With the Online Retailer Survey 2020, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts examined sustainability in Swiss e-commerce from the perspective of providers for the first time on behalf of Swiss Post. The authors of the study surveyed 227 companies on the environmental and social aspects of the value chain of their online stores.

Online stores rate the majority of their product ranges as sustainable 

According to their own information, most of the online stores surveyed offer sustainably manufactured products. According to the survey, an average of 52% of all products found on Swiss online stores are produced in a resource-conserving manner. Online retailers pay even more attention to social aspects. 77% of all items in the online stores are produced under fair working conditions. "Our study shows that sustainability aspects are an important factor in Swiss online retail," says Thomas Wozniak, head of the study and lecturer at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Surprisingly, however, providers rarely highlight sustainable products: Only just 14 percent of all online stores surveyed label sustainable items accordingly. Only eleven percent of retailers offer a search filter for sustainably produced items. According to Wozniak, companies already seem to be aware of this deficit. Around half of all organizations surveyed would like to better inform their customers about the sustainability of their products.

Only a third manage without plastic 

In addition to the product, the packaging also contributes to the sustainability balance of online stores. Swiss online retailers state that 56% of their shipping packaging is made from recycled material. When it comes to filling material, 48 percent use recycled material. Only a third use no plastic in their packaging. "The size of the packaging is also a critical point," says Thomas Wozniak. A majority of 72% of all online retailers use shipping packaging that is tailored to the size of the products. "This can help to make efficient use of transport capacities and save material," says the head of the study. Alternatively, online retailers could send the items directly in their original packaging. 49 percent of online stores already do this. The role of packaging is becoming increasingly important. Eight out of ten of the online stores surveyed assume that consumer demand for sustainable packaging will increase over the next two years.

Shipping: Sustainable to your destination? 

In terms of sustainability, shipping products is a particular challenge for online retailers. "Innovative ideas are needed to find solutions for getting products from the warehouse to the customer in a sustainable way," says Wozniak. There is certainly potential for optimization in local online stores. Only 15 percent of the companies surveyed offer locally adapted, environmentally friendly logistics solutions. These could be, for example, bicycle delivery services in combination with the train or transportation by e-cargo bike. Customers also only have the option of choosing climate-neutral shipping at no extra charge in 15 percent of all online stores. "It is therefore not surprising that only very few online stores actively inform customers about sustainable shipping options," says Wozniak. On the other hand, providers are very willing to improve logistics in this regard. 75% of them are open to sustainable transport solutions - especially on the so-called last mile, i.e. the final stage of the supply chain where the postman or postwoman delivers the parcel to the customer's home.

Customer perspective: sustainable shipping solutions are gaining in importance

In addition, Swiss Post and the HWZ University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration Zurich have compiled the Swiss e-commerce mood barometer. Compared to the previous year, the proportion of Swiss customers who shop online at least once a week has risen by over 13%. In particular, people in the over-55 age category have made significantly more purchases in online stores than in 2019 (+25%). The proportion of those who use Twint as a payment option has risen from 17% to 29%. Sustainability aspects were also examined in this study: It was particularly important to customers that the box size is customized when shipping goods (75 percent) and that reusable packaging is used (73 percent). Consumers in Switzerland prefer to be informed about the origin of products (79%) rather than the manufacturing conditions (65%).

Markus Dambach has designed numerous brand and spatial experiences at Richnerstutz and realized them together with the team. He specializes in outstanding brand appearances of companies in an experience-oriented market environment. "I am fascinated by the complex interplay between brands, companies and target groups. Making emotions an authentic and lasting experience is not a question of format, but of understanding the brand values," Markus Dambach explains.

At Standing Ovation, he continues to expand the range of services: "For me, 360-degree communication is not a trendy buzzword, but a necessity of contemporary brand management. Whether in real or digital spaces, at a live event or a PoS, brand experiences are a stronger tool than ever to tell stories and communicate values." Trained as a 3D polydesigner, he began his career at Manor. He held various management positions in PoS design and promotion for ten years. He then worked for ten years at Hauser & Partner as operational managing director before moving to Richnerstutz in 2017, where he first acted as COO and later as business developer.

