News from Bridge
Bridge in the News
Indie Stores to Become More Like 'Indie Mini' Warehouses?
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Future Bridge Spokesperson?
Today's Wall St. Journal shares that Target stores saw a 20% increase in revenue--more than the chain had seen in the last 11 years combined. How did it do it? Target converted many of its physical stores into 'mini-warehouses' where they can ship goods or have customers do curbside pick up.
What does this mean for indie stores? Stores will have to become more efficient in receiving online orders which make up 40% of retail these ...
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Today
Today's Wall St. Journal shares that Target stores saw a 20% increase in revenue--more than the chain had seen in the last 11 years combined. How did it do it? Target converted many of its physical stores into 'mini-warehouses' where they can ship goods or have customers do curbside pick up.
What does this mean for indie stores? Stores will have to become more efficient in receiving online orders which make up 40% of retail these ...
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Which Would You Choose: 50 Hours or 4 Minutes?
An indie store often spends $750 and 50 hours to add 1,000 products to its website. Amazon likes this because it slows down the competition.
Bridge reduces the time to under 4 minutes and the cost to zero (...that’s right: free). It’s time you tried Bridge.
Learn more about saving time and money with Bridge:
https://www.bridgecatalog.com/smart-products.cfm
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Yesterday
Bridge reduces the time to under 4 minutes and the cost to zero (...that’s right: free). It’s time you tried Bridge.
Learn more about saving time and money with Bridge:
https://www.bridgecatalog.com/smart-products.cfm
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New Feature: Control Backorders and Sharing Stock
FOR RETAILERS
Your Bridge has a new feature: you can choose if you wish to allow customers to order products that are out of stock. In the past, if the item was on your Bridge Store, it was assumed that the item was in stock. This made managing stock simple. On site: in stock. Not on site: out of stock.
This updated stock sharing system is helpful for brands and indie stores because it allows them show and control behavior based upon real-time stock information--a feature that with ...
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March 1, 2021
Your Bridge has a new feature: you can choose if you wish to allow customers to order products that are out of stock. In the past, if the item was on your Bridge Store, it was assumed that the item was in stock. This made managing stock simple. On site: in stock. Not on site: out of stock.
This updated stock sharing system is helpful for brands and indie stores because it allows them show and control behavior based upon real-time stock information--a feature that with ...
Read More
Amazon ONLY Ships Sofas; It Doesn't Use Them
What Percent of Your Store Should Be a Warehouse?
These days, ugly Amazon warehouses are beating out pretty retail stores. Big and small retailers are struggling to pivot to multi-channel. One reason is that many stores had 2020 online sales that made up 40% or more of revenue but had to bear the burden of retail stores. Retail stores cost more per square foot to rent, furnish, and maintain. They also cost more to staff. A warehouse person need not be a people person and a snazzy ...
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March 1, 2021
These days, ugly Amazon warehouses are beating out pretty retail stores. Big and small retailers are struggling to pivot to multi-channel. One reason is that many stores had 2020 online sales that made up 40% or more of revenue but had to bear the burden of retail stores. Retail stores cost more per square foot to rent, furnish, and maintain. They also cost more to staff. A warehouse person need not be a people person and a snazzy ...
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February 28
How Much Does Updating a Website Cost?
How Much Does Updating a Website Cost?
How Much Does Updating a Website Cost?
When you run an online store, a major cost is adding and updating products. Adding 1,000 products to your website often costs about $750 and requires 50 hours. What if there was a cheaper, quicker way? And what if you could offer better product data at the same time? There is: Smart Products.
The Smart Products service outputs in your Bridge Store all the products from a brand that you sell, with professional pictures, accurate prices, and product dimensions. This service is...
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February 28, 2021
The Smart Products service outputs in your Bridge Store all the products from a brand that you sell, with professional pictures, accurate prices, and product dimensions. This service is...
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Amazon isn't cheaper...it just treats people worse. That produces a lower cost to you, but not a lower price to society.
This graphic, from Scott Galloway's book Post Corona, shows how Amazon treats its delivery people worse than FedEx.
A recent experience I had may be related to this topic. On Valentine's Day this year, while I was carrying flowers to meet a friend, an Amazon delivery person intentionally tried to push me out of his way while he was pushing a cart full of Amazon products. Then, when I glared at him for doing so, he verbally assaulted me and taunted me to physically engage in a fight, ...
