Ask any retailer about their current priorities and you’ll most likely receive a response about focusing on the digital consumer and eCommerce. Words like “winning” and “transformation” often hit press releases, and for good reason – across all categories of retail, we are seeing that the best consumers spend more and extend deep loyalties to brands who create a seamless experience in the digital and physical world.
However, in the race to create more value for the consumer and a solid competitive advantage, it’s no longer sufficient for organizations to simply say, “We’re working on getting digital right”. Even attaching the word “digital” to a noun such as “consumer”, “marketing”, and “shopping” builds a belief that online behaviors are separate when, in reality, no consumer will say they are only a digital consumer, or that mobile marketing is the only marketing that influences them. Simpactful believes eCommerce needs to integrate into your total market channel strategies – not as an afterthought, or as something separate.
eCommerce is no Longer a Nice to Have
Consumer expectations won’t stop evolving, and organizations that realize eCommerce fundamentals are no longer a nice-to-have, but a requirement to win, will seize new opportunities to build revenue, deepen the consumer experience, and find new ways to reduce costs. What is required is leaving our traditional ways of viewing the shopping journey in favor of new approaches and strategies. Lynn Ryan, Simpactful Senior Partner, explains, “It’s been two years since we’ve reached the tipping point where more than half of US retail sales were digitally-influenced. Amazon continues to grow in sales but more importantly influence in the marketplace – both consumers and retailers. Companies that don’t have a clear and integrated strategy and plan for eCommerce with their consumers and retail partners are putting their business at risk”.
Simpactful’s Plan to Build eCommerce
Simpactful’s plan to help organizations build a successful eCommerce business is built on four steps: Assess, Build, Execute, and Optimize. Using this framework, our team works with business partners to create the right structure and organization needed to thrive in 21st century retail, integrate eCommerce into the business planning process, and build and execute winning plans. “Amazon’s rapid growth will continue and with this change, companies need to constantly be evaluating and adjusting their go-to-market strategy and plans,” adds Ryan. According to an NPR survey in spring of 2018, 92% of online shoppers bought something from Amazon and we are nearly at the point where Amazon is the top starting place for online shoppers.
Simpactful can help CPG brands not only get online and sell with Amazon, but also create a lasting strategy to win in all eCommerce channels and other key retailers.
While Amazon may catch many of the headlines, retailers like Target and Walmart are quickly taking the buzz back. Both retailers recently posted stellar Q2 results with Target having its highest quarter growth in over a decade. With digital comps over 40% at Target, suppliers not only need to get their business fundamentals with Amazon right, but other retailers as well.
Simpactful’s strong leadership team in eCommerce, with experience spanning Amazon, Target, Costco, and Walmart/Jet.com, are able to use a proprietary assessment methodology to conduct an in-depth assessment of a client’s online presence at online and brick and mortar retailers. In a past article, Simpactful introduced Future Forces Scenario planning which is a process that provides a provocative look at the Future Forces currently shaping the Consumer Products industry. The use of examples relevant to the client’s industry makes the Future Forces content compelling and actionable.
The experienced team at Simpactful is ready to help you become an eCommerce leader. Simpactful can provide your business with an in-depth online assessment of your brands and competitive brands. Based on your opportunities and strengths, we will:
- Help you develop a channel strategy that supports your business across all channels, including eCommerce
- Help you strategize and make up-front choices about “Where to Play” – what retailers, and “How to Win” – online assortment, packaging, price points, contracts, trade funding, logistics, etc.
- Get you online and selling at Amazon and at other key retailers
- Provide support via our partners for ongoing management of your online business
Schedule your assessment with the Simpactful team today at contact@simpactful.com or 925-234-6394.
Visit www.simpactful.com
About Simpactful
Proven | Connected | Results
Meet Simpactful – a CPG/Retail consultancy firm built for today’s challenges, with a team of experienced leaders from both CPG and Retail firms.
Our experience spans functions – Sales, Marketing, Consumer Research, Human Resources, Product Supply – and all retail channels including eCommerce, Food, Drug, Mass, Club, Dollar, C Stores, and more.
