Expert Advice for Holiday Season Preparations from Rakuten
In this third part of our holiday season advice from some of the world’s leading marketplaces, we speak with Gende Elbeg, Manager Cross-Border Trade & High Tech Department at Rakuten France.
Rakuten.com, that has a major presence in Austria, Canada, Spain, France, England, Asia…pretty much the entire world.
So, sit back for a few minutes, have your coffee in hand and have a quick read of what Rakuten recommends for your store preparation this holiday season. If you’ve got a little longer and want more suggestions, check out our previous advice from Joom.com and Allegro.com for their holiday season advice.
What is the #1 piece of advice you would give eSellers to help get their stores ready and maximize their sales this year?
It’s important for sellers to keep in mind that Black Friday and Christmas is a marathon, not a sprint. With this in mind, sellers should really start preparing and sourcing potential products now.
Also, to be sure of stocking the right products, ones which are trending and in demand, Sellers should communicate and strategize well in advance with their marketplace account manager. At Rakuten, each seller is provided with their own e-commerce consultant when they first register for an account. These consultants are an important part of the selling process as they can help you build a concrete plan. So, communication well in advance of peak shopping seasons is vital.
What trends are you currently seeing among eSellers on Rakuten?
We’re seeing that more sellers are stocking their products in the EU in order to increase their service quality by improving delivery times and efficiency. By doing so, it will also allow sellers to benefit from a longer shopping season, right up until the day before Xmas even.
Are there any special features you’d like our eSellers to know about that would improve their success this holiday season?
Rakuten is launching its own logistics service by partnering with leading logistics companies in France. Sellers who can deliver faster will definitely benefit from this in the upcoming holiday shopping season. While it’s true that in past year, due to pandemic, many people shifted to online shopping and delivery was challenging today buyers expect much faster service regardless of the challenges. Our new logistics service will thus help provide foreign sellers with an express delivery option that aims to satisfy their customers’ demands and improve their revenues.
– Gende Elbeg, Manager Cross-Border Trade & High Tech Department, Rakuten France
Stay tuned for more great advice from our next marketplace, Shoppee.com.
Until then, wishing you a productive planning period and a terrific holiday sales season!
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