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for the Consumer Goods Industry

Direct to Consumer

What the future holds for DTC brands?

As per the 2022 U.S. Direct-to-Consumer Retailing report, DTC brands have secured a dominant position in the marketplace, and the industry is expected to further grow this year.

Digital marketers are not targeting the relevant customers: Report finds

Digital marketing enables brands to connect with global audiences however, it has a downside to it too which brands should take care of. ParcelLab presented a research report with YouGov after surveying 1,185 US adult online shoppers, showing how certain marketing emails trigger emotional responses. As per the findings, brands are carelessly sending marketing emails to all of their customers without being relevant to customers’ needs or preferences. 49% of the participants claimed to be irreverently marketed, rendering 88% to act against the brand, 42% to unsubscribe from marketing content, 24% to block the brand’s content, and 22% not to buy again from the brand. The report, The Emotional Shopping Experience, also highlighted factors such as environmental initiatives that drive US consumers to shop. Read more from MediaPost

Online shopping and DTC business approach

There are three simple keys, including ease of use, frictionless payment methods, and personalised delivery options, to attract shoppers to online channels. If consumers are given an online shopping experience that features an effective website, one-click payment method, and a variety of delivery options, then online retailers can win the loyalty of thousands of customers. Manufacturers offer DTC businesses as well, and a research study presented by Barclays manifested that 57% of consumers now buy items direct from manufacturers. As per consumers’ view, the DTC business model offers better pricing and services. Shoppers frequently buy clothes 39%, food and drink 27%, and electronics 30% from DTC businesses. Read from TheGuardian

Fanny Moizant of Vestiaire Collective aims to offer the biggest global reselling marketplace

Vestiaire Collective, a Paris-based online marketplace to buy and sell authenticated pre-owned luxury fashion, has recently acquired American Tradesy. This acquisition has allowed Vestiaire Collective to grab the majority of Americans’ attention and go head-to-head against its competitor, The RealReal. Before cracking the deal, Vestiaire Collective’s US gross merchandise volume increased 75% year-over-year in the initial months of 2022 however, this deal has now made the US Vestiaire Collective’s biggest market. The co-founder and president of Vestiaire Collective, Fanny Moizant, revealed that the company is currently offering 5 million products by 10,000 brands and aims to transform the brand into the biggest global reselling marketplace. Read more from Glossy

Consumers in control: Consumers’ direct feedback drives innovation in skincare

Galderma, a personal skincare brand, reveals that direct feedbacks from consumers decide what will be their next innovative product. The senior director of current business and innovation at Galderma, Michael Sabbia, informs that the brand receives feedback from retailers, consumers, and dermatologists, which helps decide the next innovation. Another skincare brand, Gold Bond, also prioritises personalisation over the one size fits all formula. Nicole McLaughlin, the innovation director of the personal care portfolio at Gold Bond, reveals that the brand will be launching seven products in the upcoming Gold Bond age renew line, giving consumers a variety of options to choose from. Plus, Gold Bond’s website features a product finder, helping consumers find a product that is compatible with their skincare needs. Read more from DrugStoreNews

General Mills Heather Conneran spoke about digital marketing

MarTech interviewed General Mills’ director of brand experience platforms, Heather Conneran, and asked her to shed light on her marketing experience and current role. She said during the interview that brands need to create connected capabilities to deliver relevant consumer experiences, which would foster omnichannel communication. She further added that digital capabilities like personalised data have helped companies deliver relevant content to people, while companies should continuously come up with new and advanced models of working. She said that the only key to pull off an effective marketing campaign is relevancy like General Mills rolled out its ratio brand, featuring sugar content for sugar seekers and protein content for protein searchers. Read more from MartechSeries

Hey Conad, Conad’s online shopping service, is ready to sell thousands of frozen and fresh products

Cia-Conad has launched its online shopping service, Hey Conad. The retailer’s newly established omnichannel platform is initially serving the consumers of Forlì-Cesena, Italy. Cia-Conad’s online presence features around 10,000 products, including fresh fruits, vegetables, cheese, meat, fish, and a wide range of dried and frozen products. The future plans of Conad involve investing €473 million to fully digitise its customer relations and establish logistics infrastructure and e-commerce channels. Read more from ESMmagazine

