2022 was certainly one for the books. We helped you navigate e-commerce roadblocks like inflation and excess inventory while showcasing big wins from brands and retailers in the industry. We also announced the ChannelAdvisor acquisition and what it means for our employees, customers and partners.  

Every year, we provide a list of our most-consumed blogs, webinars and resources. This year’s top 10 topics reveal readers had their sights set on winning in marketplaces, monitoring consumers’ changing behavior and improving their Amazon content. 

Join us as we take a look back at some of our most popular e-commerce resources from 2022.

10. [eBook] Getting Started With Amazon A+ Content 

This quick-start guide features ideas and inspiration for creating Amazon A+ Content, a premium feature of the marketplace that allows sellers to optimize their product descriptions with rich text, videos and images. New to A+ Content? Start with this guide.

9. [Webinar] Full-Funnel Commerce: How to Build an Online Strategy for the Entire Consumer Journey

Shoppers who are new to your brand are looking for different interactions than your long-time customers. In this webinar, Rithum Senior Product Marketing Manager Greg Ives and Product Marketing Manager Bradley Hearn explain which touchpoints and stages are key along consumers’ path to purchase. 

8. [Blog] The 3 Phases of a Winning Marketplace Strategy for Brands

Winning on leading marketplaces requires three things: successful launch, strategy and defense. In this recap of our eBook of the same name, we explain how to accomplish each critical phase.

7. [Blog] 3 Digital Marketing Success Stories You Have to See

How does an 85% increase in quarterly revenue sound? Or a 20% increase in return on ad spend (ROAS)? Get the full story of how Rithum customers AJ Tack, The Golf Club and The Candleberry Company use the platform to achieve phenomenal results (and you can too).

6. [Report] [Digital Commerce 360] 2023 Leading Vendors to the Top 1000 Retailers

In 2022, Digital Commerce 360 named Rithum the #1 channel management provider to the Top 1000 Retailers for the 11th consecutive year in a row. The annual report is packed with trends in e-commerce investments and the top leaders across 24 e-commerce categories, including fulfillment services, affiliate marketing and personalization.

5. [Blog] How Online Retailers Can Eliminate Excess Inventory

Global trends made excess inventory a hot issue among sellers this past year, and unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. In this blog, Product Marketing Manager Bradley Hearn provides 20 tips for addressing and preventing overstock. 

4. [Blog] Selling on Amazon — The 1P vs 3P Dilemma

Amazon offers both first-party (1P) and third-party (3P) seller relationships — but which one is better? It turns out there are a number of pros and cons to each arrangement. Learn them all in this deep-dive blog. 

3. [Blog] Rithum Enters into Definitive Agreement to be Acquired by Rithum

In September, ChannelAdvisor announced via press release that it had signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by CommerceHub, a leading commerce network connecting supply, demand and delivery for the world’s leading retailers and brands. The recap blog highlights how customers and partners will benefit from this exciting new chapter.

2. [Report] 2022 Online Consumer Behavior Global Report

How did consumers shop in 2022? Our highly anticipated annual consumer survey report revealed key findings around marketplace popularity, the continued importance of retail media and current consumer trends in discovering, browsing and purchasing products. 

1. [Webinar] 2022 E-Commerce Wrap-Up: Key Trends to Look for in 2023

Our top resource of 2022 provides a recap of the year and a look ahead at the key strategies sellers will need to tackle the trends and opportunities coming in 2023. Presented by VP of Digital Marketing Strategy Link Walls, the webinar features must-know charts, predictions and tips for thriving in the midst of economic uncertainty.

Never miss another Rithum blog or resource again, and subscribe to our blog for regular expert-led and guest contributor insights to stay current on everything e-commerce.

The post Year in Review: Our Most Popular Resources of 2022 appeared first on Rithum.

Online marketplaces and cross-site price comparisons have made e-commerce more competitive than ever. How can you keep things fair among sellers while maintaining your brand integrity? 

Price floors and recommended resale values are key to leveling the playing field, but they can be difficult to implement when they involve so many subtle nuances. 

What Is a MAP Pricing Policy?

MAP stands for “minimum advertised price.” It is a policy a brand or manufacturer imposes on its sellers not to advertise a product below a certain threshold. 

For example, if a jeans manufacturer sets a MAP of $48.99, neither brick-and-mortar boutiques nor online marketplaces can advertise prices below that mark. 

Technically, distributors can still sell below the price, they just cannot publicly advertise below the set value. For example, a vendor who sells below MAP over the phone or behind a members-only website is still within the confines of the policy. 

How is MAP different from the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP)? MSRP is the price the manufacturer recommends selling a product at, while MAP is the lowest possible advertised price. Retailers don’t have to choose the MSRP (it’s more of a starting price), but the amount helps standardize prices across sellers.

