Tag: E-commerce

Singapore – Singapore-based social platform for sustainability, abillion, has launched a new peer-to-peer e-commerce feature for buyers and sellers to interact and transact online with a conscious shift in focus from revenue earned to resulting impact.

abillion is a global digital home to sustainability and plant-based natives. Its sellers set aside a percentage of their revenue to be donated to impactful causes. The buyer then dedicates this sum of money to one of the platform’s more than 60 non-profit partners.

The new feature will be first enjoyed by members in Singapore. They will be able to list sustainable products via the marketplace tab, which is found on the navigation bar at the bottom of the app, Meanwhile, buyers will be able to see the impact of each purchase they intend to make from the starred green value, which is found on the right hand side of each listing.

Vikas Garg, abillion’s CEO and founder, shared that their goal is to become the world’s leading catalyst driving sustainable entrepreneurship and conscious consumerism, powering the growth of the sustainable sector.

“We know that in the near future, everyone will care about sustainability and our planet. abillion will be at the centre of this, acting as the go-to information and digital superhub for all. Here, regardless of whether you’re a buyer or a seller, you will be able to measure the positive impact your transaction has on the world. Through this, we will be able to eat, shop and live our way to a brighter future,” said Garg.

The platform said that it is planning to launch the marketplace by the year-end of 2022 to its largest markets, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, and Spain, as well as the UK, and the US.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Car e-commerce platform Carsome has announced the acquisition of the businesses of WapCar and AutoFun. Upon the completion of the acquisition, Carsome set up the parent company, WapCar AutoFun Sdn Bhd (WapCar), as a fully-owned subsidiary of the Carsome group in Malaysia.

WapCar first established its first flagship brands, WapCar and AutoFun in 2019. Today, it operates a number of automotive content websites and social media channels across Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam. WapCar provides a full range of content which covers car exploration, transaction, and ownership experiences, using industry-leading technology to help customers in Southeast Asia find their perfect car and immerse themselves in all things related to automotive. 

The platform also produces, distributes and manages highly-engaging professionally generated content (PGC) and user generated content (UGC) at scale.

According to Eric Cheng, co-founder and group CEO at Carsome, WapCar has built a strong automotive content strategy in Southeast Asia, liked by a large and engaging customer base. He added that the partnership will enable Carsome to capture and serve customers from their early stage of car exploration and bring a more engaging and fun experience to the car transaction and ownership journey.

“We are thrilled to announce the partnership with WapCar and a team with seasoned expertise in the content space. We believe our collaboration through content, technology and data will augment our ability to bring trust, transparency and choice to customers together,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sting Peng, general manager at WapCar, commented, “We are excited to work with Carsome to collectively provide a smooth car buying and selling experience to millions of WapCar users on our platform across the region, as well as an end-to-end solution in their car transaction and ownership journey.”

Singapore – The Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nanyang Polytechnic’s Singapore Institute of Retail Studies (NYP-SIRS) to develop a new CaseTrust accreditation scheme for e-commerce businesses, which will serve as an industry benchmark for e-commerce businesses in Singapore which are committed to fair and transparent business practices.

The new CaseTrust accreditation scheme will cover the entire range of e-commerce practices from pre-sale to post-sale, and address common consumer pain points when shopping online. These include factors such as ethical advertising, price transparency, good sales and aftersales service, and business integrity.

As part of the MOU, NYP-SIRS will also assist to develop a one-day workshop to give e-businesses an overview of what the accreditation scheme entails and the corresponding assessment criteria; and curate one-on-one mentorship programmes for e-businesses to help them identify and address gaps in the consumer experience they are offering online, before guiding them through the accreditation application process.

According to Melvin Yong, president at CASE, there have been more businesses that have set up retail websites or online shop to cater to the growing number of consumers shopping online. Unfortunately, the low barriers of entry, coupled with the lack of minimum service standards, have led to an increasing number of complaints against e-businesses. 

“Currently, there is a lack of a comprehensive accreditation scheme that encourages and guides e-businesses to adopt fair-trading practices and safeguards the interests of online shoppers. With this new CaseTrust accreditation scheme, we want to put in place a framework whereby consumers will be able to recognise e-businesses that have adopted the requisite e-commerce standards and consumer-friendly practices. Ultimately, we hope that consumers can have an assured and positive experience when shopping online,” Yong said.