Despite numerous cancellations by previous exhibitors, Olma Messen St.Gallen has decided to plan a reduced form of Grenzenlos: fewer exhibitors, but more individuality - fewer visitors, but more security. The "Grenzenlos - A different kind of vacation fair" will focus on a personal exchange of advice between exhibitors and visitors at a distance, on borderless vacation destinations and plenty of inspiration. The desire to travel - also with Covid-19 - is to be promoted and rediscovered.

The aim of the trade fair management is not to cancel the trade fair, but to offer an alternative that allows exhibitors to be present in difficult economic times and presents visitors with a high-quality trade fair. Despite the challenging economic situation, exhibitors can participate at short notice, easily and at a lower cost. In short: Grenzenlos aims to spread the vacation feeling and activate the anticipation of travel. On November 30, 2020, the trade fair management will make a final decision on whether or not to hold the trade fair based on feedback from exhibitors on the adapted concept.

A proven partnership: OCA and Grenzenlos 

Camping is in vogue - the market continues to boom, especially in times of corona. In contrast to tour operators, the motorhome and camping industry has been able to benefit from the current situation. The Eastern Switzerland Camping and Leisure Exhibition OCA will therefore take place in its usual form together with Grenzenlos with its comprehensive range and adapted hall design.

Covid-19 protection concept has proven its worth 

Olma Messen St.Gallen will develop a comprehensive protection concept for Grenzenlos and implement various measures. With the staging of "Pätch", they were able to demonstrate the first application of the protection concept at a trade fair. Extra-wide aisles in the exhibition halls and visitor restrictions proved their worth and made the public feel safe. Exhibitors and visitors emphasized that the protection concept was well thought out and carefully implemented.

ProOne stands for high-quality tools and building materials for trade professionals. The own brand of BMS Building Materials Suisse, the association of specialists in the building materials trade, which includes Baubedarf, Richner, Gétaz, Miauton and Regusci Reco, is therefore a genuine alternative to well-known, expensive branded products.

The nationwide B2B promotion was designed to raise awareness of ProOne and communicate its promise of quality. Three heroic key visuals make it clear that professionals swear by ProOne tools and materials. Online and offline mailings were used to encourage craftsmen customers to visit the POS, while roll-ups and other POS material provided the necessary call-to-action on site.

According to the study, around a third of respondents now store online every week, with men showing a higher frequency on average. The main driver of digital consumption is the "convenience" associated with online shopping: home delivery of products is the main reason for shopping online, closely followed by the fact that purchases can be made 24 hours a day and are therefore not tied to store opening hours. Another advantage is the ease with which products and prices can be compared.

The older ones are pragmatic, the younger ones aesthetic

When Swiss shoppers encounter a new online store, they pay most attention to the range of different payment options on offer and also to whether the website is displayed as secure. Young online shoppers (14-24 years), on the other hand, pay most attention to a visually appealing and trustworthy appearance. Online stores must take the different needs of their target groups into account accordingly.

Where and how to buy online

We never take our eyes off our smartphones, but we still do most of our shopping on our computers or laptops, and we prefer to do it from home. But this could soon change: One in five people plans to shop more often via smartphone in the future. The current obstacles to smartphone shopping are small screens and the difficulty of operating stores. Both criteria to which technological answers can be found in the near future (for example, responsive web design).

Now goes app

On average, around two out of three people use shopping apps on their smartphones. In the youngest target group (14-24 years), the figure is as high as three quarters. Thus, apps can prove to be a promising sales channel for digital companies. The top 5 most-used shopping apps in Switzerland are Zalando, SBB, Wish, Amazon and Aliexpress.