Star ratings: The key to grow sales cycle

When buying a household durable, consumers research the star rating of a product. Star ratings influence the shopping patterns of consumers and companies can use this strategy to design better products, satisfy consumers and grow their sale cycle. Following is a five-step design, companies can adopt to manage their online and star rating. 1, Companies should collaborate with suppliers and invest their resources in product design instead of marketing. 2, Retailers can add easy-to-read product descriptions to earn a five-star rating. 3, Brands should focus on creating an aesthetic and eye-catching digital portfolio of their products. 4, To earn an above-average star rating, companies should establish advanced technological solutions to monitor star ratings. 5, Companies should scale their efforts and adopt advanced strategies. Read more from Mckinsey

TikTok leads other social media handles when it comes to engagement

The marketing budget for the majority of the companies accounts for a share attributed to the TikTok ads business. Companies have become confident in spending more on the platform as an ad agency, Mekanism’s budget for social media marketing accounts for 10% to 20%. Brands spend a handsome amount on TikTok either on takeovers, brand effects, or hashtag challenges. The reason why TikTok has achieved a unicorn status is that the app drives nine times more engagement than Facebook, plus, TikTok advertisers’ reach is 21 times more than on Instagram and Facebook. Additionally, the engagement rate per follower on TikTok is 8% as compared to 0.09% on Facebook and 1.6% on Instagram. In short, TikTok is an all-rounder, leading in e-commerce, searches, and app downloads, achieving performance advertising. Read more from Digiday

Selling reinvented: Commissioned-based salespersons joined social media handles to sell products directly

Retail industry sales workers are stepping out of their brand’s stores and selling products via social media platforms. Cesar Callejas, the full-time salesperson of Tiffany created his Instagram account, PleaseReturnToCesar, and sold over $150,000 worth of jewellery pieces through DMS and phone calls without even meeting his clients. Currently, there are plenty of Tiffany’s workers on different social media sites like, Facebook and Instagram, selling stunning jewellery and making commissions. The reason many commission-based sales workers are appearing on social media sites is that more startups are providing tech software, helping these salespersons sell directly. One such software is Salesfloor, which helps workers establish a virtual storefront on their retailer websites. Brands like Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor use Salesfloor. Read more from Modernretail

​Coca-Cola along with Coca-Cola Creations enter the DTC horizons with its Zero Sugar Byte

Coca-Cola has taken innovation to the next level by launching its pixel flavoured cola, under Coca-Cola Creations. The beverage giant has incorporated augmented reality into its Zero Sugar Byte along with giving a playful taste to its consumers. Initially, the industry giant will be rolling out this limited-edition cola in the United States via its DTC website, Coca-Cola.com/creations. Later on, the Zero Sugar Byte will be available for Chinese consumers as well. The Coca-Cola Creation site features an augmented reality gaming zone for consumers that they can enter by scanning their product’s package through their smartphone. Coca-Cola has more than 1,500 innovational projects in line, aiming to focus on scalability. Read more from Consumergoods

Google launched a pricing insights tool and shopping experience scorecard for e-commerce brands

Google has featured new tools for e-commerce brands ranging from rating programmes to in-depth insights so that retailers can have a broad view of their marketing and pricing strategies. Google is adding a Shopping Experience Scorecard, allowing shoppers to look into the retailers’ past performance before buying from them. Plus, the top-rated sellers would get a Trusted Store Badge, helping them gain more shoppers. To assure competitive pricing, Google has added a new pricing insights tool helping retailers set competitive prices for their products. Plus, new metrics have been launched for merchants in Google Merchant Centre tools, allowing them to glean into total traffic, impressions, and conversion rates. The local product insights tool will be available for the US and Canadian e-commerce brands in the near future. Read more from Socialmediatoday

Live video streaming platforms are catching the attention of DTC food and beverage brands

TalkShopLive, a live streaming platform, wants to drive food and drink shopping sessions led by the founders of DTC brands. The platform has expanded its mark via video commerce partnerships with Conde Nast, Walmart, and Hearst. These projects allowed brands affiliated with these retailers or publishers to operate a shoppable live feed and order fulfilment. An olive oil DTC brand, Brightland, participated in TalkShopLive’s Virtual Bite Show, and the founder, Aishwarya Iyer, promoted her products and recipes. Additionally, a DTC dog food company, Jinx, appeared in the live streaming session, and the brand experienced a surge of 42% sales compared to the previous day. Other live video shopping companies like ShopShops, NTWRK, and Whatnot are prompting brands and investors to take an interest in live streaming. Read more from Modernretail

A new market strategy: DTC brands are opening physical stores

E-commerce entrepreneurs and brands like Another Tomorrow are heading towards physical stores to establish a seamless omnichannel system, allowing customers to shop from mobile phones, laptops, or physical stores at their convenience. Some well-established brands like Warby Parker and Allbirds established their physical presence years ago. Following the same directions, now many smaller brands are experimenting with this by opening free-standing shops, securing short-term spaces, or leasing from a retail service. Many factors, including high digital marketing costs and prohibitive customer acquisition, have encouraged DTC brands to open physical shops, establishing a seamless omnichannel presence. Read more from Nytimes

