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Who Supports Small Business? Survey Says Facebook, Not Etsy

posted on November 16, 2012

There’s not usually a long line at the window where you leave compliments for Facebook, but in a recent survey by Manta, they did alright.

Manta asked 1,087 small business owners which online marketplaces offered them the most support. Facebook came out on top with 29% of the vote. Granted, that’s not a huge slice but the fact that anybody thought Facebook was supportive of small businesses is pretty amazing.

What’s more amazing is the site that landed on the bottom – Etsy. This site is made up entirely of artists, crafters and vintage dealers, many of which are one-man operations. But 47% of those surveyed said they thought the site was the least supportive of small business owners. Ouch.

You know who else landed on the bottom? eBay, Amazon and Groupon!

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10 to 14 Percent of Consumers Plan to Spend More This Holiday Season. Yeah! And Boo!

posted on November 15, 2012

In a press release titled “Consumers Show a Little More Cheer this Holiday Season,” The Conference Board by Nielsen reveals that “Nearly 10 percent of consumers said they plan to spend more on holiday gifts this year, up from 7 percent last year.”

More spending! That’s great news.

The PeriscopeIQ Retail Intelligence Survey agrees. . . sort of. Their press release has this subtitle: “Consumers Indicate a Lackluster Holiday Season vs. 2011,” and it says “only 14 percent say they will increase holiday spending from 2011 levels.”

Only 14%! Boo!

Wait a minute, Periscope is in agreement with Nielsen, even predicting a slightly higher level of increase spenders. Yet Periscope’s “only” makes the stat sound negative where Nielsen is rejoicing over a shopping bag half full.

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Pinterest Learns To Speak Business

posted on November 14, 2012

Today, Pinterest has announced new tools for businesses. One can say that Pinterest isn’t just about recipes and crafts anymore but, in all likelihood, it still is for a lot people. What we often overlooked are the businesses that crave that kind of forum to get their products wedged into the Pinterest boards of cooks and crafters everywhere. What better way to sell things! Oops, I meant add to the conversation (selling is so 1900′s)!

Of course, Pinterest is far from being just for those folks and as it expands its horizons the need to be more business oriented is apparent and one that should be addressed. Well how about this, today it is! From the Pinterest blog we get

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Hottest Trend in eCommerce: Alternate Shipping Options

posted on November 12, 2012

Shipping is often the make it or break it portion of an ecommerce sale. Cost of shipping, length of time and delivery method all come into play. Amazon jumped ahead of the pack by offering free 2-day shipping with their Prime membership. BestBuy and other online / offline retailers allow you to buy online and then pick-up at the store. Amazon’s version of that is buy online and pick up via a locker at Staples.

Now we have ShopRunner, a third-party program that is all about getting your e-purchases delivered cheap, fast and safe with PickupPoints.

To prove the need, ShopRunner commissioned a study and found that 75% of Americans are concerned about having packages delivered to their homes.

Biggest worries?

52% said theft

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Holiday Shopping: eCommerce Expectations Are High, mCommerce Not So Much

posted on November 9, 2012

They say good things come to those who wait and retailers have waited long enough for a boost in sales! Looks like this might be the year.

Chase Paymentech talked to a variety of retailers and found that the majority (59%) of them expected 2012 sales to top those of 2011. They were also very optimistic about the percentage of sales coming in through online channels.

Now, I’d like to present my reward for the Short and Sweet Graphic of the Week. It goes to eMarketer!

Seriously folks, it doesn’t get more plain than that. eCommerce is on the rise but mCommerce is still barely a blip on the radar.

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100 to 249 Dollars is the Mobile Spending Sweet Spot

posted on November 8, 2012

Shopping with a mobile device is becoming almost as common as shopping online with a computer. And according to a new survey by JiWire it’s not just the number of shoppers that’s increased, the amount they’re willing to spend is also climbing fast.

Take a look at this chart:

At a quick glance, it’s kind of silly. I know people have concerns about mobile security but if a hacker is after your credit card it doesn’t matter if you’ve charged $10 or $1,000 dollars. But when you look at the psychology behind it, it makes total sense. There’s something frivolous about shopping via a mobile phone so it’s no big deal to toss $20 at something but when it comes to buying big ticket items, that’s a whole different story.

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Sears and Kmart to Offer Amazon-like Free Shipping Membership

posted on November 5, 2012

The guy who invents a transporter beam that instantly delivers any size package anywhere for free will rule the world.

Today, Sears and Kmart announced an upgrade to their Shop Your Way membership program that sounds incredibly familiar – free 2-day shipping on “mailable items” for $79 a year. I’ve always thought $79 was a lot to fork over ahead of time in order to get fast, free shipping but at least with Amazon, you get free movie downloads and ebooks as a bonus.

What’s Sears offering? How about double points on qualifying purchases. Every 1,000 points equals $1 off a future purchase, so it sweetens the pot a little. Then they add in the promise of all kinds of exclusive deals and bonus opportunities. In other words, they’ve turned shopping at Sears and Kmart into a game. The goal? See if you can earn back the $79 you spent without breaking your budget.