Cart.com’s blog, thought leadership and other content grew exponentially this year – and we hope you’ve enjoyed reading and engaging with it. This year has been eventful, to say the least. We’ve continued growing and making changes, experienced another incredible peak season and brought in more new brands. We kicked off the year by adding our well-read Commerce Chronicles, which cover the latest fulfillment and retail news. We’ve added webinars, launched an annual CartCon event, consistently covered fascinating and in-demand topics and continued exploring industry innovations. As we wrap up the year, we looked at what you – our readers – found most valuable and inspiring. Here are the best and most popular blogs of 2024!
Understanding Section 301 as it pertains to apparel and textiles
In response to the rapidly evolving trade environment, including the Trump administration's potential tariffs and the 321 de minimis loophole rule changes, we've hosted two webinars to help brands navigate potential challenges and have a third scheduled for January. One topic of particular interest is Section 301.
The Section 301 tariffs, introduced by the Trump administration in 2018, imposed up to 25% levies on Chinese imports, significantly impacting U.S. apparel brands. These tariffs increased production costs, forcing brands to either absorb the expenses, raise consumer prices or relocate production to countries like Vietnam and Bangladesh. Larger brands with diversified supply chains adapted more easily, while smaller brands faced financial strain due to their reliance on Chinese manufacturing. The Biden administration has maintained these tariffs and introduced additional increases in 2024, although textiles and apparel were not directly affected. However, looming changes to the 321 de minimis rule could close loopholes some ecommerce platforms use to avoid tariffs.
Brand interactions: A deep dive into the influence of Gen Z, Millennials and Zillennials
As younger generations gain buying power, they’re reshaping the retail landscape with unique preferences and behaviors. Millennials, Gen Z and Zillennials differ significantly from Baby Boomers and Gen X, who grew up with malls, catalogs and traditional advertising. These younger cohorts, shaped by digital technology, prioritize seamless online and offline experiences, authenticity and social responsibility. For Gen Z, digital fluency is a hallmark, and they value brands that emphasize sustainability and personalized engagement. Meanwhile, Millennials focus on convenience and socially conscious brands, favoring authenticity over loyalty. Zillennials, bridging the two groups, embody hybrid preferences, blending short-form content with a love for personalized and ethical brands.
Retailers must adapt by creating targeted strategies that address the unique traits of each generation. Tailored marketing, omnichannel fulfillment and transparency in communication are key to building trust and loyalty. Offering seamless post-purchase experiences with real-time updates and hassle-free returns is crucial for maintaining satisfaction. By understanding the generational nuances of these tech-savvy and values-driven consumers, brands can foster deeper connections and remain competitive in a dynamic retail environment.
Best practices for elevating your growth marketing strategy
Originally published in 2022, this long-time favorite was updated and re-posted in 2024 much to reader’s delight. It hit the right notes – yet again – remaining popular amongst readers. It’s the tale of how businesses often admire the meteoric rise of giants like Amazon and Microsoft, but their success wasn’t magical – it was fueled by well-crafted growth marketing strategies. Growth marketing, often called "marketing 2.0," blends traditional and digital techniques like content marketing, SEO, A/B testing and user experience analysis into a comprehensive, data-driven approach. For businesses looking to scale quickly, adopting growth marketing strategies is essential to reduce customer acquisition costs, boost retention and improve ROI across the entire sales funnel.
To enhance your growth marketing efforts, start by outsourcing to dedicated teams for expert execution and ongoing optimization. Understand the customer journey to identify gaps and reduce acquisition costs while improving retention. Use data to monitor metrics like lifetime value (LTV) and customer retention rates, ensuring strategies remain effective and agile. Develop a robust content marketing initiative tailored to customer preferences across platforms and maintain engagement throughout the entire funnel with cross-channel marketing. Consistent user engagement and improved customer experience drive loyalty and growth. A full-funnel growth marketing strategy doesn’t just attract customers – it turns them into long-term advocates for your brand.
