Search Results for "Buy Now"

How will global fashion cope with the Buy now, Wear now generation?

Chris Field | 15/06/20

There is a misalignment between supply and demand in global fashion, said Sarah Curran-Usher, co-founder of Fitzrovia Investment Advisors and retail advisor to True Fit at True Fit’s June 11 webinar – Restitching Apparel’s Supply Chain.

She talked about how consumer behaviour has changed during lockdown and how the pandemic has accelerated various trends that were already having an impact on brands.

By now, wear now

“People are buying much closer to when they want apparel, so the fashion industry’s advance collections approach makes no sense anymore,” she said. Buy Now, Wear Now is what she calls this, and it is particularly prevalent among millennials.

These same millennials are displaying other behaviours that are going to force the fashion industry to do things differently. But True Fit’s own figures show that all ages are shifting to digital personalized apparel shopping rapidly, forcing the industry to respond.

Manufacturing comes home

Already moving the dial on sustainability, the industry is now looking to reshore some manufacturing in order to create a shorter supply chain that is better for the environment but which can also meet the needs of this more short-focused customer.

At the moment, based on True Fit’s figures, this appears to be playing into the hands of single brand rather than multi brands retailers, 135% against 2% traffic YOY for four weeks from April to May 2020 respectively. Single brand also beat multi brands significantly on conversion.

The whole panel, which included Matt Stockamp, sustainability lead at ethical footwear brand, Nisolo and Scott Duby from True Fit, agreed that in this new world, brands would need to know their customers a lot better. Sarah said, “You don’t need to be all things to all people, but to know who your customer is so you can design, stock and range for them.”

Customers get involved

Fortunately, customers are happy to share their data and their views; apparently, 42% of millennials want to help build the industry’s future products.

For now though there is the current stockpile to be worked through and most people are shocked at just how much inventory there is out there, as stores reopen. Buy Now, Wear Now is at least a clue as to how brands might price, promote and fulfil their products in the short and possibly event the longer term.

Beyond the ‘Buy Now’ button

Alison Clements | 26/02/19

In today’s increasingly digital world, consumer expectations are growing. Technological and social advances have transformed the way customers interact with brands, and a rise in internet shopping has meant that customers now expect access to goods instantaneously. Whilst eCommerce has previously led the way, consumers are now turning to social media in their search for the latest products, faster than ever before.

According to research by SmartInsights the average web user spends approximately two hours and fifteen minutes on social media each day – so it’s no wonder that emerging retailers are turning to these platforms as a means of reaching their audiences. In fact, research from loyalty analytics company Aimia found that nearly a third of online shoppers (31 per cent) are using these channels to browse for new items to buy.

There is no doubt that social platforms are becoming the new online marketplace – the introduction of the ‘Buy Now’ button on the likes of Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat have meant that purchasing products is now as easy as liking a friend’s status. The days of spotting a product on Instagram and then having to Google it to find out where to buy it from are long gone. In fact, social commerce presents retailers with the opportunity to significantly reduce their customers’ path-to-purchase.

Established and large-scale brands are not the only businesses to benefit from this growing trend. New and upcoming brands, especially within the fashion industry, are launching their businesses solely on social media, using platforms such as Instagram as a replacement for a physical store or eCommerce website. With the average cost of getting a clothing line off the ground estimated at between £1.5 million and £2.3 million, social commerce is acting as a key enabler for new start-ups who don’t necessarily have the financial backing required for such an investment.

Scaling up

Whilst the benefits of social commerce are many, brands can only be successful on this platform if they look beyond the point of purchase. The real test for brands competing online is the journey that follows – how quickly the item is delivered, how easy it is to return the item if needed, and the level of customer service along the way. For example, what happens when your new business venture takes off and it is no longer feasible to operate from the comfort of your own home? Where will you store your products? How will you get the product to the customer?

Having a fulfilment process in place is essential to scaling up efficiently. The distribution, delivery and after-sales service can make a lasting impression on customers and will be the key to social commerce success.

As an emerging brand, partnering with distribution providers is often a cost-efficient way of keeping up with the latest customer delivery expectations and ensuring customers get their products quickly. Pop-up distribution centres are another trend being used by start-ups to keep up with growing consumer demand. These temporary facilities can be rapidly deployed and de-leverage fixed costs of a year-round distribution centre, meaning brands can rapidly respond to increased sales, or quickly serve a specific geography when needed.