Crowded emails: DTC brands need to adopt a whimsical approach to shine

DTC brands are diversifying their advertising strategies and trying their best to rely less on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. However, the channels they use to advertise are becoming crowded over time, forcing brands to shine and stand out among crowded emails and podcasts. A DTC bedding and lifestyle brand, Parachute, has adopted a whimsical approach to stand out among the traditional literal emails. In the future, the brand aims to promote its products by telling compelling stories to which consumers can relate. Read more from Idealmarketingforum

MENA region is expected to become the e-commerce hub by 2025

With trustworthy payment methods, proactive government policies, and efficient telecommunication infrastructure, the e-commerce growth in UAE reached over $5 billion in 2021 and is expected to cross $8 billion by 2025, according to the EZDubai report. Consumers shop via online channels for mainly three sectors, involving home furnishing, food and beverage products, and media equipment. As per the report, the e-commerce market is expected to develop in The Middle East region especially in Qatar and UAE due to the high GDP per capita and internet penetration. The reasons behind the unicorn growth of e-commerce in the MENA region include high internet penetration rate, rising incomes, high usage of technical gadgets, and improved logistics system. Keeping the current growth rate in mind, analysts expect to see the e-commerce market in the MENA region reach $49 billion in 2025. Read more from Arabianbusiness

Vietnam based e-commerce startup is expanding in China to challenge Alibaba

OpenCommerce, a Vietnam-based online shopping startup, raised $7 million from its investor, VNG, an internet giant. The company is the first of its kind to utilise the funding to branch out in China, challenging the existing e-commerce giants like Alibaba and Jd.com. OpenCommerce provides services to indirect and direct cross-border merchants known as Drop Shippers. The firm claims that since its launch, 80,000 global merchants have used its services to export goods, find suppliers and create websites. Among these 80,000 merchants, 30% belong from China, creating an attractive market in the region for the company. The firm primarily targets inventory and focuses on the operations by working directly with suppliers to source, create and ship goods. Read more from Asianikkei

Shoppable content: what the future holds for retailers

Social commerce is the new normal of the 21st century and shoppable content serves as the foundation, helping social commerce sales double by 2025. Shoppable content features videos, catalogs, digital images, or social media posts, allowing consumers to buy products directly. Hashtags like #tiktokmademebuyit (TikTok), shopping features like shop module, shop button, and live shopping (Twitter), and Snapchat’s Verishop collaboration are promoting shoppable content. Retailers can leverage newly introduced social media features like Instagram reels, Facebook shops, live-streaming, and Pinterest shopping to boost their e-commerce by providing the shopper relevant content. Shoppable content can function beyond add to cart and buy now buttons on retailers’ e-commerce sites as companies can optimise the content through shoppable multimedia, images, and customer reviews. Read more from Bazaarvoice

Connected Retail Report: Online Shoppers now demand reliability instead of speedy deliveries

The latest Connected Retail Report CI&T revealed some shocking consumer preferences that can serve as an eye-opener for retailers. Among the 415 US individuals surveyed by CI&T, only 9% expected the same-day delivery, while the rest of the participants prioritised reliability over speedy delivery. For an optimal mix of speed and satisfying services, retailers should ask the consumer at the time of checkout: when does he/she need to receive the parcel? This would allow retailers to control supply chain costs and focus on the parcels that need to be shipped first. To find out consumers’ choices for online deliveries, CI&T presented four options, involving websites, apps, mobile sites, and social media pages. Read more from Supplychainbrain

Fortis launched a Mental Healthcare Initiative for organisations to combat stress and workplace anxiety

Indian-based Fortis, a healthcare organisation, has announced the launch of a Workplace Mental Healthcare Initiative to take care of employees’ mental health. The firm is determined to provide mental health solutions to corporate organisations where employees can interact with a psychologist in real-time from their workplaces. According to WHO, approximately 280 million individuals suffer from anxiety and depression disorders while the work pressure further aggravates the situation. Fortis’ initiative would enable the organisations to safeguard their employees’ mental health which would ultimately lead to better working performance. Read more from Businessstandard

