For the fiscal first quarter ended April 28, the apparel retailer posted total net revenue of $309.6 million. That compares with $303.7 million in the first quarter of 2022, a 1.9% gain. Net loss was $1.7 million, which compared with a Q1 2022 net loss of $2.4 million.

Lands’ End ecommerce

Ecommerce, which Lands’ End launched in the late 1990s and far ahead of many other apparel and mass merchandise retailers, also remained flat in the U.S. and declined overseas.

For the quarter, global Lands’ End ecommerce net revenue was $203.1 million. That’s a decrease of 7.3% from $219.1 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2022. Compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2022, U.S. ecommerce net revenue increased 1.6% to $177.7 million from $174.9 million.

Lands’ End U.S. ecommerce accounted for 57.4% of all sales compared with 57.6% in the first quarter of 2022.

Our U.S. ecommerce, which represents our largest go-to market segment, saw a sales increase of 2% from the first quarter of 2022, driven by targeted promotions within swim and adjacent product categories, interim chief financial officer Bernie McCracken told analysts on the Lands’ End Q1 earnings call.

“Our Europe ecommerce business in the quarter was down 29%, reflecting the continued lower levels of consumer demand in Europe,” McCracken said.

Lands’ End B2B sales

Lands’ End does not break out its B2B ecommerce numbers, but overall business-to-business sales in Q1 from its Outfitters unit was $74.0 million. That’s a 37.1% increase from $54.0 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2022.

“We continue to roll out our strategic initiatives and expect that the learnings from each successive quarter will enable further refinement,” said CEO Andrew McLean.

In the wake of weak ecommerce sales growth, Lands’ End is bringing in a new senior executive to change up operations. The company in April hired Stuart Hogue as Lands’ End’s senior vice president of U.S. ecommerce. Most recently, Hogue served as a senior advisor for McKinsey & Co. Prior to that, Hogue worked for 15 years at Nike. Most recently, he was vice president and general manager of Foot Locker, according to his LinkedIn profile.

“Stuart is a digitally savvy leader with more than 20 years of industry experience,” McLean told analysts. “He enjoyed a successful career at Nike and joined us from McKinsey, where he advised clients on digital, omnichannel retail, and marketing transformation initiatives.”

Lands’ End is No. 79 in the Top 1000. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the largest North American online retailers by web sales.

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The service, known as Adaptive Checkout, offers biweekly and monthly payment options for purchases of more than $50 with annual percentage rates starting at zero, according to a June 7 statement. Millions of customers using Amazon.com and the Amazon mobile app already have access to the pay-over-time service, the companies said. Amazon Pay is the retailer’s payment service available to consumers on other ecommerce websites. Shoppers can use their Amazon accounts, with payment and shipping information, to shop on other websites.

More retailers are adding buy-now-pay-later services every year, and as of June 2023, 54.4% of Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the Top 1000 online retailers offer some version of this payment type. That’s up from 45.8% of Top 1000 retailers in 2022 and 28.2% in 2020. Amazon first added Affirm in 2021. For comparison, BNPL is more common among retailers who also offer Amazon Pay, at 68.2%.

17.3% of retailers in the Top 1000 offer Amazon Pay.

The buy-now-pay-later option can increase sales and customer loyalty, and attract new customers, San Francisco-based Affirm said. The mattress-and-bedding company Casper and water-filter supplier USA Berkey Filters have already integrated Affirm’s offering within their use of Amazon Pay, according to the statement.

“Customers want more choice and flexibility when paying online,” Affirm president Libor Michalek said in the statement.

Amazon is No. 1 in the Top 1000. The database ranks North American web merchants by sales. Amazon is also No. 3 in the Digital Commerce 360 Online Marketplaces database, which ranks the 100 largest global marketplaces.

