Nov 11
25
Lack of Consumer Trust this Christmas?
Posted in Ecommerce news by .
Our recent research found that almost one in ten people have been put off online shopping this year because of past problems with delivery. New research this week has shown that two thirds of UK shoppers don’t trust retailers to deliver their gifts before the big day. The remarkable thing is that despite this pessimism, almost half of consumers surveyed intended to shop at the last minute.
So what can eCommerce owners do in order to appeal to those last minute shoppers and reassure them about delivery?
Given the fact that half of shoppers will be making last-minute purchases with relatively low expectations, it’s important to prominently promote your Christmas delivery schedule.
Nov 11
14
More and more e-tailers are trying to make shopping more convenient for their cash-and-time-strapped customers. Aurora, the umbrella company of fashion stores Oasis, Warehouse and Coast, claim they now deliver clothes in under 90 minutes.
And they aren’t the only ones to follow this shift; many companies, including ASOS and John Lewis, offer same-day delivery. Ecommerce websites are shifting their focus onto the delivery process as a critical way to improve customer retention. Companies now face constant pressure to manage their mobile work forces to be more competitive, productive and to achieve overhead reductions. As a result, freight directors constantly need to consider more innovative route planning and optimising tools.
Nov 11
10
The RouteOptimiser.com interface has had a major facelift over the past few months, adding plenty of new features along the way (the implementation of Google Maps being a personal favourite). The aim of this was to make the service more intuitive and attractive to use for the lower-volume Route Optimiser user.
This has been achieved by implementing major features, such as adding waypoints by finding them on a map, to minor features, like being able to colour-code your depots and vehicles.
The feedback we’ve had so far suggests that these changes have improved the service significantly.
Although this tool is of great benefit to the ‘man with a van’, some larger organisations have expressed an interest in integrating the service into their own application. Some systems integrators have also come to us to enquire about adding Route Optimiser as a feature of their own offering that they are providing to their clients. This is why our development team have published a whole pallet of APIs to make this possible.
Oct 11
24
Rising Energy Costs Force Up Inflation
Posted in News by .
Britain’s motorists have taken a hammering in recent months, with spiralling fuel costs, rising inflation and high taxation making huge dents in everyone’s wallets.
Inflation hit a record high last week. Figures show that the consumer price index rose by 5.2% in the year to September, exceeding economists’ forecasts. The detailed figures from the Office for National Statistics came a day after energy secretary Chris Huhne called an emergency Whitehall summit over soaring energy prices.
Costs of gas, electricity and other fuels rose 18.3% on the year in September, while transport costs were up 12.8%. Perhaps the most alarming figure was how car fuel costs have risen by 17.8% in the year.
Oct 11
19
What We Can Learn from Mary Queen of Frocks
Posted in Ecommerce news by .
Retail guru Mary Portas made her name overhauling the retail industry. She educates retailers on how to improve their customer service and get their businesses booming.
In her latest TV series, Portas takes on a risky venture and releases her own fashion range within London’s House of Fraser.
Throughout the project Portas aims to advocate all the best practice she has learned through 20 years in the business, from expert customer service to smart displays and effective marketing.