Singaporean Una Brands branched out in Asia by launching services in South Korea

A Singaporean-based e-commerce aggregator, Una Brands has collaborated with KlickBrands to launch its services in South Korea. The partnership aims to scale 25 brands from $1 million to $50 million, working in the niche of cosmetics, home, health, pets, and baby. South Korea is the fifth largest e-commerce giant in Asia and the market is expected to grow by $250 billion by 2025. That is why multiple companies, including Rainforest, a Singaporean E-commerce aggregator, American-based Thrasio, and South Korean Naver invested in e-commerce markets across Asia. Read more from Techcrunch

Social commerce is paving way for Canadian e-commerce growth

Chris Sheridan, the Sales Emblements lead and BD at Square Canada, holds that social commerce is paving way for e-commerce growth in Canada. As per the data report presented by Statista, 31.8 million Canadians are active social media users, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Snapchat. Other than entertainment, these channels are being utilized by consumers to frequently shop, allowing retailers to leverage social commerce to boost their online businesses. As social commerce accounts for growth, revue, and profit, Canadian retailers can streamline their e-commerce by strategically innovating social media strategies. Read more from Retailinsider

Canada has become the world’s second e-commerce giant

Canada has become the world’s second e-commerce giant as Canadian online sales have crossed 10% of the total retail sales. The country has managed to double its development rate, hitting a $64.51 billion valuation. Argentina is leading the world’s e-commerce with a 100.6% growth rate, while Canadian e-commerce spurred by 75% during the pandemic. With 24.2 million digital buyers, Canada e-commerce’s share of total retail will expand to 13.4% this year and is expected to reach 17.2% by 2025. Read more from Canadiansinternet

It’s all about the P in CPG; Consumer PACKAGED Goods

Packaging is of prime significance in CPG however packaging that is not sustainable and can be replaced has no future. Ron Delia, CEO of Amcor, a global packaging company, claims that e-commerce is rising with every passing second and many packaged items are not yet designed to be delivered via DTC. To offer an exciting shopping experience to consumers and keep up with the continuous rise of e-commerce, manufacturers need to adopt advanced packaging strategies. Consumers want sustainable packages and do not approve of plastic at all, while Delia said that packaged industry should educate consumers about the overall impact, as some plastic productions entail lower gas emissions as well. Delia believes that the future of packaging is both innovative and connected, including a digital watermark and tracking via value chain. Read more from Mckinsey

An insight into Reckitt’s future and ongoing strategies and developments

Reckitt established its e-commerce arm to serve consumers via DTC or online platforms. The company expanded 17% in 2021, representing 12% of net revenue plus, it plans to generate 25% of revenue from e-commerce by the mid of 2020s by collaborating with Amazon. Total net revenue for Reckitt increased by 3.3% in the final quarter of 2021 while the percentage reached 3.5% for the full year. The company plans to deal with inflation in 2022 by implementing growth management strategies and productivity measures. As per Reckitts’ internal research, 8% of consumers plan to stick with their newly developed habits after COVID, while to keep up with the sustainability footprint the firm has deployed a sustainability calculator to control its ecological impacts. Read more from Consumergoods

What and how: China’s e-commerce continues to grow

Emarketer, a market research firm, predicted that e-commerce in China is expected to grow. In 2021 more than half (52.1%) of the country’s retail sales were generated from online channels, while the rate increased up to 55.6% in 2022. The growth percentage is anticipated to reach 57% and 58.1% in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Emarketer revealed reasons and innovations behind e-commerce growth and declared emergence of Alibaba as the leading reason among others. Inspired by Alibaba, JD.com, also added into the country’s revenue. The smartphone empowered culture and advanced digital payment methods, including Alipay and WeChat helped e-commerce function effectively. Plus, the low-cost delivery services prompted consumers to shop from online channels, instead of non-customer-centric shopping outlets. Currently, WeChat mini-programs, live commerce, and Pinduoduo are driving the progress of e-commerce in China. Read more from Emarketer

Consumers urge retailers to maintain food transparency while manufacturing products

According to the ‘Transparency in an Omnichannel World’ report presented by The Food Industry Association FMI and NielsenIQ, 64% of consumers are ready to buy from a brand that provides more insight on the product, besides sustenance information. The nutrient facts mentioned on the product package somewhat influence the shopping behaviour of a vast majority of health-conscious consumers (89%), while for 66% it is of prime importance. Other than sustenance information, 80% of consumers believe that food retailers should mention other transparency indicators as well, including allergen information and values-based facts like fair trade and animal welfare. Among the 55% of frequent online shoppers, 47% hold that online channels are an easier way to scrutinize sourcing information of a product. In terms of transparency, 30% of consumers demand brief product information, while others expect fast delivery and search functionality. Read more from Nielseniq

What the future holds for DTC brands?