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B2B sellers make customer expansion and converting sales online priorities

The survey shows most B2B sellers believe they have mastered the basics of ecommerce, such as site search and product reviews. But when it comes to personalized commerce, larger companies are more satisfied with their efforts, while many smaller competitors are investing in this area. Two-thirds of B2B sellers say they are successfully driving online conversions with such widely deployed features as:

• Site search
• Promotions
• Product ratings and reviews
• Showing inventory availability

While companies of all sizes generally believe that personalization is working for them, those with more than $500 million in annual revenue report greater success in several areas. Overall, B2B sellers are seeing the greatest return from tailoring site search results, for example by showing buyers only products they are approved to buy and the prices their companies have negotiated.

But several tactics are working far better for larger versus smaller firms, probably reflecting greater investment. These include personalized site search results, customer-specific pricing and targeting promotions to specific customer segments. Smaller companies are responding by putting some personalization features on their to-do lists for 2023. That includes personalized payment and shipping options (15.8% of smaller firms plan to invest versus 3.6% of larger ones) and personalized product category pages (15.8% versus 1.2%).

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Three of the top four online retail websites for apparel shopping are mass merchants. Amazon, Walmart and Target draw a large portion of online apparel sales. More specifically, four in 10 apparel buyers purchase 26% or more of their purchases on Amazon.

Mass merchants draw beauty sales

Overall, mass merchants dominate online beauty purchasing. Amazon, specifically, drew 59% of beauty-product purchases between October 2022 and March 2023, according to a Digital Commerce 360 and Bizrate Insights survey. 52% of respondents shopped with other mass merchants in the same time frame. Meanwhile, no other kinds of retailers had a 50% penetration of sales. The next largest penetration of beauty-product sales was with drug stores, at 36%. And 29% of respondents shopped with specialty beauty retailers, in particular, for such products.

Just over a third of surveyed online beauty shoppers go directly to brands for their loyalty program perks and money savings. 26% said they go directly to a brand because brands are more likely to offer free shipping, and 23% cite trust as a key factor.

Same-day delivery and flexible returns with mass merchants

38% of surveyed online shoppers ordered online from a web-only retailer for same-day delivery in the six-month period from September 2022 through February 2023. Meanwhile, 31% ordered online from a physical store for same-day delivery.

On the flip side, 24% returned an Amazon order to another retailer (such as Kohl’s) for processing back to Amazon. That compares with 19% who returned an Amazon order to an Amazon return center.

And when it came to in-store and curbside pickup, more than half of shoppers went to Walmart (63%) or Target (52%). Meanwhile, 37% of surveyed online shoppers used such services for hardware/home improvement purchases, and 34% for consumer electronics.

Amazon buying frequency

The online buying frequency among Amazon shoppers is fundamental to their success.

27% of survey respondents in September 2022 said they purchased from Amazon a few times a month. 18% said they purchase from Amazon a few times a week. Meanwhile, 3% said they purchase from it daily, and 6% said they do so multiple times a day.

Almost half of online shoppers surveyed purchased more apparel, home goods and health/beauty products on Amazon than elsewhere in 2022.

And when shoppers aren’t purchasing on Amazon, they tend to shop online at Walmart (54%), Target (36%) and specialty retailers (36%). Department stores and other marketplaces take the next largest shares of sales.

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When asked about their experiences with marketplaces over the past year, online shoppers remain passionate about purchasing via Amazon’s marketplace. That was in play for 76% of survey respondents. As there is a lot of clutter on marketplaces from advertising and sponsorship, we wondered if shoppers understood the complexity of marketplaces. As it turns out, close to half (46%) admitted they didn’t know if a product was being offered by Amazon or another marketplace seller.

Who’s selling what? And where?

An array of U.S. marketplaces beyond Amazon, eBay and Walmart, including specialty marketplaces, are also capturing shopper attention. Some 35% purchased from Walmart’s marketplace and 39% ventured out, also buying from marketplaces beyond eBay, Amazon and Walmart. 31% of participants bought from specialty marketplaces. Chinese marketplaces saw 18% penetration, and 6% of respondents purchased from other non-listed marketplaces.

Shoppers are active in the community, leaving product reviews at Amazon and other marketplaces. Amazon was the biggest recipient (46%), while 31% took the time to leave reviews beyond Amazon.