Enhancing profitability: Cultivating a culture of employee retention in retail and fulfillment
Employee retention is crucial for business success, particularly in industries like retail and fulfillment, where expertise and strong customer relationships directly impact profitability. High employee turnover, with rates of 30-36% in these sectors, poses significant financial and operational challenges. Turnover costs, including recruitment, training, lost productivity and reduced customer satisfaction, can quickly add up. For example, a retail store with 50 employees and a 30% turnover rate could face annual costs exceeding $200,000. Beyond monetary expenses, high turnover disrupts workflows, diminishes morale, erodes institutional knowledge and weakens company culture.
To foster retention, businesses must cultivate a positive work environment through effective leadership, opportunities for employee growth and work-life balance initiatives. Leadership practices that prioritize communication, trust and professional development create a supportive culture. Offering flexible schedules, wellness programs and personalized recognition ensures employees feel valued and balanced. Recognizing achievements and providing opportunities for advancement further enhance morale and engagement. Retaining employees leads to higher productivity, reduced turnover costs, and better customer satisfaction. Studies show that organizations with engaged employees are 21% more profitable, proving that investing in retention not only strengthens teams but also drives sustainable business growth. By focusing on employee satisfaction, businesses build loyalty, stability and long-term success.
How to measure supply chain performance: 7 Tips
Efficient supply chain management is essential for ecommerce success, and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) like on-time delivery, inventory turnover and order accuracy is the best way to optimize performance. Measuring supply chain performance helps businesses identify inefficiencies, reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction by ensuring faster delivery and more accurate order fulfillment. For example, a high on-time delivery rate not only boosts customer loyalty but also reflects well-organized supply chain operations. Additionally, tracking inventory turnover ensures better inventory management, while a high order accuracy rate minimizes returns and operational costs.
To effectively measure and enhance supply chain performance, businesses should define relevant KPIs aligned with their objectives, establish robust data collection mechanisms and regularly analyze performance data. Benchmarking against industry standards and leveraging technology like predictive analytics and real-time visibility tools can drive continuous improvement. Collaboration with cross-functional teams and partnering with a 3PL provider adds further expertise and scalability. By focusing on these strategies, businesses can streamline operations, reduce costs and create a more efficient, customer-focused supply chain.
Monitoring and measuring your Perfect Order Rate
Metrics like the Perfect Order Rate (POR) are critical for ecommerce brands to measure and improve fulfillment performance. POR tracks how well orders are delivered on time, undamaged, with the correct contents, and without errors, directly impacting customer satisfaction and loyalty. Achieving a high POR, ideally 95% or above, requires identifying and addressing supply chain inefficiencies. For example, accurate inventory management, secure packaging and real-time tracking can help minimize errors and enhance the post-purchase experience. Calculating POR involves measuring order errors, such as late deliveries or incorrect contents, and using the data to optimize operations.
While achieving a high POR remains essential, ecommerce brands must redefine perfection to include a holistic approach that balances efficiency with personalization. By focusing on both operational excellence and customer-centric experiences, brands can drive loyalty, build trust and enhance profitability.
The rise of retail media networks: A new frontier of advertising
Retail media networks are transforming advertising, offering brands a powerful, data-driven platform to connect with high-intent shoppers. These networks, operated by retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target, use first-party shopper data to deliver targeted ads, from sponsored listings to display ads, directly within online stores. This approach enables advertisers to reach customers at various stages of their purchasing journey, driving better engagement and ROI while providing retailers with an additional revenue stream. As digital advertising evolves, retail media networks are becoming a pivotal channel, driven by declining traditional TV viewership and the shift away from third-party cookies.
