Marketplaces

The Winning Strategy for MAP Success and Long-Term Brand Value in the E-Commerce Market
October 4, 2017 at 8:53 am

As virtually all consumer product manufacturers and brand owners by now realize, the world is becoming increasingly e-commerce driven. While this paradigm shift has ushered in numerous opportunities for businesses, it also presents significant challenges. One of the most significant challenges businesses face in this environment is how to effectively enforce minimum advertised price (MAP) policies and uphold brand value in the face of a constant assault from diverters and unauthorized marketplace sellers advertising their products at prices that harm brands. What's becoming clearer each day is that even the most iconic brands must act swiftly and aggressively to preserve downstream sales and overall brand integrity.

Defense Bill Would Create Opportunities for Retailers Selling to the Federal Government
September 6, 2017 at 9:55 am

A new piece of legislation working its way through Congress could alter the way commercial companies sell everyday products and services to the U.S. military and federal agencies. The bill, passed by the House of Representatives earlier this year, would allow the Pentagon and other government agencies to buy directly from online marketplaces like Amazon.com,…

Pricing Violation Trends: What They Mean for Manufacturers and Retailers
August 21, 2017 at 9:47 am

Amazon Prime Day marked the marketplace giant’s largest sales day ever, surpassing last year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With the growth of online marketplaces such as Amazon.com comes the proliferation of pricing violations. A new study from ORIS finds that third-party sellers on Amazon are undercutting minimum advertised price (MAP) by 13 percent, while…

2 Reasons Why Retailers Need to Leverage Amazon
August 18, 2017 at 8:49 am

How can small and midsized merchants succeed in an Amazon.com-first world? Wow, I get this question a lot! With Amazon Prime Day having passed and the retail giant putting almost $3 billion in sales on the board, this is definitely a hot topic and one I don’t see going away anytime soon. The answer to…

Amazon FBA Sellers Can Avoid Paying Back Sales Taxes Starting Today
August 17, 2017 at 11:17 am

Amazon.com sellers owing an estimated $2 billion in uncollected sales taxes are being offered a chance to waive those charges. CNBC reports 13 states have come together to announce a new sales tax amnesty program for online merchants who sell on Amazon and other online sites. Starting August 17, sellers with potential tax liability can…

Sears to Sell Kenmore Appliances on Amazon
July 21, 2017 at 9:26 am

Sears has fallen on hard times in part because e-commerce has taken market share from the department store chain, but now the company is looking to use the growth in online shopping to its advantage. Sears announced last week that it will begin selling Alexa-enabled Kenmore appliances on Amazon.com. Sears CEO Eddie Lampert was hopeful…

Wal-Mart Apologizes for Racial Slur on Marketplace Listing
July 18, 2017 at 2:23 pm

Wal-Mart is receiving major backlash for publishing an ad on its website that included a racial slur. Monday’s ad featured a wig cap for sale in which the color was described as "n----r brown." Wal-Mart has since removed the ad and told the Huffington Post that…

The Amazon Effect: How Retailers View Amazon's Position in the Marketplace
July 5, 2017 at 4:23 pm

As noted in last week's issue of Total Retail Executive, Total Retail recently released its latest research report, The Amazon Effect: How Retailers Are Adapting Their Businesses to Better Compete With the Industry Leader. The report analyzes the impact Amazon's growing influence is having on the retail industry, and what retailers are doing as a result,…

Retail Right Now: June 30
June 30, 2017 at 11:34 am

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Senior Editor Caitlin Sullivan reviews the top retail news of the week, including why 35 million members quit Amazon Prime, Nike's marketplace strategy, and Bed Bath & Beyond's possible store closures.

Nike to Sell Sneakers on Amazon
June 23, 2017 at 9:46 am

Nike Inc. is starting to sell its shoes directly though a brand-registered program on Amazon.com. The program is designed to keep counterfeit Nike goods off the online marketplace. This move could help Nike clean up and better control the inventory that shows up on Amazon through third-party sellers, Goldman Sachs’ Lindsay Drucker Mann told Bloomberg.…