#1 seller enablement app revealed, Tupperware named among most trustworthy companies in America, Express bankruptcy, and more!

Happy May! Spring is in full swing, and we’re seeing good numbers from the markets. Retail’s latest numbers were better than expected, at 0.7% growth for March, while experts at World of Direct Selling have revisited direct selling leaders’ Q4 results from last year and seen reason for optimism. 

At the same time, the U.S. economy slowed down in Q1 2024, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis’s new numbers – particularly affecting lower-income consumers. These consumers are essential to economic growth, so innovative companies will have to figure out a way to bring them back to “the table.”

Here’s a roundup of the newest articles and ideas that analysts are stewing over as we head toward the second – and warmer – half of the year.

Latest News:

Rallyware recognized as top distributor enablement app for transforming field experiences. (PRWeb)

Social Selling News has ranked Rallyware the #1 distributor enablement app. 

This ranking shows where the direct selling industry is headed, as represented by Rallyware’s core values and offerings – such as digital innovation, omnichannel support, and AI seller copilots.

Direct selling is headed toward a digitally transformed, AI-enabled future, says the most significant industry publication. Are you prepared?

Let’s see what else is happening in the market.

• Tupperware named to Newsweek’s most trustworthy companies in America 2024. (Direct Selling News)

In the consumer goods category, Newsweek ranked direct seller Tupperware #13 most trustworthy company in the USA. “I’m bursting with pride over the news,” said Tupperware President and CEO Laurie Ann Goldman.

• Awakend dissolves partnership with Q Sciences. (Social Selling News)

Awakend have announced the end of their partnership with Q Sciences, originally announced in January of this year, after new information made the partnership impossible and incompatibilities in vision arose.

• Young Living’s ‘Make a Shift campaign wins US DSA’s award. (World of Direct Selling)

Young Living’s ‘Make a Shift’ campaign, which focuses on small steps we can take to make our lives more balanced and sustainable, won the DSA’s award in Sales and Marketing, reflecting the direction in which direct selling branding is moving.

• Q1’s retail sales are positive, but the gains may not last . (Retail Dive)

The year-over-year increase in March 2024’s retail sales was 5.3%, reflecting a solid Q1 2024. But experts warn that “spending trends across categories will be mixed as consumers remain under pressure from various macro factors.”

• Retailers get ‘phygital.’ (New York Times)

The New York Times reports on the convergence of the physical and digital realms in retail, describing a recent coinage for the new status quo: ‘phygital.’ 

• Express files for bankruptcy, plans to close nearly 100 stores as investor group looks to save brand. (CNBC)

Express has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as investors WHP Global seek to scoop up their assets. What this means for traditional retail will continue to unfold throughout the months ahead.

Articles & Analyses:

From Personalized to Individualized: The Rise of Omnichannel and Concierge Customer Service (Forbes)

• The pandemic era saw the thunderous growth of e-commerce, with the sales channel increasing 44.5% YOY during "peak Covid" (2020). 
• Now, consumers want the convenience of e-commerce, but they also want to be able to browse in-store—while having both journeys connect and intertwine.
• What is the meaning and purpose of the store today? The answer lies in service.
• This is not merely answering questions and dispensing product knowledge, but the holistic way that store staff work with consumers.

Don’t Take the Sales Force for Granted: Recentering the Seller Experience to Drive Performance (eLearning Industry)

• Wages have risen, inflation has cooled, and yet interest rates still bite into personal income, giving individuals a feeling that—as the popular saying goes—"it's over."
• Where sellers previously could be more passive, having more pessimistic consumers—and consumers who have already informed themselves on products through digital and social means—requires those sellers to become more strategic and intentional.
• How is the right seller experience created to not only increase performance (repeat sales, order size) but also promote engagement and retention in the sales force?  
• An instructive example is found in the success story of Fleet Feet, who, through technology, grew sales by +140% among active users.

Direct Selling Deep Dive: How Smart DS Tech Targets KPIs

• According to analysis from Direct Selling News, only 40% of the Top 100 direct sellers actually grew YoY in 2023. 
• However, there are direct selling enterprises that use distributor experience technology to help drive growth through KPIs. 
• Performance Enablement tech gets powered by integrations, internal behavioral data, external sales performance data, large-scale data patterns, and other sources of information to determine the distributor’s journey as it unfolds.
• Part of that journey is the enterprise’s current needs, which combine with the autonomous technology itself and data about the distributor’s decisions, goals, and behaviors, to ensure the delivery of the right business-building activities for corporate KPIs.

5 Steps to Ensure Platform Adoption Among Your Sales Force

• To reap the benefits of tech to power the sales force (CRM, sales gamification, etc.), companies must deliver widespread adoption.
• As McKinsey analysts make clear, in the post-pandemic world, winners and losers are divided up by how well they implement digital and cloud technologies.
• One strategy to get buy-in: conduct comprehensive assessments and gather feedback from sales representatives to identify pain points. 
• Another strategy: invest in comprehensive tech training programs tailored to the needs of different user groups within your sales force.

Disruptive Success: How Agile Start-Up Direct Selling Companies Are Outshining Traditional Giants

• In the world of direct selling, a paradigm shift is underway, and the disruptors are rewriting the rules.
• Agile start-ups, unburdened by legacy systems and bureaucracy, seized the opportunity to disrupt the status quo. 
• For service-oriented start-ups, these companies’ specific verticals include financial services, telecommunications, and home security. 
• By prioritizing agility, innovation, and customer-centricity, these upstarts are not only challenging traditional giants but surpassing them at their own game.

Human Touchpoints: How Soft Skills Drive Retail Sales Numbers

• The latest numbers show that monthly retail sales were up about $710 billion, rising .7% from the previous month, according to Reuters. 
• Though this is welcome news, the question remains: how will retailers keep these gains going?
• The answer, surprisingly, lies in large part in associates’ soft skills – their human touch. 
• Skills such as empathy, communication, teamwork, and creative thinking create memorable customer experiences that drive sales and customer loyalty.

Lastly, on YouTube, check out the recording of our webinar chat with Adriana Ariga of Beautycounter. 

With over 15 years of experience in direct selling, Adriana dives deep into how businesses can go beyond traditional training methods to drive real performance and growth in the direct selling industry. Goes best with a cup of coffee and a pen in hand!