The advantage of owning an e-commerce business is that it can be easily grown beyond the domestic circuit. E-comm businesses can easily grow internationally. Yes, there are challenges like inventory management or handling complex logistical regulations. But, compared to growing a brick-and-mortar business, an e-commerce business can be built easily and simply.

Why Should You Grow Your Business Across the Border?

Going beyond the domestic borders helps you access a world full of opportunities. However, you must tackle international regulations to target the right customer group. These are primary reasons why businesses need to grow across the border –

• Expanding internationally helps you access new markets. This helps you add new revenue streams.
• By choosing to work across the border, you diversify or mitigate risks and be in a better position to handle market fluctuations and economic downturns.
• Growth across the border helps your business get a competitive advantage in the domestic market.
• Going across the border is a great way to enhance your brand’s visibility and recognition.
• Entering new markets also helps drive innovation to meet diverse customer needs and preferences.

Ways to Grow Your Business Across the Border

• In-depth Understanding of International Business Rules and Laws 

All businesses need to understand the complexities of taxation in the regional context. You might also be required to establish a legal entity in the local region to scale up. Similarly, logistics requirements need to be met as per the local regulations and compliances. As a business person, you should be able to comprehend international taxation and logistics requirements, especially when the business is growing globally.

Every country has distinct regulations and your business needs to be compliant with the laws. You need to understand the consequences of failing to comply with these laws and regulations. There could be legal complications, penalties, fines, etc., and can also lead to operational disruptions.

You also need to have a clear picture of the logistics requirements. This involves customs processes and EXIM regulations. This will help run the operations smoothly across the border. Compliance with these regulations and factors saves your business from legal risks.

• Understand the Intricacies of Cross-Border Payments and Currencies

Operating an international business requires that you have a clear and in-depth understanding of currency valuations and optimizing prices in regional currencies. You may need to involve experienced accountants to help you with getting clearer perspectives and strategies related to the pricing of your products in different regions.

Remember that the currency valuation differs from country to country. When establishing the prices of products as per the local currency translates into market competitiveness.

• Use a Unified Platform to Monitor Global Shipping Paths & logistics 

This is important that you have digitized means to track inventory and shipping routes so that every customer purchase is optimized till the delivery is done. Using a centralized platform helps modern businesses be in charge of product and inventory movement. All new-age businesses need to do this. Starting from the warehouse to the delivery of the product to the customer, every movement is tracked.

Choose ChannelSale.com’s unified platform to help businesses streamline their global shipping and logistics. The tool helps centralize the shipping path  while offering access to multiple sales channels in real-time. Moreover, optimized integration with ChannelSale.com help in efficient inventory management, and reduced delays.

• Automate Inventory Management

Going abroad with your business means handling diversified customer needs and markets. You need to make sure that product information across all channels is accurate. This includes details related to product weight, size, category, prices, etc. When correct product information, shipping costs and compliance-related regulations are addressed accurately. You may also need to translate the product brochures into local languages.

• Take the Help of Technology 

Technology is a big asset these days. Modern-day technological tools and apps like ChannelSale.com can give a competitive edge to your business. In cross-border e-commerce, sellers need to better understand their competitors. That’s how you can strategize well to grow your business. Use the power of the internet and software tools to analyze your competition in the local regions. ChannelSale.com facilitates multi-channel integration to help sellers with product listings, manage inventory and orders through a single dashboard. Similarly, the tool facilitates automated pricing updates and inventory synchronization in real-time across all channels.

Remember there is no single thumb rule that applies to all international regions. That’s because customer preferences can hugely vary from one region to another, one country to another. Make use of advanced analytical tools for competition analysis in each market. The data-driven approach helps businesses customize their services to meet local demands.

Other than this, technology also helps sellers to identify gaps and vulnerabilities in the market. This helps create brand differentiation, which is the formula for achieving success in global markets.

Key Takeaways

With real-time updates and a unified platform, you can deliver customer satisfaction to another level. No more risks of delayed shipments. Additionally,  this helps you boost customer trust and engagement. Cross-border businesses are a great opportunity to strengthen your brand presence in global markets. The task is in no way easy or less challenging. However, automating the inventory, understanding the intricacies of cross-border sales, payments, regulations, and laws, and using technology are some of the ways that are highly recommended for success. Take the help of finance and global trade professionals to navigate the landscape with ease.