A Lasting Impression

Whilst speed is important, the condition of the product and the overall quality of the delivery experience will leave a lasting impression on the customer. There is nothing worse than eagerly awaiting an online order, only to receive a product that has been damaged either by the delivery driver, or at some point during the distribution channel.

According to research, 70 per cent of shoppers are unlikely to return to a brand after a poor shipping experience. Further to this, KPMG states that it can cost a retailer double the amount for a product to be returned into the supply chain as it does to deliver it.

Ensuring the quality of products upon arrival is crucial to encouraging brand loyalty and repeat purchases, as well as greatly reducing environmental impact. To get this right, e-tailers must continually reassess their product packaging across all eCommerce operations. New packaging initiatives such as ‘right size packaging’ are being increasingly adopted and work by reducing air and void fill through the correct sized packaging. E-tailers are therefore able to better protect products, while minimising shipping costs and waste.

By ensuring the right packaging is used, businesses can significantly reduce damages to products when going through the distribution chain. Not only will this vastly reduce overheads and increase sustainability, but it will also help to create an overall positive customer experience.

Delivering a seamless shopping experience

A positive shopping experience is vital in building a brand’s reputation. Equally, a negative experience can be extremely damaging, not just to your reputation but also to your customer-base and ultimately your bottom line. In today’s hyper-connected world – those who receive an unsatisfactory experience will often turn to social media to air their frustrations and what began as a single negative experience, can be amplified and shared with thousands of followers in a matter of seconds.

It will be the complete end-to-end experience that will shape a customer’s perception of a brand and therefore their relationship in the future. Those who provide the optimum customer experience from the initial tap of the ‘Buy now’ button, to delivery and beyond, can expect to see a retention of customers, a reduction of end-to-end service costs, and overall customer satisfaction. Ultimately, it will be these businesses that thrive in today’s social commerce revolution.

By Joe Farrell, Vice President of International Operations at PFSweb.

Stock-out levels now ‘worse’ than during pandemic panic buying, UK shoppers say

| 21/03/22

Original research of over 1,000 UK shoppers by Retail Insight showed over half (56%) felt out-of-stocks are now worse in-store compared to when consumers panic bought at the start of the pandemic, with a further 46% saying stock availability online was now lower than during the same period of panic buying.

Four in ten (42%) said out-of-stocks seemed to be more of a bricks-and-mortar issue, and while items were not available in-store, online availability seemed better. However, almost two thirds (63%) said there was often a replacement item that met their needs if their usual products or brand was not available on the shelf.

Online, nearly half (45%) of shoppers had noticed more items were missing or not available in their online grocery orders, with the same number (45%) saying they had experienced more substitutions in their weekly online shop. And, according to the Retail Insights poll, poor product availability in online grocery orders had prompted 44% of consumers to do extra top-up shops to replace missing items or poor swaps.

Paul Boyle, CEO of Retail Insight, commented:

“For the most part, shoppers are understanding of the well-publicised and multifaceted pressures facing retailers in today’s challenging trading environment. But that does not stop poor availability, out-of-stocks and shelf-gaps from becoming more than just a bone of contention in their buying journeys. Poor stock availability – whether in-store or on the digital shelf – is one of the biggest drivers of customer dissatisfaction, and where baskets get abandoned and long-term loyalty can be lost. We estimate that retailers lose 8% of revenue through poor inventory availability, which when combined with intensified competition and spiralling supplier and manufacturing costs, is revenue retailers simply cannot afford to leave on the table.”

Shortages of HGV drivers were the biggest cause of out of stocks according to 54% of UK shoppers and almost half (48%) blamed a shortage of warehouse operatives, as retailers face mounting pressure amidst a growing labour shortage, prompted by both the pandemic and Brexit. Meanwhile, a third (32%) of consumers said retailers did not have the technological infrastructure needed to cope with heightened or rapidly changing demand, while a fifth (19%) said grocers did not have the systems in place to cope with new supply chain demands.

39% said better pay and working conditions for HGV drivers could improve the issues retailers were facing when it came to supply, despite many retailers already bolstering pay or offering signing-on bonuses for lorry drivers and warehouse workers to address labour gaps. While a quarter (25%) said the answer to stock availability lay in better logistics capabilities, and a further 21% said retailers needed better forecasting capabilities to cope with fluctuating demand and reduce shelf gaps.

