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The Poison Pill of "Returns Insurance" - A Merchant's Perspective

The Poison Pill of "Returns Insurance" - A Merchant's Perspective

My role in eCommerce-focused SaaS sales gives me a unique vantage point, allowing me to work with a pretty diverse range of merchants, from startups to 9-figure giants, across various industries and geographies. One recurring topic that merchants bring up is returns. Recently, during a sales call, a merchant from

Transform BFCM Returns into Exchanges: Shifting Consumer Behavior with Subtle Guidance

Transform BFCM Returns into Exchanges: Shifting Consumer Behavior with Subtle Guidance

During the peak season of Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM), retailers often face the challenge of high customer acquisition costs (CAC) alongside an increase in return rates. This combination can have a detrimental effect on a merchant’s bottom line, wasting both effort and investment. To mitigate the impact

Why You Can't Ignore Omnichannel in 2025

Why You Can't Ignore Omnichannel in 2025

Omnichannel isn’t just a strategy for growth — it’s the foundation of future-proof retail. As we approach 2025, it’s clear that the retail landscape is transforming at breakneck speed, and customer expectations are higher than ever. Research from Salesforce shows that 65% of shoppers expect merchants to adapt

What We Learned About Online Shopping from 1,000 Consumers

What We Learned About Online Shopping from 1,000 Consumers

When shoppers enter a brick-and-mortar store, they have one way to purchase: in the checkout line. Online, it’s a different story. People can buy an item on a store’s website, using a marketplace like Amazon or Etsy, by clicking on an ad in their social feeds, or — increasingly

The eCommerce Merchant's Guide to the TikTok Shop Affiliate Program

The eCommerce Merchant's Guide to the TikTok Shop Affiliate Program

TikTok Shop is making a big splash. In 2024, it was responsible for more than two-thirds of sales (that’s 68.1% of gross market value sales) across all social media platforms. And last year, it generated $3.8 billion in sales. Clearly feeling bullish about new markets, the social

The Safest Way to Sell Products on TikTok Shop

The Safest Way to Sell Products on TikTok Shop

Despite growing popularity, TikTok Shop has seen some skepticism among brands looking to take on this new channel. One of the biggest concerns revolves around safety and the overall legitimacy of the platform as a channel for social commerce. In this post, we’ll answer whether or not it’s

Mobile phone with social media apps displayed

Social Commerce: It’s a Matter of Trust

Social commerce is the next frontier in online shopping, but U.S. consumers have been slow to embrace it. Why? It comes down to two factors: trust and security. We asked 1,000 shoppers to weigh in on their social commerce attitudes and habits, and found that for those who

Why Estimated Delivery Dates Are Critical During BFCM (and Beyond)

Why Estimated Delivery Dates Are Critical During BFCM (and Beyond)

When it comes to eCommerce, conversion is key. If you’re an online seller, you want to do everything you can to eliminate friction and increase conversion rates on your product description (PDPs) and checkout pages. One way to do that is to provide accurate estimated delivery dates (EDD) to

Navigating eCommerce and Post-Purchase Shipment in Latin America

Navigating eCommerce and Post-Purchase Shipment in Latin America

eCommerce and post-purchase shipping practices differ around the world. This blog series will explore the unique challenges and opportunities in each region. We’ve already tackled North America, Europe, and APAC. In this blog, we’ll focus on Latin America, a region with a rapidly growing eCommerce market. In this

Feature image for post, eCommerce AI 101: How Artificial Intelligence is Reshaping Online Retail

eCommerce AI 101: How Artificial Intelligence is Reshaping Online Retail

Picture strolling through a bespoke shopping haven—every boutique anticipates your desires, knows your preferences, and curates offerings just for you. This retail utopia is rapidly becoming a reality thanks to artificial intelligence (AI)-powered eCommerce technologies. AI is reshaping online retail. As consumers demand more personalized experiences, AI helps

Why Playing Offense Is the Heart of Exceptional Customer Success

Why Playing Offense Is the Heart of Exceptional Customer Success

This article is part of the AfterShip Author Series, featuring guest contributions from subject-matter experts at AfterShip, who share their insights, expertise, and experiences in the realm of eCommerce, running a business, and life at AfterShip. Learn more about Arinze Okonkwo. We've all heard the saying, "the

Managing High-Volume eCommerce on TikTok Shop

Managing High-Volume eCommerce on TikTok Shop

This post was created by a guest of AfterShip in collaboration with Sarah Kang, AfterShip's Senior Technology Partner Manager. If you're a partner or community member interested in contributing to our blog, email us. In 2023, TikTok seemingly evolved from a platform known for viral dances