The retailers must prepare for the shoppers as soon as holiday shopping time arrives. This time of the year is very crucial for them. As per studies conducted in this field, 28 percent people start holiday shopping well before November. Thus, online retailers must be prepared for the sudden increase in shoppers. They may encounter many challenges, such as supply chain issues, uncertainties, shipping delays, etc. So, waiting till the nth hour to start preparations for holiday shopping may pose many problems.

Online retailers can devise a well-thought-out strategy that keeps them ahead of the game and handles any contingencies that they may face. Here are a few tips that can help them prepare for the 2024 holiday season shopping.

2024 Holiday Shopping Season Prep Already

Also referred to as “The October Kickoff,” this approach is gaining much traction among excited shoppers. Instead of waiting until the last minute, they start making plans for the holiday season as early as October. This way, they have ample time to look for gifts and make timely purchases. They are ready with their shopping lists and start the activity with proper planning. Once the shopping list is ticked off, the retailers can align with the shoppers, see what they are doing, and prepare for the upcoming holiday season. Thus, as the October deadline looms larger, here is what an online retailer can do-

• Let us tackle any problems and check out the existing listings.
• Improve the Amazon A+ content to convey your product and brand narrative.
• Settle the products to include in the fourth quarter catalog.
• Review all data across active marketplaces.

The retailer must optimize and collect the expected projects that will sell well in the upcoming holiday season. This way, meeting the October deadline becomes easier. It is also the best time to evaluate which products are not faring well or are underperforming from the previous year so that the retailer can create optimal inventory levels. The retailer can also make plans to enhance reach to diverse marketplaces. This way, in September, they can establish a strong presence.

Overcoming Challenges

Consumer spending habits have undergone a considerable change due to inflationary pressures. Despite high product costs, customers make purchases, but they have now become more discerning when making buying decisions. As a retailer or a seller, it is essential to stand apart from the competition by focusing on critical areas –

1. Assisting customers with their needs
2. Providing shipping options
3. Describing products. Offering details
4. Gathering feedback and reviews

Understanding the stocking schedules for Q4 inventory when utilizing marketplace fulfillment services is crucial in the supply chain to overcome obstacles.

Critical steps for success include

1. Setting goals
2. Planning and achieving sales targets during the holiday season can be quite a task as sales peak during this time, but transactions happen throughout the year.
3. Expanding marketing campaigns globally
4. Upholding customer service standards
5. Evaluating holiday season performance to guide decisions for the year

Make the most of the expertise and two decades of experience of ChannelSale to boost product sales growth. We use advanced software solutions to sync inventory, listings, and orders across different channels.

Recap performance results of the 2023 Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend shopping turnout results that soared to record highs. As per a report by Adobe Analytics, Black Friday online sales were almost $ 10 billion, up 7.5% from the previous year. And that of Cyber Monday it was $ 12.4 billion, up 9.6 from 2022.

Which marketplaces were the biggest beneficiaries of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales?

Amazon and Walmart marketplaces were the biggest beneficiaries of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales this year. As per Digital Commerce 360’s Top 1000 ranking, Amazon ranks number one among the largest North American online retailers and third in its global rankings. Also, as per the 2023 Global Online Marketplaces Report, Walmart is No. 2 in the Top 1000 in North America and No. 9 worldwide.

What were the total sales by Amazon and Walmart marketplaces during Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

Amazon announced November 17 to 27 as the 11-day shopping event to capitalize on the Christmas sales.

It sold over 1 billion items during the event but did not share its sales value or year-to-year growth. But reports confirm that half of the billion items ordered on Amazon, or over 500 million items, were sold by small and medium independent sellers. Amazon marketplace had the highest traffic from US purchasers during the event, accounting for 26.5% per the Digital Commerce 360 analysis using Similarweb data.

Walmart was the other marketplace that saw its biggest sales days in its entire history during this Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. There was a four times jump in its peak orders per minute over last year’s sales.   WFS or Walmart Fulfillment Services, which provided end-to-end services, achieved sales during these days that were four times higher than its sales ever to ship around twice the number of units than the previous year.

Four top trends and results of 2023 Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Gone are the days of standing in queues early in the morning among the rushing people for Christmas purchases on Black Friday after celebrating Thanksgiving day. In this digitalized and globalized world, the contemporary retail landscape in rushed crowds has transformed into an extended experience of shopping in the comfort of home or from anywhere.

