Any Other Business: 20 November 2020

This week’s AOB looks at the latest e-commerce trends from around the world including the continued growth of influencer marketing, and why a leading running brand is asking customers to return their worn-out sneakers.

86% of UK online shoppers are willing to swap personal information for improved personal customer experiences, according to a recent consumer behavior report¹.

Email, gender, clothing size and age are the details consumers are most comfortable handing over when shopping online, whilst other more personal details such as income, access to social media accounts and social security number are those they are most protective of.

The study of 1,000 online shoppers also revealed that 22% feel more loyalty toward brands that personalize their experiences, while 29% said that personalization increases the likelihood they will make a repeat purchase with that company.

What else should your e-commerce business be doing to improve your customers’ experience and boost conversion rates? Our customer service guides have the answer.

Swiss running brand On² has become the latest fashion company to rethink its sustainability practices by introducing a new recycling incentive for customers. The brand has announced the upcoming release of a special subscription-based model that allows customers to return worn-out pairs of its Cyclon sneakers in exchange for fresh ones.

For US$29.99 a month, subscribers can send back the shoes and receive new ones as often as they like. When On receives the returns, it will send them to regional recycling hubs where they will be shredded and converted back into the original raw material, ready for reuse in the next batch of Cyclons.

The shoes will be made from plant-based materials and will only be sold in white to remove the use of chemicals in dying. They will also be delivered in sustainable packaging, making the whole process as eco-friendly as possible.

The company, which holds 40% of the running shoe market in Switzerland³, has ambitions to attract a global subscriber base of 200,000 by rollout next fall. It’s currently targeting a minimum of 5,000 subscribers per customs union, to ensure the carbon footprint of the logistics is still outweighed by the benefits of the recycling loop.

A new report has revealed that in the 12 months to August 2020, almost three-quarters of marketers allocated more resources to influencer marketing.

The research⁴, which surveyed over 3,500 consumers, marketers, and influencers across the UK, US, and Germany, also found that nearly two-thirds of marketers agreed that influencer marketing provides a better ROI for brand marketing campaigns compared with traditional advertising. A quarter of 16-24-year-olds said that social media app Instagram is the platform where the use of influencer marketing is most likely to lead them to a purchase.

Discover how influencer marketing can expand your audience and boost your sales. We’ve got 7 Pro Tips to get you started.

In a twist to most brands’ Black Friday sales strategies, footwear company Allbirds⁵ has announced it will temporarily increase its prices on the day in order to raise money for an environmental program.  

The direct to consumer brand will raise prices across its entire collection by $1, donating the extra dollar to Fridays for Future⁶, the youth-led climate movement founded by Greta Thunberg. Allbirds has pledged to match every $1 raised.

“We believe that business can be a force for good, and balancing purpose with profit is the future of commerce,” explained the company⁷.  

A recent survey⁸ of European consumers and retail professionals revealed that almost half of shoppers expect to shop online during this year’s holiday season.

The research also found that many retailers have shifted their focus to their e-commerce sites in response to the rapid growth of online shopping this year. Half said they have enhanced their website or e-commerce proposition, 34% have increased their web traffic capacity, and 21% have introduced new virtual shopping experiences.

Looking to move your business online too? Check out our golden rules of e-commerce to hit the ground running.