As per the 2022 U.S. Direct-to-Consumer Retailing report, DTC brands have secured a dominant position in the marketplace, and the industry is expected to further grow this year.

Digital marketers are not targeting the relevant customers: Report finds

Digital marketing enables brands to connect with global audiences however, it has a downside to it too which brands should take care of. ParcelLab presented a research report with YouGov after surveying 1,185 US adult online shoppers, showing how certain marketing emails trigger emotional responses. As per the findings, brands are carelessly sending marketing emails to all of their customers without being relevant to customers’ needs or preferences. 49% of the participants claimed to be irreverently marketed, rendering 88% to act against the brand, 42% to unsubscribe from marketing content, 24% to block the brand’s content, and 22% not to buy again from the brand. The report, The Emotional Shopping Experience, also highlighted factors such as environmental initiatives that drive US consumers to shop. Read more from MediaPost

Online shopping and DTC business approach

There are three simple keys, including ease of use, frictionless payment methods, and personalised delivery options, to attract shoppers to online channels. If consumers are given an online shopping experience that features an effective website, one-click payment method, and a variety of delivery options, then online retailers can win the loyalty of thousands of customers. Manufacturers offer DTC businesses as well, and a research study presented by Barclays manifested that 57% of consumers now buy items direct from manufacturers. As per consumers’ view, the DTC business model offers better pricing and services. Shoppers frequently buy clothes 39%, food and drink 27%, and electronics 30% from DTC businesses. Read from TheGuardian

Fanny Moizant of Vestiaire Collective aims to offer the biggest global reselling marketplace

Vestiaire Collective, a Paris-based online marketplace to buy and sell authenticated pre-owned luxury fashion, has recently acquired American Tradesy. This acquisition has allowed Vestiaire Collective to grab the majority of Americans’ attention and go head-to-head against its competitor, The RealReal. Before cracking the deal, Vestiaire Collective’s US gross merchandise volume increased 75% year-over-year in the initial months of 2022 however, this deal has now made the US Vestiaire Collective’s biggest market. The co-founder and president of Vestiaire Collective, Fanny Moizant, revealed that the company is currently offering 5 million products by 10,000 brands and aims to transform the brand into the biggest global reselling marketplace. Read more from Glossy

Consumers in control: Consumers’ direct feedback drives innovation in skincare

Galderma, a personal skincare brand, reveals that direct feedbacks from consumers decide what will be their next innovative product. The senior director of current business and innovation at Galderma, Michael Sabbia, informs that the brand receives feedback from retailers, consumers, and dermatologists, which helps decide the next innovation. Another skincare brand, Gold Bond, also prioritises personalisation over the one size fits all formula. Nicole McLaughlin, the innovation director of the personal care portfolio at Gold Bond, reveals that the brand will be launching seven products in the upcoming Gold Bond age renew line, giving consumers a variety of options to choose from. Plus, Gold Bond’s website features a product finder, helping consumers find a product that is compatible with their skincare needs. Read more from DrugStoreNews

General Mills Heather Conneran spoke about digital marketing

MarTech interviewed General Mills’ director of brand experience platforms, Heather Conneran, and asked her to shed light on her marketing experience and current role. She said during the interview that brands need to create connected capabilities to deliver relevant consumer experiences, which would foster omnichannel communication. She further added that digital capabilities like personalised data have helped companies deliver relevant content to people, while companies should continuously come up with new and advanced models of working. She said that the only key to pull off an effective marketing campaign is relevancy like General Mills rolled out its ratio brand, featuring sugar content for sugar seekers and protein content for protein searchers. Read more from MartechSeries

Hey Conad, Conad’s online shopping service, is ready to sell thousands of frozen and fresh products

Cia-Conad has launched its online shopping service, Hey Conad. The retailer’s newly established omnichannel platform is initially serving the consumers of Forlì-Cesena, Italy. Cia-Conad’s online presence features around 10,000 products, including fresh fruits, vegetables, cheese, meat, fish, and a wide range of dried and frozen products. The future plans of Conad involve investing €473 million to fully digitise its customer relations and establish logistics infrastructure and e-commerce channels. Read more from ESMmagazine