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February 27, 2021
A recent experience I had may be related to this topic. On Valentine's Day this year, while I was carrying flowers to meet a friend, an Amazon delivery person intentionally tried to push me out of his way while he was pushing a cart full of Amazon products. Then, when I glared at him for doing so, he verbally assaulted me and taunted me to physically engage in a fight, ...
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February 26
Facts Are Fuel
Facts Are Fuel
Facts Are Fuel
In a world with so many options, how do we as consumers make intelligent choices? We are overstimulated with resources daily, and sometimes this can be overwhelming. Common sense seems to be the driving factor when assessing the alternatives before us, as may be the process of elimination when there is too much to consider. But what is the most influential deciding factor we face? It could be facts that serve as the strongest fuel to drive us to make an informed decision.
As our leader, Jason...
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February 26, 2021
As our leader, Jason...
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February 25
Save 10% On Bridge
Save 10% On Bridge
Save 10% On Bridge
Bridge clients receive a special discount of 10% when they pay upfront for a year of Bridge service.
For example, a client's existing plan may be $300/month.
With a 10% savings, they would:
Save $360/year • Pay just $3,240 for a year (instead of $3,600)
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February 25, 2021
For example, a client's existing plan may be $300/month.
With a 10% savings, they would:
Save $360/year • Pay just $3,240 for a year (instead of $3,600)
View Post
February 24
Amazon and Shopify Have a Baby: Bridge?
Amazon and Shopify Have a Baby: Bridge?
Amazon and Shopify Have a Baby: Bridge?
Clients choose Bridge because we bring together many of the benefits of selling on Amazon or using Shopify.
To understand this, it helps to first view the e-commerce provider spectrum. Marketplace sites are on the left, and solo sites are on the right. In the marketplace model, the store's logo (the seller's logo) is often nowhere to be seen. The seller is like a cog in the machine working for 'da man (aka Jeff Bezos). On the other end, there is the solo website for ...
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February 24, 2021
To understand this, it helps to first view the e-commerce provider spectrum. Marketplace sites are on the left, and solo sites are on the right. In the marketplace model, the store's logo (the seller's logo) is often nowhere to be seen. The seller is like a cog in the machine working for 'da man (aka Jeff Bezos). On the other end, there is the solo website for ...
Read More
February 24
Save $4,782 on Website Maintenance?
Save $4,782 on Website Maintenance?
Save $4,782 on Website Maintenance?
What if there was a way to cut your labor costs and boost your sales? There is. Your employees work the cash register, stock shelves, clean, and provide customer service. They also: update your website. As you know, these days customers expect a website to offer tens of thousands of products. Amazon has hundreds of millions of products. You have to add products to your site to survive.
You need someone to add products to your website, then update those products. On ...
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February 24, 2021
You need someone to add products to your website, then update those products. On ...
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February 21
2021 to Deliver Boom of Pent-up Weddings?
2021 to Deliver Boom of Pent-up Weddings?
2021 to Deliver Boom of Pent-up Weddings?
Today’s Times reports on the recovery of the wedding industry—a topic dear to our hearts since Bridge has helped 50k couples with their gift registries.
Read the full story:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2021/02/19/style/weddings-2021-coronavirus.amp.html
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February 21, 2021
Read the full story:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2021/02/19/style/weddings-2021-coronavirus.amp.html
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Bridge: We Arm Small Stores with Digital Weapons to Defend Themselves
I noticed this ad for Big Ass Fans and was struck by the word “destroyer.” That’s a strong, powerful, memorable word. I wondered what wording we’d use if we were to run a full-page ad.
Large, well-funded entities are constantly seeking to swipe indie business—that’s aggression. We’re giving indies figurative swords, shields, and helmets to fight back.
Our full-page ad may state: “We Arm the Indies With Digital Weapons.&...
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February 20, 2021
Large, well-funded entities are constantly seeking to swipe indie business—that’s aggression. We’re giving indies figurative swords, shields, and helmets to fight back.
Our full-page ad may state: “We Arm the Indies With Digital Weapons.&...
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February 11
Universal Domain Service: What Does It "Do"?
Universal Domain Service: What Does It "Do"?