How AI Personalization is Reshaping eCommerce in 2024

How AI Personalization is Reshaping eCommerce in 2024

Your customers have a whole different understanding of “personalization” than you do. Sure, the principle makes sense to them — who doesn’t love the idea of getting tailored service that matches their needs and shopping habits? Who doesn’t want merchants to treat them like humans and not numbers? But

Social commerce has trust issues, new consumer survey reveals [News]

Social commerce has trust issues, new consumer survey reveals [News]

AUSTIN, TX - October 28, 2024 - New research from AfterShip and Ipsos reveals that trust and security are significant factors influencing how consumers shop online, especially on social commerce platforms like TikTok Shop and Instagram Shopping. AfterShip’s Shopper Sentiment Report aims to help retailers and eCommerce merchants understand

Why Choosing the Right 3PL is Key to a Better Shipping and Post-Purchase Experience

Why Choosing the Right 3PL is Key to a Better Shipping and Post-Purchase Experience

This post was created by a guest of AfterShip. The views and opinions expressed herein aren't necessarily endorsed by us. If you're a community member interested in contributing to our blog, email us to inquire. In the age of online shopping, your brand’s shipping process

When the Purchase Is Political: Navigating eCommerce in a Volatile US Election Season

eCommerce Marketing

When the Purchase Is Political: Navigating eCommerce in a Volatile US Election Season

In case you haven’t heard, there’s an election coming up in the United States. Not only do brands have to keep up with each other, but they also have to cut through the noise generated by political ads, polls, and a loud and divided electorate. How divided? According

How to Counter Bracketing During Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2024

Returns & Exchanges

How to Counter Bracketing During Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2024

Exploring the importance of a clear return policy to counter bracketing during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

How to Fight Porch Piracy in BFCM 2024

How to Fight Porch Piracy in BFCM 2024

Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) in 2024 is set to be a whirlwind of online shopping excitement, with countless packages soon journeying to eager customers worldwide. But alongside the buzz and bustle of the peak shopping season, there's also an increased risk of porch piracy — a threat that

3 Ways AI is Transforming eCommerce Marketing (and 1 Way It's Not)

3 Ways AI is Transforming eCommerce Marketing (and 1 Way It's Not)

Let’s jump into our time machine. Set the dial in the Delorean to October 2014 — ten years ago, at the time of publication. Gartner has just published ‘Top 10 Strategic Predictions for 2015 and Beyond,’ prepared by nearly two dozen analysts who are attempting to lay out a roadmap

How to Improve ROAS This BFCM season

How to Improve ROAS This BFCM season

As a retailer, you’re likely seeing a lower return on ad spend (ROAS) than ever before. And the closer we get to BFCM, the more challenging digital advertising is going to be. Why? A few reasons, actually. First, there’s increased competition. Almost every brand runs a Black Friday

Maximizing Post-Purchase Success: The New BFCM Battleground in 2024

Maximizing Post-Purchase Success: The New BFCM Battleground in 2024

For merchants, Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) have traditionally been about achieving sales milestones by offering deals and promotions that capitalize on peak shopping season. With so much at stake, it's easy to get caught up in the campaigns and neglect the most important part of the

5 Tips to Improve Your Black Friday and Cyber Monday Returns in 2024

Returns & Exchanges

5 Tips to Improve Your Black Friday and Cyber Monday Returns in 2024

The Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) period is an opportune time for online retailers to multiply their sales and increase revenue, with some customers waiting all year long to grab mouth-watering deals during the week. The downside of all this activity is that it can be a stressful time

4 Ways to Turn Black Friday and Cyber Monday Returns into Revenue

Returns & Exchanges

4 Ways to Turn Black Friday and Cyber Monday Returns into Revenue

Black Friday / Cyber Monday is often discussed as a boon for retailers, with a huge influx of new customers taking advantage of deep discounts. But there’s a downside to increased sales that’s less talked about, and that’s an increase in returns. Impulse buying due to lower prices

Surefire Tips to Cash in on Canadian Thanksgiving Day

Surefire Tips to Cash in on Canadian Thanksgiving Day

Increasing Sales for Canadian Thanksgiving 2024 Canadian Thanksgiving isn’t just about indulging in delicious foods with the family; it’s prime time for online shopping. You might be planning to go all guns blazing for Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM), but you can use Canadian Thanksgiving and Boxing

Navigating eCommerce and Post-Purchase Shipment in the Asia-Pacific Region (APAC)

Navigating eCommerce and Post-Purchase Shipment in the Asia-Pacific Region (APAC)

eCommerce and post-purchase shipping practices differ around the world. This blog series will explore the unique challenges and opportunities in each region. Our first two blogs covered North America and Europe. In this blog, we’ll focus on the diverse and complex Asia-Pacific region. In the third installment of our