Lightspeed and Linnworks Partner to Cut eCommerce Costs

Payments platform Lightspeed Commerce teamed with eCommerce inventory and order management firm Linnworks.

The collaboration lets Linnworks offer its first-ever global point-of-sale integration, according to a Tuesday (Jan. 16) press release.

Linnworks customers can connect to Lightspeed Retail and tap into “payment options, smart functionalities and pre-built reports that give customers an incredible amount of insight into their eCommerce business while saving time and reducing costs,” the release said.

Aside from offering electronic POS solutions for retailers, Lightspeed offers eCommerce and payment solutions, per the release.

“With the Linnworks integration, enterprise retailers benefit from an advanced solution to address their complex multi-location inventory needs,” the release added.

“Partnering with Linnworks was a no-brainer for us [because] our integration will benefit retailers immensely and ultimately help grow their business,” said Lightspeed Managing Director of EMEA Liam Crooks in the release. “Our partnership creates a one-stop shop for retailers wanting to scale their business.”

PYMNTS Intelligence examined some of the challenges facing small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) when selling products and services online, noting that 40% of them point to marketing costs as a key obstacle.

“This factor is more challenging than others, such as shipping and delivery or providing effective customer support,” PYMNTS wrote, citing data from the study “Main Street Health Q4 2023: eCommerce Protects Main Street SMBs’ Bottom Line in a Cooling Market.”

The study also found that 55% of SMBs said digital marketing guidance is critical to drive their business. Some digital giants have launched efforts to fill this gap.

For example, Google last year expanded its digital coaches program, which offers online marketing advice and assistance for free to SMBs in the U.S. The program connects companies with approved digital coaches from their area to help them navigate the various aspects of their online operations and capitalize on brand awareness.

“Meanwhile, Mastercard launched a marketing hub last year to help entrepreneurs grow digitally,” PYMNTS wrote. “Through a structured combination of educational content, the platform offers SMBs tools to create marketing assets, including a free online graphic design tool, as well as discounted memberships for Hootsuite, which lets businesses reach customers across multiple social media channels.”