Global retail media revenue reached $101 billion in 2022, with projections of 60% growth by 2027. However, advertisers must navigate challenges such as ad saturation, data privacy concerns and complex attribution. To succeed, brands should focus on audience segmentation, creative ad development, strategic ad placement and performance monitoring while maintaining data compliance. Retail media networks are reshaping digital advertising, offering unparalleled targeting precision and the opportunity to unlock untapped revenue streams in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Why packaging matters: Achieving cost-effectiveness and a stellar customer experience
Packaging is a critical component of ecommerce order fulfillment, shaping both the customer experience and business outcomes. In addition to protecting products during transit, packaging influences brand perception, enhances customer satisfaction and impacts operational costs. Thoughtfully designed packaging not only ensures damage-free delivery but can also create memorable unboxing experiences, reinforce brand identity and appeal to environmentally conscious consumers with sustainable materials. With 41% of shoppers more likely to repurchase from brands with branded packaging and 27% deterred by unsustainable options, packaging plays a key role in encouraging loyalty and meeting modern customer expectations.
To optimize packaging, ecommerce brands should focus on protection, efficiency and branding. Selecting lightweight, durable materials like cardboard or biodegradable options reduces shipping costs and environmental impact, while branding elements like custom designs, thank-you notes and promotional inserts enhance the customer experience. Customers value sustainable, personalized and visually appealing packaging, making features like eco-friendly materials, interactive elements and loyalty rewards integral to success. By aligning packaging strategies with consumer preferences, businesses can reduce costs, increase customer satisfaction, and strengthen brand loyalty, driving growth in a competitive market.
The cost of reverse logistics and how to reduce it
Reverse logistics, the process of managing returned merchandise, is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of ecommerce. Poorly managed returns can significantly impact a business’s bottom line, increasing operational costs, inventory losses and customer dissatisfaction. Returns drive additional expenses in transportation, labor and storage, while delayed or inefficient processes can damage brand reputation and customer trust. High return rates also amplify carbon emissions, contributing to ecommerce's environmental footprint. To avoid these pitfalls, businesses must prioritize streamlined returns management to reduce costs and enhance customer loyalty.
Investing in returns automation platforms, return-ready packaging and data analysis can transform reverse logistics into an efficient process. Automated solutions simplify the returns experience for customers while reducing the burden on support teams. Encouraging exchanges over refunds retains revenue and fosters ongoing customer relationships. Return-ready packaging, such as resealable pouches, minimizes packaging costs and simplifies the return process. Lastly, analyzing returns data helps identify patterns, such as sizing issues or product defects, enabling businesses to address root causes and reduce future returns. By optimizing reverse logistics, ecommerce brands can lower costs, improve sustainability and boost customer satisfaction.
How customers really feel about automated vs live customer service agents
In an age of instant expectations, balancing efficiency and personalized customer experiences is vital for ecommerce brands. AI and automation have revolutionized customer service, reducing costs and streamlining operations, but they can lack the human touch customers often seek. According to Sergio Martinez, Customer Engagement Director of Cart.com, “It’s all about understanding your customer preferences, and the strengths and limitations of each approach.” For tasks like order tracking or FAQs, automation excels. However, complex or emotionally charged issues still require the empathy and expertise of live agents to build trust and loyalty.
To optimize customer engagement, brands should adopt a hybrid approach. Strategic workflows can assign routine tasks to automation while reserving nuanced problems for live agents. Clear policies, automated notifications, and effective onboarding and training can further enhance the experience. Martinez emphasizes the importance of empowering agents with tools and knowledge, stating, “We spend a lot of time on the onboarding process to ensure success.” By leveraging the strengths of both automation and live agents, brands can deliver exceptional customer service, maintain trust and drive long-term satisfaction.
How does 3PL fulfillment center storage pricing work?
When inventory outgrows a garage or self-fulfillment becomes unsustainable, many retailers and B2B brands turn to third-party logistics (3PL) providers. 3PLs offer essential services, including sourcing, fulfillment and returns management, with storage fees being a critical cost factor. These fees, which vary by the 3PL’s pricing model, can be calculated based on pallets, shelves, bins, cubic feet, square footage or SKU count. Understanding these structures helps brands make cost-effective choices and adapt as their needs evolve.
