2012 Retailer eCommerce Study

Executive Summary
In August 2012, Brandkindle again queried over 1,500 active e-retailers asking them to share their thoughts for this years Brandkindle retailer study. Over 600 retailers responded, offering opinions and information on topics ranging from instore and online sales to mobile phone usage in stores. E-Tailers empowers brands to use online sales to expand instore sales. This is a significant benefit for branded manufacturers selling online, given that retail sales still represent, on average, over 90% of their total sales. This annual survey of retailers measures the effectiveness of ETailers in helping both brands and their retail partners increase sales.

Key findings
E-Tailers increases store profits and improves customer acquisition. E-Tailers helps expand retail distribution. Retailers are spending more with brands that send them orders Retailers dont want to work with branded manufacturers that compete with them. In-store sales increase for brands that send online orders to retailers. ECOP sales reports influence retailers purchasing decisions. Retailers are experiencing the mobile movement.

Key findings
E-Tailers increases store profits and improves customer acquisition. 65% of retailers in the survey stated that working with E Commerce Oriented Platform (ECOP) increased store profit or improved customer acquisition, with 23% noting that ECOP increased both. E-Tailers helps expand retail distribution. 61% of surveyed retailers place an opening order from a brand that launches ECOP or monitor the brand to consider placing an order.

Key findings
Retailers are spending more with brands that send them orders. 67% of survey respondents have increased purchases with brands since those brands launched ECOP. Over 55% of those retailers increase spend more than 10%.

Retailers dont want to work with branded manufacturers that compete with them. 70% of retailers said they would reduce or cease buying from brands that sell directly to the end-consumer. This number continues to rise, up 43% since the 2009 retailer survey.

Key findings
In-store sales increase for brands that send online orders to retailers. 45% of retailers sold more over-the-counter products for ECOP client brands as a result of increased stocking of those brands.

ECOP sales reports influence retailers purchasing decisions. 59% said that the market research and analytics provided by ECOP play a part in their purchasing processes. Retailers are experiencing the mobile movement. 84% of survey respondents note the use of smartphones in their stores as research and shopping tools.

Retailer sales remain strong in early 2012.

While signs of a new recession are starting to show in the marketplace, 49% of participating stores increased in-store sales in early 2012 over the same period in 2011. 27% of those, increased sales more than 10%, while only 13% saw a decrease in sales.

Increased over 20% In Store Sales Online Sales 9% 11%

Increased 10% - 20% 18% 15%

Increased less than 10% 22% 16%

No Change

Decreased

39% 52%

13% 7%

Retailers spend more with brands that send them consumers online orders. The brand-retailer relationship is critical for both parties. So when branded manufacturers funnel their online sales to retailers, the retailers respond by buying more product from those manufacturers

A brand working with 1,000 retailers could expect increased buying from 670 of those retailers when they switch to a retail-integrated eCommerce solution, and more than a 10% increase from 370 retailers.

Retail-integrated ecommerce increases profits and delivers new customers to retailers.

For most retailers, E-Tailers increases their overall profits by delivering incremental sales from orders generated on branded manufacturer websites and expanding their client base

Almost a quarter of respondents noted that ECOP (E Commerce Oriented Platform) both increased in store profit and improved customer acquisition.

Retailers stock brands that send them online orders and sell more instore as a result.
A NEW BRAND IN YOUR INDUSTRY LAUNCHING ON ECOP, HOW WOULD YOU PREPARE YOUR BUSINESS?

Retailers are watchingThey know if a brand sells direct and they notice when a brand joins ECOP. 9% of survey respondents stated that they immediately increase their spending with a brand when it launches retail-integrated eCommerce.

A brand generating reasonable online sales will trigger 41% of retailers to increase their stocking for that brand. This number is up 9% since 2011

Retailers increasingly refuse to work with brands that compete with them for sales. Todays retail market is more concerned with channel conflict than ever before for good reasons. Big brands are selling direct online or through their own retail outlets and big retailers are creating self-branded products.

As retailers and manufacturers compete for sales, their relationship strains, and ultimately will fail. Over 36% of retailers said they would never purchase products from brands that sell online directly to consumers.

Brands that compete with their retailers by selling direct online will see a loss in sales from 70% of their retail accounts as a result.

Retailers, even single shops, are turning to eCommerce.

IF YOU SELL THROUGH YOUR OWN ECOMMERCE WEBSITE, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR BUSINESS COMES FROM ONLINE SALES?

Mobile phones are moving into the offline purchase process.

With the proliferation of smartphones and tablet computers, the way people shop is changing quickly. Only 16% of retailers stated that none of their customers are using mobile phones in their shops as part of the purchasing process. Based on these results, we estimate that 10% of customers are using mobile phones while shopping in retail stores.

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS USE MOBILE PHONES TO HELP THEM WITH SHOPPING WHILE IN YOUR STORE(S)?

HOW ARE MOBILE DEVICES USED MOST OFTEN IN YOUR STORE(S)?

There is little doubt that mobile phones are having an effect on offline purchasesa trend that is projected to increase over time.

WHAT IS THE SIZE OF YOUR BUSINESS?

Conclusion

The retailer-manufacturer relationship is a mutually beneficial one. When branded manufacturers deliver their online sales to brick-and-mortar shops, not only do retailers buy more product to facilitate online orders, they also sell more of that product instores. The data in this survey clearly shows the increasing importance of preserving and nurturing the brand-retailer relationship, and how sales can increase as a result of this nurturing.

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admin@brandkindle.com

Thank You !!!