Meanwhile, Jeanne Liew, principal and CEO at NYP, commented, “As Singapore’s e-commerce industry continues to grow, there is a need for industry accreditation and certification to remain relevant for retailers and consumers alike. NYP-SIRS provides market-driven retail training programmes to support the growth of retailers and keep up with the rapidly evolving e-commerce industry. We are glad to partner CASE to co-develop the CaseTrust accreditation scheme for e-businesses and the training programmes to help e-businesses identify and address the gaps in their business practices to become more consumer-friendly.”

Bengaluru, India – Digital commerce giant The Flipkart Group has announced the launch of Flipkart Labs, to build and create technology-based solutions and plans to foray into Web3 and Metaverse. Based out of its headquarters in Bengaluru, India, Flipkart Labs will fast-track an in-house innovation capability with a vision to propel and shape the future of customer-centric e-commerce in India

The company said the Innovation Lab will enable Flipkart and its group companies to test exciting new Web3 and Metaverse use-cases with real-world applications, including NFT-related use-cases, and Virtual Immersive Storefronts, Play to Earn, and other Blockchain-related use-cases. 

The Innovation Lab will also serve as a vehicle for innovative research across areas including redefining customer experience, logistics/supply chain, and accelerating digital commerce in the future. Flipkart Camera, formed after the acquisition of AR/VR startup Scapic in November 2020, has since deployed multiple 3D and Augmented Reality-based immersive shopping experiences and will continue to mature under the newly formed Flipkart Labs umbrella. 

Jeyandran Venugopal, chief product and technology officer at Flipkart, said that Flipkart innovation in e-commerce in India made it an integral part of their lives. This has been possible with many innovative initiatives over the last decade such as Cash On Delivery (CoD), Easy Returns, No Cost EMI, and more. 

“As we continue to grow and experiment, we will operate at the intersection of business and technology to make innovation real and relevant for customers. With Flipkart Labs, we are looking at strengthening our in-house innovation capabilities by carving out a dedicated, entrepreneurial team and look forward to bright and curious minds joining us to transform the way India shops,” Venugopal said. 

Flipkart Labs will be housed in the Product Strategy & Deployment (PSD) arm of the Flipkart Group and will work with talent building technology solutions in this space. It will also look at potential collaborations beyond the organization with brands, merchants, startups, and technologists. 

Naren Ravula, VP and head of product strategy and deployment at Flipkart Labs, commented, “We are in the early days of a paradigm shift from Web2.0 to Web3.0 and this evolution of the web/internet built on the concepts of decentralization, openness, and greater user utility, will have a profound impact across many areas including e-commerce. 

“Web 3.0 is poised to play a strong role in India`s digital acceleration. We are committed to the growth of the e-commerce ecosystem in India and Web 3.0 leverages the best of the latest technology like blockchain for real-world use cases that can digitally transform businesses like ours,” Ravula added.

Paris, France – Global advertising agency and public relations company Publicis Groupe has announced the acquisition of Profitero, a global SaaS e-commerce intelligence platform. Through the acquisition, Publicis Groupe will combine Profitero’s industry leading product data and analytics with the Groupe’s retail media, data, and commerce solutions to offer unmatched capabilities for brands to maximise their online sales.

Profitero’s solutions provide actionable insights and product visibility to more than 4,000 brands and 70 million products on more than 700 retailer websites, in over 50 countries every day. 

In addition, said acquisition will allow Profitero to access the necessary resources and capabilities to expand on its analytics core. As a result, it will become the first global commerce platform to truly empower brands by using predictive intelligence to deliver the best product experience, optimise content, increase results of organic search, compare prices with competitors, monitor product availability and track customer ratings and reviews, among other features.

“As the lines between offline and online shopping blur due to digitally-influenced sales, Profitero’s ecommerce and omnichannel analytics offering allows brands to anticipate, activate, and automate the next best action to fuel profitable growth for each item of their product catalogue,” Publicis Groupe said in a press statement.

Profitero will remain a product-focused company within Publicis, led by CEO Bryan Wiener and president Sarah Hofstetter. Wiener will report to Publicis Groupe Chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun.

Sadoun said, “By adding Profitero to our existing assets, we are now uniquely positioned across the four key pillars our clients need to connect, to capture an unfair share of the exponential growth in online sales. With us, our clients will seamlessly understand people, how they shop better than anyone else, thanks to Epsilon; optimise their online product catalogue thanks to Profitero; maximise their online spend with retailers thanks to CitrusAd and the scale of Publicis Media.”

He added, “And they will be able to deliver unique, creative, customer experiences, through platforms backed by Publicis Sapient’s engineering expertise. I am delighted to welcome Sarah, Bryan, and their outstanding team of experts to the Publicis family.”