Universal Domain Service: What Does It "Do"?
We offer a universal domain service (UDS) to retailers, brands, and sales reps. What does this service do? The universal domain service elevates your business' brand and may increase your Google ranking. Specifically, the service hides ("masks") the 'bridgecatalog' part of the website URL.
In the example shown, we Google two stores' names in Texas. The two stores both use Bridge Store to power their online business. The Ivy House does not use the universal domain service...
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February 11, 2021
In the example shown, we Google two stores' names in Texas. The two stores both use Bridge Store to power their online business. The Ivy House does not use the universal domain service...
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February 10
Bridge Is Hiring
Bridge Is Hiring
Bridge Is Hiring
We have some good news: Bridge is hiring. We're looking for a sales and customer service associate.
If you or someone you know may be interested, please contact us.
We are looking for someone that:
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February 10, 2021
If you or someone you know may be interested, please contact us.
We are looking for someone that:
- Wishes to see indie stores succeed.
- Is comfortable with computers, websites, and social media.
- Has a background in our retail industry, preferably servicing brands and retailers.
- Is comfortable coaching stores and brands.
- Is comfortable calling prospective brands and
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February 5
Is Zola becoming a 'Wayfair'?
Is Zola becoming a 'Wayfair'?
Is Zola becoming a 'Wayfair'?
Zola has added a "Home Store" tab to its site. The goal: become an online retailer that does it all...oh, and maybe does gift registries, too. Notably, this a departure from its original, registry-focused mission statement. Initially, Zola told brands that indie store gift registry services were not servicing out of the way towns and that by opening Zola, the brand would reach brides in remote parts of, say, Oklahoma. Zola didn't say that it was simply selling ...
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February 5, 2021
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February 5
How Netflix And Bridge Deliver Value
How Netflix And Bridge Deliver Value
How Netflix And Bridge Deliver Value
How much does Bridge cost vs other marketing tools? Let's imagine a printed catalog costs $10 to print and send to a customer. The customer uses it for 10 minutes. It therefore costs $1 per minute.
The Bridge Smart Products service costs a brand $9 per year per retailer. Over that year, a retailer interacts with that Smart Product data for 104 minutes. This number is approximately 2 minutes per week. (Please note: some retailers view Smart Product data at a much higher rate, such ...
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February 5, 2021
The Bridge Smart Products service costs a brand $9 per year per retailer. Over that year, a retailer interacts with that Smart Product data for 104 minutes. This number is approximately 2 minutes per week. (Please note: some retailers view Smart Product data at a much higher rate, such ...
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February 5
Doing Your Taxes? Bridge Can Help
Doing Your Taxes? Bridge Can Help
Doing Your Taxes? Bridge Can Help
Using your Bridge, you can easily see how much tax you've collected on 2020 orders.
On the Tax Collection page, you can set a date range and view taxes collected. This makes it easier to do your 2020 taxes.
How to visit your Tax page:
1. On your Bridge account, at the very top, click on “Management.”
2. On the Management home page, under “Order Reporting,” please click on “Tax Collection.”
3. On the Tax Collection page, in the date range area, please ...
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February 5, 2021
On the Tax Collection page, you can set a date range and view taxes collected. This makes it easier to do your 2020 taxes.
How to visit your Tax page:
1. On your Bridge account, at the very top, click on “Management.”
2. On the Management home page, under “Order Reporting,” please click on “Tax Collection.”
3. On the Tax Collection page, in the date range area, please ...
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Online Advertising is Often Bad for Indie Stores
Online advertising is great for brands. It's bad for: indie stores.
Why? Before the Internet, there were few ways for brands to cut out stores. They may have an annual warehouse sale, but that was about it. Today, a customer visits a retailer website and looks at brand X. Or it visits brand X's site to do some research. The issue for indie stores: thanks to online advertising, now I'm being marketed to across the web. I'm reading news on the New York Post website and being encouraged to...
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February 4, 2021
Why? Before the Internet, there were few ways for brands to cut out stores. They may have an annual warehouse sale, but that was about it. Today, a customer visits a retailer website and looks at brand X. Or it visits brand X's site to do some research. The issue for indie stores: thanks to online advertising, now I'm being marketed to across the web. I'm reading news on the New York Post website and being encouraged to...
Read More
Bridge in the News