Cost-Saving Strategies in E-commerce: Highlights from the E-commerce Innovation Summit

On October 8th, NextChapter eCommerce, in collaboration with five partners, organized a successful E-commerce Innovation Summit at the unique location of Fort de Gagel in Utrecht. The event brought together professionals from the e-commerce sector for a day of knowledge sharing and networking. Six speakers delivered inspiring presentations on cost-saving strategies in e-commerce, providing valuable insights for the more than 70 attendees.

Thanks to the engaging speakers and interactive sessions, this first edition of the E-commerce Innovation Summit was a great success, with plenty of opportunities for discussion and experience-sharing. The event concluded with a networking reception, where participants had the chance to continue the conversations and make new connections.

Key takeaways per speaker:

1. Mariska van den Berg from ZEO: “More Growth with Less Money in Google Ads”

Calculate your costs using MER (Marketing Efficiency Ratio).

Stop wasting money: turn off ads that aren’t performing. Follow up with previously acquired customers instead of targeting them again. Does everything need to go through Google?

Shift your budget: spend less on short-term Google Ads and more on long-term organic growth. Also, focus on demand-driven (voice) content!

Optimize your current business.Don’t just work on the technical functionality of your webshop—focus on user experience, SEO, conversion, and loyalty. Follow up with customers through email.

2. Niels Bergmans from Returnless: “Cut Costs and Boost Revenue with Sweatless Returns”

Take control of your return process and costs:

Use your return data in customer communication to reduce returns (“We recommend size M”).

Offer exchanges through coupon codes.

Provide free in-store exchanges.

Exclude custom & hygiene products from returns.

Prevent theft during transit by anonymizing the return address (making valuable contents unidentifiable).

Organize a solid process for 100% returns (e.g., for rentals when you know the item will always come back).

3. Alex Reis from Revend: “Zero and First-Party Data: The New Gold”

Problem: Third-party cookies are disappearing, and many consumers use ad blockers.

Solution: Collect first- and zero-party data in a Customer Data Platform (CDP).

First-party data: collected through server-side tracking and back-office data.

Zero-party data: data proactively shared by the customer, such as through a pop-up or survey

Combine this data to optimize your ad spend.

4. David Verweij & Jeroen Klokgieters from Kijkshop.nl: “Innovation in E-commerce: Live Shopping”

Live shopping is a completely new, interactive way of online shopping.

A company presents a product live in a video, communicates directly with consumers, answers questions, and consumers can make a purchase instantly

Consumers gain access to company content on Kijkshop.nl and follow specific companies for inspiration and live shopping.

In the Netherlands, it’s still relatively small but growing. It is already very large in Asia and the USA.

5. Michiel Bestebroer from NextChapter eCommerce: “Evolution in Replatforming”

It started with custom web development. This shifted to best-of-breed, where specialized parties formed a landscape together. Now, there are suites like the NextChapter multiˣ suite, where core modules are available within a single platform.

Best of breed vs. Suites:

Suites are more cost-effective due to the synergy advantages.

Suites offer higher quality as integrations and data flows between core modules (PIM, OMS, CMS, and webshops) run smoothly.

Suites are simpler, with a single point of contact.

Suites are more efficient as they operate from a single system.

Surrounding the NextChapter multiˣ suite is a complete e-commerce ecosystem to support your e-commerce landscape (for integrations with ESPs, PSPs, CDPs, etc.).

6. Raymond Vonk from Segmentify: “The Power of Connected Commerce”

Personalization based on behavior and AI is no longer a luxury; it’s a must.

Data: Consumers use multiple channels. This user data is available but often locked in “disconnected silos,” such as in a CRM, social media, webshop, CDP, etc. This data needs to be connected to serve customers effectively and personally.

Break down the data silos.

Use smart campaigns (save marketing budget, achieve higher ROI).

Adjust your communication (ensure a consistent customer experience across all channels).

Maximize your ROI.

Build customer loyalty.

When you have this in order, you can allocate your marketing budget much more efficiently, saving costs in the process.

The next Ecommerce Innovation Summit
The Ecommerce Innovation Summit will retun in 2025 for its second edition. So follow us on LinkedIn to stay informed.