It’s important to note that MAP policies primarily only apply in the US and Canada. In most cases, MAP pricing is illegal in other countries like the UK, where it is seen as a type of price fixing. 

What Are the Benefits of a MAP Pricing Policy?

MAP policies are important because they protect multiple parties, including brands, retailers and consumers. In fact, they benefit the entire market because they:

• Keep competition alive. MAP policies were primarily enacted to maintain fairness among distributors. By setting a minimum advertised price, brands prevent Seller A from undercutting Seller B and winning all the sales. Not only does this benefit a brand’s relationships with multiple sellers, but it fuels the free market with healthy competition instead of creating monopolies.   
• Protect profit margins. The prevalence of automated repricers has made it easy for sellers to stay in close competition with other retailers. Without a MAP policy in place, sellers are forced to follow suit with vendors who continually slash prices, resulting in a “race to the bottom” that erodes margins for everyone. 
• Maintain brand integrity. MAP policies are especially beneficial for luxury brands or manufacturers with high-ticket items. If a distributor sells a product significantly below the suggested price, customers will begin to see the item (and subsequently the brand) as less valuable. 
• Limit customer complaints. Consistent pricing also limits customer inquiries and complaints about finding cheaper prices elsewhere. MAP pricing keeps things fair among brands, retailers and consumers. 
• Increase sales channels. When competition is healthy, it encourages more sellers in various channels, whether offline or online. It also gives smaller resellers a chance to compete with major retailers. 

What Happens if a Seller Breaks MAP Policy?

MAPs are manufacturer policies, not contractual agreements with sellers, meaning they aren’t enforceable by law. In fact, manufacturers who require distributors to sign a MAP agreement are in violation of US antitrust law. This is according to the Colgate ruling, which stated that manufacturers may set pricing policies as long as sellers remain independent parties that are free to abide by them or not (while risking partnership termination from the brand). 

Each manufacturer may set its own policy in terms of dealing with MAP violators. Some companies may provide the distributor with a warning, while others choose to immediately terminate the relationship. In turn, resellers must determine if selling below MAP is worth the risk of never working with the brand going forward. It is in the best interest of sellers who want to maintain strong manufacturer relationships to adhere to MAP policies.

Why would a distributor even want to sell below MAP or market value? 

• To move inventory. Retailers who are eager to offload old inventory may be willing to take a loss just to make room for new products that will sell quicker. This is why it’s important for brands to reassess their MAP values from time to time, especially after releasing new generations of products that automatically lower the value of older versions.
• To win the buy box. Price-conscious shoppers will always choose the best deal. Sellers who price below MAP opt to lower their individual product revenue instead of withstanding slow or no sales at all. 
• To gain positive reviews. Some sellers price low to keep customers happy and boost ratings for their shop that will remain long after parting ways with the manufacturer. 

How Can You Set a MAP Pricing Policy?

Plenty of MAP pricing policy templates can help you draft your own, but we recommend working with your legal and compliance team or an e-commerce expert to tailor your approach and devise a plan that works for you and your reseller network. As you create your own MAP pricing policy, remember:

• Draft a unilateral policy, not a two-way agreement. Pricing contracts put manufacturers at risk of violating antitrust laws. For this reason, you’ll want to work with experts that can position your MAP as a one-way policy, not a contract that sellers are federally obligated to follow. 
• Don’t consult retailers. Write your policy independent from retailers or other selling partners so the price you set is free from perceived favoritism or price fixing.
• Include exceptions that make sense for your resellers. Consider offering specific situations and seasons where sellers can “break” the MAP policy to incite buzz and increased sales. This may include peak shopping times like Cyber 5 or other holidays that increase demand for your products. 
• Communicate clearly. Make sure your sellers understand exactly what they’re getting into when they partner with you. Opt for plain language instead of legal jargon unless necessary, and provide other resources like videos, checklists and examples to drive home the point. 

You’ll also want to devise a plan for dealing with noncompliant vendors. Will they receive a warning? Will you send written communication? Or immediately terminate? Remember to make it clear that by law, sellers are free to sell and advertise any price they want — but you also have the freedom to cut ties. 

Set the Right Price with Rithum

Pricing your products is hard enough without worrying about minimum advertised amounts and seller behavior. But it’s absolutely necessary in a world of increasing channels and marketplace competition. 

Rithum’s experts can guide you through the process, acting as an extension of your team to devise a pricing strategy, implement automated repricers and make the biggest impact on your profit margin. Rithum Managed Services draws on years of e-commerce experience to execute the best repricing options to accomplish your goals and continually monitor performance as circumstances change. 

Contact us today to learn how Rithum Managed Services takes the stress out of creating an ironclad pricing strategy. 

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Hate leftovers? Even brands with the hottest products are bound to experience surplus inventory every once in a while. 

