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As more beauty sales are moving online, retailers like Sephora have had to up their e-commerce game. Carolyn Bojanowski, senior vice president and general manager of e-commerce at Sephora, said that a big focus for the retailer over the past year has been adding more e-commerce services, like a same-day delivery partnership with Instacart, as well as more ways for customers to chat with Sephora employees online. Bojanowski spoke more with Modern Retail about how Sephora's e-commerce experiences have evolved over the past year.
Google wants to make it crystal clear that it's not a marketplace. True, people can buy things on Google, but it also lets sellers link out to other marketplaces. On the Modern Retail Podcast, Bill Ready, the company's president of commerce and payments, discussed this important nuance.
E-commerce technology is the new gold rush. New data from CB Insights showcases just how hot the e-commerce space is. In the first quarter of 2021, funding for e-commerce startups hit $11.7 billion -- up from $2.8 billion in the first quarter of 2020 and $5.2 billion in the first quarter of 2019. It showcases an industry-wide realization: more VCs are investing in e-commerce startups and more businesses are adopting digital features to make their businesses omnichannel.
After testing out same-day delivery with third party services -- including Instacart, DoorDash and Postmates -- Walgreens has designed and launched its own delivery program. To compete with large retailers, the pharmacy chain will use its store associates pick and pack orders for third party messengers to drop off at customers' homes.
When Walmart's chief marketing officer William White joined the company last May, America's largest retailer was in rapid response mode. During a video chat at the Modern Retail Summit last week, White spoke about how the company had to shift its marketing strategy during the coronavirus pandemic last year, as well as how his team is trying to make Walmart a "culturally and emotionally relevant brand.
The chain has hiked its TV investment by 275% year-over-year and has plans to advertise on TV for the rest of 2021 across network and cable in the 22 markets where it has a footprint.
It's been a crazy year for Ocean Spray. The 91-year-old cranberry product company not only saw an increase in sales over the last year, but went viral on TikTok. It saw increased demand in 2020, according to CEO Tom Hayes. "Ocean Spray as a category leader has probably disproportionately benefited [from the pandemic]," Hayes said on the Modern Retail Podcast.
At last week's Modern Retail Summit, professionals came together and spoke about how they're thinking about some of the industry's most pertinent problems, like how to stand out on Amazon and preparing for a post-cookie landscape. Leaders from top brands described the trials and tribulations they faced over fireside chats, and attendees shared persistent thorns in their sides at break out working groups.
Businesses went into 2021 expecting in-person business events to become a part of the media and marketing calendars again. And while it looks like momentum for that won’t really begin building until the fall, there is momentum nonetheless, according to new Digiday Media Research.
J.Crew-owned Madewell is launching its first mobile app, aimed squarely at getting more out of its loyalty program members. Madewell started developing the app last fall, after seeing a spike in mobile traffic during the pandemic, according to Chris Maliwat, vice president, head of digital and consumer experience at J.Crew. Longterm, Maliwat said that Madewell's app strategy is to make it "easier and faster for [loyalty members] to access the goods that we think she wants to browse."
According to Crocs president Michelle Poole, the company's success was thanks to the brand keeping its ear to the ground and remaining scrappy. "I'm most focused on how the brand comes to life across the globe, in all channels," she said on the Modern Retail Podcast. Poole spoke about how the company dealt with all the changes brought on over the past year, as well as how it approaches large branding campaigns and influencers.
With the e-commerce boom comes a costs -- for shipping that is. Over the past year, shipping carriers FedEx and UPS imposed surcharges on large fulfillment orders, which are still in place. These additional costs, on top of fixed annual increases, are expected to keep delivery costs rising. The issue is prompting small and medium sized brands are looking for ways to minimize e-commerce costs to improve margins.
Like many traditional retailers, Bed Bath & Beyond has been forced to adapt to consumers' needs with a robust digital strategy. Now, Bed Bath & Beyond is turning its attention to overhauling merchandise with the help of private labels -- or "owned brands" -- as the company calls them. Chief merchandising officer Joe Hartsig spoke to Modern Retail about the launch of these in-house brands, modernizing stores and the importance of understanding today’s consumer.
For the past several years, Target has centered its e-commerce strategy around using its stores to fulfill online orders. Now, Target is starting to look beyond its stores to more efficiently fulfill online orders.
Taika, which boasts a caffeinated canned drink that contains so-called adaptogens, launched in 2020 -- right when the pandemic hit. And it's used a text-based branding strategy to help it connect with customers. Co-founder and CEO Michael Sharon joined the Modern Retail Podcast this week and spoke about how the company has been able to grow over the last year.
A California court just deemed Amazon liable for a faulty product sold by a third-party seller. The ruling, if nothing else, solidifies that Amazon has a real liability risk in California. “It’s going to carry a lot of weight in California,” one lawyer said.
Read MoreAt the Modern Retail Virtual Forum, we’ll bring together senior retail marketers to discuss the challenges they’re facing and the solutions they’re seeking in the era of smarter retail.
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