January 14, 2011
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Location, location, location! In a bold attempt to gain ground in the online deal space, LivingSocial has taken majority stake in Barcelona based Let’s Bonus, a group buying site that is a leader in the Spanish Market serving Portugal, Italy, Argentina, and Mexico. At the same time, Groupon has announced they have expanded their international presence into India, South Africa, and Israel. For LivingSocial, muscling up their international operations is vital to the company if they want to keep in stride with Groupon. Back in November 2010, LivingSocial made a similar move by gaining a majority stake hold in Australian group buying site JumpOnIt.com. The deal included a $5 million investment, although terms of the Let’s Bonus deal were not disclosed.

The new stake brings LivingSocial to 25 new markets and has added 16 million subscribers to their services through Let’s Bonus. They will also take in a sales team of more than 200 employees to further their operations. Additionally, Let’s Bonus’ discounted travel packages expands LivingSocial Escapes’ international potential, bringing more European vacation deals to LivingSocial subscribers. This totals Living Social’s operations into 10 different countries and is now live in more than 170 markets. However, compared to Groupon’s 50 million subscribers (and aggressively growing) across 500 markets in 40 countries, could Living Social be caught in a bit of a rat race?

There is no doubt that LivingSocial has much ground to cover. Groupon, who has now become notorious for saying ‘no thanks’ to Google’s offer, has recently received a mega round of funding that totals nearly one billion dollars. The giant deal site has found an insatiable appetite for expansion and has basically gone on a rampant shopping spree buying out their competitors around the world. With one billion dollars to spend, it may be very difficult for LivingSocial to go head to head with Groupon. As of now, they remain extremely optimistic and are only just a couple steps behind. LivingSocial is expected to book upwards of $500 million in revenue this year, which will put them on par with roughly how much Groupon took in last year. Recently, the company has been backed by online retailer Amazon, which invested $175 million in the company at the end of last year. Although LivingSocial does not command the exact same numbers as Groupon (and no one blames them), LivingSocial should definitely receive kudos for not backing down and persevering as a formidable competitor.

January 6, 2011
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

January 4, 2011
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Let’s chalk up another one for mcommerce! Switzerland based LeShop, an online food platform and home delivery service for Migros, has reported $161.3 million in turnover for 2010 and accredits their mobile app as a major contributing factor. LeShop sells an entire range of over 12,000 products online from food to home products and has been making strong inroads since its growth took off in 2004.

2010 was a good year for LeShop as they have reported 38,100 households ordered from its online service for the first time. Sales for LeShop have also increased 15 percent from 2009 and the store’s iPhone app accounted for 5 percent for December sales. Particularly popular among shoppers accessing LeShop’s mobile app is fresh produce, with 25 of the 30 most frequently purchased items coming from the refrigerated section.

“In our first ten years of business we reduced the complexity of supermarket shopping to the stage where it fits on a computer screen. Simplifying it to fit on a mobile phone display was another very important step. People can now save time by doing their weekly shopping at any time and wherever they are – on their way to work, for example” said Christian Wanner, Co-founder and CEO of LeShop.

The mobile app has proved to play a significant role in LeShop’s growth strategy. The app was designed to make LeShop products accessible anytime and anyplace. With an offline mode, the LeShop app does not require a permanent Internet connection, making it easier for users to shop while on the train, tram or bus. Users can get instant updates of products once connected again to the Internet. Now, one in 20 LeShop orders are placed through mobile phones.

With their record turnover, LeShop has now become the world’s second largest online supermarket and is a key contributor to Migros’ core business. LeShop continues to grow with an estimated 50,000 households (which corresponds to the population of a large Swiss city) making online orders from them per month. The UK has a pretty big competitor coming out of  Switzerland, as LeShop has already completed a major expansion of their delivery services, the company plans to take full advantage of the demand for their products in 2011.

December 25, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Christmas Day is traditionally a day that marks the end of excessive seasonal spending, where the doors of retail stores are closed, and families are sitting around the tree opening gifts. However with this year’s boom in online shopping, the 2010 holiday is expected to be less than traditional. According to an analysis from the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG), they predict UK online sales will surge to their highest level on Christmas Day. IMRG estimates 4.8 million Britons will take to the Internet and spend approximately £150 million (US$232 million) with an additional £300 million expected on Boxing Day, Dec. 26. Britons are looking to beat the increase in VAT (Value Added Tax) on sales, jumping from 17.5 percent to 20 percent, when it comes into effect in January. The estimate is backed by Visa Europe, which expects 960,000 transactions worth £36 million will be made on Visa cards on Christmas Day. IMRG managing director David Smith explains:

“Christmas Day has become a busy online shopping day in recent years, as people with an eye for value look to take advantage of the 24/7 nature of online retail” and with the recent disruption by severe weather and snow conditions, IMRG is confident shoppers will look to the convenience of ecommerce sites.