28% of UK grocery baskets are now made up of promotional purchases as price-sensitive Brits battle cost-of-living pressures

Retail Connections | 13/11/23

Despite food price inflation starting to fall, continued cost-of-living pressures and stubbornly high grocery prices see UK shoppers increasingly reliant on promotions to keep food bills down. This is according to the latest data from Retail Insight, the leading provider of store operations execution software.

While data released by the BRC and NielsenIQ showed that food price inflation is finally starting to slow, overall food prices are still 9.9% higher than a year ago. This ongoing pressure on household grocery bills is prompting an increasing consumer reliance on promotional and special-buy items.

Original research of over 1,000 UK shoppers by Retail Insight revealed that over a quarter (28%) of Brits’ grocery baskets are now made up of promotional items or goods that are on offer. Millennials were the most likely demographic to shop special-buy items with over a third (34%) of their shopping baskets made up of discounted goods.

With 86% of respondents saying that as inflation has risen, they have become more budget conscious and with 82% trying to reduce food bills to cut outgoings, pricing and promotional sensitivity has risen sharply. Four in ten (40%) now only buy grocery items that are on promotion. Fresh meat is the food category that UK consumers are the most promotionally-sensitive towards, with 30% saying they would be more likely to buy it when on offer, followed by fresh fruit (26%) and veg (24%).

Stubbornly high food prices and growing promotions-sensitivity are also impacting brand loyalty. Three quarters (74%) of those polled by Retail Insight said they have stopped buying some of their favourite branded goods because the price is now too high. Seven in ten (72%) now choose supermarket own label items unless a branded alternative is on promotion, and a further 72% have swapped from branded goods to supermarket own-label in the past year, up +20% since 2022.

Retailers including Sainsbury’s, which invested £560m in keeping prices low over the past two years, and Iceland, which announced it had cut 1,000 weekly shop staples, have responded by focusing on discounts and promotions to win share of wallet. However, despite the increasing dependency on – and sensitivity to – promotions among UK shoppers, many reported issues with the availability and accuracy of promotions available in-store. Almost half (46%) said ‘on-offer’ items were regularly sold out due to high demand, and a further 40% experienced promotional items frequently being out-of-stock on the shelf. A sixth (16%) of shoppers also reported that promotions advertised in-store were out of date.

Paul Boyle, CEO of Retail Insight, commented: “It will be of little surprise, given the economic backdrop, that promotions are an important consideration for shoppers looking to squeeze more out of their household budgets. This means promotional activities are increasingly vital in driving retail revenues, maintaining share of wallet and attracting new customers. Yet, due to poor inventory levels, limited compliance metrics and manual checks, less than 50% of in-store promotions are implemented to plan, with poorly executed promotions disappointing customers and potentially leading to lost sales, while straining relationships with manufacturers and suppliers.”

PromoInsight is a cloud-based compliance solution that optimises promotional activity. Powered by cognitive technology, it pinpoints where promotions aren’t performing, detecting underperforming stores, categories and products, and then flagging the most valuable opportunities to the right people. This allows retailers to make instant in-store changes to promotions to keep sales moving forward and customers coming back. It also helps supermarkets nurture CPG brand and supplier relationships by ensuring retailers can deliver growth-focused seasonal promotions.

Price perception: UK shoppers feel food bills are now a third higher than 2022

Retail Connections | 12/10/23

Despite food price inflation starting to fall, UK shoppers say price pressure is not letting up on their grocery shops, estimating their food bills remain a third higher than last year, the latest research from Pricer, the world’s most trusted supplier of shelf-edge automation solutions, reveals.

While data released by the BRC and NielsenIQ last week showed that food prices saw their first monthly drop in more than two years, down -0.1% in September on the previous month, UK shoppers are yet to feel pressure easing when it comes to grocery bills. While food inflation fell to 9.9% in September, down from a peak of 15.7% in April, shoppers’ say the cost of their food shops remains high, the latest research suggests.

Original research of 1,000 UK shoppers by Pricer showed that UK shoppers felt that proportionately their average food bills have increased by 33% in the last 12months.

The Office of National Statistics’ (ONS) latest data also reported half (49%) of UK shoppers were spending more than usual to get what they normally buy when food shopping, while 4 in 10 (46%) were buying less food when grocery shopping in September due to rising costs. Additionally, a poll of over 1,000 UK consumers by Retail Insight revealed that, with the average household now spending £87 on groceries each week, 82% are trying to reduce food bills in response to the cost-of-living, up +16% year-on-year.