Interest in same-day delivery is seen and will likely grow in the coming year as 20% of those surveyed make those “need it now” purchases. Though marketplace sellers strive for in-stock status, 18% encountered out-of-stocks, which seems somewhat reasonable coming off post-COVID supply chain woes.

A topic we wanted to cover in-depth this year was counterfeit products. Just 9% of respondents felt they received such merchandise.

With assortments on marketplaces perceived to be greater, shoppers may find marketplaces more attractive. Half of marketplace visitors believe they are finding larger assortments with 43% about the same and just 7% less.

Higher prices, longer delivery lead times and out-of-stock products were the biggest marketplace challenges shoppers faced

Marketplaces need to monitor everything from product pricing to shipping fees as customers are savvy and shop around. This is especially true as 39% felt that marketplace prices were higher than they remembered. Additionally, 26% believed shipping fees were higher as well.

Logistics can be challenging for online shoppers with heightened interest in fast delivery. Yet, longer delivery lead times were found among 26% of survey respondents.

Out-of-stocks were sometimes a factor for shoppers (22%) and may have driven them to explore alternative marketplaces. Customer service-wise, just 15% said that limited or longer wait times were seen as problematic.

For 24%, it was difficult to distinguish between going to sellers versus the main marketplace, which was seen as challenging. Marketplaces should assess awareness of where products are made and their authenticity, though. Only 18% discerned if products were made in the USA, and just 17% if products were counterfeit.

Shopper buying frequency: Social marketplaces get increased attention

Social marketplaces like Facebook or Instagram are attractive to online shoppers. Sellers should test them to see if audience fit makes sense. One in four online buyers shops these social marketplaces. It’s also a positive that 19% of survey respondents indicate being more comfortable with the online marketplace model. And 18% are conducting more online purchases via marketplaces.

Sellers must be aware of the clutter factor. Some 20% of survey respondents suggested they dislike it when retailers such as  Target and Walmart add marketplaces because the retailers’ sites become cluttered.

More online behavior changes include shopping directly on sellers’ websites instead of marketplaces (19%), increased purchasing on marketplaces (18%), trying new online marketplaces (17%), and shopping exclusively on marketplaces (6%).

The same number of respondents (20%) find the broader marketplace assortment appealing and believe marketplaces tend to have more inventory.

From a dollars and cents point of view, perceptions from 23% were that prices were often lower than other retailer sites. Meanwhile, 16% felt fees were often less than other retailer sites. Yet 14% found prices including shipping fees in line with other retailer sites.

And when it came to customer service, 13% suggested marketplace customer service is on par with the retail sites they shop (13%).

Marketplace adoption expands

Marketplace purchasing will likely be steady in the coming year as two in three online shoppers plan to purchase about the same from marketplaces. Comfort with the model sees one in four shoppers indicating they will be buying more or exclusively from marketplaces. Positively, only 10% will buy less, and 5% said they don’t buy on marketplaces.

Many shoppers will experiment when smartly tempted by marketplace sellers. The majority of shoppers (52%) are willing to buy from unfamiliar marketplace brands or sellers. The biggest opportunity is convincing those that are on the fence that a site or brand is a viable option and to gain their comfort among the 29% of participants on the fence.

Online marketplace exposure and purchasing often leads to direct purchasing, which is likely to be more profitable for the merchant. Over half of online shoppers surveyed indicate that they have ultimately purchased directly with that merchant. This added product visibility via marketplaces can serve as a strong customer acquisition vehicle, making it one of the reasons retailers are participating more on marketplaces.

The role of ratings/reviews in helping shoppers make smart selections has bottom-line impact for sellers. 96% of online shoppers read and make purchases based on ratings and reviews. Reviews always influence the majority (55%) when making purchases. Meanwhile, 41% occasionally see such an impact.

Thus, online marketplaces must make sure reviews are robust. Smartly positioning reviews within the shopping experience ensure strong viewership.