Star ratings: The key to grow sales cycle

When buying a household durable, consumers research the star rating of a product. Star ratings influence the shopping patterns of consumers and companies can use this strategy to design better products, satisfy consumers and grow their sale cycle. Following is a five-step design, companies can adopt to manage their online and star rating. 1, Companies should collaborate with suppliers and invest their resources in product design instead of marketing. 2, Retailers can add easy-to-read product descriptions to earn a five-star rating. 3, Brands should focus on creating an aesthetic and eye-catching digital portfolio of their products. 4, To earn an above-average star rating, companies should establish advanced technological solutions to monitor star ratings. 5, Companies should scale their efforts and adopt advanced strategies. Read more from Mckinsey

TikTok leads other social media handles when it comes to engagement

The marketing budget for the majority of the companies accounts for a share attributed to the TikTok ads business. Companies have become confident in spending more on the platform as an ad agency, Mekanism’s budget for social media marketing accounts for 10% to 20%. Brands spend a handsome amount on TikTok either on takeovers, brand effects, or hashtag challenges. The reason why TikTok has achieved a unicorn status is that the app drives nine times more engagement than Facebook, plus, TikTok advertisers’ reach is 21 times more than on Instagram and Facebook. Additionally, the engagement rate per follower on TikTok is 8% as compared to 0.09% on Facebook and 1.6% on Instagram. In short, TikTok is an all-rounder, leading in e-commerce, searches, and app downloads, achieving performance advertising. Read more from Digiday

Selling reinvented: Commissioned-based salespersons joined social media handles to sell products directly

Retail industry sales workers are stepping out of their brand’s stores and selling products via social media platforms. Cesar Callejas, the full-time salesperson of Tiffany created his Instagram account, PleaseReturnToCesar, and sold over $150,000 worth of jewellery pieces through DMS and phone calls without even meeting his clients. Currently, there are plenty of Tiffany’s workers on different social media sites like, Facebook and Instagram, selling stunning jewellery and making commissions. The reason many commission-based sales workers are appearing on social media sites is that more startups are providing tech software, helping these salespersons sell directly. One such software is Salesfloor, which helps workers establish a virtual storefront on their retailer websites. Brands like Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor use Salesfloor. Read more from Modernretail

​Coca-Cola along with Coca-Cola Creations enter the DTC horizons with its Zero Sugar Byte

Coca-Cola has taken innovation to the next level by launching its pixel flavoured cola, under Coca-Cola Creations. The beverage giant has incorporated augmented reality into its Zero Sugar Byte along with giving a playful taste to its consumers. Initially, the industry giant will be rolling out this limited-edition cola in the United States via its DTC website, Coca-Cola.com/creations. Later on, the Zero Sugar Byte will be available for Chinese consumers as well. The Coca-Cola Creation site features an augmented reality gaming zone for consumers that they can enter by scanning their product’s package through their smartphone. Coca-Cola has more than 1,500 innovational projects in line, aiming to focus on scalability. Read more from Consumergoods

Google launched a pricing insights tool and shopping experience scorecard for e-commerce brands

Google has featured new tools for e-commerce brands ranging from rating programmes to in-depth insights so that retailers can have a broad view of their marketing and pricing strategies. Google is adding a Shopping Experience Scorecard, allowing shoppers to look into the retailers’ past performance before buying from them. Plus, the top-rated sellers would get a Trusted Store Badge, helping them gain more shoppers. To assure competitive pricing, Google has added a new pricing insights tool helping retailers set competitive prices for their products. Plus, new metrics have been launched for merchants in Google Merchant Centre tools, allowing them to glean into total traffic, impressions, and conversion rates. The local product insights tool will be available for the US and Canadian e-commerce brands in the near future. Read more from Socialmediatoday

Live video streaming platforms are catching the attention of DTC food and beverage brands

TalkShopLive, a live streaming platform, wants to drive food and drink shopping sessions led by the founders of DTC brands. The platform has expanded its mark via video commerce partnerships with Conde Nast, Walmart, and Hearst. These projects allowed brands affiliated with these retailers or publishers to operate a shoppable live feed and order fulfilment. An olive oil DTC brand, Brightland, participated in TalkShopLive’s Virtual Bite Show, and the founder, Aishwarya Iyer, promoted her products and recipes. Additionally, a DTC dog food company, Jinx, appeared in the live streaming session, and the brand experienced a surge of 42% sales compared to the previous day. Other live video shopping companies like ShopShops, NTWRK, and Whatnot are prompting brands and investors to take an interest in live streaming. Read more from Modernretail

A new market strategy: DTC brands are opening physical stores

E-commerce entrepreneurs and brands like Another Tomorrow are heading towards physical stores to establish a seamless omnichannel system, allowing customers to shop from mobile phones, laptops, or physical stores at their convenience. Some well-established brands like Warby Parker and Allbirds established their physical presence years ago. Following the same directions, now many smaller brands are experimenting with this by opening free-standing shops, securing short-term spaces, or leasing from a retail service. Many factors, including high digital marketing costs and prohibitive customer acquisition, have encouraged DTC brands to open physical shops, establishing a seamless omnichannel presence. Read more from Nytimes