Peter Ward, Country Manager for UK & Ireland at Pricer, commented:

“While everyone is hoping that this first fall in food price inflation in two years will mark the ‘beginning of the end’ of sticky and stubbornly high grocery prices, the impact on shoppers’ purse strings won’t be immediate. Even though the rate of inflation on food prices has fallen, it does not mean prices are necessarily coming down, just that they are rising less quickly. And this, means pressure on consumers’ weekly food shops will continue for some time yet to come.”

Despite supermarkets’ continued investment in price cuts, with Iceland announcing cut prices across 1,000 weekly shop essentials last month and Sainsbury’s investing £15m to keep the cost of larder staples low, Pricer’s study showed that 85% of shoppers felt retailers should be doing more to ensure customers can access the best deals during the cost-of-living crisis. And a further 86% said that, because of the cost-of-living crisis, retailers should do more to ensure pricing and promotions are implemented as quickly as possible.

Half of retailers now experience customer churn rates of 51%+ – MoEngage data

Retail Connections | 01/08/23

With the cost-of-living squeezing consumers’ disposable incomes and ebbing away at customers’ loyalty propensities, retailers are facing higher levels of customer churn, the latest research from insights-led customer engagement platform, MoEngage, warns.

Original research of over 1,000 European brands, including 500 UK businesses, by MoEngage in its latest 2023 Customer Retention Benchmark report showed that over a third (36%) of retailers’ average customer retention rates are currently up to 30%, with a further two fifths (22%) saying their average retention rate falls between 31-40%. Meanwhile, just 2% of retailers say their retention rate sits at over 80%, suggesting that brands are missing out on sales opportunities from repeat purchases and loyal shoppers, and focusing on acquisition rather than retention in their current customer engagement strategies.

As the cost of living pressures put more strain on consumers’ disposable spending, three-quarters (74%) of UK shoppers have stopped buying from their favourite brands due to budgets becoming squeezed, according to Retail Insight’s research.

And, this pressure is making shopper loyalty even more hard-won, with MoEngage’s research also showing retailers are experiencing high rates of customer churn. The report shows 45% of the retail and e-commerce brands polled are now experiencing customer churn rates of 51% or higher, while 18% see 51-60% churn and 14% report a churn rate between 61-70%.

The poll showed retailers experience the highest levels of customer churn during the first seven days after sign-up (20%) and after the end of a free trial period (20%), highlighting the importance of continued customer engagement and nurturing right after the initial conversion. Two-fifths of retailers (18%) also reported experiencing high churn levels following a product being returned, highlighting the returns process as another key period for customer engagement and enhancing customer experience.

Jason Smith, VP UK & Europe at MoEngage, commented:

“By putting data to work, retailers can turn the tide on customer churn. By leveraging insights, brands can generate the personal, meaningful, and compelling customer engagement experiences that don’t just save the sale, but also drive loyalty, even in the context of increased cost-of-living brand switching.”

And, leveraging insights doesn’t just improve CX, MoEngage’s data also shows it can build out ROI on marketing spend. By using machine learning and AI capabilities to transform past data into future insights to accurately forecast customer actions and create highly relevant campaigns that lead customers towards desired actions, predictive marketing and analytics can increase ROI by up to 500%.

To find out how predictive analytics and insights-led engagement strategies can enhance customer interactions to bolster retention and reduce customer churn, download: Customer Retention Benchmarks Handbook – Europe | MoEngage.

The store is now the most impulsive shopping channel for 54% of UK consumers

Retail Connections | 27/06/23

The store is now the channel where consumers are most likely to make impulse purchases, according to the latest research from ADvendio, the leading omnichannel advertising solution provider.

Original research of over 1,000 UK shoppers by ADvendio showed that over half (54%) of UK shoppers say they are most likely to impulse buy in-store, compared to 41% who make unplanned purchases when shopping online and 10% who bought on impulse on social media platforms.

“While the ‘TikTok made me buy it’ era is far from over, the store is have a revival as a mecca for impulse-driven, conversion-ready shoppers,” Bernd Bube, Founder and CEO of ADvendio, commented. “And this is prompting both retailers and 3^rd party brands to reconsider how they leverage this opportunity to connect and engage with in-store shoppers who are open to having their buying decisions influenced at the point of purchase.”

44% of the UK shoppers polled would like more digital information available to inform their buying decisions at the shelf-edge in-store, rising to 60% of Millennials, while over half (51%) would be more likely to buy a product if they were served information and content about that product digitally at the shelf-edge. A further third (36%) said immersive digital adverts about products in the store would make them more likely to try a product they hadn’t bought before.

