Blog and Research Digest — Week 05, 2020

Every week, the Digishare team prepare a digest of the previous 7 days of online retail news. Along the way, we’ll pick the most interesting stories from the worlds of technology, social media, marketing and more, allowing you to see everything at a glance.

Retail News and Trends

A third of UK retailers issued profit warnings in 2019 as challenging times bite
https://internetretailing.net/mobile-theme/a-third-of-uk-retailers-issued-profit-warnings-in-2019-as-challenging-times-bite-20843
“UK quoted companies issued 313 profit warnings in 2019, rising by 9% year-on-year (287 in 2018) to reach the highest annual total of warnings since 2015.”

Late boost to online closes 2019 on a slightly more chipper note, says IMRG
https://internetretailing.net/industry/late-boost-to-online-closes-2019-on-a-slightly-more-chipper-note-says-imrg-20846
“UK online retail sales growth spiked unexpectedly to +9.4% Year-on-Year (YoY) in December, bringing 2019 to a positive close with a surprisingly strong Christmas trading period, according to the latest IMRG Capgemini Online Retail Index, which tracks the online sales performance of over 200 retailers.”

Retail spend is up and millennials are to thank
https://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/news/retail-spend-is-up-and-millennials-are-to-thank/
“Retail spending is up, according to a TD Bank report, and millennials are the consumer generation leading the charge.”

Reality bites: Retailers count the cost of Christmas past
https://www.marketingweek.com/retailers-discounting-christmas-sales/
“Does the latest retail carnage on UK high streets mean the sector has hit rock bottom? A hardening of attitudes to discounting may show that reality has started to bite.”

E-commerce could kill 30K stores and half a million jobs by 2025
https://www.retaildive.com/news/e-commerce-could-kill-30k-stores-and-half-a-million-jobs-by-2025/570950/
“E-commerce has been a net negative — an agent of “destructive destruction” — for the retail industry writ large, according to a new study from credit insurance company Euler Hermes.”

A quarter of UK consumers vow to shop more sustainably in 2020
https://internetretailing.net/sustainability/a-quarter-of-uk-consumers-vow-to-shop-more-sustainably-in-2020-20845
“Some 25% of UK shoppers are vowing to make ethical shopping decisions in 2020, as sustainability and fast fashion continue to be talking points across the globe.”

EBay lays off 102 Silicon Valley employees
https://www.retaildive.com/news/ebay-lays-off-102-silicon-valley-employees/570843/
“EBay’s performance has remained sluggish for some time. Third quarter revenue was flat year over year at $2.6 billion, as gross merchandise volume (GMV) fell 4% to $21.7 billion.”

UK premier retailers unprepared for £764m Chinese tourists could be spending in the UK, study finds
https://internetretailing.net/mobile-theme/uk-premier-retailers-unprepared-for-764m-chinese-tourists-could-be-spending-in-the-uk-study-finds-20841
“Many of the UK’s leading retailers in London’s prime shopping outlets are inadequately prepared for the huge mass of Chinese tourists that are predicted to visit the UK, with only a very small minority having both staff that can speak Mandarin and able to accept China’s leading mobile payment platforms WeChat Pay and Alipay.”

Social

TikTok opens new office in LA, Instagram removes IGTV button, Facebook deals with more lawsuit trouble
https://marketingland.com/social-shorts-tiktok-opens-new-office-in-la-instagram-removes-igtv-button-facebook-deals-with-more-lawsuit-trouble-274940
“The social media marketing week in review: A round up of news and announcements you may have missed.”

Marketing

Why email marketing should work, and why it often doesn’t
https://marketingland.com/why-email-marketing-should-work-and-why-it-often-doesnt-274898
“Email might not be the sexiest way to promote your business, but if you put in the time and effort, it can be one of the most profitable ways to grow.”

How to Scale Your Content Marketing: Tips from Our Journey to 100,000 Words a Month
https://moz.com/blog/how-to-scale-your-content-marketing
“Why would any software company need to produce that much content?”

The Art and Science of Content Marketing ROI
https://contently.com/2020/01/24/art-science-content-marketing-roi/
“Across the globe, many marketers are sabotaging their 2020 content marketing programs already. Their crime: failing to set goals.”

Brand Empathy: The One Critical Quality B2B Content Lacks
https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2020/01/b2b-brand-empathy-content/
“True brand empathy is about creating a shared journey between your brand and its audience. It involves a deeper connection to and understanding of that audience on an emotional level, as well as rational and transactional ones.”