Insights

Savvy shopping will stay top of mind in 2023

Inflation is easing but it’s still higher than the three-year average pre-pandemic Consumer spend remained positive through December 2022, despite consistent pressure for high inflation rates. In particular, the second half of the year saw a steady decline in inflation with the year closing at a 6.5% inflation rate. In looking at retail sales, consumer […]
Marketing Strategies

Getting Ready for Kickoff: Rakuten’s Big Game Journey

With the big game just days away, we’re overwhelmed with a whirlwind of emotions: excitement, anticipation, pride, and so much more. Rakuten is advertising in the Big Game for the second year in a row, and as we count down the days to kickoff it’s important for us to reflect on our journey as a […]
Insights

A return to health for retail

2023 is the year for reset The start of 2023 looks vastly different than the beginning of 2022. For the first time in three years, retailers are entering the new year with more predictable conditions consistent with the ebbs and flows of regular economic cycles. Without the burden of latent inventory upsetting the shelves, and […]
Insights

What’s ahead for affiliate in 2023

To drive maximum growth, every affiliate marketer must look ahead to understand how their category and customers will evolve. So, what’s ahead for affiliate? We asked our experts to point out the most important trends they expect in the next 12-18 months. Here are six ways the market is changing, plus tips and recommendations for […]
Marketing Strategies

How the cash back customer can propel resale retail

Have you bought anything pre-owned online yet? Resale is a large and fast-growing segment of e-commerce. According to Statista, online sales of resale items were projected to exceed $77B in 2022 and rise to almost $200B by 2030. Online resale revenue will exceed offline by 2026. Online retail is the fastest-growing segment of the second-hand […]
Insights

Cash Back optimizes performance

Shutterfly proves the effectiveness of Cash Back Brands often ask us what’s the best Cash Back rate to power optimal performance against their business targets. Any decision to increase or decrease Cash Back rate impacts margins and gross profit. Whether or not it makes sense to offer a higher Cash Back rate depends on demand […]

Fashion & Finance: The new economic realities of luxury consumers

Rakuten and Vogue Business investigate how luxury shoppers are responding to economic uncertainty. More than 1,000 luxury fashion consumers in the US were surveyed to find out how they are responding to new economic realities. This research investigates how shoppers are funding luxury purchases; the brands they are prioritizing; and the impact of macroeconomic trends […]

The Holiday Outlook

Shoppers are poised to spend throughout the season. Are you ready?  Holiday shopping has seen an undeniable pull forward this year and the seasonal race to steal share has intensified with looming economic uncertainty and persistent shopper demand.   Rakuten maintains the Holiday outlook is positive for retailers over the next two weeks if they can […]

Strategies to drive holiday shopping during the busiest, and most opportunistic, time of year.

In our Behind the Cash Back post we recapped key learnings from our Q4 webinar, focusing on the four changes in shopper behavior that will impact the approach to the retail calendar.   Brands are met with both an opportunity – capture their share of wallets and shoppers – and a challenge. Retain their customers. So, […]

Your first call for higher AOV

Average order value is a critical dimension of successful retailing, and the need to maximize purchase size and value is particularly important as the world enters a period of increased market uncertainty.    Connecting brands with valuable shoppers is the foundation of everything we do. Our model uses the appeal of Cash Back to encourage […]

Your first call for data-driven affiliate strategy 

We all know that success in the affiliate business is based on your relationships with partners. This was never truer than today because we’re all under so much pressure to deliver greater sales and profit. But what makes for a great relationship has changed considerably in the past several years. In today’s data- and insights-driven […]

Cash Back is a precision tool

Consumers are still spending but their loyalty is fleeting The past few months have been an interesting economic ride. Typically, when there is high inflation, consumers react by spending less. But they’ve done the exact opposite. Consumers have continued to spend, despite inflation and we’ve seen monthly retail spend keep pace with inflationary activity.   Right […]

Affiliate Marketing is here to stay

The importance of having an established e-commerce strategy is growing every day. Businesses are increasingly taking to the space to both spread awareness and drive revenue for their brand. Along with the growth of e-commerce, affiliate marketing has proven to be a pivotal and increasingly critical channel for brands to leverage – especially in volatile […]

Improved standards will drive affiliate industry growth

Affiliate marketing is here to stay. The importance of having an established e-commerce strategy is growing every day. Businesses are increasingly taking to the space to both spread awareness and drive revenue for their brand. Along with the growth of e-commerce, affiliate marketing has proven to be a pivotal and increasingly critical channel for brands […]