The major growth in online sales can be attributed to a number of key factors. The first can be associated to the heavy snowfall and weather conditions keeping consumers locked indoors. Winter sale bargains have already begun on Christmas Eve and will continue with promotions on various ecommerce sites leading up to the New Year. While the rise in the VAT is looming over consumers, the struggling economy is clearly affecting consumer behavior. People will be scouring the Internet to find bargains and grab discounted big ticket items before the year is over. IMRG forecasts that sales of furniture, electronics, and major home products will get a major boost in spending levels. It is also expected that with the popularity of tablets and eReaders like the Apple iPad and Amazon’s Kindle as presents this year, people will immediately jump online to buy apps, games, or films to compliment their new gadgets. U.K. Internet spending may becoming part of a new Christmas tradition, at least for this holiday, families may be spending their time huddled around a computer rather than a tree.

December 24, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Every year it seems like people are buying their Halloween costumes in August, tossing the turkey in the oven in October, and setting up their Christmas lights before the cranberries have a chance to even ferment. Now Boxing Day, a day of shopping reserved for the day after Christmas, will join the ranks of premature celebration for many retailers this season.

The Boxing Day extravaganza will come early this year in an attempt to pull in some extra revenue after one of the worst holiday shopping years in decades. Major retailers will begin their Boxing Day sales online as early as Christmas Eve.

Because retailers are opening up sales so early, Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) predicts that around $236 million will be spent on December 25, with nearly 4.8 million people looking to make their purchases online. In addition, IMRG also predicts that when Boxing Day does come around online sales will reach in excess of $460 million.

Compared to this time last year, online sales have actually increased by 22.5 percent, according to the organization. Managing director of IMRG, David Smith explains that the increase in online shopping has a lot to do with people looking for value and attempting to take advantage of the “24/7 nature of online retail.”

Boxing Day may not sound very familiar to most people reading this, that’s because it’s not an official holiday celebrated by the U.S. (more commonly celebrated by Austrailia, Canada, the UK, and many other European countries). It is however, very close to the American ‘Black Friday’ celebration in terms of bargain shopping: Many retailers will post sales of their merchandise for upwards of 75 percent off in attempts to turn a profit and make room for next year’s new products; crowds of shoppers rise at 3 in the morning to take advantage of the ridiculous savings; lots of pushing, shoving, biting and derogatory insults ensue; the holiday ends and everything is right with the world once again.

Since more and more retailers and shoppers will be using the world wide web though, Boxing Day can be more comparable to our Cyber Monday. Much greener, much easier, and much safer.

December 16, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Remember the first time you fell in love with another country, the new sites, languages, smells, and the culture brought on so many adventures and lasting memories. Maybe you bought a trinket from the airport, or took a picture in front of a historic landmark to remember your experience but every time you look at that memento, it transports you back to that place.

Paris-based ecommerce startup, SMALLable was founded in 2008 as a children’s design and fashion online store that allows shoppers to take original pieces from around the world back home with them invoking a nostalgic sensation of another time and another place. SMALLable offers more than 2000 products and 90 brands of clothing, furniture, and toys that are unique for children 0 to 10 years old and are not outrageously expensive. Blending vintage designs and new trends, it’s like exploring a little Parisian dreamland of clothing and furniture that goes beyond the average children’s merchandise.

Tapping into the 0 to 12 years old ecommerce oriented market, newly emerging in France, SMALLable has recently announced a €2 milion ($2.6 million) investment from French VC firm, Alven Capital. The investment comes at a great time as SMALLable recently forecasted a revenue of €4 million ($5.3 million) in 2011 and expects an in-house growth from 8 employees to 15. In addition, the SMALLable team expects to further expand their international reach. Currently, about 50% of the company’s turnover comes from abroad — mainly English speaking countries (the UK, US, Australia…) but also Italy, Spain and some Asian countries as well.

The investment will also assist in continuing the development of the SMALLable product line. Shoppers will not find loud colors or crazy cartoon characters splattered across the front of t-shirts but rather a fresh take on classic and timeless pieces that are not found in just any store as some of their products are only available through the SMALLable site. Offering an array of original products from both French and foreign designers, SMALLable is the type of store where kids will find that designer rag doll or eco-friendly accessory they’ll treasure for years. Falling in love with SMALLable pieces is easy, especially around this time of year when the clock counts down the last days till Christmas and parents are scrambling to gift something unique for their children. Sure there are plenty of other sites and stores offering children’s products but finding that one of a kind piece creates a lasting memory. Spark that sensation of travel and adventure, finding a gift that brings the flair of culture and fashion from another country may be the ultimate present for children this year.

