Weekend reading: March 12th

We’ve made it round to the weekend again folks – and while we’re still putting up with gusty breezes and blustery showers, the sun is gradually making itself known to us in between those showers, and we’re so ready for it! Customers are too, and so as we mentioned last week, make sure you’re updating your inventory with new products from the Avasam catalogue, so you’re ready for the anticipated demand.

This week, we’ve some exciting updates for Linnworks users, as well as what FBA users need to know about Amazon’s new policy to avoid counterfeit goods, as well as some food for thought about your social media strategy. While we’ve got your attention, it is Mother’s Day in the UK on Sunday – so if you’re lucky enough to still have her, be sure to give your Mum a call this weekend.

The latest from us

We launched our app for Linnworks users in the Linnworks app store this week! We’re excited that our sellers and suppliers that use Linnworks will be able to use Avasam in a much easier way. There’s more to come, but we’ll save that for nearer the time. If you’re a Linnworks user, head to the Application Store in Linnworks to get started, or see our video here.

The newest supplier to add products to Avasam has brought automotive, home, pet, and cycling goods to the platform – and with warm weather (hopefully) on the way, this supplier joined at the right time for sellers to make the most of customer demand! Sign into the platform and search for supplier GB010079 to see their range of products.

Speaking of warmer weather – we’ve put together our collection of spring goods on the platform this week, as well as sports, health, and fitness items, which we expect sales to increase for as customers get to work on their fitness before summer. Sign in to see more.

We’ve been adding more videos to our YouTube channel this week, including how to use the Linnworks app and setting up your Shopify store with Avasam products. You can find all our videos here.

The weekend reads

Amazon is changing their policy for FBA customers on the 19th of March – so if you haven’t provided the correct information, or Amazon decide that your inventory contains unsuitable units, then you could end up losing stock. This is all part of their plan to help customers to avoid counterfeits – which of course, is a good thing – but could end up being an issue. Find out what retailers need to be prepared for here.

Clothing has been one of the biggest selling categories across the eCommerce sector through February. With the weather slowly starting to improve, that’s probably not a shock to any of us – and with non-essential retail stores closed until the 12th of April, customers are heading online for their retail therapy. Time to add clothing to your inventory to make the most of customer demand!

A massive 39% of international shoppers will pay a premium for products that are “Made in Britain”. Despite there being more products than ever on the market from China, there is a belief that is held in countries worldwide that products originating in the UK are higher quality. Find out which countries could be the best ones to add to your strategy here.

While almost half of all retail revenue is now generated by eCommerce, there are still challenges getting customers to commit to their purchases. Cart abandonment and high shipping costs are cited as two major hurdles, and so getting your payment options straight, finding competitive shipping options and your customer journey as simple as possible with as few clicks as possible is absolutely vital. Find out more here.

Are you making use of all the different types of social media to advertise your business? Walmart in the US is doing great things with TikTok, including shoppable ads and shoppable livestreams – and while they clearly have a much bigger marketing budget than most, they’re not the only business to be doing so. Leggings and coats are both products that have gone viral on TikTok, so if you can create something great that you can manage to get to go viral, the potential rewards can be incredible.

Dates for your diary

Did you hit pause on exporting to the EU while the Brexit stuff settled down? If that is something your business did, and you’re ready to get going with that again, join this webinar on 23rd of March.

Staying with the Brexit/EU theme, if you’ve been procrastinating dealing with how the reforms to VAT in the EU might impact your business, sign up for this webinar on the 30th of March.

Retail Connected is bringing together the best of Retail Week, Retail Week Live, Be Inspired and World Retail Congress, and is a free to register online event that is taking place between 26-30th April. With topics on the agenda (amongst many others) to include shoppable media and storytelling, how brands win in eCommerce and a chat with Daniel Zhang, CEO of the Alibaba Group, this event is definitely not to be missed. Register here.