Compared to Black Friday, Cyber Monday is a new extravaganza from 2005 for people to do only online buying and technology products. The following are the few trends and results of Black Friday and Cyber Monday that broke many records created regarding value, online traffic, number of sales, items, etc.

1. As per NRF or National Retail Federation data, over 200 million shoppers bought products from websites and stores during the five-day weekend from Thanksgiving Day, which was a record than any other previous year.
2. As per Salesforce data, there was an average rise of 4% of the selling price of all product categories in 2023 Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales in 2022
3. Adobe Analytics ICSC post-Thanksgiving weekend surveys confirm that e-commerce sales on Cyber Monday alone were $ 12.4 billion, and for the five days from Thanksgiving, $ 38 billion.
4. As per the US Department of Commerce, e-commerce sales grew by 7.75 % in the 2023 third quarter, which is far ahead of the total retail sales that grew only 2%

In an upcoming article we will in-depth cover the key checkpoints for online sellers to include in their preparation strategy for the next Black Friday and Cyber Monday Weekend 2024 for simplifying multi-channel selling for companies like yours to grow your business even beyond your expectations.

You have come to the right place to look back on the e-commerce sector in 2023 and what trends to arrive in 2024 to increase its sales rapidly. Statistics confirm that e-commerce sales in 2023 crossed 6.5 trillion dollars and will cross 8 trillion dollars by 2026. It is because of the increasing prevalence of voice search, AR to visualize purchases, voice commerce, livestream shopping, the rise in new marketplaces & distribution channels, and many more.

So, check out what fueled the e-commerce sector in 2023 and what are the trends that are going to do more in 2024.

A Lookback of the e-commerce sector in 2023

In this digitalized and globalized business world, the e-commerce sector has seen continuous growth in the last few years, including 2023. With the pandemic boosting the use of e-commerce sales, it continues undeterred because of its many benefits for both buyers and sellers. Also, the number of smartphone users will increase from 6.4 to 6.7 billion people from 2022 to 2023. Statistics confirm that there were over 215 million new social media users as of October 2023 compared to the same time in 2022 to increase social commerce. All of it added to the rise of e-commerce sales from 5.7 to 6.5 trillion dollars from 2022 to 2023.

What’s to arrive in 2024 for the rising e-commerce sector?

Mobile shopping continues its rapid rise to constitute over 63% of e-commerce sales. With an increase of over 5% in the number of smartphone users every year, there will be around 7 billion people having smartphones in 2024. Millions of new social media users add up every year to also increase e-commerce sales. Irrespective of age, e-commerce buyers are expanding worldwide because of delivering groceries and medicines to their doorsteps.   Most of the  IT giants like Amazon, Walmart, Apple, E-bay, Google, and many others will increase their part in boosting the e-commerce sector in 2024.

What are the trends to arrive in 2024 to boost the e-commerce sector?

In 2023, there was a continuous rise in social commerce and personalized e-commerce experience for customers, apart from improved logistics to deliver goods on schedule to boost the sector. With e-commerce sales in 2023 exceeding expectations from 6.3 to over 6.5 trillion dollars, it is only expected to grow beyond 7 trillion dollars in 2024. And the following new and improvised existing trends will make it possible in 2024 and beyond.

• An increase in the live streaming of thousands of products in a minute to viewers in an exclusive event by many companies will increase consumers’ interest in not missing out on limited-time, unmatchable offers.
• Improved AR or augmented reality shopping will increase customer encouragement by trying the products to boost their confidence in making purchases and also to reduce returns.
• Better multiple payment options collecting zero personal data from the consumers will increase their trust in the marketplace to buy more e-commerce products.
• Improved customer service using NLP or natural language processing enhanced chatbots to provide answers to most queries and solve issues will boost online sales.

Wrapping up

Looking back, 2023 was a fantastic year for the e-commerce sector, and as per the details and trends above will make sure that 2024 will also be better for e-commerce sales to cross the 7 trillion milestones. E-commerce businesses wanting to capitalize on the rising tide and to know many more trends should contact ChannelSale integrated with most of the major world-famous marketplaces, comparison shopping engines, social network sites, affiliate networks and shopping carts for cutting-edge software solutions to take sales to new heights.