Meanwhile, Wiener commented, “This is the best of both worlds as we retain our entrepreneurial spirit as a product-led organisation while benefiting from the Publicis Groupe’s diverse capabilities and scale. This brings immediate value to our clients and employees with increased product and technology investment, infusion of new media and content activation capabilities and tapping into the Groupe’s global talent to fuel our continued growth.”

Sydney, Australia – Shoppers in Australia and New Zealand are reported to spend less and be more selective in prioritising essentials during their online purchases, a report by BigCommerce, an open SaaS e-commerce platform.

According to the report, 30% of respondents also indicate they plan to decrease their BNPL spend, with 68% doing so to save money for essentials. Furthermore, 79% of shoppers would be likely or very likely to leave a website and purchase elsewhere if a website is too slow.

In addition, credit card as a proportion of last payments made has risen to 39% in 2022, up from 26% in 2020 and 2021. Debit cards have also become more popular as a payment method, increasing from 17% in 2020, to 21% in 2021 and now at 23% in 2022. The majority of purchases made after receiving a marketing prompt came from email (42.1% of respondents), while respondents who made a purchase after receiving an abandoned cart email have also doubled to 32% in 2022.

Shannon Ingrey, vice president and general manager, APAC at BigCommerce, said, “The beginning of the pandemic pushed shoppers online, and now they’re getting more selective with their spending to prioritise saving more. We’re at a point where retailers and merchants need to take an introspective look at their key services to address shopper pain points like website speed and fast delivery time.”

Meanwhile, 40% of respondents indicated they have chosen one retailer over another because of a loyalty program offering, with 69% saying they have used a loyalty program to claim a reward in the last three months. For 77% of respondents, free shipping is the number one preferred perk when it comes to these loyalty programs.

“It’s critical for retailers to ensure they have the right technology and infrastructure in place to prioritise fast, seamless experiences for shoppers. Understanding what consumers think and how they behave on a day-to-day basis will be key to the strategic decision-making of every merchant in 2022,” Ingrey concluded.

Bengaluru, India – Digital commerce giant The Flipkart Group has announced the acquisition of ANS Commerce, a full-stack e-commerce enabler that helps brands sell online. Through this acquisition, Flipkart continues its efforts to strengthen the Indian e-commerce ecosystem by investing in the capabilities of technology enablers that will address the needs of the rapidly growing and evolving digital retail market in India. 

Following the acquisition, ANS Commerce will continue to function as a stand-alone company, led by its current management team.

As of 2017, ANS Commerce has established a full stack of offerings for brands across the value chain, including brand store technology and performance marketing tech and services, marketplace connectors, and storage and facilities maintenance capabilities. Working with companies, mid-market, and D2C brands, supports their move to digital commerce for more than 100 clients.

On their Kartify platform, the company’s product solutions assist brands and enterprises in creating digital brandstores/storefronts, improving return on ad spends, and managing end-to-end logistics and warehousing processes. The D2C segment, which is quickly developing in the Indian market as businesses strive to interact with consumers who demand direct connection, is a significant emphasis for the organization.

Ravi Iyer, SVP and head – corporate development at Flipkart, said that at Flipkart, they are committed to developing and nurturing the internet consumer ecosystem, including developing and encouraging technological innovation that helps drive the Indian digital economy. 

“Our efforts focus on ensuring that businesses, including MSMEs and smaller brands, can leverage the opportunities that e-commerce offers, to provide greater value and deeper experiences for Indian customers who are rapidly adopting digital commerce,” Iyer said.

Iyer added, “Our association with ANS Commerce started last year when they were part of Flipkart’s tech startup accelerator program, Flipkart Leap, and we are pleased to welcome the team to the Flipkart Group.”

Meanwhile, Vibhor, Amit, Nakul and Sushant, co-founders of ANS Commerce, shared, “ANS Commerce was created to enable businesses to leverage the massive opportunity of e-commerce in India. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a dramatic change in consumer behaviour, and as a result, brands have also pivoted in their approach on how to engage with consumers.”

The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions. 

Tokyo, Japan – E-commerce company Rakuten and food ordering company Uber Eats have recently teamed up to roll out a new payment service integration where Rakuten Pay’s online payment service will be integrated into Uber Eat’s online system.

Rakuten Pay will be available as an official payment method when ordering food and groceries on Uber Eats for all users by late April.

In addition, this new integration will allow Rakuten customers to effortlessly sign up for an Uber Eats account using their Rakuten ID. They will also be able to earn and spend Rakuten Points — Rakuten’s flagship loyalty program — when ordering food and groceries on the Uber Eats app.

