Blog

September 29, 2014 Written by NetSphere Category: eCommerce
Meet Maelle Gavet – eCommerce leader, trailblazer In today’s business world, a few hot trending topics include women in corporate leadership roles, increasing competitiveness in the online marketplace and the challenge of generating investment funds. Maelle Gavet is making headlines in each. As the CEO of Ozon.ru, often referred to as the Amazon of Russia, Gavet has found herself in the growing rank of successful female business leaders. As the driving force behind multiple rounds of funding for Ozon, she was able to raise more than $250 million...

May 14, 2014 Written by NetSphere Category: eCommerce
As eCommerce soars, overall retail sees small rise in April Yesterday, the U.S. Census Bureau released its advance monthly sales report for retail and food services in April 2014. Although there was a rise in sales compared to the month prior, the mere 0.1 percent was lackluster at most. Considering the cold winter weather had lifted, many expected more of a showing at retail brick-and-mortar locations across the United States.  “The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for April, adjusted for seasonal...

February 19, 2014 Written by NetSphere Category: eCommerce
Economic indicators range from reports about the GDP to housing starts to unemployment. They also include information pertaining to consumer sentiment, manufacturing output and retail sales. To retrieve the reports, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York created its economic indicators calendar, a valuable tool for investors and business leaders alike. For decision makers in the retail sector, economic indicators to make note of include but aren’t limited to advanced retail sales, consumer confidence and consumer credit. Each month, these indices...

February 17, 2014 Written by NetSphere Category: eCommerce
When Goldman Sachs first coined the BRIC acronym to group together the world’s biggest emerging economies, Brazil, Russia, India and China were the only countries to make the cut. It wasn’t until 2011 that South Africa was added to the list, seemingly pluralizing the acronym. Since that time, Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and Turkey have been lumped together under the acronym MIST as have countries in the Middle East and North Africa under the term MENA. But because of a quickly...

February 07, 2014 Written by NetSphere Category: eCommerce
Rationale behind eCommerce replatforming projects According to a recent survey conducted by Forrester, 66 percent of eBusinesses are planning to up their technology investments in 2014. Unsurprisingly, more than half of Forrester’s respondents identified the eCommerce platform as one of their top technology investment priorities. In fact, replatforming was specifically highlighted in the survey’s findings. “eCommerce platforms are the backbone of any digital channel, and replacing legacy home-grown systems or outdated (and often unsupported) platforms remains a top priority,” explained a Forrester editor. “With these platforms...

February 03, 2014 Written by NetSphere Category: eCommerce
The early months of every new year offer up opportunities to reflect on the past to improve in the future. For eCommerce companies, the future looks particularly bright. No matter the retail sector, forecast after forecast calls for double-digit growth in the online sales arena. According to a forecast from eMarketer, a research firm focused on digital marketing, media and commerce, worldwide B2C eCommerce sales will hit $1.5 trillion in 2014, a rise of more than 20 percent. But the big...

December 20, 2013 Written by NetSphere Category: eCommerce
November's retail sales paint a positive picture Over the past few weeks, retailers nationwide have been on the edges of their seats. With the government shutdown, the abbreviated holiday shopping period and general economic uncertainty, the balance sheets for November were literally hanging in the balance.   According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s recent advanced retail sales report, however, retailers beat the odds, racking up $432.3 billion in sales in November. That amount represents a 0.7 percent increase from October and, excluding receipts at gas stations, the biggest...

December 18, 2013 Written by NetSphere Category: eCommerce
IBM predicts brick-and-mortar will beat out online within 5 years As 2013 comes to a close, the general public is being showered with best-of lists and 2014 forecasts. Whether it’s a month-by-month article of celebrity blunders or a nuts-and-bolts business blog full of advice for the year to come, the media engine won’t be putting a halt to this type of reporting until the ball drops in two weeks.   IBM, however, didn’t just offer up its predictions for the next year, the editors there went a few steps further. In...

December 06, 2013 Written by NetSphere Category: eCommerce
Emerging markets: Brazil, eCommerce statistics and challenges Soon, all eyes will set their focus on Brazil as the largest South American country hosts two of the world’s biggest athletic events. Surely, the selection of Brazil as host for both the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics is due to its position as one of the globe’s most promising emerging nations.   As such, Brazil offers opportunities for eCommerce companies wanting to expand their reach. With a population of just over 200 million, Brazil finds itself amongst the top...

December 04, 2013 Written by NetSphere Category: eCommerce
Black Friday, Cyber Monday recap Leading up to Black Friday, some industry experts had tepid anticipation for what the holiday shopping day would bring to retailers across the nation. With ongoing online promotions overshadowing Black Friday, they wondered if it still carried the same weight as it had in years past.   For ShopperTrak, the leading global provider of shopper insights and analytics, overall retail spending for November and December was seen as a mixed bag. The group forecasted that 10 percent fewer shoppers would visit...