Marketplace shopping starts with better prices and free shipping, along with in-stock products that can be delivered fast

Online shoppers seek the fundamentals when choosing to shop at marketplaces over going directly to retail sites. Price is the driving factor, selection appreciated, and convenience a given. Topping the list of influences in driving online shoppers to marketplaces is better prices (52%) and free and discounted shipping (51%).

Delivery speed is also an important influence in selecting marketplaces. 41% of survey respondents refer to it in choosing a marketplace. Shipping efficiencies, at 25%, also were a factor.

34% of survey respondents see marketplaces, at their core, as more convenient ways to shop. For 25%, it may be the broader selection in a category and for 20% the influencing factor in a wider range of categories in one location. Meanwhile, 17% found they were ideal for repeat purchasing (17%). But more interesting to me is that they have a unique opportunity to help online shoppers find very specific items (34%) while also trying unique products (24%) that sways shoppers toward marketplaces.

Past experience is an important indicator of future purchasing. It served as an influence for 20% of those surveyed as well.

From a tactical perspective, ratings and reviews — and more comprehensive product information (14%) — power purchasing. Higher seller feedback and ratings were influencers for 25% of participants.

Shoppers have a preference for in-stock products, and 34% found it influenced their behavior.

Other marketplace tactics that came into play from an influence point of view included loyalty programs (19%) and mobile apps (18%). I’m surprised only 13% cited superior service. It should go without saying.

Top concerns related to online marketplace purchasing are logistics, fees, product authenticity and return limitations

Online shoppers want the products they purchase to be of top quality and as represented on the site. Encountering counterfeit products was top of mind for 35% of participants. At the same time, 30% cited issues around subpar product quality.

Because long shipping times can cause buyers to worry (39%), inventory and delivery transparency are welcome. 22% of these online shoppers expressed concerns that an online order would never ship.

Shoppers expect marketplace goods to come from trusted sellers. Some 30% had trepidation about non-U.S. sellers. Simultaneously, 29% worried about whether the seller was not reputable or certified.

Shoppers like to have flexibility in their return choices. Some 33% of surveyed online shoppers found a lack of return options a challenge. Having customer service and support available is a given. 28% of respondents cited it.

A lack of product or seller reviews concerned 27%. The validity and authenticity of product reviews also was an issue for 29%.

From the money and savings vantage point, 38% found shipping costs too high, while fraudulent business practices including counterfeit goods were on the concern list at 35%. Unexpected additional expenses such as sales tax (22%), finding U.S. products at lower prices (16%) and financing options not available (11%) also were on the minds of these shoppers.

Online marketplaces continue to have an opportunity to grow. Broad assortments and attention to the fundamentals — from price to selection — set the tone for success. I advise vigilance when it comes to them. Sellers must monitor the quality and authenticity of their products. Product reviews and information will continue to drive confidence, along with an uncluttered, search-friendly and efficient experience. Monitoring consumer behavior will ensure marketplaces are on track for success in 2023 and beyond.

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The company is negotiating with Verizon Communications Inc., T-Mobile US Inc. and Dish Network Corp. to get the lowest possible wholesale prices. That would let it offer Prime members wireless plans for $10 a month or possibly for free and bolster loyalty among its biggest-spending customers, the people said. They requested anonymity to discuss a private matter.

The talks have been going on for six to eight weeks and have also included AT&T Inc. at times, but the plan may take several more months to launch and could be scrapped, one person said.

“We are always exploring adding even more benefits for Prime members, but don’t have plans to add wireless at this time,” Amazon spokesperson Maggie Sivon said in a statement.

T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon all said they were not currently in discussions with Amazon about wireless service. Dish declined to comment.

Amazon Prime benefits

Amazon’s U.S. Prime subscribers pay $139 a year for privileges like speedy free delivery, video streaming and access to 100 million songs. Analysts say Prime membership has stagnated in the country since Amazon boosted the annual price from $119, a sign that a subscription is less attractive to consumers struggling with a stubbornly high inflation rate. About 167 million Amazon shoppers had Prime memberships as of March. That’s unchanged from a year earlier, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.

