MCM CommerceChat

As of July 1, the EU is updating how retailers calculate Value-Added Tax (VAT) when selling goods into member countries. This extends a 2015 change to include low-cost ecommerce goods under 22 Euros. Peter Boerhof of Vertex helps us better understand the implications for sellers in our latest MCM CommerceChat podcast.

Amazon has revoked the 200-unit limit for new FBA sellers and changed how it assesses sellers’ storage limits. New sellers can start with 500-1,000 units depending on their storage type. It also now subject all sellers to new restock limits. Eytan Wiener, CEO of Getida and a former Amazon power seller, helps us break down the changes.

Based in Brooklyn, NY, ecommerce crafts marketplace Uncommon Goods has been tested automated SMS campaigns, including for retargeting. Brian Hashemi, head of marketing and analytics for Uncommon Goods, talks about how the company is testing and learning with its SMS/email mix and working to increase personalization.

A study last fall by Omnicom showed a drop of those professing to be brand loyal, from 65% in March to 49% in November, with the pandemic, social issues and product pricing and availability as driving factors. Allan Levy, CEO of Alchemy Worx, joins our MCM CommerceChat podcast to talk about guarding against loyalty erosion in 2021.

Last week Amazon spent $131 billion for a 19.5% share in ATSG, which operates aircraft it leases. And many believe Amazon Logistics is looking to restart delivering non-Amazon volume from its shippers. So what is up with all this activity and investment? We talk with Kiri Masters of Bobsled Marketing about the pieces that are in place.

While there may not be as many women buying drills and crosscut saws at Home Depot these days, it appears that men and women have a lot more in common these days in terms of shopping preferences. Rodney Mason, CMO of daVinci Payments, breaks down the implications for marketers in the latest MCM CommerceChat podcast.

With Amazon announcing that CEO Jeff Bezos is stepping down in Q3 from day-to-day management of the company he founded in 1994, what will change? Will the well-oiled flywheel continue to spin? We address all this and more in the latest MCM CommerceChat podcast with our guest, James Thomson of Buy Box Experts.

Amazon has had a problem with "brushing" on its 3P marketplace, where unscrupulous sellers boost star rankings by loading up listings with irrelevant, bogus reviews. What is Amazon doing to counteract this practice? How widespread of a problem? Chris McCabe, a former investigation specialist at Amazon, helps us understand.

Cyber Weekend 2020 presented yet more evidence of the the monster that is mobile commerce: 40% of Black Friday sales were from smartphones, Adobe said. As mobile apps going hand-in-glove with this phenomenon, we talked to Lexi Sydow of App Annie about mobile app trends to follow in 2021, including TikTok and livestreaming.

Whether we see a reduction of the pandemic in 2021 (hold breath here), the retail landscape has been forever changed and omnichannel is locked in. How will retailers continue to adapt in a very challenging environment? We talked to Dave Cesaro, executive director of client strategy at Valassis, to get his thoughts on what to expect.