A Lesson for Retailers in the Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy
Hundreds of big stores are shut tight from the Carolinas to Maine. Traders and investors paralyzed as the stock market and most major exchanges closed. Millions of workers are stuck at home for another day.
For some retailers that specialize in emergency equipment, orders have been coming in practically non-stop since warnings about Hurricane Sandy went into effect last Thursday. That includes online retailers who have had their busiest days in a 10-year history.
Hurricane Sandy is shaping up to be one of the biggest storms ever to hit the United States but even with the severe damage that is expected, the blow to the economy is seen as short-term.
Economists say impact caused by businesses closing will be offset by reconstruction efforts, and point to catastrophic storms like Katrina, which devastated New Orleans but did not have lasting damage to the national economy. Some economists predicted Monday that, barring a catastrophic event, Hurricane Sandy would slow growth in the short term but have a negligible impact on, and possibly even boost, fourth-quarter growth.
New Web Stores Can Optimize Sales, Eliminate Duplicate Manual Tasks & Reduce Costs
Whether your inventory is sizable or growing quickly, or youre ramping up for the holidays, saving time and controlling costs are important. Ordering items, evaluating how much to keep on hand, how much you should have at any given time, and what the carrying costs are, is a year round process.
Its not uncommon for the POS, Accounting or ERP system to have inventory functions to help you do this selecting which one and how to get all your systems to play together nicely is a common problem.
Manually updating each system is perceived as easier and cheaper. During the holiday selling season there is no time to download and manually key (or rekey) orders, keep inventory in sync and populate web sites with item data, let alone update order status and maintain great customer service. (more…)
Should You Operate an Online-Only Business?
The world of eCommerce is always changing, with new trends and innovations consistently finding a foothold in the industry. As these changes become standard practice, it is important for your business to take note, so as to remain ahead of the competition.
One of the more recent eCommerce trends is the emergence of web-only companies, which now account for more than a billion dollars in revenue.
Why Only Operate Online?
There are a number of reasons to consider running your business without a brick-and-mortar location. The biggest of which might be the ability to sell your products at lower prices, thanks to an absence of an actual retail location. Being able to offer a lower price is especially important if you want to compete with a site like Amazon, which is able to offer tremendously low prices on many products.
5 Magento Order Management Extensions Your Business Needs
There are many aspects to a successful online retailer, and order management is certainly one of the most important ones. Proper order management not only allows your business to run smoothly, but it keeps customers happy, making them far more likely to visit your site in the future.
Magento order processing extensions help to simplify order management in your business, doing everything from organizing orders and making shipping run smoothly to keeping customers in the loop about the status of their purchases.
Magneto extensions help take your business to the next level by simplifying operations and organizing your orders as their numbers increase. Weve compiled five of the best extensions that will help you control your business as it grows, making sure you never have to worry about proper order management. (more…)
Why You Need eBay/eCommerce Integration for Your Business
For online retailers, having a viable eCommerce strategy in place is essential for success. Even if a company is only operating through one web store, there are multiple channels in place that must be considered, whether its a brick-and-mortar location or a drop ship supplier.
With so many different avenues, an eCommerce solution already has plenty of benefits. It will tie all of your eCommerce channels together, syncing inventory and customer data to ensure accuracy across your entire business.
But now, many retailers are choosing to expand their presence online, and not just with another web store. Many businesses are selling products on eBay as a means of reaching a new audience or to part ways with extra inventory. Whatever the reason, more retailers are utilizing eBay as a major component of their eCommerce strategy, thus the need for eBay eCommerce integration. (more…)