“As ecommerce and social engagement reaches a point of maturity, consumers are coming full circle and the shelf-edge is now the next battle ground for share of mind and share of wallet,” Bube continued. “And, because of this, retailers are turning to the store to explore – and invest – in ways to digital reach and engage customers and, ultimately, influence their spend.”

Six in ten (61%) UK shoppers say they are now noticing more branded ads from 3^rd party brands when shopping in-store, while over a third (34%) have been influenced to try a product having seen a digitally advert at the shelf-edge in-store, rising to 50% of Gen Z.

Big Four grocer, Tesco, for example, recently announced it was adding to what is already the UK’s largest closed loop grocery media and insight platform, having rolled out digital screens in 150 stores this year. The digital displays feature animated content to support in-store campaigns and new product launches and complement traditional POS promotional assets.

UK consumers now twice as likely to shop fashion on pre-loved platforms than on key social channels

Retail Connections | 02/05/23

Increasingly sustainably-minded and cost-conscious consumerism is driving a pre-loved fashion revolution. Now UK shoppers make twice as many apparel purchases on second-hand platforms than they make on social media, according to the latest data from True Fit, the leading data-driven platform that decodes fit and size for leading apparel and footwear retailers.

With the global fashion resale market expected to grow 127% by 2026 – three times quicker than the wider clothing industry as a whole – original research of over 1,000 UK shoppers by True Fit revealed that now UK consumers make twice as many fashion purchases on pre-loved platforms (20%) than on Facebook (10%) and almost double compared to Instagram (11%).

With circular fashion platform, Depop, reporting that 90% of its active users are under the age of 26, this trend continues to be led by Gen Z which, according to a Boston Consulting Group study, were the most likely demographic to buy and sell pre-owned fashion. True Fit’s poll showed that now a third (33%) of Gen Zers shop fashion on pre-loved platforms, a quarter (25%) choose to buy clothing from vintage stores and a further (30%) will head to charity stores. This compares to 19% of the same demographic who make fashion purchases on Facebook and 27% who use Instagram.

And, as demand for pre-loved fashion continues to grow, with analyst GlobalData estimating the second-hand fashion market will reach $84 billion by 2030, retailers are evolving their circular fashion offerings at pace. Seasalt, for example, launched its resale platform earlier this month, while H&M also announced it would extend its H&M Pre-Loved offer into the U.S. market and fast-fashion brand, SHEIN, also unveiled its SHEIN Exchange resale platform.

Sarah Curran, Global CMO at True Fit, commented:

“Driven by sustainability, affordability and exclusivity, second-hand is fast becoming first-choice for many consumers who seek to consume fashion in a more mindful way. This provides retailers with a tangible opportunity to acquire new cohorts or audiences who might experience their brand first in a pre-loved format, having not considered the brand previously. The challenge then lies in bringing them back to the brand again to explore current collections or encourage repeat-custom within the retailer’s existing portfolio or product catalogue.”

“We’re also seeing the green imperative now evolving the services consumers expect from retailers, with repair and rental indexing highly amid these new expectations, as well as the trend towards the ‘slow fashion’ movement gathering pace,” Curran added.

Offering budget lines that are still sustainably created was the top way 34% of UK shoppers felt retailers could help them consume in a more sustainable manner, according to True Fit’s research, followed by clearly stating sustainable credentials on clothing labels (28%) and offering repair services (27%). Meanwhile, over half (58%) of UK consumers would consider swapping fast for slow fashion in the future to be more environmentally-conscious in their buying choices, rising to 67% of Gen Z and 61% of Millennials.

Authenticity is now a new key driver of revenue and loyalty for UK shoppers

Retail Connections | 27/03/23

Authenticity is now a key new driver for revenue and loyalty among UK shoppers as the trend for more mindful consumption continues, the latest research from Asendia, the leader in international ecommerce and mail delivery solutions, reveals.

Original research of over 8,000 global shoppers in Asendia’s ‘How To Sell Direct In The Age Of The Conflicted Shopper’ Report, including over 1,000 UK consumers, showed more than seven in ten (70%) of UK shoppers would spend more money with retailers they perceived to be authentic, with 56% saying they would only shop exclusively with authentic retail brands.

The key values defining authenticity for UK shoppers were being straightforward on delivering promises (57%); transparency within supply chains (41%); standing up for sustainability (39%); clear brand values (39%); and acting upon brand values (32%).