Multi-optional paths - customer journeys in the age of e-commerce

In order to analyze the customer journey, information search and purchase were surveyed for different product and service categories. There are already major differences between the individual categories when it comes to searching for information: For example, information on airline tickets or event tickets is predominantly searched for online, whereas information on food and medicines is predominantly searched for offline.

In a second step, the channel of purchase is included. This clearly shows that the boundary between off- and online is blurring and the customer journey is becoming increasingly hybrid. Even in online-dominated categories such as airline tickets. 72% of the people who buy airline tickets obtain information online in advance, of which 85% also buy the tickets online. In total, however, only 59% people buy their tickets purely online.

How Covid-19 catalyzes Swiss e-commerce

One-third of people changed their online shopping as a result of Covid-19. Clothes and shoes were the most popular shopping category during the lockdown. And sometimes stereotypes are confirmed: women bought twice as much in this category as men. How sustainable the increase in online shopping will be after the Covid-19 pandemic remains to be seen. However, 38% of respondents plan to maintain their online shopping behavior during the lockdown in the future or even increase their online shopping. Other international studies see great potential for retailers here, especially for the Christmas season.

The current E-commerce study by Wunderman Thompson Switzerland provides relevant insights into current topics, trends and the online shopping behavior of the Swiss, especially against the backdrop of the current Covid 19 crisis. By means of a representative online survey, around 2,000 people between the ages of 14 and 69 were asked about various aspects of online shopping. Further information and current data can be found at Wundermanthompson.ch can be retrieved.

With six categories, a wide field is open for creative play. All subjects or campaigns created for Switzerland and the Principality of Lichtenstein that were seen in public spaces in 2020 are eligible. The works can be submitted until November 30, 2020 at Swissposteraward.ch. The works will be nominated by a jury of 20 experts from the fields of advertising, culture and design.

Poster Night in March 2021

The winners will be announced on March 11, 2021. Traditionally, the awards have so far been presented during the "APG|SGA Poster Night". Depending on the Covid 19 development, the organizers will decide and communicate at a later date the extent to which the awards can be held in 2021.

The six categories 

• "Commercial National"Poster campaigns with a national impact with posters in at least ten cantons and/or the five largest cities (Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Zurich).
• "Commercial Local and Regional": Billboards with local and/or regional character.
• "Public Service": posters from welfare companies, politics and public institutions.
• "Culture": Posters for cultural institutions or events such as theaters, museums, exhibitions or festivals.
• "Out of Home Innovations.": New ideas and implementations in the field of commercial outdoor advertising.
• "Digital Out of Home.Digital advertising media with image/text movement. Played out on large format screens (at least 70 inches).

Switzerland is among the world leaders in PET beverage bottle collection. There are already over 50,000 PET collection points throughout Switzerland. Now PET Recycling Switzerland would like to go one step further and, in cooperation with Swiss Post, collect empty PET beverage bottles directly from consumers' homes.

But this new service is just another milestone. The direction in which PET recycling could develop further is demonstrated by Metzger Rottmann Bürge with "RoboPET", the prototype of a collection robot, not entirely serious for the time being, whose mission is to autonomously collect empty PET beverage bottles.

The social media campaign is now online and is supported by a poster display in Post branches. The collection bags for PET beverage bottles are available at cost price at Pet.ch/sack.

It has been a very special year. In a communiqué issued by the Wirz Group on Tuesday, it was said that it would have an impact that even today cannot be imagined. The 50th edition of the Wirz Cocktail will therefore be postponed until next year.

The group justifies the postponement of the event with the currently too unclear situation. The protection of guests and employees is simply too important. As soon as more details are known about the new date in 2021, the Wirz Group will provide information.

The lack of knowledge about the role of advertising in financing the Internet poses a threat to many website operators and Internet services. This becomes clear in the course of a study conducted by The Trade Desk. According to the findings, around a quarter of respondents do not know that the vast majority of free content on the Internet is financed by advertising, including websites, videos, online games or free apps. In addition, only 23 percent of respondents are aware that a large number of website and app operators would have to discontinue their services if they could no longer use user data to serve advertising.

