15 articles

The Smartphone Is Changing Retailing for Good

Nearly half of mobile users are using smartphones or tablets to make online purchases. Is your retail company ready for the small screen?
Bala Ganesh | UPS

Pocket-sized communication devices seem to be taking over our lives — and exercising our thumbs — more than many retailers realize. “The smartphone revolution is under-hyped…more people have access to phones than access to running water,” says Marc Andreessen, entrepreneur, investor and cofounder of Netscape. In terms of time spent, mobile (i.e. smartphone and tablet) […]

June 8, 2016

The Power of Visuals in E-Commerce

Visuals stimulate, inspire, motivate and speak volumes to customers — without saying a word.
Bala Ganesh | UPS

An ad in the March 10, 1927 issue of the trade journal Printers Ink — promoting the use of images in advertisements on the side of streetcars — used the phrase “One Picture Worth Ten Thousand Words,” and labelled it a Chinese proverb. The writer, Fred W. Barnard, is quoted as saying he “called it […]

December 6, 2015

5 Ways to Battle Retail Goliaths

Ahead of the retail season, here’s how to fight above your weight class.
Bala Ganesh | UPS

All the media attention paid to Amazon, Walmart and other retail giants might make smaller retailers think they don’t stand much of a chance online. That may be part of the reason why roughly only 40 percent of all U.S. retailers report having websites, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. While it’s true that the […]

September 22, 2015

Turning Browsers to Buyers

Using the power of "free" to drive online sales and build loyalty.
Bala Ganesh | UPS

In his book Predictably Irrational, behavioral economist Dan Ariely devotes an entire chapter to the subject of “free,” titled: “The cost of zero cost: Why we often pay too much when we pay nothing.” He makes the point that consumers are often irrational about making decisions when they see the word “free.” “Free gives us […]

August 6, 2015

A Greener Blueprint For City Delivery

We need a new model of logistics to ensure those city dwellers get what they want, when they want it – and in a sustainable fashion.
Bala Ganesh | UPS

By 2050, two-thirds of all people will live in a city. This means roads will get even more congested. Air quality in those urban areas will likely worsen. And the demand for goods in megacities will further test already strained transportation networks. In some bigger cities, such problems have already surfaced. There are restrictions on […]

August 3, 2015