Your search for tips to conquer the fulfillment frustration of e-commerce customers’ orders ends here. If e-commerce is the game-changer in the digitalized business world, it is the door-to-door delivery or e-fulfillment services that made it popular among people worldwide. On-time fulfillment of online orders by bringing the products to customers’ doorsteps is increasing e-commerce sales by trillions of dollars. But for several reasons, there are many fulfillment frustrations as most e-commerce companies promise same-day delivery to outsmart competitors.

If you have one such company or are working in one, check out the many tips for conquering those fulfillment frustrations to expand your business exponentially.

Ten top tips to conquer the fulfillment frustrations of the e-commerce sector

The new generations, Y & Z to alpha, buy most of the products online and only a few in retail stores. It is the reason there is rapid growth in e-commerce to now be around one-fourth of the retail sales and expected to be over 90 % of it by 2040. One of the significant reasons for this is the delivery of most of the products to the customers’ doorsteps within a day or the next day.

With the rapid rise in e-commerce sales worldwide and supply chain issues, many companies are not able to deliver products on time, causing fulfillment frustrations. There are many other issues like improper inventory causing inaccurate stock, insufficient warehouse handling, inferior customer support, fluctuating demands, and others.

The following are a few tips for conquering such fulfillment frustrations to develop your e-commerce business to the next level.

1. Must have automated digital fulfillment systems that give real-time information about the accurate stock levels in the inventory to update as per the demand to never run out of products to deliver on time
2. Should integrate OMS or digital order management systems to check if there is stock in the inventory for giving a tremendous omnichannel sales experience to customers to gain their trust
3. Must have WMS or warehouse management systems offering automated processes to reduce errors and overhead costs
4. Should have digitalized solutions like RF or radiofrequency, voice-directed, and mobile-based picking operations to improve the overall picking process warehouses for recording adjustments and exceptions
5. Must use the best automated analytical tools to analyze the data collected from OMS, WMS, and others to get valuable insights to improve the order fulfillment process
6. Should be able to collect granular-level fulfillment workflow data to help the customer support teams solve many issues to provide the best buying experience to increase sales
7. Must have the best software and tools for synching multi-channel orders to solve all the stock or inventory management problems and delivery feed
8. Should have intelligent inventory management software for integrating product availability across many platforms to avoid over and underselling, among others
9. Must automate all the product data import, submitting feeds to marketplaces, affiliate networks, comparing shopping engines, and others
10. Should have advanced software and technological tools for generating reports and analyzing macro and micro views of SKU or stock-keeping unit conversions across all conversions.

Conclusion:

The above facts and tips will end your search to conquer the fulfillment frustrations of e-commerce orders to get completed on time using the world-class software solutions from ChannelSale, the official preferred partner of Amazon, eBay, and most major marketplaces worldwide to have created over 5 million product listings successfully.

The number of happy sellers and buyers using ChannelSale platform is increasing, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The introduction of ChannelSale’s cutting-edge products boost sales for all businesses as evident in the reviews received. Let’s see what clients say:

Shopify App Store Listing: https://apps.shopify.com/channelsale#adp-reviews

BigCommerce App Store Listing: https://www.bigcommerce.com/apps/channelsale/

Marmon Foodservice Technologies

When I was planning to launch my own eCommerce business, I was desperately looking for a platform that could help transition and integration seamless. I used ChannelSale for Shopify-Amazon connection which helped me a lot increasing the visibility of my business. Because of these reasons, I intend to build my future businesses on Amazon e-commerce platform. Thanks to ChannelSale team in helping me combine Amazon with Shopify and take my business to the next level.

House Plant Shop

ChannelSale has been extremely helpful and attentive in spreading the businesses to additional
channels. It has helped me simplify logistics to have all orders populated in Shopify. The team at ChannelSale make weekly calls to ensure everything is running smoothly, and they respond quickly to any problems. They are keen to share ideas and expand my services to new markets. It was a great decision to trust ChannelSale for my business expansion.

Unique Oils LLC

We have been using ChannelSale for over two years, and their assistance is head and shoulders above all other integrators. Their approach simplifies your product selection across numerous sales channels and broadens your brand’s reach while centrally managing everything through Shopify. Their reporting and industry knowledge have helped us generate relevant KPIs that have helped us grow our business tremendously in a simple, straightforward way.

What ChannelSale can do?

Different clients have expressed that they have had excellent experiences with ChannelSale. The ChannelSale Team helps complete setup to migrate their products to eBay, Amazon, Walmart, Sears, and other markets.