“Prime membership continues to grow year over year as the value members receive continues to increase,” said Amazon spokesperson Bradley Mattinger.

Amazon is competing with Walmart Inc., whose $98-a-year Walmart+ membership is emerging as a lower-cost alternative. It offers many of the same perks as Prime and free grocery delivery on orders of at least $35. Amazon in February increased its free grocery delivery threshold to $150 from $35.

Amazon’s influence

For the wireless industry, an Amazon deal could be seen as a welcome boost to wholesale revenue and a way to attract more traffic to newly expanded 5G networks. But Amazon’s entry could be detrimental if Prime wireless becomes popular and starts to chip away at the big carriers’ customer base.

A deeply below-market price from one of the world’s largest retailers could easily undercut the pricing power of the big three national carriers, making it tempting for subscribers to go to Amazon. Unlimited plans start at $60 a month at Verizon and T-Mobile, with AT&T starting at $65.

With Prime wireless, Amazon would become a new national brand, reselling mobile service from one of the big three carriers. The retailer could choose to offer wireless to its Prime members at an attractive price, prompting customers to cancel their current mobile service. Or, Amazon could go wider and offer Prime wireless to anyone who wants to switch service and become a Prime member.

Amazon sends shivers through the industry any time it enters a new market. The Seattle-based retail giant has shown it’s willing to absorb billions of dollars in shipping and movie production costs to fuel Prime membership growth. Wireless service could be just one more item Amazon’s willing to take a hit on if it gives the company a leg up versus Walmart.

Can’t say no

The carriers aren’t really in a position to say no to Amazon. Having poured billions of dollars into super-fast, high-capacity 5G wireless networks, the mobile operators have little to show for the effort. They are eager to find new applications and sales outlets that can generate some return on the investment.

Dish has the most to gain from a deal with Amazon. The company is attempting to transform itself into a cloud-based wireless carrier capable of competing with Verizon and AT&T. But it’s carrying a load of distressed debt and is seeking new avenues of funding to be able to launch its Boost Infinite wireless service. Dish is already working with Amazon, whose AWS division is providing cloud computing to run the core network for its wireless service and is expected to start selling Boost Infinite wireless service on Amazon as soon as next month.

“This is perceived as a lifeline for Dish,” said Peter Supino, an analyst at Wolfe Research.

For the big three carriers, Amazon’s entry is “troublesome,” Supino said. “It’s understood that the fewer competitors, the better.” Europe’s wireless market is a good example of how big carriers saw industry prices fall with the entry of low-price resellers, he said.

Amazon has tried phones before

Amazon has already made several forays into wireless. In 2014, Amazon introduced the Fire Phone in an attempt to compete with devices from Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. But Amazon killed it a year later. The company also plans to start testing a satellite-internet service called Project Kuiper next year.

By taking the approach of a reseller, otherwise known as a mobile virtual network operator or MVNO, Amazon would avoid the huge costs of having to build out its own mobile network.

MVNOs have had a colorful track record. Brands including ESPN Mobile and Virgin Mobile both failed. Alphabet Inc. has the Google Fi service that runs on T-Mobile’s network and has about 2 million customers.

Companies sometimes bundle wireless as a perk in broader service packages. Cable companies like Charter Communications Inc., which resells service from Verizon, have said they see a time soon when the cable bill includes wireless service. Charter and Comcast Corp. have fueled some of the sector’s fastest subscriber growth by offering cheap to free wireless service as a promotion bundled with broadband.

Amazon is No. 1 in the Top 1000. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of North American retailers by web sales. Amazon is also No. 3 in the Digital Commerce 360 Online Marketplaces database, which ranks the 100 largest global marketplaces.

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23andMe Inc. (No. 309)

Revenue was down 8% year over year for the fiscal fourth quarter, but it grew 10% to $272 million for the full fiscal year ended March 31, 2023. The biotechnology company grew its customer base 11% in the fiscal year to 14 million genotype users.

