This month in the Checkout, we’re talking about Alt-Commerce, Fulfillment and Delivery Updates and.....how you're getting ripped off buying Bubble Wrap - On with the show!
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Taking Stock
E-commerce news from around the web
From Livestreams to Landfills: The Quirky Evolving Revolution of Alt-Commerce!
Welcome to the future of shopping! Where TikTok ads become purchases, grandma's mittens go global, and you're one swipe, like, or share away from redefining the rules of how consumers buy stuff. Buckle up for a wild ride into the world of alt-commerce. Discover alt-commerce: it's transformative, and could be your ticket to future profits...
RELATED: Take the Poll!
What's your appetite for selling on TikTok? Targeted to launch to the public this fall - we think some sellers may not be ready to embrace live shopping and everything operational that comes from shopping on TikTok.
Join the conversation on LinkedIn
Shein and Temu's Great American Duty-Free Shopping Spree
While U.S. brands are fuming as they pay millions in tariffs, Chinese e-tail giants Temu and Shein are sneakily exploiting trade loopholes like rebellious teenagers avoiding chores. These cheeky companies are side-stepping import duties and allegations of human rights violations - it's an international version of 'hide and seek' with an unfair twist.
Spoiler alert: Temu and Shein are currently winning.
UPS & Teamsters Tango Towards a Strike
In a heated game of he-said, she-said, UPS and the Teamsters Union find themselves in a stalemate over new contract negotiations. As the clock runs out on the current contract covering 340,000 workers, each side accuses the other of walking away from talks, propelling the threat of a strike closer to reality. The stakes are high, as this could mean the first major labor action for UPS since their infamous 15-day strike in 1997 What does this mean for you? Read the details here.
Fast & Furious: The Delivery Edition
Move over, Vin Diesel! The real heroes of speed aren't drag racing in souped-up cars - they're delivering your online orders. This article explores how pandemic-born necessity morphed into a need for speed in the delivery world, but ponders: Is it sustainable, or just a flash in the delivery pan?
Amazon Reboots Do-It-Yourself Prime Amidst UPS Strike Saga
As the specter of a looming UPS strike has some of us biting our nails, Amazon swoops in as a potential knight in shining armor we didn't know we needed. In a clever "take matters into your own hands" strategy, they're reviving their seller-fulfilled Prime program. So, big brands are now back in the driver's seat, running their own fulfillment show from their cozy, control-filled warehouses. All this, while still basking in the glow of the Prime badge on their products! It's like watching a high-stakes game of musical chairs. Only this time, when the music stops, everyone's still got a seat! Read all about it here.
How Top Sellers Automate Multi-Channel Listings
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Minding the Store
This month’s how-to's and quick tips
Prime Time is Show Time: Gear Up for Amazon Prime Days with these Quick Tips
Looking to steal the spotlight during summer savings extravaganzas like Amazon Prime Day, Walmart + Week and Circle Days? Don't be a wallflower! Start updating those attributes, amigo. Following the rules is hip, so make sure you're compliant with the latest requirements. It's showtime, baby— Here, we guide you through the number one way to increase the visibility of your listings.
Tick-Tock on the Customer Support Clock: Conquering Ecommerce Service with KPIs
Struggling to measure if your online customer service is a hit or a flop? Use these KPIs to help turn your one-star mayhem into five-star fandom. Don't worry, no customers were harmed in the making of these benchmarks!
Alicent: Our Beloved Marketing Genie That's Out of The Bottle
Unleash the magic with Alicent. This app is low cost, high value and enables marketers to create all kinds of marketing content using webpages as prompts and much more. This genie not only frees you from tedious content creation tasks but brings to life a realm of canned content pieces and are customized to your tone and tenor. Alicent, we salute you for making marketing wishes come true.
The eBay-Palooza: eBay Open 2023 is Back!
Just when you thought it was safe to leave your laptop, eBay Open 2023 barges into the calendar! From September 26, it's a combo of face-to-face fun and virtual vogueing. Early sign-ups start on July 31. Prepare for a buffet of brainiac eBay buffs and schmoozing shenanigans.
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What's in Our Cart?
Cool Stuff from Ziggy and the Team
Roll Back Your Stress with Our Funky, Free Walmart Sales Estimator
Want to predict your Walmart sales but the crystal ball's on the fritz? Fear not! Our Walmart Sales Estimator is here to rescue. This digital fortune teller, bundles up the power of Excel with up-to-the-minute data trends. It's like having your own personal sales-rainmaker that works for free! Feed it your Amazon sales and shipping speed and watch it spill out your future predicted Walmart riches!
SKU-nundrum? Decode the SKU Chaos Across Channels
Drowning in a sea of SKUs? Lost in the labyrinth of multi-channel categorizing nightmares? Dive into our video and see how Zentail's Smart Types morph your tsunami of chaos into a placid SKU-pond. It's Noah's Ark for SKUs - a solution to a SKU flood problem.
Mission Impossible: The Hunt for Rogue Listings
Buckle up, folks, for the epic saga of tackling obstinate, elusive online listings. This video bravely ventures into the wild wilderness of multiple marketplaces, seeking out signs of 'Listing-itis' - those pesky problems that can plague your product listings. Watch as we unveil our secret weapon - a killer visual aid, transformed into a mighty listing-optimizing weapon. Spoiler Alert: It's like a rainbow for your profit margin.
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The Buy Box
Oddities for Entertainment...
The Hidden Side of Bubblewrap - check out this exposé on your bubblewrap purchases, where inches count and your pockets hurt!
Pop on in!
UPS drivers might be striking, but let's remember that many of these heroes go above and beyond to get our orders to customers. Here are few awe inspiring delivery driver funnies...
Good Ol' Rick - goes way above and beyond for his customers.
This AMZ driver knows how to ensure a stellar customer experience
Through rain, sleet and snow...and a police standoff
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