The problems caused to these clients while using other marketplaces were tremendous, and ChannelSale helped to consolidate everything into one solution. ChannelSale provides experienced dedicated account managers for complete setup, schedule recurring meets with the clients twice a week on phone and screen sharing, and are available via email and direct phone to assist with any difficulties.

Once initial setup and testing is completed, then the system automatically synchronizes the listings, inventory, and orders, and their customer care is consistently prompt and attentive. The team holds weekly calls throughout the setup phase to discuss progress and next steps. They help customers and clients who want innovative and new solutions to any new approach in the market will have better options available.

However, ChanneSale can provide new solutions to people with specific requirements that are simple enough to meet their demands. This shows the versatility of ChannelSale and how it helps satisfy the demands of clients in different ways depending upon their approach toward any solution.

Integration services and developers can be highly expensive depending on what you require, and ChannelSale provides a fantastic value for the money. Maintain open lines of communication with them from the start to ensure that they understand your expectations.

Conclusion

ChannelSale unifies the sales channels and grants you the tools as well as services required for business management, market to customers, and integrating selling. So, the buyers on your site can witness a seamless shopping experience.

Contact us for a demo of the ChannelSale platform today from our Expert team members.

Bed Bath & Beyond’s acquisition of Overstock has stirred interest and expectation as a strategic move that has sent waves through the retail sector. This blog article seeks to provide a thorough review of this big transaction, exploring the reasons behind the move, potential collaborations, and the expected impact on both companies.

The Acquisition’s History:

1. Strategic Vision: Bed Bath & Beyond’s acquisition of Overstock is made with the strategic vision of broadening its scope of product sales and varieties and strengthening its impact in the business market as a strong competitor. It aims to take advantage of the overstock supplies to meet its target and go beyond.
2. Expanding Market Presence: Overstock, known for its online marketplace providing a diverse selection of products, allows Bed Bath & Beyond to extend its market presence. This move enables the business to delve into Overstock’s existing consumer base while reaching out to new groups.

Potential Benefits and Collaborations:

1. Diverse Product Portfolio: The combination of Bed Bath & Beyond’s selected collection of home essentials and Overstock’s vast product range provides consumers with an extensive range of options. This diverse product listing appeals to various preferences and demands, improving the purchasing experience.
2. Enhanced E-commerce Capabilities: Bed Bath & Beyond acquired the advanced technological facilities of Overstock’s sophisticated ecommerce infrastructure. This advancement increased the overall efficiency and productivity of the brand, making it more convenient for the customers.

Considerations and Challenges:

1. Integration Difficulty: One of the most difficult aspects of acquisitions is integrating two separate business concepts. Bed Bath & Beyond will need to tread cautiously during this process to provide a consistent experience for customers and stakeholders.
2. Brand Alignment: Maintaining a consistent brand identity after acquisition is critical. Balancing Bed Bath & Beyond and Overstock’s separate strengths while presenting an integrated team to customers will take much work.

Expected Impact:

1. Market Competitiveness: The merger of Bed Bath & Beyond and Overstock creates a more competitive participant in the retail market. This increased competitiveness can foster innovation and customer-centric tactics and impact market trends.
2. Income Stream Diversification: The acquisition allows Bed Bath & Beyond to diversify its income streams. Beyond the traditional physical retail stores model, the brand has a deeper footing in e-commerce, reflecting modern consumers’ growing preferences.

Conclusion

Bed Bath & Beyond’s acquisition of Overstock signifies an important turning point in the retail industry. As these two brands join together, there is excitement about emerging beneficial relationships. The possible benefits, ranging from an enlarged product selection to streamlined supply chains, reflect a smart move in line with evolving customer behavior and market trends.

ChannelSale, a reputable supplier of e-commerce solutions, is aware of the significance of these steps in aiding businesses to flourish in the online market. By effectively utilizing these KPIs, e-commerce businesses can ensure long-term success and maintain a competitive edge in the ever-evolving e-commerce market.

Contact us for a demo of the ChannelSale platform today from our Expert team members.

Nowadays, many businesses’ expansion plans depend heavily on e-commerce. E-commerce enterprises must routinely assess their performance and make data-based decisions to remain in the highly competitive online marketplace. In this method, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are crucial. The 10 key e-commerce KPIs that businesses should monitor to assess their success and make informed decisions are covered in this blog.

