Interesting Tech, Walmart's Expansion, 6 Ways To Boost Subscription Retention & Useful Resources

Part One: Interesting Tech Discoveries

Here are two vendors we've stumbled across this month, either directly or via our network:

PrettyDamnQuick

Managed testing app for Shopify checkouts. PDQ work with merchants to analyse data, define test opportunities and implement once approved. PDQ builds a library of customer segments based on shopper profiles and has pre-built tests available to speed up implementation.

https://www.prettydamnquick.com/

Refundid

A new player offering instant refunds for ecommerce returns. Customers can request a return online, get their refund and then return goods to the retailer. Refundid provide a customer app for returns tracking & retailers can set custom flows to reflect their refund process. Integrations with Shopify BigCommerce Woocommerce Salesforce Adobe Commerce and more.

https://refundid.com/us/business/integrations

++ an interesting vendor to monitor if you've got a keen eye on US expansion.

Jungle Scout

Not new, it's a well established platform for Amazon Sellers. The reason for flagging now is that they're considering expansion to cover marketplace selling on other leading US vendors like Walmart... see below.

Part Two: Walmart’s Strategy To Extend Its Ecommerce Reach

I’ve been keeping an eye on the Amazon vs. Walmart (and to a lesser extent Target) strategic tussle.

Walmart just announced a raft of initiatives that are worth looking at, as they demonstrate how the business is increasing its digital footprint and impact.

Resold at Walmart

Marketplace sellers can now sell used items, with around 5m used items across 1,700 sellers.

Multichannel Fulfilment (launching this month)

3rd party merchants can use Walmart’s own fulfilment network to fulfil orders from their own websites. Walmart also handles returns and claims it can offer a competitive price advantage to merchants.

Walmart Cross Border?

Import service for full-containers where Walmart Fulfilment Services is responsible for shipping goods from Asia to US locations.

Walmart Local Finds

This is a great idea.

Customers can buy items from local sellers, then have them shipped via Walmart’s last mile delivery service. 1-800 Flowers is the first nationwide seller taking part.

Walmart Marketplace Capital

Gives Sellers access to cash advances of up to $5m.

Keep an eye on what Walmart is doing, as they’ve seen strong ecommerce growth (12% YoY in 2023 to $82bn) and the marketplace is now a key driver of profitable growth. They provide a useful case study on product and service expansion to diversify revenue streams and stay relevant.

Part Three: Video - What Features Drive Subscription Retention?

A new RetailX Europe Top1000 360° report shows that UK shoppers are most likely to have subscriptions to a service or a regular purchase. We’ve previously covered bundle subscription, so this dives into how you can retain subscription customers.

We cover 6 ways ecommerce teams can improve their retention rate:

1. 00:50 Rewards & perks e.g. Wild Nutrition offers 2x free consultations with nutritionists in the first 6 months
2. 02:40 Customer comms: adding value, getting more from the items e.g. PetCircle give free advice from the Pet Circle Vet Squad, helps with precise advice and guidance
3. 06:20 Flexibility: holidays & skipping shipments, changing frequency, easy upgrades & downgrades
4. 08:00 Customisation & swapping e.g. HelloFresh lets you update recipe preferences to reflect lifestyle changes
5. 09:05 Convenience e.g. grouping shipments, gifting shipments
6. 11:00 Payment reminders: helping people manage their money more effectively

Check out our podcast with Wild Nutrition’s Roshni Patel , where she discussers their subscription strategy and talks about the benefit of migrating to Recharge’s Affinity Portal for giving customers the tools to self-serve.

Part Four: Useful Resources & Interesting Reading

• Robbie Wade-Gery from Vervaunt on the impact of product availability on conversion & how paid media can help manage this:

https://vervaunt.com/the-impact-of-product-availability-on-conversion-rate-how-paid-media-strategies-can-minimise-impact

• BFCM planning checklist Notion template from Bahadir E. of DTCVille:

https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/befeoglu_blackfriday-checklist-inventory-activity-7234484870238883840-zqiC/

• schuh enhancing its inclusive shopping strategy by introducing single shoe purchases for shoppers with a disability or limb difference:

https://internetretailing.net/schuh-introduces-single-shoe-purchases-stepping-up-inclusivity/

• InternetRetailing article on the core differences between UK and US shoppers:

https://internetretailing.net/core-differences-between-american-and-british-consumers/

Five To Follow

1. Krissie Claire - Shopify app strategist
2. Anna Hagve - Head of Ecom and growth brand Djerf Avenue
3. Joe Comins - Codal's Director of Strategy
4. Marina Milojkovic - Ecom Advisor to amazing brands at Grebban
5. John Surdakowski - CEO for a leading ecom agency in NYC

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