Perhaps your forecasting is off or you ordered too much supply. Whether you have a solid inventory management strategy or not, there are plenty of profitable ways to recoup your investment. 

8 Ways to Get Rid of Excess Inventory

At Rithum, we’ve seen sellers come up with some remarkably inventive ways to squeeze as much value as possible out of each and every SKU — even when making way for new inventory. Need better ideas than the tried and true BOGO? Try these tips next time you’re looking to free up warehouse space:

Step Up Paid Search

Perhaps you already employed a basic advertising strategy to sell excess inventory. But with so many advanced advertising opportunities for reaching consumers on dominant channels like Google, Amazon and Facebook, digital marketing is still a strong option for locating new, purchase-ready consumers.

You may have to get a little aggressive with your paid search campaigns, particularly after peak seasons. The trick is finding the right keywords based on current trends and traffic. Think like a shopper by bidding on terms like “holiday clearance.” Or, select long-tail key phrases that correspond to your stock since they tend to cost less and convert more.

Expand Marketplace Reach

Are you sure you’re marketing in the right place? Different marketplaces meet different shopper needs. Consider all your buying personas and the corresponding niche marketplaces that could help you reach new audiences. 

Case in point: eBay. This popular marketplace has changed a lot in recent years, and now offers tons of incentives through its Promotions Manager to help sellers advertise and liquidate goods. It’s also a great place to bundle offers that go well together, particularly in the wake of peak seasons when you may be looking for ways to make the most of holiday returns. 

Pro tip: Don’t forget to sync your inventory across channels. 

Focus on Fulfillment

Today, 42% of shoppers expect a two-day shipping option for every online purchase — not just those on Amazon. Could lengthy shipping times and high costs be to blame for poor sales volume? 

Sometimes, it’s just how you position shipping that affects a buyer’s decision. Whether you lower your threshold for free deliveries or use data to guide your pricing strategies, shifting the focus to fulfillment may be all you need in some instances to start seeing a pickup in sales.

If that sounds too overwhelming, it may be time to consider third-party logistics. Working with a 3PL provider can put important details in the hands of experts who specialize in various aspects of order and inventory management.

Try Automated Repricing

You want to stay competitive with other sellers — but who has time to manually monitor price variations across hundreds of listings? Automated repricing tools automatically adjust your prices to remain competitive and align with your goals. Choose from: 

• A marketplace repricer, which uses algorithmic* pricing technology to help you win the Buy Box or Best Offer position at the highest possible price
• A velocity repricer, where prices are adjusted automatically based on your goals — whether you want to extract more margin on fast-selling products or lower prices when sales are slow

*An algorithmic strategy focuses on winning the sale for your listings at the highest possible price, whereas a rule-based strategy sets a price relative to your competition. 

Bundle Items

Sell complementary items as a bundle or try a kitting technique like “buy 1, get 1 free” to move more product and increase average order value. This not only helps you get rid of excess inventory, but provides a more convenient shopping experience for customers. 

Product variations can also be part of bundled listings. Group individual products and keep your quantities in sync across bundles, individual SKUs and channels. 

Get Social

Boost visibility by promoting deals and new bundles on all your social media channels, especially Instagram and TikTok. According to our 2022 Online Consumer Behavior survey, 55% of 18- to 25-year-old US shoppers have discovered products they’ve purchased on social media in the past 12 months.  

Further, Shoppable Media makes your social media campaigns actionable when consumers are most engaged. Website and campaign widgets allow you to guide eager shoppers to where they can buy your products online or locally.

Promote Daily Deals

Bring added attention to products you have in excess with daily deals that showcase their features and/or offer a discount. Then, promote the deals across all your channels, from email to social to web. This not only boosts sales, but keeps audiences engaged in your daily content, building relationships for the long-term and future promotions.

Retarget Customers From Similar Products

Retargeting is especially important in the age of multiple devices. Appeal to audiences who purchase or shop for complementary products in one channel (e.g., mobile) with ads that showcase your excess inventory in others (e.g., Instagram). The more they see your ad across channels, the more they’ll be reminded to purchase. You can also target older customers who haven’t purchased in awhile as a way to reengage them today and for future promotions. 

Effective Inventory Management is Possible

Inventory management is one of the most complex parts of e-commerce. That’s why we’ve carefully designed product data and inventory management tools to help you plan ahead, strategize and make the biggest return on your investments as possible. When you can visualize your inventory across all active channels, you can better prevent underselling (or overselling) scenarios.

Surplus inventory too overwhelming? Let our Rithum Managed Services experts guide you toward equilibrium again. Contact us today to learn how we help brands and retailers automate inventory management and offload excess stock. 

Looking for specific ways to eliminate inventory as a retailer? We’ve created strategies tailored just for you here.

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Editor’s note: This blog post was originally published in September 2019 and was updated in October 2022 for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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