Sales Conversion Rate

Since it demonstrates how well your website converts visitors into consumers, the sales conversion rate must be a key performance indicator in any e-commerce plan. Monitoring this KPI can enhance the consumer experience, product presentation, and website layout. A high conversion rate demonstrates a well-optimized website but also the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns in bringing in targeted traffic.

Customer Acquisition Cost

Understanding the expense of obtaining new consumers is crucial for sustainable expansion. Using the CAC calculation, e-commerce businesses can allocate their marketing budget efficiently. Additionally, keeping track of CAC over time could notify you of how well your marketing channels work. If you want to reduce CAC, prioritize the best customer acquisition channels, improve your targeting strategies, and optimize your advertising efforts.

Average Order Value

The average order value (AOV) could be strategically increased to boost revenue without attracting additional customers. One way to do this is by incorporating upselling and cross-selling methods into practice. For instance, selling product bundles, suggesting related items, or providing discounts on larger purchases can all be used to tempt customers to spend more money on each transaction. Increased customer lifetime value and instant cash are benefits of an efficient AOV strategy.

Cart Abandonment Rate

Cart abandonment is a common issue in the e-commerce landscape. Carefully examining the cart abandonment rate can reveal certain issues with the checkout process. By expediting the checkout process, making shipping costs obvious, and using cart recovery emails, it is possible to lower cart abandonment rates and recover money that has been lost.

Customer Lifetime Value

A KPI, Client Lifetime Value (CLV), emphasizes developing strong client relationships. Businesses should focus on strategies other than one-time purchases to enhance CLV. Remarkable customer service, specialized marketing campaigns, and loyalty programs are required to achieve this. By doing this, businesses increase the value of every customer and develop brand loyalty, which fosters organic growth through referrals and positive reviews.

Website Traffic Sources

Understanding the sources of visitors to your website is crucial for the success of any e-commerce business. By examining this KPI, you can discover which channels drive visitors to your website. Referrals, social networking, sponsored search, and paid advertising are typical traffic sources. By looking further into this data, you can find which specific keywords, campaigns, or platforms are most effective in attracting visitors with high conversion rates.

Return on Investment

Return on investment (ROI), a financial metric, measures the effectiveness of your marketing initiatives. ROI considers both the revenue received and the costs associated with marketing activities. Calculating ROI for each campaign or channel lets you learn which investments generate the best returns. With this knowledge, you can more skillfully plan your marketing budget by allocating resources to strategies and initiatives that offer a higher return on investment.

Inventory Turnover Rate

Inventory turnover rate is a KPI that monitors how quickly you sell and refill your inventories. Effective inventory management is indicated by a high turnover rate, which reduces the likelihood of overstocking or investing money in unsold goods. Businesses can maximize this KPI by frequently monitoring inventory levels, properly forecasting demand, and implementing strategies to promote the sale of slow-moving commodities.

Customer Retention Rate

The degree to which customers continue to be interested in your brand over time is shown by your customer retention rate. Utilizing strategies like loyalty programs, tailored discounts, and first-rate customer service, this KPI must be raised. A higher customer retention rate not only boosts revenue but also lowers the cost of client acquisition because devoted customers are more likely to make repeat purchases and refer your business to others.

Mobile Commerce Metrics

Mobile commerce (m-commerce) has expanded quickly in recent years; thus, tracking KPIs specific to mobile is crucial. In addition to the overall mobile traffic percentage, metrics like the mobile conversion rate, average transaction value on mobile devices, and mobile bounce rate provide insight into the mobile user experience. Ensuring your website is mobile-responsive and user-friendly will help you increase these KPIs and give you access to the continually expanding mobile consumer base.

Final Note

By including these additional details in your e-commerce plan along with the KPIs above, a complete picture of the performance of your online business will be given.

ChannelSale, a reputable supplier of e-commerce solutions, is aware of the significance of these steps in aiding businesses to flourish in the online market. By effectively utilizing these KPIs, e-commerce businesses can ensure long-term success and maintain a competitive edge in the ever-evolving e-commerce market.

Contact us for a demo of the ChannelSale platform today from our Expert team members.

Foresight and strategic planning are crucial in the constantly changing world of e-commerce. Important dates and events can dramatically impact your company’s performance on the calendar. Aligning your marketing strategy with these events, from major holidays to seasonal shopping frenzies, is a definite way to increase engagement and sales.

Experts say that consumers spent a whopping $886.7 billion in 2022 during the US holiday season of November and December. In the same year, holiday sales saw an increase of 14.1%.