It also grew its subscription membership, 23andMe+, CEO Anne Wojcicki told investors. Subscription membership grew 51% year over year to 640,000 members. More customers are also opting in to the subscriber program with their initial purchase, though she did not give a specific figure.

Advance Auto Parts Inc. (No. 101)

Advance Auto Parts reported a “double-digit sales increase” in ecommerce for its first quarter. Over the same period, net sales grew 1.3% year over year and comparable store sales decreased 0.4%. The auto parts retailer also reported that DIY omnichannel sales grew, without sharing specifics.

Bark (No. 173)

Revenue was down 2% year over year in the fiscal fourth quarter to $126 million, coming out ahead of Bark’s guidance. Direct-to-consumer revenue also decreased 1.5% to $116 million. For the full fiscal year, direct-to-consumer revenue increased 5.3% over fiscal 2022.

Bark broke down DTC revenue by product category. Toys, beds, and apparel generated $307 million in revenue in fiscal 2023. Consumables including treats and food generated $165 million.

Best Buy Co. Inc. (No. 7)

Domestic online revenue declined 12.1% for the first quarter to $2.69 billion, Best Buy said. Online sales made up 30.5% of total domestic revenue in the quarter, down slightly from 30.9% last year. About 40% of those sales were buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS) orders, the retailer said.

Online sales have doubled since 2020, CEO Corie Barry told investors.

Big Lots (No. 251)

Net sales were down 18.3% year over year to $1.1 billion the first quarter, Big Lots reported.

“Our lower-income consumer was hurt by inflation, lower tax refunds, and higher interest rates, and their confidence has been shaken by banking failures,” CEO Bruce Thorn said in a statement.

The discount retailer declined to share specific ecommerce data.

“We continue to improve the [online] customer journey through a more curated experience, better site navigation, and eliminating friction,” Thorn told investors.

Deckers Brands (No. 167)

Direct-to-consumer net sales grew 19.5% in the fiscal fourth quarter to $343.1 million, up from $287.2 million the previous year. Much of the growth came from a few specific brands. Sneaker company Hoka net sales, including in stores and ecommerce, grew 40.3% year over year to $397.7 million. Teva sales also grew 14.6%, while Ugg sales were down 16.1%.

“Fiscal year 2023 was an exceptional year for the Deckers organization, delivering 15% revenue growth and increasing earnings per share nearly 20%,” CEO Dave Powers said in a statement. “We continue to deliver record results, including the HOKA brand adding more than half a billion dollars of top-line revenue.

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (No. 27)

Lululemon reported ecommerce sales grew 18% in Q1 over the year-ago period. Online sales contributed $835 million in revenue in the quarter, 42% of total revenue, the retailer said.

Traffic grew 30% year over year both in stores and online, chief financial officer Meghan Frank told investors. 

Macy’s Inc. (No. 17)

Online sales were down 8% year over year in the first quarter. Ecommerce sales made up 33% of total sales in the quarter, CEO Jeff Gennette told investors. Digital penetration remained flat from 2022, down from a high of 40% during the pandemic. 

Nordstrom Inc. (No. 21)

Ecommerce sales were down 17.4% in Q1 due to eliminating digital order fulfillment at Nordstrom Rack stores and closing the Trunk Club in 2022, the retailer said.

Nordstrom reported that digital sales made up 36% of net sales in the quarter, down from 39% of net sales in the year-ago period. Digital sales were approximately $1.1 billion in the quarter.

Sportsman’s Warehouse (No. 361)

Net sales decreased 13.5% year over year to $267.6 million in the quarter. Sportsman’s Warehouse didn’t provide specific information on ecommerce sales. CEO Jeff White told investors that online sales are a “continually growing highlight” of the business even as overall sales were down.

Ulta Beauty (No. 48)

Ulta comparable sales were up 9.3% year over year in the first fiscal quarter. The beauty retailer didn’t specify what percentage of sales were through ecommerce.