Storage fees cover rent, utilities, labor and other overheads, ensuring inventory is well-maintained. Each pricing model has its pros and cons. For example, pallet storage offers cost transparency and scalability but may become expensive with large inventory volumes. Shelf and bin storage optimize vertical and horizontal space respectively but are less suited for bulky items. Cubic foot storage is precise and scalable, though it requires careful planning to avoid unused space costs. By analyzing fee structures, leveraging flexible options and optimizing storage layouts, brands can align 3PL services with their operational needs and achieve greater efficiency and profitability.
Counting the costs: An in-depth look into Amazon seller fees
Selling on Amazon Marketplace provides retail brands with access to a massive customer base and robust logistics capabilities, but its fee structure can significantly affect profitability. With millions of sellers competing and billions of items sold annually, thriving on the platform requires a well-thought-out strategy. Amazon charges various fees, including referral fees ranging from 6% to 45%, subscription fees for Individual or Professional plans and Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) costs like storage, per-unit processing and removal fees. These fees vary based on product size, weight and seasonality, making it essential for sellers to carefully plan and budget.
In addition to core fees, sellers face advertising costs for visibility, such as pay-per-click campaigns, and lesser-known charges like refund processing, high-volume listing fees and currency conversion. Navigating these expenses requires a clear understanding of the platform’s cost structure and proactive financial management. By leveraging tools, optimizing advertising strategies and monitoring inventory levels, brands can maximize profitability and build a strong presence on Amazon Marketplace, unlocking its potential as a lucrative sales channel.
How strategic partners benefit ecommerce brands
Consumers today demand seamless omnichannel experiences, making a cohesive end-to-end journey critical for retail success. However, implementing a true omnichannel strategy often requires significant time, resources and expertise. For many brands, the solution lies in leveraging strategic partnerships to overcome these challenges. Strategic partners provide the scalability, flexibility and specialized knowledge needed to adapt to evolving consumer expectations while allowing brands to focus on their core business operations.
A strategic partner goes beyond a transactional relationship, aligning deeply with a brand’s long-term goals and objectives. In ecommerce, these partnerships enhance capabilities across marketing, sales and fulfillment. Examples include partners who optimize omnichannel marketing strategies, streamline marketplace management or handle order fulfillment and logistics. By integrating innovative solutions and technology, strategic partners enable brands to provide consistent customer experiences while reducing operational burdens. The right partnerships also scale with business needs, ensuring agility and cost-efficiency. When selecting partners, businesses should prioritize tailored solutions, proven expertise and a shared commitment to achieving mutual success. These alliances drive growth and help brands thrive in competitive markets.
6 Ways an order management system can help you overcome key commerce challenges
Commerce challenges like managing inventory across multiple locations, ensuring timely fulfillment and maintaining high customer satisfaction make a modern Order Management System (OMS) essential for retail and 3PL providers. An OMS consolidates operations, streamlines processes and improves the customer experience, addressing six key challenges in commerce:
- Order processing: By unifying orders across multiple sales channels into a single interface, an OMS automates and simplifies workflows, reducing errors and accelerating fulfillment. This creates a more efficient system that enhances customer satisfaction.
- Inventory management: With real-time visibility across channels and locations, an OMS optimizes stock levels, minimizes risks of stockouts or overstocks and improves inventory turnover.
- Fulfillment speed and accuracy: Automating order routing and integrating with fulfillment centers, an OMS ensures timely and accurate deliveries, crucial for maintaining customer loyalty and preventing negative reviews.
- Multi-channel integration: By centralizing orders and inventory across locations, an OMS maintains operational consistency, automates workflows, and synchronizes processes for seamless operations.
- Advanced reporting: Built-in analytics track KPIs, providing insights that improve demand forecasting, inventory planning and overall decision-making for growth.
- Customer service: An OMS enhances the post-purchase experience with real-time tracking, automated notifications and simplified returns, fostering long-term customer relationships.
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Learn more about Constellation OMS
Keep reading in 2025
Stay tuned to our blog and resource center throughout 2025 for the latest industry insights, practical guides, and expert tips to keep your business ahead of the curve. Have a topic or idea you’d like us to cover? Contact us – we’d love to hear from you!
Here’s to making 2025 your most successful year yet!