This in-depth guide examines the essential e-commerce calendar for the second half of 2023, highlighting the significant occasions that demand your attention and participation.

July

Independence Day (July 4th): The US observes Independence Day with ardent patriotism as the year’s second half draws close. This offers e-commerce companies a fantastic chance to draw customers’ attention. Create your campaigns with freedom and patriotism in mind, using traditional flag colors. Promotions and discounts on various goods can draw customers looking for event souvenirs.

August

Back-to-School Season: As summer draws close, families prepare for the upcoming school year. The range includes a variety of goods in addition to books and stationery. Consider items like clothes, shoes, electronics, furniture, and dorm room necessities. Take advantage of the spirit of fresh starts by segmenting your offerings to appeal to people of different ages, from young children to college students.

September

Labor Day (September 4th): On the first Monday in September, people nationwide are recognized for their efforts. Profit from the long weekend by providing special offers showing appreciation for your consumers’ loyalty. Discounts on various goods, from fashion to electronics, might draw customers wanting to maximize their holiday break.

October

Halloween (October 31st): Halloween, a joyous holiday, marks the end of October. Think creatively, including decorations, party supplies, themed home items, costumes, and candy. By creating a variety that caters to spooky items, e-commerce enterprises can capitalize on the Halloween frenzy. Give your Halloween items an air of exclusivity by giving special bundles and limited-edition goods.

November

• Veterans Day (November 11th): Veterans’ sacrifices are commemorated on this day. Make special campaigns that provide veterans and their families discounts as a sign of respect. Showing your customers how much you care about them will strengthen your brand’s relationship and encourage client loyalty.
• Thanksgiving (November 23rd): Thanksgiving, a day of giving thanks and spending time with family, falls on the fourth Thursday of November. This is a perfect time to run special deals in online shopping. You can build anticipation by tantalizing your deals well in advance and promoting things that go well with gatherings and gift-giving.
• Black Friday (November 24th): Unquestionably one of the most eagerly awaited shopping occasions worldwide, Black Friday is a day of unrivaled deals and discounts. Ensure your online store’s platform is prepared to manage the increase in traffic and sales. Conversion-driven, time-sensitive ads can boost your Black Friday success by increasing conversions.
• Cyber Monday (November 27th): Cyber Monday, an online shopping craze, is the Black Friday of the digital world. Enhance the user experience of your website by showcasing special online offers as a way to get ready. You can expand your audience by using social media and email marketing.

December

• Christmas (December 25th): Christmas, which marks the end of the holiday season, is when more people give gifts and celebrate. Offer a carefully picked assortment of gifts for your online store, ranging from inexpensive stocking stuffers to high-end products. Consider incorporating gift guides and expedited shipping options to accommodate last-minute purchases.
• Boxing Day (December 26th): Boxing Day is the next day in the post-Christmas shopping frenzy and is noted for markdowns and clearance discounts. Cut back on excessive inventory while attracting customers with tempting offers. Using the correct promotion, you can ensure that consumers know about your online store even after the holiday rush.
• New Year’s Eve (December 31st): As the year ends, e-commerce businesses can participate in New Year’s Eve celebrations. Draw attention to celebration-related goods like attire, party supplies, and health things that meet new year’s resolutions.

Preparing for the Retail Sales Holidays

You can prepare for the retail sales holidays in two parts:

• Bringing all the shoppers to your store
• Ensure all the shoppers leave your store completely satisfied with what they bought.

The 1st part accentuates the significance of holiday marketing, which includes:

• Pop-up stores
• Discounts
• Promotional emails
• Giveaways
• Gift guides
• Paid advertisements
• Social media activities
• Window display

But you can map out your marketing advance because of the retail holiday calendar. That way, you can easily plan out and develop the visual content, prepare the website in a timely manner, write down all the emails, and partner up with businesses or influencers.

When you want to open up a holiday pop-up store at a fair or market, this will surely give you plenty of time to take care of the logistics.

The 2nd part keeps its focus on the entire shopping experience and all the things that are included in it. There are some questions that you can utilize to optimize the store for holiday shopping. These questions are:

• How to prepare the product inventory and offering?
• Is it necessary to hire some temporary staff members?
• How to effectively organize the staff shift schedules?
• How to opt for store samplings or demos to magnify customer satisfaction and foot traffic?
• Is it possible to provide all the order fulfillment options, such as curbside pickup, purchase online, or in-store pickup?
• Will it be alright to move the physical store to the online platform to avoid crowds and serve all the customers during the holiday season?

