A look back on the best of 2020 with Lengow

9'

2020 has been a year like no other, especially in the world of e-commerce. COVID-19 irrevocably changed consumer behavior and retailers were forced to place digital acceleration at number one on their list of priorities as the world of online retail was catapulted five years into the future. GroupM forecasts that global e-commerce will rise by 7% to account for 25% of all retail sales by 2024.

Instead of predicting the emerging e-commerce trends that await us in 2021, we decided to look back on the ‘best bits’ of 2020 here at Lengow! It wasn’t all bad for e-commerce after all…

1/ We looked to China for inspiration

While the Chinese New Year is typically the peak season for consumption, total sales of consumer goods fell by 19%.

China was hit first by Covid-19 and most of the country was on lockdown in January and February. As China’s e-commerce market recovered from the initial strict lockdown, it was the West’s turn to self-isolate and face economic uncertainty. Run, Lengow’s Country Manager for China, hosted a webinar that looked East for inspiration on China’s e-commerce recovery after Covid-19, and its learnings for the Western e-commerce market.

2/ New technologies to engage your clients at a distance

According to Gartner, by 2020 100M consumers will be shopping via augmented reality, both online and in-store.

When it comes to Augmented Reality (AR), we tend to think of video games and the immersive experience for players. However, the technology is starting to make its way into other sectors, especially in retail and e-commerce.

Boasting exceptional customer engagement, improved conversion rates, and increased visibility, Augmented Reality promises to reinvent online shopping and boost sales. High time to get to know more about this new technology in our guide!

3/ The power of live commerce in the purchase decision

It’s no secret the West plays catch-up with China in all things e-commerce and social media—for live commerce it’s no different. 

Live commerce, i.e. the combination of live streaming and e-commerce, is an innovative way to showcase your products to an online audience of potential customers via influencers or even your sales team. This new generation of teleshopping will soon be indispensable, so how do brands and retailers exploit it?

Check the replay of the dedicated round table hosted by our CMO Frédéric Clément at Lengow Day 2020. He discusses the full potential of live commerce with global experts Eric Feng (Facebook), Elijah Whaley (PARKLU) and Ted Hettich (Ideal Shopping Direct).

4/ 70+ distributions channels active globally at Clarins

Clarins sends 18 product feeds and over 8,500 products to more than 70 channels around the globe!

The Clarins story began in Paris in 1954. The family business has grown to become one of the world’s leading players in the beauty industry, present in 141 countries with its brands Clarins, My Blend and its Spa activity (ranking number one in Europe for high-end treatments).

When launching its e-commerce activity, Clarins called on Lengow to centralize the distribution of its product catalog to be as reactive and autonomous as possible.

Download the full success story and discover Clarins’ winning digital strategy!

5/ Product data: The key to succeed on marketplaces

Our PIM partner Akeneo joined us for a webinar to share all their essential tips and best practices to help you manage your product catalogs and optimize your online sales via product data.

It’s essential for retailers to provide an outstanding and consistent buying experience post-COVID-19. Do this with relevant product information and the right tools for your e-commerce platforms!

Melvin & Hamilton joined the webinar to share their success story using the two platforms. Watch the replay here!

6/ Sell D2C on your website, marketplaces and social networks

Do you want to regain control of your online business and improve your margins? We wrote a white paper to provide an overview of Direct-to-Consumer, the latest sales model that has been increasingly popular with brands in recent years.

This guide contains a full list of the key benefits and the challenges you might face with this model, as well as all the essentials to anticipate before you embark on D2C sales. Based on figures and concrete examples, Lengow gives you some key tips to succeed in Direct-to-Consumer, especially on marketplaces!

7/ Go circular! Reiterate your commitment to sustainability to remain relevant and increase profits

Consumer engagement in sustainability deepened during the COVID-19 crisis. Recent successes of second-hand marketplaces such as BackMarket and Vinted highlight this, while established players such as Zalando and La Redoute are catching up by introducing second-hand sections to their platforms. The trend is even impacting the luxury market.

It’s clearer than ever: it’s time for a new model.

Les digital doers podcast host Cyril Artur Du Plessis explored this trend at Lengow Day 2020, interrogating how to embrace this circular e-commerce model as brands and retailers. Watch the replay with industry experts Vigga Svensson (Continued Fashion), Stephanie Crespin (Reflaunt), Ben Whitaker (Cirqulr).

8/ Drive sales with the Snapchat generation

The Snapchat Generation has over $1 trillion in direct spending power.

Two is always better than one right? We’ve been busy with our partner Snapchat this year!

Millennials and Gen Z together have over $1 trillion in direct spending power. How can retailers unlock this massive potential? Through the ‘Snapchat Generation’—they discover products and shop in innovative ways.

Snapchat’s Aissatou Diallo joined Lengow Day 2020 to share their insights into their Community’s shopping behaviors. Watch the replay of their keynote to find out how you can engage them in new ways to drive sales, leveraging vertical video and augmented reality ad formats!

We also published a guide to share all the key figures, main benefits for advertisers and key specificities of the app Snapchat. Sell with Snapchat!

9/ How Zadig & Voltaire sped up their digital transition and increased online visibility globally via Lengow

Zadig & Voltaire is a French ready-to-wear brand created in 1997 by Thierry Gillier. The brand is present in 30 countries globally with over 300 boutiques in every continent. 

We have significantly expanded our marketing mix over the last three years by diversifying our strategy across 10 European markets. Lengow guided us in this development and has allowed us to offer personalized advertising, depending on the markets and local consumption trends.”

Allison Picodot – Head of Acquisition – Zadig & Voltaire

Check out our latest success story to discover how Zadig & Voltaire managed to speed up their digital transition and improve visibility around the globe with Lengow.

10/ Step into the shoes of a consumer with Lengow

Last but not least, take a few minutes to look at your job from a different angle. Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of a buyer!

To help brands and retailers thrive and grow with Lengow, we have to understand consumers. You know—those people that make your company a success! In case you missed our Customer Success Manager Sophie’s workshop at Lengow Day, check out this video to see how Lengow helps you seduce consumers.

2020 was challenging, transformative, confusing and a b!t*#… 

Let’s kick off 2021 with a moonshot! 🚀

Naomi Botting

Field Marketing Specialist

Your e-commerce library

Sign up for our newsletter

By submitting this form you authorize Lengow to process your data for the purpose of sending you Lengow newsletters . You have the right to access, rectify and delete this data, to oppose its processing, to limit its use, to render it portable and to define the guidelines relating to its fate in the event of death. You can exercise these rights at any time by writing to dpo@lengow.com

newsletter-image