News from Bridge
Bridge in the News
March 13
WSJ: Shopify Review
WSJ: Shopify Review
WSJ: Shopify Review
This WSJ Shopify review compares some of the fees charged by Amazon and Shopify. It takes the author half the article before he starts sharing fee structures. (I’d have liked to see more statistics about fees charged and even a chart.)
Excerpts:
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March 13, 2021
Excerpts:
- Shopify, founded in 2007 and now publicly traded, has 1.7 million sellers (note: that’s a brick-and-mortar store or a person in their basement; Shopify doesn’t differentiate).
- A seller’s fees on Amazon averaged 14%.
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Garden & Gun Magazine: Salisbury Item Featured
Nice to see Smart Brand member Salisbury have its julep cup featured in this month’s Garden & Gun magazine.
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March 13, 2021
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New Feature: More Easily See Your Savings
Your Bridge has a new feature: it now outputs the savings on sale items. When an item is on sale, it will automatically calculate the percent off the list price and output the savings.
In this example, we see the tray was $170 and is on sale for $119. That is a 29% savings.
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March 9, 2021
In this example, we see the tray was $170 and is on sale for $119. That is a 29% savings.
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March 8
New Smart Brand Member: Fissler
New Smart Brand Member: Fissler
New Smart Brand Member: Fissler
We’re happy to announce that Fissler is joining Bridge and the Smart Products program.
Fissler is renowned for its award-winning cookware, Made in Germany. Fissler is the perfect culinary equipment for cooks who value uncompromising quality, attractive design, and superior functionality. The line includes premium-quality stainless steel cookware collections — pure-profi® and original-profi®, superior non-stick pans — levital® and adamant®, plus vitavit&...
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March 8, 2021
Fissler is renowned for its award-winning cookware, Made in Germany. Fissler is the perfect culinary equipment for cooks who value uncompromising quality, attractive design, and superior functionality. The line includes premium-quality stainless steel cookware collections — pure-profi® and original-profi®, superior non-stick pans — levital® and adamant®, plus vitavit&...
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Today’s Times reveals what we all know: e-commerce is tough for indies
For many indie stores, running an online business is tough and expensive, shares today’s Times. For 10 years, Bridge has served indie stores by paving this process and making it easier. We started with two stores and now help more than 720 brick-and-mortar, Main Street community legends.
Excerpts from the Times article:
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March 8, 2021
Excerpts from the Times article:
- E-commerce grew by 33.6 percent in 2020.
- Ten large retailers accounted for 68 percent of all U.S. e-commerce sales last year.
- Amazon alone
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March 7
Me Commerce vs. We Commerce
Me Commerce vs. We Commerce
Me Commerce vs. We Commerce
Most e-commerce software promotes ‘me’ commerce. It does not connect businesses with each other to leverage the power of the group. Businesses act alone and are lost in a maze of decisions. Massive amounts of time and money are wasted. Amazon loves when indie businesses endure this waste.
Bridge promotes ‘we‘ commerce. Our social e-commerce platform connects 700 retailers with 2,700 brands. Of these brands, 113 are Smart Brand partners that share 65,...
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March 7, 2021
Bridge promotes ‘we‘ commerce. Our social e-commerce platform connects 700 retailers with 2,700 brands. Of these brands, 113 are Smart Brand partners that share 65,...
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WSJ: Saks Deems Stores a Dead Weight and Relegates Them
Saks formed new company a called Saks.com that will lead the company, shares today's WSJ. The physical stores will be moved from the 'drivers seat' to the 'passengers seat.' In a nod to Amazon.com and Walmart's success with third-party sellers, Saks.com will offer a marketplace and pay third-party sellers a commission.
Read the full WSJ article:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/saks-fifth-avenue-owner-to-separate-e-commerce-and-stores-units-11614945600
Bonus: Saks launched a new website...
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March 6, 2021
Read the full WSJ article:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/saks-fifth-avenue-owner-to-separate-e-commerce-and-stores-units-11614945600
Bonus: Saks launched a new website...
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Amazon Logo Isn’t a ‘Smile,’ It’s a Business Strategy
A product starts in a factory. Then, the goal is get it through the sales funnel. What steps does it go through en route to the consumer? In the drawing shown, the dots represent steps along the way.
When a product travels through the Amazon arc, it skips many steps that are important for consumer safety, the lives of working people in the retail industry, and local communities. We realize its smile logo may actually be a visual representation of the safeguards and ...
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March 4, 2021
When a product travels through the Amazon arc, it skips many steps that are important for consumer safety, the lives of working people in the retail industry, and local communities. We realize its smile logo may actually be a visual representation of the safeguards and ...
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A Coach’s Review: How Does an Analog Retailer Survive in a Digital Universe?
There are many e-commerce platforms from which to choose. A store owner can choose from more than 30 platforms including Bridge, Shopify, Big Commerce, and Big Cartel. Unfortunately, very few software providers are easy to set up and use. Most importantly, they may not improve retail sales. A store owner is surely mindful of increasing costs and wasting time on software.
Bridge, our e-commerce platform, helps more than 700 indie stores offer a website and bridal registry that...
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March 4, 2021
Bridge, our e-commerce platform, helps more than 700 indie stores offer a website and bridal registry that...
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How Does Bridge Compare to Shopify?
I created this comparison to help us see the differences between Shopify (shown on the left) and Bridge Store.
The orange dots represent comparable features.
The magenta dots represent features that Bridge offers out of the box but that Shopify is lacking.
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March 4, 2021
The orange dots represent comparable features.
The magenta dots represent features that Bridge offers out of the box but that Shopify is lacking.
- Bridge displays the search box by default. Shopify makes you click on the search icon.
- Bridge displays the telephone number at the top of the page. Shopify does not. Customers most often seek a phone number on a business’
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An Ugly Website + Cheap Warehouses + Cheap Labor = Amazon
Today’s Times shares some of Amazon’s steps during the pandemic to grow its empire.
I used to tell retailers that they don’t know it, but they’re now in: the software business. I missed something in that statement. They are also now in the warehouse business. Websites and warehouses go hand in hand. They’re flip sides of the same coin.
As e-commerce grew, all the major retailers should have been growing their warehouse space. For example: if ...
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March 4, 2021
I used to tell retailers that they don’t know it, but they’re now in: the software business. I missed something in that statement. They are also now in the warehouse business. Websites and warehouses go hand in hand. They’re flip sides of the same coin.
As e-commerce grew, all the major retailers should have been growing their warehouse space. For example: if ...
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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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March 3, 2021
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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March 2, 2021
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 up pretty retail stores. Many stores in 2020 had record online sales that made up 40% or more of revenue, but they are struggling because they 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 dresser; they can exhibit anger management issues and ...
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March 1, 2021
These days, ugly Amazon warehouses are beating up pretty retail stores. Many stores in 2020 had record online sales that made up 40% or more of revenue, but they are struggling because they 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 dresser; they can exhibit anger management issues and ...
Read More
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
Bridge in the News