In this week’s edition of the Ecommerce and Marketplace Newsletter, we see good news from the retail sector as the National Retail Federation, Digital Commerce 360, and Retail Dive cover some encouraging growth statistics from January. These retail tailwinds and many other factors could help Temu Inc take on Amazon in the United States, as covered by Forbes while we hear about the B2B side of the market, including some demonstrative success tips from commercetools, Balance, and WBR Insights – eCommerce.
Notable news from the past week
January CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor Numbers Show ‘Great Start to the New Year’
Retail sales showed a strong beginning for the year in January, nearly matching December’s busy holiday spending and rising significantly year over year, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, powered by Affinity Solutions, released today by the National Retail Federation.
Monthly retail sales from the US Commerce Department
Every month, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Census Bureau releases its first calculation of the previous month’s retail sales. At Retail Dive, we report on the results for core retail segments, (minus food, auto and fuel), using year-over-year comparisons. In this article, Retail Dive provides the numbers for key segments, and their year-over-year progress, or decline.
Why Temu Could Challenge Amazon’s U.S. Market Position
Temu is burning a lot of capital to get people onto the site and the app; whether they will become repeat visitors remains to be seen. Given Pinduoduo’s track record, Temu has potential to compete with Amazon. What remains to be seen is whether Temu’s agressive cash burn in order to acquire US buyers will pay off in the long run. While Temu’s wide selection and low prices are appealing, consumers are accustomed to fast delivery times and easy returns, making this agressive International expansion a sizable gambit.
B2B buyer expectations continue to rise to the point that the gap between what’s expected and what’s actually delivered by B2B organizations is wider than ever before. Discover what customers are looking for in 2024 and beyond as the foundation for your eCommerce strategy.
US ecommerce sales and market size
Ecommerce sales grew 8.3% in 2022 year over year — a dramatic drop from the double-digit ecommerce growth in each of the past five years, but still enough to set a record high. U.S. ecommerce sales reached $1.03 trillion in 2022, according to a Digital Commerce 360 analysis of U.S. Department of Commerce figures released Friday. That milestone for U.S. ecommerce market size marks the first time U.S. ecommerce revenue has topped the $1 trillion level. It’s also well above 2021’s $960.44 billion.
From B2B ecommerce trends to opportunities
This blog uncovers what B2B needs to do to be as smooth and convenient as DTC and B2C ecommerce businesses, bringing growth, efficiency, and improvements across the supply chain. It’s no longer enough to have the ability to transact digitally in a B2B setting, business buyers expect and demand a consumer-like experience.
Here’s How the Relationship Between B2B Buying, Content, and Sales Reps Has Changed
WBR Insights
The B2B sales process has transformed in recent years. Not only are there more decision makers involved than ever before, but there are several additional touchpoints—face-to-face, email, social media, etc.—which need to be considered. Before we look at the solution, it’s important to understand the problem. Thankfully there is plenty of research out there which elegantly demonstrates how the relationship between B2B buyers and sellers has changed in recent years.
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