Katie-Jay Simmons

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…

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…

Customer retention rate measures how many of your customers keep coming back over a specific time frame, such as a week, month, or quarter. The customer retention rate formula uses just three values: the number of customers at the start, the number at the end of the period, and any new customers acquired during that…

Product photos might be the most important piece of any ecommerce listing. They convey everything from physical specs to emotional attributes. Plus, photo quality directly correlates to perceived value. High-quality product photography can be done on a budget using your iPhone or camera with equipment and materials you may already have around the house. Here’s…

Product videos demonstrate an item’s features, benefits, and uses in action—helping to inform, persuade, and bridge the gap between online and in-store experiences. Adding video to your ecommerce product pages can increase conversions, reduce return rates, improve buyer confidence, strengthen brand image, and even boost search engine rankings. Plus, many types of video content can…

Third-party order fulfillment companies help retailers handle their orders for a set of monthly fees. The primary costs include fees for receiving inventory, storing it, packing orders, and shipping them out. Other costs can come from processing returns, restocking, initial setup, account management, inbound shipping, packaging, custom labeling, and special requests, like kitting. The total…