We’re ending the first full week of January 2025 with a short, sweet, and encouraging message: “Let’s get it on!”
Same with our news lineup today—short, sweet, but full of intrigue enough to get you through the weekend.
- TikTok ban’s impact 🚫
- High-quality product reviews for 2025 🔍
- Ecommerce breaks records (and retailers’ hearts) 💔
HOT TOPIC
Time is ticking for TikTok and its services, including TikTok Shop, as the impending ban of the platform on January 19 rapidly approaches. The unfortunate thing is many small online businesses relying on the platform’s traffic will surely feel its impact.
As shared by Fast Company, losses could be more than $1 billion in revenue in just one month! 💸
Why is TikTok being banned again?
In April 2024, a law was passed in April 2024 requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. assets to avoid its “grave threat to national security.” Failure to do so will result in its nationwide ban.
If the ban pushes through, businesses that made TikTok Shop a main lifeline would need to make some adjustments:
- Sell on other platforms: Instagram Reels, Snapchat, and YouTube Shorts are possible alternatives. Threads and X can also be used in marketing and engagement.
- Build an email list: An email subscription can keep you in contact with customers regardless of what happens to social platforms. ✉️
- Collaborate with creators to keep brand visibility engagement high. Influencers already have followers on their chosen platforms. Plus, you can gain user-generated content (UGC) directly from customers!
📍 A moral ecommerce lesson
The looming ban on TikTok is a wake-up call that you can’t rely on just one marketplace or platform. It’s best to build a brand community for long-term success. Only by having a resilient seller-customer relationship can your brand weather unexpected ecommerce storms.
Recently, President-elect Donald Trump has requested to delay the ban. But, the Department of Justice is appealing to the Supreme Court to reject the delay.
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BITES OF THE WEEK
- Improved Issue Notifications: You can now fix any image issue faster with a more detailed Compliance Issue report.
- Watch and Shop: Know everything there is about Shoppable TV advertising.
- Mexican TikTok: TikTok is expanding to Mexico, inviting merchants to open stores on TikTok Shop.
ECOMMERCE NEWS
Post-Christmas returns estimated to reach billions (and break retailers’ bank early in 2025)
Ecommerce is set to break a new record—but not for the reason you think.
🔢 Post & Parcel reported the growing issue of ecommerce returns, particularly its meteoric rise and climbing costs. According to ParcelHero’s Retailers Reach the Point of No Returns report:
- Returns on the first working day after Christmas increased by 6.8% compared to the previous year. Around £1.51 billion ($1.86 billion) worth of goods (clothing, electrical goods, and toys) are now on their way back to retailers.
- Average return order values are up by 22%.
- Parcel shipments rose by 554.7%! Several e-retailers disclosed higher return rates reaching 60% of Christmas orders.
- Major retailers are generous with their return deadlines. Amazon accepts returns until January 31 for purchases from November 1 to December 31, 2024.
◀️ The toll of returns
Sellers lose approximately £60 billion annually on returns. Almost 40% of customers return an online purchase monthly. Plus, online returns typically cost more to process than physical returns.
Despite this, some smaller businesses cope with the costs or risk negative online reviews. This shows the disconnect between customer expectations and financial realities.
How are your post-holiday returns rate? Do you plan on having a return policy update for 2025
