Thursday, January 4

The 5 things in DTC you need to know today

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🚨 In today’s newsletter 🚨

  • The TikTok Buzz

  • Navigating the Global Ecommerce Landscape

  • The Web3 Takeover of ECommerce

Let’s get into it👇

#1 - The TikTok Buzz

The Rundown: TikTok is aiming to become a shopping behemoth, with explosive plans to grow its TikTok Shop business in the US.

Key points:

  • ByteDance wants to expand TikTok Shop's US GMV by 10x to $17.5 billion in 2024

  • Its video-based format tries merging entertainment and impulse buying

  • Perks like free shipping and influencer subsidies are hooking Gen Z consumers

  • Profitable too: seller commissions will rise from 6% to 8%

  • TikTok Shop already drives majority of sales on Douyin, TikTok's Chinese version

The relevance: This aggressive move positions TikTok as the top digital mall for young consumers. With its addictive feeds and tap-to-buy functionality, the app threatens to steal market share from Amazon and shoppers' wallets. For sellers, TikTok promises access to prime Gen Z real estate if they pay its fees.

The battle lines are being drawn - as shopping reinvents itself around short videos rather than searches, we may soon associate buying goods not just with Amazon boxes but also with scrolling through TikTok's For You feed. This is social commerce 2.0.

 #2 - Stop burning cash on in-house designers

On average, just one in-house graphic designer costs $50,000 per year. Instead, use an on-demand design agency like Delesign to tap into talent and pay per project. This easily cuts costs by 70%.

But it's not just about cheaper designers. You need quality designs that convert. That's why Delesign has a rigorous screening process, hiring only 2% of applicants. Then they invest in thorough training so designers are client-ready.

With experience serving over 1,400+ brands, Delesign delivers fast, high-quality and affordable design work.

#3 - Navigating the Global Ecommerce Landscape

The Rundown: How global eCommerce merchants can optimize cross-border sales.

Step-by-step:

  1. Implement "authorization hygiene" practices like addressing potential failure points and forming strategic partnerships to improve customer authorization rates for international transactions.

  2. Streamline online payments for travel industry suppliers by unifying user experience across geographies/currencies, enabling self-service, offering diverse payment methods, and adopting new technologies.

  3. Balance strong security with smooth user experience in authentication by gathering customer data to assess risk and personalize experiences, while adapting processes to suit regulations.

  4. Increase transparency and reduce friction around foreign exchange (FX) costs by minimizing steps for consumers to access FX information in order to prevent abandoned purchases.

  5. Address optimizing authorization rates, travel industry payments, authentication, and FX costs to successfully boost cross-border eCommerce sales.

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#4 - The Web3 Takeover of ECommerce

The Rundown: Decentralized protocols like YOUR are transforming online shopping by giving brands control over product content while rewarding community involvement.

The details:

  • YOUR Protocol allows brands to register product images, videos, and descriptions directly on the blockchain to ensure accuracy and maintain control.

  • There is a built-in incentive system where content creators, node operators, developers, and shop owners all earn native $YOUR tokens for participating.

  • A recent integration with ecommerce giant Shopify gives YOUR instant utility for over 4 million online merchants.

Why it matters: This fusion of blockchain technology with existing platforms positions YOUR Protocol to rapidly overhaul current ecommerce models to be more transparent, creator-friendly, and brand-empowering.

➡️ You can read the article here...

#5 - Shoppable Video - Commerce Gets Flashy

The Rundown: Shoppable videos blend entertainment and shopping by letting viewers purchase featured products directly in the video player. The tech is still new, but shows early promise.

The details:

  • Augmented reality and AI enable virtual product trials and personalized recommendations that aim to boost engagement and sales.

  • Metrics like in-video interactions and conversion rate help quantify the sales impact of these immersive, convenient formats.

  • Major platforms are buying in, with TikTok and Instagram launching shoppable video capabilities to capitalize on the trend.

Why it matters: Though the business case is still unclear, shoppable video could revolutionize ecommerce by providing a captivating new way for brands to connect with consumers. Its future likely hinges on whether the costs of production can be justified by sales lift over the long-term.

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