with online shopping and e-commerce experience. In order for retail organizations to remain competitive, an omnichannel experience is critical, and with that, retail organizations are relying heavily on websites, mobile apps, online marketplaces, and social media to promote products, sell goods and even provide customer service. As competition to acquire and retain customers continues to increase, many retailers are also expanding their efforts to include social media and digital advertising platforms to enter new markets, generate awareness, and connect with potential customers. However, retailers aren’t the only ones that are targeting the opportunities online and digital platforms offer. Cybercriminals also recognize the opportunities that online platforms represent for retailers, and are seeking to exploit their market share and revenue potential.

Next website overwhelmed after re-opening online trading

Article | April 14, 2020

Next returned to selling clothes online this morning after the fashion retailer put extra safety measures in place to ensure warehouse staff can work safely during the pandemic. However, by 9am the website had closed again, with the high street giant saying it had already received all the orders it could process for the day – but it would return tomorrow. Next had initially closed its online operations in late March amid the coronavirus crisis, in response to criticism from staff who felt unsafe at work.