Unify Your Sales Channels With Channelsale

ChannelSale unifies the sales channels and grants you the tools as well as services required for business management, market to customers, and integrating selling. So, the buyers on your site can witness a seamless shopping experience.

Final Remarks

To successfully navigate the e-commerce world, one must thoroughly understand the elements affecting consumer behavior. Be proactive, adaptable, and conscious of the shifting needs of your clients. By aligning your marketing initiatives with the e-commerce calendar from July to December 2023, you can position your business for maximum success.

For all the online retailers, excess inventory can be a massive issue. It’s mainly because when this inventory is left unsold, it will keep accruing the carrying cost.  This can be a costly proposition because experts say that the carrying cost is around 20% to 30% of the entire inventory cost of a business. Having excess inventory is also bad for the cash flow.

It’s mainly because excess inventory can lessen the profit margins, increase the inventory cost, can cause overstocking, and will lead to dead stock. But there are several methods through which you can easily terminate the excess inventory. Let’s find out what they are!

Terminating excess inventory: How to get it done?

There are some great ways through which you easily get rid of all the extra inventory. These are:

• Build promotions on the extra products

If you want to sell all the extra products from your inventory, you should try promoting them when the competition is less. That way, you can also reach all those customers who are looking for deals on products.

• Concentrate on the products

Effective segmentation can lead to the proper advertisement. You can segment all your promotions through the “Google Merchant Promotions” on various product sets so that you can move all those items.

• Modify the feed

In the Bing and Google feeds, utilize the custom labels. That way, you can flag all those item sets that have a high inventory. After that, you can create more campaigns around those product sets.

• Offer a gift

To get rid of the excess inventory, you can give all your low-cost items as a gift to your customers when they make a purchase.

• Advertise the product bundles

Bundling all the items together is an excellent way for all online retailers to advertise their products, move inventory and also raise awareness for specific products. To promote all these product bundles, you can opt for advertisement campaigns, which will last till the holiday or seasonal period. There are some effective ways you can publicize the product bundles, which are:

• Retarget all your former or existing customers 
• Get more targeted customers through Amazon Advertising 
• Use sponsored display advertisements to raise awareness for the products by directly targeting the competitor ASINS.
• Choose sponsored videos to show all the customers the branded content, which is a new and unique way to eliminate excess inventory. 

Segment the email list.

Send emails to all the historical and recent consumers to give them a reminder about your product line and business. When segmenting the email list, you should make one for all those customers who look for offers and deals.

Selling strategies that can help you sell off excess products

When you’re planning to use the selling method to terminate the extra inventory, there are several strategies that can help:

• Augment the product listings

It’s crucial to optimize product listings. Check to see if any improvements are needed, think about the customers, and take a look at how they shop, where to do they shop, and what they’re planning to get this year, season, and month.  You should revisit the search terms and tweak and update them by adding new details on the products, which will be valuable for the search outcomes.

• Expand to new regions or marketplaces 

Expanding to new areas and also marketplaces is ideal for all online retailers as it will provide them with new customers. It will allow you to trade all the extra products present in your inventory.

• Find new regions in your marketplace 

Choosing international markets to sell your products can help you increase your sales and consumer base. But you don’t need to learn about a marketplace where you’re using online platforms like Amazon to sell your products.

Its Global Selling program has a cross-border trade option, and your products will be available to all those customers who are already shopping at Amazon.

• Test out all the new social channels

Apart from using Facebook or YouTube to promote your products, you can now utilize other social channels, such as Instagram and TikTok, to raise awareness for your products. That way, you can increase the product sale and also gain new customers.

• Get rid of friction from the buying path

All your email advertising, social ads, and other digital touchpoints have a shoppable solution; you must eliminate all the issues from the purchase path. That way, you can turn all the interested individuals into consumers.

Recheck the completion process.

You need to make some primary changes in the fulfillment procedure, and it should apply to not just the excess inventory but to all the inventory. You also might want to see some changes in the fulfillment approach apart from adding new channels, deals, and discounts.

Last Note 

To get rid of the surplus products and work on your business objectives, you should experiment with various strategies. You can gain more information and speak with an e-commerce consultant from ChannelSale and learn how you can magnify your e-commerce business.