Crowded emails: DTC brands need to adopt a whimsical approach to shine

DTC brands are diversifying their advertising strategies and trying their best to rely less on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. However, the channels they use to advertise are becoming crowded over time, forcing brands to shine and stand out among crowded emails and podcasts. A DTC bedding and lifestyle brand, Parachute, has adopted a whimsical approach to stand out among the traditional literal emails. In the future, the brand aims to promote its products by telling compelling stories to which consumers can relate. Read more from Idealmarketingforum

MENA region is expected to become the e-commerce hub by 2025

With trustworthy payment methods, proactive government policies, and efficient telecommunication infrastructure, the e-commerce growth in UAE reached over $5 billion in 2021 and is expected to cross $8 billion by 2025, according to the EZDubai report. Consumers shop via online channels for mainly three sectors, involving home furnishing, food and beverage products, and media equipment. As per the report, the e-commerce market is expected to develop in The Middle East region especially in Qatar and UAE due to the high GDP per capita and internet penetration. The reasons behind the unicorn growth of e-commerce in the MENA region include high internet penetration rate, rising incomes, high usage of technical gadgets, and improved logistics system. Keeping the current growth rate in mind, analysts expect to see the e-commerce market in the MENA region reach $49 billion in 2025. Read more from Arabianbusiness

Vietnam based e-commerce startup is expanding in China to challenge Alibaba

OpenCommerce, a Vietnam-based online shopping startup, raised $7 million from its investor, VNG, an internet giant. The company is the first of its kind to utilise the funding to branch out in China, challenging the existing e-commerce giants like Alibaba and Jd.com. OpenCommerce provides services to indirect and direct cross-border merchants known as Drop Shippers. The firm claims that since its launch, 80,000 global merchants have used its services to export goods, find suppliers and create websites. Among these 80,000 merchants, 30% belong from China, creating an attractive market in the region for the company. The firm primarily targets inventory and focuses on the operations by working directly with suppliers to source, create and ship goods. Read more from Asianikkei

Shoppable content: what the future holds for retailers

Social commerce is the new normal of the 21st century and shoppable content serves as the foundation, helping social commerce sales double by 2025. Shoppable content features videos, catalogs, digital images, or social media posts, allowing consumers to buy products directly. Hashtags like #tiktokmademebuyit (TikTok), shopping features like shop module, shop button, and live shopping (Twitter), and Snapchat’s Verishop collaboration are promoting shoppable content. Retailers can leverage newly introduced social media features like Instagram reels, Facebook shops, live-streaming, and Pinterest shopping to boost their e-commerce by providing the shopper relevant content. Shoppable content can function beyond add to cart and buy now buttons on retailers’ e-commerce sites as companies can optimise the content through shoppable multimedia, images, and customer reviews. Read more from Bazaarvoice

Connected Retail Report: Online Shoppers now demand reliability instead of speedy deliveries

The latest Connected Retail Report CI&T revealed some shocking consumer preferences that can serve as an eye-opener for retailers. Among the 415 US individuals surveyed by CI&T, only 9% expected the same-day delivery, while the rest of the participants prioritised reliability over speedy delivery. For an optimal mix of speed and satisfying services, retailers should ask the consumer at the time of checkout: when does he/she need to receive the parcel? This would allow retailers to control supply chain costs and focus on the parcels that need to be shipped first. To find out consumers’ choices for online deliveries, CI&T presented four options, involving websites, apps, mobile sites, and social media pages. Read more from Supplychainbrain

Fortis launched a Mental Healthcare Initiative for organisations to combat stress and workplace anxiety

Indian-based Fortis, a healthcare organisation, has announced the launch of a Workplace Mental Healthcare Initiative to take care of employees’ mental health. The firm is determined to provide mental health solutions to corporate organisations where employees can interact with a psychologist in real-time from their workplaces. According to WHO, approximately 280 million individuals suffer from anxiety and depression disorders while the work pressure further aggravates the situation. Fortis’ initiative would enable the organisations to safeguard their employees’ mental health which would ultimately lead to better working performance. Read more from Businessstandard