Ryo Matsumura, senior executive officer at Rakuten Group and vice president at Rakuten’s Commerce Company, said, “We are extremely pleased to launch this Uber Eats and Rakuten Pay collaboration with our partners. Consumer demand for quick commerce is growing rapidly. We are confident that this collaboration will contribute greater convenience to the service and improve the user experience, and we are very much looking forward to delivering new value to customers.”

Meanwhile, Yukiko Muto, president at Uber Eats Japan, commented, “It is an honour to be partnering with Rakuten, one of Japan’s largest and most trusted internet companies. We extend a warm welcome to the more than 100 million Rakuten members in Japan, and can’t wait to bring them the benefits of food and grocery delivery within 30 minutes. This is a huge step in Uber Eats’ journey in Japan, and I look forward to more exciting ventures with Rakuten in the future.”

To celebrate this collaboration, Uber Eats and Rakuten will launch a special promotion starting 27 April for both first-time Uber Eats users and all current Uber Eats users as well.

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam – Despite the growing popularity of social commerce amongst Vietnamese consumers, there remains a prevalent risk of fraud in the social commerce scene. New report from Decision Lab unveils that 60% of consumers in Vietnam reported having received products that do not match with advertised images. 

The report notes that late delivery and inability to return goods are other common negative experiences that consumers often encounter. Despite this, social commerce remains popular amongst Vietnamese consumers, with online communities, such as Facebook and Zalo groups, being the main drivers of product discovery for at least 67% of consumers. Yet, casual product discovery, another common pathway to social commerce, is more popular among Gen Z consumers. Gen Z’s are also more sensitive to ads from sellers.

The report also noted that when asked which sellers people often purchase from on social media, 75% of consumers said familiar shops–or shops that they have purchased from previously. Only one-third of the consumers are willing to explore unfamiliar stores.

“Social elements permeate every activity on social media, and social commerce is no exception. Vietnamese consumers know how to make use of social connections to reduce risks when buying goods through social media. Merchants and brands should embrace the social aspects of social commerce to build lasting relationships with their customers,” the report stated.

They also added, “Importantly, a driver for repurchasing intent is a positive initial experience with the shop. As such, social merchants should aim to lock in a positive impression with customers from the get-go to ensure repeat purchases.”

Hong Kong – Global clothing brand ESPRIT has announced a slew of digital and marketing leadership appointments to boost its international expansion. The new appointees are namely Edwin Pak as chief technology officer; Maximilian Wang as vice president and head of marketing and communications; Calvin Wang as vice president and head of brand strategy, innovation and partnerships; Ivy Au as vice president, head of digital marketing; and Tiffany Chu as vice president and head of e-commerce and CRM.

These seasoned professionals will lead ESPRIT’s e-commerce expansion, creating a seamless experience by integrating physical and digital businesses across its online and retail stores worldwide, bringing customers closer to its refreshed offerings. All new appointments report to Larry Luk, chief digital and marketing officer at ESPRIT, who was recently appointed in March this year.

With over 20 years of international experience, Pak will spearhead the development of ESPRIT’s digital offering by leveraging his extensive experience in enterprise systems development and creating game-changing digital solutions for industry giants including Hitachi and ABB.

Meanwhile, Maximilian Wang has more than 17 years’ experience including senior lead roles in both in-house and in agency, and will oversee branding, corporate communications, brand & loyalty marketing, and visual merchandising to cement ESPRIT’s impression and relevance to new and existing customers worldwide.

With over 12 years of fashion retail, editorial and brand management experience, Calvin Wang will steer the co-creation of ESPRIT’s brand strategy to meet international business ambitions and rejuvenate its fashion presence.

On the other hand, Au arrives with over 17 years of experience across APAC, and will bridge brand marketing and e-commerce to drive channel deployment efficiency, and amplify the effective use of data to locate and reach the right audience with messages that drive sales conversion.

Lastly, Chu joins boasting over 10 years of experience in e-commerce, and will be responsible for expanding ESPRIT’s digital footprint and accelerating the establishment of e-commerce touch points, as well as working together with the product, brand marketing, digital marketing and technology functions to ensure the brands’ digital success.

Speaking about the appointments, Luk said, “I am pleased to have such an array of experienced and sophisticated talents joining us in this exciting mission to breathe new life to the ESPRIT brand. The team’s regional expertise will add significant value to the rollout of our eCommerce expansion strategy. I look forward to leveraging their passion and expertise in brand building to continue to bolster the ESPRIT brand across key international markets.”