Online Sales of General Merchandise Retail Stores

                                        
The rising of income and living standards in recent years has accelerated the growth of the retail market. As one of the vital parts, general merchandise retail is closely linked to economic development and consumption. 
 
General merchandise, as an important carrier of offline retail, occupies the leading position for a long time.  


The rapid development of online stores reflects that the traditional retail industry has entered into a transition period, from offline to online. 
 
In addition, the development of technology makes consumers have more options and thus e-commerce has become the strongest competitor of the traditional retail industry. 
 
The rising rent in business areas enables several large supermarkets to lend additional spaces to others. Furthermore, the reduction in profit margin brings great pressure to the general merchandise industry. 


The old school operating mode and high debt lead to the higher costs and single source of revenues of traditional department stores. In comparison, the development of e-commerce platforms provides a channel for consumers to compare prices.
 
For consumers, similar products at different prices will be searched and compared online by consumers easily. Therefore, the traditional general merchandise may face challenges. 


To reverse this situation, the followings are some tips. 
 
To begin with, reshape the operation mode of the company and combine online and offline stores together, which is favorable for the diversified development of the company
 
Besides, the mature operating methods, logistics and advanced infrastructures of the supply chain have laid a solid foundation got online sales. Integration of online and offline stores, products, inventory, sales and payment are helpful to establish shopping malls both online and offline, so as to achieve the transition. 


Next, companies are suggested to collect and analyze data from different channels and phases, such as data of consumption, inventory, finance and product sales. It is useful to understand the demand and habits of consumers and develop responsive promotions and procurement. 
 
What’s more, it creates a win-win relationship between the brand and customers. The long-term development of the products and the brand can be enhanced in this way.