December 10, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Amit Sharma, 34, a man saturated with wealth- a fleet of fancy cars, large elegant homes, a winning smile, father of two, his life looks like a page out of Forbes’ finest. Simply picturesque, this could possibly be the lavish life of a celebrity, maybe an investment banker, or pro sports player, but don’t be fooled by the shiny, pretty objects, Sharma will be spending the next 21 months of his life behind bars.

Yes, this was his life. However, his riches didn’t come from hard work but rather by building a criminal empire on scamming unsuspecting buyers off eBay. Sharma made over £1 million ($1,573,300 US) in less than four years selling counterfeit designer clothes. He would ship in huge quantities of fake goods with designer labels (Diesel, Abercrombie & Fitch) from China, and pass them off as the real deal. Some of the garments which would cost about £235 if genuine, sold for as little as £40.

His scam started to unravel when a courier dropping off one of Sharma’s shipments to his five-bedroom home in Sale, Greater Manchester, became suspicious of the package’s contents. The courier had alerted trading standards (who had already received a series of complaints about the trader) led officers to raid Sharma’s home with police in 2007. Upon entering the property, police saw Sharma was not modest about his wealth. Flaunting  a row of expensive cars behind his electric gates, his collection included a £120,000 Lamborghini Murcielago, a Cadillac Escalade, a Mercedes S55, and a Volvo. Sharma also owned a Mercedes S320, a BMW X5, a BMW 540i and a Land Rover, as well as a Ford Transit van. Officers seized the suspicious package which was supposed to contain metal poles but found it full of fake Diesel jeans. They also took in his computers from the property and began an investigation into the eBay racket.

On top of having a large collection of cars and great wealth, Sharma also had a big set on him. He claimed he could prove the clothing had come from reputable manufacturers in the US but was never able to prove his claim. During two interviews spanning almost two hours, Sharma refused to answer direct questions but instead read out a prepared statement declaring he was a legitimate businessman, with an education from a university in Arizona. The Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester did not buy it, he was sentenced to to prison for 21 months after pleading guilty to five offenses under the Trademarks Act 1994. On top of the jail sentence, the judge imposed a £3,118 confiscation order on Sharma. If he fails to pay, he faces an extra 50 days in prison. Witnesses saw the father of two, sob as he was taken away to prison.

It’s hard to muster any sympathy for a man who made his money by ripping people off and taking their cash under false pretenses. While we may be celebrating a bit of justice done, there are plenty of other fraudsters out there. The Serious and Organised Crime Agency says British criminals make around £1.3billion a year from selling counterfeit goods. The counterfeiting industry is a serious problem and continues to grow, it costs $300 billion in the US annually and $500 billion worldwide.

After the Sharma case, John Reilly, of Trafford Council, said: “The loss of his liberty shows the seriousness of his crime and our determination to act against those who trade in illegal goods.”

November 16, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Everybody is Kung-Fu fighting now with the launch of urban clothing line Drunknmunky’s first webstore. Based out of the UK, Drunknmunky gets its name from an ancient Kung-Fu fighting style practiced by Shaolin monks. Mastering the Drunknmunky technique shows control and strength of the mind and body. By marrying this ideology with the underground music scene, the Drunknmunky lifestyle and culture have emerged into a line of urban streetwear products for men and women 16-25 years old. From hoodies, hats, tees, and sneakers, ranging from anywhere between £20-£60 Drunknmunky wear can make anyone walk just a little taller. Think East meets West but on the urban streets of London, the brand simply oozes a fresh sense of cool.

Originally limited to only retail distribution, Drunknmunky has now evolved into an online brand.

“We recognize that our customer base is choosing to shop more online. This launch sees us increasing our online business, digital presence and international reach, a key objective for us this year” says Dave Shanks, managing director at Drunknmunky.

The ecommerce site, designed and powered by creative digitial marketing agency Strange, has properly captured the Drunknmunky culture in the store’s digital interface. Strange takes the style and ideologies of the brand and fully mimics integrates it into the store’s navigation and design. Other features include a news feed, competitions, and a social sharing function to continue brand growth. Drunknmunky can accredit much of the webstore’s early success to Strange’s prelaunch campaign. The campaign heavily involved building a solid customer database and brand awareness. By the time the site went live, they already had a strong online presence. Now with a live ecommerce store, Strange’s focus will include a paid search campaign to drive site visitors as well as a social media strategy to maximize sales just in time for this year’s holiday shopping.