Singaporean Una Brands branched out in Asia by launching services in South Korea

A Singaporean-based e-commerce aggregator, Una Brands has collaborated with KlickBrands to launch its services in South Korea. The partnership aims to scale 25 brands from $1 million to $50 million, working in the niche of cosmetics, home, health, pets, and baby. South Korea is the fifth largest e-commerce giant in Asia and the market is expected to grow by $250 billion by 2025. That is why multiple companies, including Rainforest, a Singaporean E-commerce aggregator, American-based Thrasio, and South Korean Naver invested in e-commerce markets across Asia. Read more from Techcrunch

Social commerce is paving way for Canadian e-commerce growth

Chris Sheridan, the Sales Emblements lead and BD at Square Canada, holds that social commerce is paving way for e-commerce growth in Canada. As per the data report presented by Statista, 31.8 million Canadians are active social media users, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Snapchat. Other than entertainment, these channels are being utilized by consumers to frequently shop, allowing retailers to leverage social commerce to boost their online businesses. As social commerce accounts for growth, revue, and profit, Canadian retailers can streamline their e-commerce by strategically innovating social media strategies. Read more from Retailinsider

Canada has become the world’s second e-commerce giant

Canada has become the world’s second e-commerce giant as Canadian online sales have crossed 10% of the total retail sales. The country has managed to double its development rate, hitting a $64.51 billion valuation. Argentina is leading the world’s e-commerce with a 100.6% growth rate, while Canadian e-commerce spurred by 75% during the pandemic. With 24.2 million digital buyers, Canada e-commerce’s share of total retail will expand to 13.4% this year and is expected to reach 17.2% by 2025. Read more from Canadiansinternet

It’s all about the P in CPG; Consumer PACKAGED Goods

Packaging is of prime significance in CPG however packaging that is not sustainable and can be replaced has no future. Ron Delia, CEO of Amcor, a global packaging company, claims that e-commerce is rising with every passing second and many packaged items are not yet designed to be delivered via DTC. To offer an exciting shopping experience to consumers and keep up with the continuous rise of e-commerce, manufacturers need to adopt advanced packaging strategies. Consumers want sustainable packages and do not approve of plastic at all, while Delia said that packaged industry should educate consumers about the overall impact, as some plastic productions entail lower gas emissions as well. Delia believes that the future of packaging is both innovative and connected, including a digital watermark and tracking via value chain. Read more from Mckinsey

An insight into Reckitt’s future and ongoing strategies and developments

Reckitt established its e-commerce arm to serve consumers via DTC or online platforms. The company expanded 17% in 2021, representing 12% of net revenue plus, it plans to generate 25% of revenue from e-commerce by the mid of 2020s by collaborating with Amazon. Total net revenue for Reckitt increased by 3.3% in the final quarter of 2021 while the percentage reached 3.5% for the full year. The company plans to deal with inflation in 2022 by implementing growth management strategies and productivity measures. As per Reckitts’ internal research, 8% of consumers plan to stick with their newly developed habits after COVID, while to keep up with the sustainability footprint the firm has deployed a sustainability calculator to control its ecological impacts. Read more from Consumergoods

What and how: China’s e-commerce continues to grow

Emarketer, a market research firm, predicted that e-commerce in China is expected to grow. In 2021 more than half (52.1%) of the country’s retail sales were generated from online channels, while the rate increased up to 55.6% in 2022. The growth percentage is anticipated to reach 57% and 58.1% in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Emarketer revealed reasons and innovations behind e-commerce growth and declared emergence of Alibaba as the leading reason among others. Inspired by Alibaba, JD.com, also added into the country’s revenue. The smartphone empowered culture and advanced digital payment methods, including Alipay and WeChat helped e-commerce function effectively. Plus, the low-cost delivery services prompted consumers to shop from online channels, instead of non-customer-centric shopping outlets. Currently, WeChat mini-programs, live commerce, and Pinduoduo are driving the progress of e-commerce in China. Read more from Emarketer

Consumers urge retailers to maintain food transparency while manufacturing products

According to the ‘Transparency in an Omnichannel World’ report presented by The Food Industry Association FMI and NielsenIQ, 64% of consumers are ready to buy from a brand that provides more insight on the product, besides sustenance information. The nutrient facts mentioned on the product package somewhat influence the shopping behaviour of a vast majority of health-conscious consumers (89%), while for 66% it is of prime importance. Other than sustenance information, 80% of consumers believe that food retailers should mention other transparency indicators as well, including allergen information and values-based facts like fair trade and animal welfare. Among the 55% of frequent online shoppers, 47% hold that online channels are an easier way to scrutinize sourcing information of a product. In terms of transparency, 30% of consumers demand brief product information, while others expect fast delivery and search functionality. Read more from Nielseniq