Ulta also finished the two-year rollout of its updated website and app in the quarter. 

Victoria’s Secret & Co. (No. 53)

Net sales decreased 5% year over year $1.4 billion in the fiscal second quarter, Victoria’s Secret reported. Web traffic for the apparel retailer remained flat from 2022, though conversion rates and average unit retail both declined over the period. 

Casual sleep and beauty were the best performing categories both online and in stores, CEO Martin Waters told investors. Sales in China showed “outsized growth in digital,” he said.

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However, Costco net sales for the quarter increased to $52.60 billion. That’s up 1.9% from $51.61 billion in the prior year’s fiscal third quarter. And net sales for the first 36 weeks increased to $160.28 billion. That’s up 5.5% from $151.97 billion in the same period last year.

Chief financial officer Richard Galanti said big ticket discretionary departments decreased ecommerce sales 20%. Those included home furnishings, small electronics, jewelry and hardware, he said. Those accounted for 55% of Costco ecommerce sales.

“These same departments were down about 17% in warehouse, but they only make up 8% of in warehouse sales,” Galanti said.

Costco ranks No. 6 in the Top 1000. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the largest North American online retailers by web sales.

Costco ecommerce sales

Galanti said Costco hired a vice president of digital transformation in the past year to improve ecommerce, including both mobile sites and applications.

“That complemented three other outside VPs we hired, one of which was in the data analytics area,” Galanti said. “And we’ve really, over the last six to nine months, began a two-year roadmap to improve and re-platform our primary ecommerce website, and the same goes for our mobile apps and mobile site.”

Omnichannel fulfillment at Costco

“In terms of the benefit of buying online and picking up in store and things like that, we frankly view that as more costly than it is beneficial,” Galanti said. “In fairness to the different retailers that feel they have to do it, many of them want to do it. But there’s a cost of doing that.”

Costco can “certainly do more online,” Galanti said.

“We don’t have some strategic goal to go from 8% — which is still a $20 billion business — but to go from 8% of sales to 16%,” Galanti said. “But let’s go from 8% to 9%, 9% to 10%, 10% to 11% over a certain period of time. And we think that with some of the things we’re doing on that side, we can.”

One such thing Costco is working to implement, according to Galanti: showing in-stock warehouse inventory online.

Costco membership growth in fiscal Q3

Galanti said Costco increased new memberships 7% year over year.

“Membership growth continues,” Galanti said.

The wholesale retailer ended its fiscal third quarter with 69.1 million paid household members and 124.7 million cardholders, both up approximately 7% versus a year ago. Also at the end of the third quarter, Costco had 31.3 million paid executive members. That’s up 681,000 — or an average of 57,000 per week — during the 12-week fiscal third quarter.

“Executive members now represent a little over 45% of our paid members and approximately 73% of worldwide sales,” Galanti said.

Meanwhile, the retailer increased its number of warehouses “just under” 3%.

For the quarter, Costco reported $1.44 billion of membership fee income. That’s 1.98% of sales compared to $984 million, or 1.91% a year ago in the third quarter, Galanti said. That represents a $60 million (6.1%) increase in membership fees, he said.

In terms of membership renewals, the United States and Canada membership renewal rate was 92.6%. Globally, that rate is 90.5%.

Costco earnings

For the fiscal third quarter ended May 7, 2023, Costco reported:

• Net sales increased to $52.60 billion. That’s up 1.9% from $51.61 billion in the prior year’s fiscal third quarter.
• Costco ecommerce sales declined 10%.
• $1.44 billion in membership fee income, comprising 1.98% of sales compared to $984 million, or 1.91% a year ago in the third quarter.

For the 36-week period ended May 7, 2023, Costco reported:

• Net sales for the first 36 weeks increased to $160.28 billion. That’s up 5.5% from $151.97 billion in the same period last year.
• Costco ecommerce sales fell 7.8%.

Check back for more earnings reports.

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The post Costco ecommerce sales drop; net sales still increase 1.9% appeared first on Digital Commerce 360.