Hi and welcome back to the Clear Digital blog, my newly reborn space to talk, discuss, review and speculate about the worlds of digital, ecommerce, marketing and media. Clear Digital was originally set up in late 2015 as an interim project before I then re-entered the world of permanent work in June 2016, as Head of Ecommerce at Wyevale Garden Centres. The blog has lain dormant since then, but having left Wyevale last year due to its break up and sell-off by its private equity owners, I’ve now decided to bring back Clear Digital. As before, I’ll be focusing in particular on my main personal areas of interest in the digital world, filtered through the lens of my 15 years working in the industry with brands such as Argos, Bupa and Wyevale. Of course, one significant change from four years ago is the tumultuous times we are living through in 2020, so this will obviously have some impact on what I cover. Generally, these will be the main themes explored by Clear Digital:
To kick things off, I’ve just published two pieces of related research looking at the UK marketplace sector. Covid19 has led to steep recent online sales growth, and marketplaces (including the twin headed Amazon/eBay beast) have also benefitted from this significant change in customer behaviour. However, this hasn’t been just due to the forced closure of many traditional shops, but also because a growing number of marketplaces offer a real sense of community, usefulness and fun – with a personal favourite of mine being Discogs, the record collector hub and marketplace. Therefore, I’ve taken a look at the UK marketplace sector as a whole, as well as a deeper dive on Discogs and the UK music sector, including the significant size of the under-reported used records market… The UK marketplace sector – and the role of community The UK marketplace sector is responsible for a third of all ecommerce sales - and 2020's unfortunate events have seen a large rise in sales and sellers. This blog examines the sector's size, dynamics and the increasing success of community-driven marketplaces. Discogs – the digital success story of the vinyl revival Discogs is a digital brand with a difference; it’s thriving in the hugely competitive music sector, by catering to a niche but dedicated sector of music enthusiasts and record collectors. This blog reviews the current music market as a whole, delves deeper into the second hand vinyl market and then examines Discogs’ offering and recent success. All future posts will be shared via the @clrdigital Twitter feed, as well as my personal LinkedIn account, so please follow to get all the latest updates too… CLEAR DIGITAL CONSULTING Another reason for re-establishing the Clear Digital blog is more pragmatic; I’m also currently personally available for new assignments, having started searching for fresh opportunities at the worst such time in living memory. Therefore, as well as being open for permanent roles, I can assist on an interim and consulting basis, utilising my past experience but also a wider network of contacts out there if necessary, specialising in a wide range of ecommerce, digital and marketing disciplines. My Consulting section has more details on how I can help, particularly in these areas: I’d love to hear from you and catch up to see if there’s anything I can help you with or even just share and exchange some thoughts…
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Jim ClearLead blogger and founder of Clear Digital: talking about ecommerce, digital, marketing and media. Categories
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December 2020
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