Authenticity – the new currency for conversion, spend and loyalty

Three quarters (75%) of UK shoppers also said authenticity made them more loyal to brands, with a further 65% saying they would switch to a competitor if they felt a retailer wasn’t authentic.

In the context of economic global headwinds and the rising cost-of-living putting extra pressure on household budgets and discretionary spend, authenticity is also helping retailers fend off rising price-sensitivity among shoppers. While 75% of British shoppers plan to cut back on spending in 2023, despite UK inflation remaining close to a 40-year high, 43% said a brand’s authenticity would make them less sensitive to inflationary price increases, rising to 48% of Gen Z and 51% of Millennials.

Renaud Marlière, Global Chief of Business Development of Asendia, commented:

“Of course, we see that shoppers are acting with caution due to the rising cost-of-living, but invariably they are also consuming consciously and mindfully. Shoppers now want to engage and buy from brands who act authentically. Increasingly, shoppers are holding the retailers and brands they shop with to account – and it is clear that authenticity is now having a significant impact on share of wallet, revenue and loyalty.

Brands and retailers need to take control of their own destiny when it comes to shaping the authentic shopping journeys consumers are now demanding. Shoppers increasingly expect accountability and transparency from retailers, whether through greater transparency around supply chain emissions, delivery promises or offering low- or carbon-neutral shipping options.”

In 2022 Asendia announced it had reached 100% carbon neutrality through its carbon offsetting projects. It now offers carbon neutrality across all shipments carried out for international retail customers via its e-PAQ solution, a specialist range of international packet and parcel services designed for online retailers.

Despite a perceived assumption that younger demographics are driving the demand for greater sustainability, ESG and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – some key areas defining authenticity – the UK’s Silent Generation, those aged 76 years old or older, were the most likely to see an impact on spend with authentic brands (72%), matching that of Gen Z (also 72%).

Channel matters – the impact of DTC on authenticity perception

Overwhelmingly, UK shoppers feel brands that operated Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) were more authentic than those retailers who just operated via marketplaces. Over half (54%) of UK consumers felt that retailers that operated their own DTC channels were more authentic.

Combining global presence with local expertise, Asendia empowers online retailers to grow their cross-border operations by improving international shopping experiences. As well as its international parcel services and fulfilment solutions, it also offers sophisticated digital ecommerce platforms and solutions, including ESW, that deliver the seamless experiences online shoppers want when shopping DTC across borders, wherever they are located around the globe.

For further information on optimising cross-border strategies for success and how brands can build international consumer relationships that better meet the needs of today’s shoppers, download the full report: ‘How To Sell Direct In The Age Of The Conflicted Shopper’.

ESW Now Available in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace

Retail Connections | 23/03/23

ESW, one of the world’s leading global Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) ecommerce solutions providers today announced its availability in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, an online store providing applications and services for use on Azure. ESW customers can now take advantage of the productive and trusted Azure cloud platform, with streamlined deployment and management.

With its availability in the Azure Marketplace, Azure customers can now rely on ESW’s suite of solutions to enable efficient cross-border expansion, solving for everything from compliance, data security, fraud protection, taxes and tariffs to checkout, delivery, returns, customer service and demand generation. ESW’s powerful combination of technology and human ingenuity can integrate with existing webstores or build hype-localised sites across 200 markets in as little as 4 weeks.

“ESW’s presence on Microsoft Azure Marketplace offers ecommerce brands and retailers the ultimate convenience and security needed to quickly and easily expand their direct-to-consumer presence globally,” said Thomas Kelly, CEO, ESW. “We’re thrilled to partner with the team at Azure to simplify international cross-border business for their vast ecommerce network.”

ESW’s solutions on Azure Marketplace include Fluency Express, a light-touch integration allowing retailers and brands to open their catalog to the world in a localised way for their shoppers; Fluency Enterprise, offering a suite of DTC and B2B enhancements allowing brands to sell cross-border from their existing webstore; and Symphony, a full one-stop shop for a brand’s entire DTC channel, whether domestic, international, or both.

Jake Zborowski, General Manager, Microsoft Azure Platform at Microsoft said, “We’re pleased to welcome ESW to the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, which gives our partners great exposure to cloud customers around the globe. Azure Marketplace offers world-class quality experiences from global trusted partners with solutions tested to work seamlessly with Azure.”

The Azure Marketplace is an online market for buying and selling cloud solutions certified to run on Azure. The Azure Marketplace helps connect companies seeking innovative, cloud-based solutions with partners who have developed solutions that are ready to use.