Important for media

Journalistic services in particular face special challenges here. More than half (54 percent) of those surveyed said that news services and information portals are important to them and that they would even be prepared to pay for their use. However, at the same time, a high level of "subscription fatigue" is apparent. Almost two thirds (63 percent) of German consumers are not prepared to spend more than ten euros a month on the relevant services. It must therefore be in the operators' interest that their users understand the value of free content and its financing through advertising.

Promote understanding

At the same time, the advertising industry has a responsibility to better communicate the value exchange - the acceptance of advertising in exchange for free, high-quality content online. For example, around 61 percent of consumers surveyed often do not know what they are giving their consent for when they press "Accept" or "OK" online when asked for cookies.

Nevertheless, the majority does not seem to be averse to a model of advertising financing. When asked whether they would like to see additional services offered at a significantly lower price or free of charge through advertising financing, around 86 percent responded positively. The aim is thus to make the value of advertising more visible and the use of user data more comprehensible.

"Consumers have had to put up with pop-ups and Consent banners for too long, which have done a poor job, if any, of explaining the value exchange between the data that is so important to publishers and the high-quality free content available to users," commented Lukas Fassbender, General Manager DACH at The Trade Desk. "This discrepancy threatens the survival of many publishers if we don't manage to resolve it together."

The appeal to the advertising industry to cooperate and commit to transparency is also rooted in the results of the study. Only just under a quarter of respondents believe that they have control over their data and know what it is used for. At the same time, more than half find it annoying that they have to repeatedly agree to their data being passed on on every website.

The analysis shows that the reliability of a source is clearly related to the tone of its articles: the more trustworthy an online medium, the more neutral the reporting on presidential candidate Joe Biden and the more negative on President Donald Trump. The lower the credibility of a source, the more negative the tone about Biden and the more positive about Trump.

Media with a high level of credibility also deal with false reports in a much more intensive and complex manner. Less trustworthy media, on the other hand, tend to report one-sidedly and avoid fact-checking Trump's statements. Overall, the US media report much more negatively about Biden than the DACH media. Across countries, reporting on Biden in the media classified as particularly trustworthy is neutral to positive, while reporting on Trump is predominantly negative.

Within a month, Joe Biden's share of exclusives has shrunk from 15% to just 9%. This means that Donald Trump currently has twice as many exclusive TV and online articles and more than twice as much reach as his challenger. The situation is different on his own Twitter channels: with his tweets, presidential candidate Biden achieves an average of 36% more interactions than the incumbent president - and with less than an eighth of the followers of his rival Trump.

In its centenary year, the independent non-profit organization Pro Audito Switzerland is launching a free online hearing test. This is intended to enable new members or those affected to contact the neutral hearing advice service as easily as possible.

The free service was promoted by well-known personalities Kurt Aeschbacher, the current "Advertiser of the Year" Petra Dreyfus and Leonardo Genoni, who are themselves hard of hearing or hearing-impaired.

The Current online campaign to publicize the online hearing test was designed by Pikka. The photos of the testimonials underline and strengthen the recently developed visual language with a focus on authentic portraits of those affected.

Cécile Bachmann joins from Liechtenstein-based VP Bank, where she has held the position of Head of Group Communications and Marketing since the beginning of 2019. After working as Corporate Communications Manager for a Swiss asset manager and as a partner and consultant for two public relations and public affairs agencies, the former financial journalist founded her own communications agency specializing in financial mandates, which was acquired by the international communications network Instinctif Partners in 2014. Before moving to VP Bank, Cécile Bachmann headed the media office of Raiffeisen Switzerland Cooperative between 2016 and 2018.

Bachmann studied sociology, economics and German language and literature at the University of Basel, graduating with a lic. phil. I degree. She is currently completing a CAS in General Management for Board Members (Rochester Bern Executive Programs).