Every week, the EtailDetail team prepare a digest of the previous 7 days of online retail news. Along the way, we’ll pick the most interesting stories from the worlds of technology, social media, marketing and more, allowing you to see everything at a glance.
Retail News and Trends
Retailers brace for slowdown in spending as UK economy takes the first step towards recession
The latest ONS figures estimated that the UK economy contracted by 0.2% in the second quarter of this year.
Worst July for retail on record follows worst June on record while spend continues to shift online: BRC
July 2019 sales grew by 0.3% in total, compared to July 2018, when sales grew by 1.6%.
Amazon expands anti-counterfeiting programme to Europe
Project Zero, which launched earlier this year in the US, will now operate in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
Facebook flooded with “fake review factories” according to Which?
Facebook’s fake review problem has not improved, despite the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) demanding action.
Amazon entices some sellers with new price automation
https://www.retaildive.com/news/amazon-entices-some-sellers-with-new-price-automation/560622/
Amazon has invited some of its third-party Marketplace sellers to join a new “Sold by Amazon” program, where the sellers’ prices are set by Amazon’s price automation process.
Audio
Google adds playable podcasts directly in the search results
https://searchengineland.com/google-adds-playable-podcasts-directly-in-the-search-results-320401
Google announced you can now play podcasts directly in the desktop and mobile search results. Google said “Starting today, when you’re searching for a podcast about a topic on Google, we’ll show you playable episodes in Search results alongside web pages, news, images and videos.”
Voice, AI and Tech
Alexa devices maintain 70% market share in U.S. according to survey
https://marketingland.com/alexa-devices-maintain-70-market-share-in-u-s-according-to-survey-265180
More than 50% of sales are for entry-level devices: Echo Dot and Google Home Mini.
Opinion
Opinion: Stores can beat online by avoiding the tyranny of choice
The gloomy Danish philosopher Kierkegaard found much of life to be painful, but it can be assumed he would have harboured a particular ennui for online shopping.
After 25 years of Amazon, are online sellers finally in the driving seat?
This was the age of the consumer. Their desire for choice, convenience and value was cemented by the online marketplace – Amazon and others – in a way that the traditional high street never quite managed. For a while, everybody seemed to be a winner.
3 ways to improve the retail app shopping experience
https://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/blogs/3-ways-to-improve-the-retail-app-shopping-experience/
Retailer success has long been attributed (in part) to delivering a positive in-store customer experience. When shopping went digital over a decade ago, however, brands were challenged to apply the same customer experience strategies to their digital properties, mainly websites and mobile apps.
Marketing
13 Easy Tips to Give Your Content More Personality
https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2019/08/content-personality-tips/
To make your next content pieces shinier, here are 13 easy-to-implement tips for packing more personality into your writing.
How to master LinkedIn’s algorithm to boost engagement
https://searchenginewatch.com/2019/08/05/how-to-master-linkedins-algorithm-to-boost-engagement/
LinkedIn can be a very engaging channel, especially for B2B brands. Here’s everything you need to know about the recent changes in the algorithm and how to create engaging content.
Video marketing tips and tools to boost your traffic
https://searchenginewatch.com/2019/08/08/video-marketing-tips/
A survey conducted by HubSpot in 2017 suggested that consumers prefer videos over any other form of content marketing.
“Study Finds:” How Data-Driven Content Marketing Builds Links and Earns Press Mentions
https://moz.com/blog/content-marketing-builds-links-and-earns-press-mentions
In 2019, high-authority links remain highly correlated with rankings. However, acquiring great links is becoming increasingly difficult.
1 Exercise That’ll Help You Craft a Brand Voice Your Audience Will Love
It’s a complex art puzzle; you have to find a voice that your entire content team can emulate, and make sure it’s a voice that your target audience wants to hear.
Why empathy is the most underrated weapon in the marketer’s arsenal today
For marketers, empathy has a direct impact on quality of work. To know your target consumers, as well as your competition in the market, you need empathy.
