S-Commerce: Fad or Future?
You may have heard the phrase S-commerce, but in this case, I’m not referring to social commerce. I’m just making up my own word for what some are calling “lazy boxes” or “subcom”–subscription commerce. This is the option to sign up for regular delivery of something (monthly, for instance) and have products show up at your door, no further work required. Amazon has been offering this for a while. Companies specializing in the service include BirchBox, Blissmobox, Shoedazzle, and Manpacks. While all these startups are gaining their foothold, none can match the success of Amazon, according to Sean Percival, former VP of Myspace. If you are interested in a pretty infographic of the concept, visit blog.kissmetrics.com. Do you think these monthly box subscriptions will have the 15-minute fame of Los del Rio (the Macarena) or become a business staple with the longevity of the Rolling Stones?
Read Percival’s commentary at seanpercival.com.
M-Commerce=Future
There’s no more question on this one. Consumers are using and will continue to use their phones for browsing the web and shopping until we invent some sort of direct brain-to-Internet chip and no longer need them. To that end, Dann Wilson, on Get Elastic, spells out a few key points from Internet Retailer‘s Mobile Commerce Forum for those of us who are interested but were not present. Wilson addresses the convergence of mobile phones and physical stores; essentially, it is the ROPO effect with a mobile aftertaste. Also, apps and mobile sites are not the same, and consumers do not expect your site to be as engaging as an app (read: consumers expect apps to be more engaging than your site).
Read all ten highlights at getelastic.com.
