Katie-Jay Simmons

Social entrepreneurship is a business approach focused on addressing social, cultural, or environmental issues. At the heart of social entrepreneurship are individuals who harness their entrepreneurial skills and resources to seek out lasting solutions to challenges often overlooked by conventional markets, working within a variety of organizational frameworks to achieve their goals. Integrating social missions…

For many businesses, the efficient movement of goods from manufacturers to markets is crucial. However, this complex network is susceptible to a range of disruptions with far-reaching consequences. In this article, we explore the biggest supply chain issues that modern businesses face, their impacts across various sectors, and strategies to effectively manage or avoid these…

Ethical consumerism involves buying products and services produced in a way that minimizes social or environmental harm, while avoiding purchases that could negatively affect society or the environment. This approach has become a key aspect of today’s retail landscape, representing a significant shift in consumer values and priorities. Ethical consumerism for retailers is a vital…

Mobile commerce, or mCommerce, is a defining force in today’s retail industry, driven by rapid technological advancements and changing consumer behaviors. As this sector of ecommerce is quickly growing, retail success hinges on keeping up with dynamic mobile commerce trends. 1. Mobile Ecommerce Market Share Mobile commerce, or mCommerce, is rapidly reshaping the retail landscape….

ShipBob is an industry-leading third-party order fulfillment company. It delivers scalable services to startups and small and midsize businesses (SMBs) with affordable pricing, low monthly minimums, and a wide warehouse network to minimize your shipping costs. However, ShipBob’s drawbacks may make it a poor fit for certain businesses—including Amazon sellers, those with oversized or high-maintenance…

Red Stag Fulfillment is a third-party logistics (3PL) company geared toward specialized ecommerce merchants and retailers. It provides warehousing, order fulfillment, and shipping solutions to small and midsize businesses. In my review of the best order fulfillment companies for small businesses, Red Stag scored 4.09 out of 5 based on my evaluation of 23 data…

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a third-party logistics (3PL) company that provides multichannel order fulfillment services geared toward Amazon sales. In our review of the best order fulfillment companies for small businesses, Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) scored 3.54 out of 5 based on pricing, functionality, specialty services, and ease of use. FBA’s third-party fulfillment services…

New Year’s resolutions are a popular way to approach self-improvement and achieve goals. These commitments are heavily influenced by cultural and economic trends and have a significant impact on early-year spending. These New Year resolution statistics for consumers break down the 2024 goal landscape with trends, demographics, and insights into the psychological drivers that shape…

I’ve personally evaluated the top shipping software solutions, checking them against a 29-point scale tailored to the needs of ecommerce and retail small businesses. I prioritized cost-effectiveness, ease of use, and essential features to identify the best choices that can streamline your operation and improve profits. Based on my evaluation and personal experience using shipping…

Multichannel inventory management is your centralized system for monitoring and updating stock levels across multiple sales platforms, such as online stores, marketplaces like Amazon, and brick-and-mortar shops. Its goal is to provide real-time, unified inventory data that helps you optimize sales, reduce costs, and enhance the customer experience. In this guide, we’ll go through the…

A stockout (or out-of-stock) is when a business runs out of a product in its inventory. Stockouts are best known for occurring in retail stores but can happen anywhere in the supply chain. When there is a stockout, the product can’t be purchased by customers, which damages the customer experience and causes lost sales. Stockouts…

Ecommerce order fulfillment includes receiving merchandise, storing inventory, processing orders, packing them for shipment, and sending them off to the customer. Depending on the business, these tasks are either handled in-house or outsourced to a third-party fulfillment provider. The best choice for your business depends on your monthly order volume, available resources (like physical space…