Disruption is coming. How nimble is your company to weather the inevitable storm? Ten years ago, when we needed a ride, we called a cab by default. Then came Uber and Lyft, to the dismay of taxi drivers. Twenty years ago, when we wanted to buy new clothes, we drove to the mall. Then came […]
Last month, in its annual “Growth and Outlook Report,” the U.S. Direct Selling Association reported that retail sales of $34.9 billion for 2017 were down 1.8 percent from 2016. The wellness product category, which has been the channel’s strongest category for several years—and which accounted for 33.8 percent of all sales last year—also saw a slight decline. This marks […]
Last Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a 1992 ruling that allowed online retailers to skirt sales tax collection responsibilities in states where they did not have a physical presence. The decision, in South Dakota v. Wayfair Inc., states that internet retailers can now be required to collect state sales tax in online transactions. With the new […]
Earlier this week, PayPal Holdings Inc. agreed to acquire financial–technology company Hyperwallet Systems Inc. for about $400 million, a deal that augments its offerings to businesses for managing and processing their online and mobile payments. Founded in 2000, Hyperwallet helps individuals and small firms receive payments for goods and services that they sell on online […]
Euromonitor International’s 2017 Global Consumer Trends Survey shows that nearly 50 percent of respondents across all generations aspire to be self-employed, showing a growing trend towards this adaptive entrepreneurial lifestyle. Consumers are increasingly seeking flexibility in their lifestyles and are prepared to take risks. Millennials especially have an entrepreneurial nature, shifting away from the traditional […]
I do not remember exactly when I first heard the question: Are we there? My memory is of a television commercial many years ago with two kids in the back seat of a car constantly asking their parents that very question. The question is indeed an excellent one. It is full of anticipation and excitement […]
Ambit Energy was a data processor before being a data processor was cool. In 2006, based on their experience in the telecom industry, founders Jere Thompson and Chris Chambless decided that Ambit had to become a data processing company first, to keep up with the anticipated growth from their direct sales in marketing electricity and […]
The “Amazon Effect,” the disruption of the retail market by the online giant, made many in the direct selling channel take notice regarding their e-commerce and customer service practices. Now Amazon’s purchase of eco-minded natural grocer Whole Foods is helping it to become a formidable challenger in another area that has typically been strong in […]
Click here to order the November 2017 issue in which this article appeared. Remember when getting online was a big deal? Twenty years ago, internet connections were wire-bound, sporadic and slow. Email addresses and web access at work were the exception. We flipped open a cellphone to make a call and that was about it. Web-based and […]