In today’s top retail news, consumers spent billions at eCommerce merchants during this year’s Singles’ Day event, while Dollar General is partnering with DoorDash to offer on-demand delivery. Also, JD.com is looking to expand beyond the Chinese market, and a Cybersource executive talks to PYMNTS about linking digital capabilities to the in-store experience.
Global Singles’ Day Spending Puts Prime Day to Shame
Singles’ Day, which started in the 1990s in China as an anti-Valentine’s Day, remains the world’s largest shopping day of the year. While regulatory scrutiny muted some of the Singles’ Day celebration, consumers still came out in droves to buy from eCommerce merchants.
Alibaba said that nearly 400 brands have each seen more than $15 million in sales during the Singles’ Day event this year, while rival JD.com said it has raked in at least $49 billion in sales.
Dollar General, DoorDash Team Up for Same-Day Delivery
Dollar General and DoorDash are teaming up for on-demand delivery of household essentials, including food, snacks and cleaning supplies, the latest in a series of recent expansions for DoorDash.
On-demand delivery is available through DoorDash at more than 9,000 Dollar General stores, with plans to expand the offering to more than 10,000 outposts by December.
JD.com Eyeing International Expansion Beyond China
Chinese eCommerce giant JD.com is looking beyond its borders in its efforts to add more international customers, a top executive told CNBC, a move that some believe could help the company take a sliver of market share from retail behemoth Amazon in some areas.
JD is specially exploring expansions into Vietnam and Europe, according to Xin Lijun, the new chief executive of its retail business.
Retailers Need to Wear ‘Digital-First Hat’ to Optimize Physical Store Experience
Gone are the days when eCommerce could be totally siloed from the store or an omnichannel strategy could be led by brick and mortar, according to Ben Laluc, vice president of digital commerce solutions at Cybersource. Instead, retailers now need to put on a “digital-first hat, even for things that need to happen in the store.”
A lot of merchants are still experimenting with how best to create a digital experience in the physical environment, which Laluc noted is very dependent on each merchant’s environment.
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