December – the month of food, presents, food, sherry, food and the following not-to-be-missed eCommerce news.
Expandly update
Ok, we know we appeared first in last month’s news roundup, but some news is just too good to hold in. This December Expandly unveiled its new-look design – maing the multi-channel management software platform even easier to use. The improved design brings benefits such as speed, intuitive actions, easy navigation and quick setup. Whatsmore, Expandly now integrates with easypost – giving users access to over 100 shipping carriers. Read more about what’s been going on here.
Guten tag!
Amazon Pay Germany launched this month, enabling those in Germany to pay for items instore using their iPhone, or online using their iPhone, iPad or Mac. This brings the total of Apple Pay countries to 23 – hurra!
Merry Christmas ya filthy animal
Amazon turned all Kevin McCallister this Christmas, using dummy boxes, GPS trackers and hidden doorbell cameras to catch parcel thieves in the US. The sting got off to a quick start, with the first package being stolen within just three minutes of delivery.
T’was the night before Christmas
And Amazon was still delivering. The online retail giant promised same-day Christmas Eve deliveries for selected cities around the world – right up until 10 pm. Last year’s most last-minute-ordered items included Terry’s Chocolate Oranges, Rubik’s Cubes and gift wrap. That might be the reason why this was Amazon’s biggest Christmas ever.
Meanwhile, Which? revealed that in 2017, six in ten online shoppers experienced delivery problems during the Christmas period, with one in four facing failed deliveries.
Sales ring, are you listening
The traditional boxing day sales were kicked off by Amazon, who offered new deals every five minutes. Extending the festivities was the third annual Amazon Digital Day that took place on 28 December, with thousands of deals on digital media.
Plain English
Cloud accounting platform Xero won the ‘Plain English Award‘ for the best website (private sector) this December. The awards, which celebrate organisations using simple language rather than business jargon, recognised Xero Central’s easy to follow nature and clear instructions.
New year hike
The eBay Delivery powered by Shutl delivery rates are increasing for 2019 – to improve the delivery service for eBay customers. Amazon Pantry delivery fees are also on the increase to £3.99.
Those not up for walking might be interested to know that Amazon has increased its air fleet by ten additional aircraft. The growth will enable Amazon to continue providing it’s fast and free delivery options for customers.
The best things in life are…
Free! Esty has announced that its targeted offer will continue to be free – removing the $0.10 fee forever. Targeted offers allow you to send coupons directly to online shoppers who have added your item to their shopping cart or favourited something in your shop.
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend
Especially when they’re real. Luckily, eBay has extended its luxury authentication service (eBayAuthenticate) to jewellery – using professional authenticators to verify high-end diamond and gemstone pieces.
Across the globe
Around the world, eCommerce has been booming this month, with highlights including:
– The Brazilian eCommerce market expected to reach $38.5 billion by 2022;
– The growth in Africa’s internet connections is spelling a promising future for eCommerce;
– The Philippine’s is expected to grow its eCommerce market to $10 billion by 2025; and
– Amazon Fashion+ has finally launched in China.
Back in the UK, Etsy is testing a new browsing experience that provides UK shoppers with more UK-based shops appearing in their search results.
In other eCommerce news
Seven out of ten sellers say that they made more money on eBay than Gumtree or Facebook, Walmart is testing in-house visual search technology, FedEx has expanded its delivery hours to accommodate eCommerce orders, eBay’s most expensive sale of 2018 was for $3,300,100 and eBay expected 74 million unwanted Christmas items to be listed on the platform.
And, finally…
When your January blues start to kick in, just be thankful that you day isn’t as bad as this robot’s.