.png?width=109&height=45&name=loop54-logo_a_FF_Company%20(1).png){kind=logo}
E-commerce has grown and changed since its humble beginnings in the early 1990s. Today, people can purchase nearly everything online -- from groceries to clothing to books and more. Because there are so many e-commerce businesses today, it can be challenging for them to retain customers. After all, when there are so many options for buying the same products, how do you build loyalty and get people to come back and purchase again and again?
Because retention has become a challenge in the e-commerce world, companies are trying out new e-commerce models, which are designed to make customers happy, provide a unique experience and encourage buyers to come back. Here are some of the most popular and successful new e-commerce models that companies are trying out.
Private Sales
Exclusivity always helps bring allure to a brand. That's what companies that use private sales to sell online bet on -- and they use a "member's only" feel to encourage people to buy. Companies create e-commerce sites that require membership or approval in order to have access to whatever's for sale. Some of the most popular companies using this model include HauteLook.com and Gilt. Companies that have private sales for members encourage buyers to come back regularly to see what new products they now have access to (that non-members do NOT have access to).
Subscription Sales
One way to make sure people buy again and again? Make them purchase a subscription. E-commerce companies are now using subscriptions to collect payments monthly or even weekly, providing new (or repeat) products for each payment. There are many subscription-based e-commerce companies, including Birchbox, a cosmetics company that sends products monthly; Mouth, which offers a monthly bourbon subscription; and Farm to People, a company that sends subscribers small-batch and artisanal foods each month. Another company that is excelling at the subscription model is Bloomon. They offer handcrafted bouquets that customers can order and receive regularly. Subscription-based e-commerce companies keep customers coming back by offering new, dependable, exciting products that show up regularly -- encouraging people to continue to subscribe.
Resale Companies
Forget selling only new products online. Today, companies are using the internet to resell used goods, like clothing, furniture, books and more. One popular resale e-commerce company that is dominating the luxury world is Vestiaire Collective. Vestiaire sells a carefully curated collection of pre-owned luxury goods, which means that they don't only offer nice products at an affordable price, they also offer a dependably nice selection of goods, which shoppers know that they can rely on. Another resale e-commerce company is Poshmark. Poshmark actually allows users to go onto the site and sell their used clothes on their own, making it a platform that benefits both buyers and sellers.
Companies with On-Demand Delivery
Nobody wants to wait for the goods they're buying online; they want them now. Because of that, there's been a rise in on-demand e-commerce companies. These companies offer products for purchase, then bring them to the customer nearly immediately, so there's no longer any need to wait for their arrival. It makes online shopping much more like the in-store shopping experience. Many companies who offer immediate delivery use a service like Deliv, which works with businesses to provide fast delivery of products within a local area.
Topics:
