Today's Ecommerce Pulse
Target launches Circle Deal Days to challenge Amazon Prime Day
Target is launching its Target Circle Deal Days from June 23‑26, positioning the free‑to‑join program as a direct rival to Amazon Prime Day. New members who enroll between June 14‑22 receive a 15% discount on their first purchase, plus a free Starbucks coffee or Bullseye cookie on launch day, and a 50% discount on the first year of Target Circle 360.
Also developing:
By the numbers: FirstClub raises $55M Series B
Paytm Rebounds From Regulatory Ruckus With Sales Up 20%
Paytm posted a net profit of 2.25 billion rupees in the latest quarter, surpassing analyst expectations, while revenue climbed 20% to 22 billion rupees. The fintech’s turnaround follows a series of cost‑cutting measures, the sale of its ticketing business, and a renewed focus on core payments services. The Reserve Bank of India granted Paytm payment‑aggregator status, allowing it to onboard merchants directly. Consumer UPI transaction value surged 35% year‑over‑year, outpacing the broader market.
Linking Payments Infrastructure Is a Key Component of India, EU Deal
The episode examines the newly signed India‑EU Free Trade Agreement, highlighting payments interoperability as a cornerstone, including real‑time cross‑border payments and remittances. It explains how the deal builds on the ECB’s plan to link its TARGET Instant Payment Settlement service...
Bolt Partners with Aethir to Power Open-Web Checkout for Games
Bolt announced a partnership with Aethir, the leading distributed GPU cloud provider, to deliver open‑web checkout for games hosted outside traditional app stores. The deal makes Bolt the preferred payments provider for studios on Aethir’s platform, enabling one‑click, browser‑based purchases...
Amaze Expands Creator Merchandising With Plushies
Amaze Holdings announced a new creator‑powered merch line featuring customizable plush toys, enabled by a partnership with OpenWav.AI’s inventory‑light, global fulfillment platform. The rollout will begin with a limited group of managed creators and later expand to all Amaze users,...
It’s People All The Way Down
The episode argues that despite the hype around autonomous AI agents, real commerce and AI interactions ultimately hinge on people. It outlines how ad‑ and commerce‑funded AI tools must keep humans central, warns that agent‑to‑agent workflows become opaque operations challenges,...
Effective E-Commerce Branding: Big Rig World As An Example
The episode dissects how niche e‑commerce brands can build strong identities and loyal communities, using truck‑parts retailer Big Rig World as a case study. It highlights the power of a deep, well‑organized catalog, clear “Hot Deals” promotions, and expert‑level content that educates...
BigCommerce Expands Stripe Integration to Deliver Optimized Checkout Experiences
BigCommerce has broadened its partnership with Stripe, rolling out the Optimized Checkout Suite to merchants worldwide. The upgrade adds Link’s rapid repeat‑checkout, over 30 local and BNPL payment options, and Stripe Radar’s AI‑driven fraud protection. Merchants can activate the new...
What Is A PPC Landing Page (And How To Actually Use One To Get Better Results)
The episode explains that a PPC landing page is a single‑purpose web page designed to turn ad clicks into a specific action, such as a sale, lead, or download, by matching the ad’s promise and removing distractions. It outlines the...
Inside Pat McGrath Cosmetics’ Bankruptcy
Pat McGrath Cosmetics, the luxury beauty label founded by Dame Patricia McGrath, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2026, citing an unsustainable capital structure and liquidity constraints. The company estimates liabilities between $50 million and $100 million and seeks to reset its...
Tractor Supply Reins in Guidance After Weak Finish to the Year
Tractor Supply Co. reported Q4 2025 results that missed its own outlook, with net sales rising 3.3% year‑over‑year to $3.9 billion while comparable sales were essentially flat. Gross margin slipped 10 basis points to 35.1% and net income fell about 4%...
AI Agents Must Run Your Business Operations
This is what AI agents should actually do. Not just chat. Not just answer questions. Actually run your business operations: → Automates email, calendar, CRM, invoicing → Takes browser-level actions across the web → Scans signals and finds customers for you → Creates decks, videos, research,...
Asda Underpaid 53,000 Workers Holiday and Sick Pay, Says Report
Asda announced it will repay 53,000 current and former employees who were underpaid holiday and sick pay after a glitch in its Project Future payroll upgrade. The miscalculations affected pay from February 2024 to May 2025, with an average shortfall...
The Cross-Border CFO Playbook: Using Local Collections for Growth
The article highlights a growing gap between outbound payment innovation and inbound collection capability for mid‑market firms expanding internationally. While large multinationals have long relied on local entities and bank accounts, smaller companies still depend on global cards and cross‑border...
Mastercard Reworks Cap One Pact
Mastercard announced a renegotiated services agreement with Capital One, extending its network role after Capital One’s $35 billion acquisition of Discover. The new pact will route a large portion of the newly acquired credit accounts through Mastercard, though details remain limited....
JCPenney Invites Shoppers to ‘Ex-Change’ Their Old Jewelry for Valentine’s Day
JCPenney launched the "Ex‑Change" program, letting shoppers swap old jewelry for a free ½‑carat lab‑grown diamond necklace in 14k gold. The first 100 customers at the Garden City flagship and the first 50 at other stores receive the necklace instantly,...
Crocs Puts Self-Expression over Algorithmic Sameness with New Platform
Crocs introduced its first global brand platform in nearly a decade, "Wonderfully Unordinary," to replace the 2017 "Come As You Are" campaign. The new platform emphasizes self‑expression and real‑world experiences as a counterpoint to the algorithmic sameness dominating digital culture....
Fiserv Sued over Alleged Lax Security
Payment processor Fiserv faces a lawsuit from FiCare Federal Credit Union alleging that its Virtual Branch Next platform lacked basic cybersecurity controls, allowing hackers to hijack customer accounts and steal hundreds of thousands of dollars. The complaint claims Fiserv failed...
Stop DIY Taxes—Automate with Anrok for Scale
4 signs you should not be going it alone, tax-wise: 1. You are not, in fact, an accountant. 2. You crossed the $1M annual sales mark and your tax filings went from 2 --> 40, overnight. 3. You did not...
Ecom Founders Brunch: Metrics over Hangovers
Everyone at brunch: I'm so hungover. Ecom founders at brunch: Checking if that email sequence hit 30% open rate. Different mindset. Different life.
Pipe17 Customers and Their AI Agents Are Now onX-Enabled
Pipe17 announced that every customer now accesses the Order Network eXchange (onX), an open standard built on the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for sharing order, inventory, and fulfillment data. The onX specification, governed by the Commerce Operations Foundation—a body co‑founded...
EU Import of Cheap Parcels Rises 26%
EU imports of low‑cost ecommerce parcels jumped 26% last year, reaching 5.8 billion items valued under €150 each—roughly one parcel per citizen per month. The surge is driven largely by Chinese platforms such as AliExpress, Shein and Temu, whose growth has...
The Backroom: Saks Global and the Bankruptcy that Everyone Saw Coming
Saks Global filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Jan. 14, 2026, barely two years after its $2.7 billion acquisition of Neiman Marcus. The deal left the luxury retailer unable to meet vendor payments, triggering inventory shortages that crippleed sales during the critical holiday season. Observers...
TrueLayer and Stripe Tap Into Finnish E-Commerce with Kustom Checkout Deal
TrueLayer and Stripe have extended their Pay by Bank service to Finland by embedding it in Kustom’s checkout platform. The rollout instantly equips more than 24,000 Kustom merchants with a direct‑bank payment option that eliminates card details. Finland’s high online‑banking...
Why the Future of Financial Fraud Prevention Is Passwordless
In this episode, Dr. Adam Lowe of CompoSecure/Arculus and fraud analyst Suzanne Sando discuss the surge in AI‑driven financial fraud and why traditional passwords are no longer sufficient. They highlight how retailers like eBay and Amazon are moving to password‑less...
The Fraud Visibility Gap Created by Agentic Shopping
Agentic shopping leverages AI‑driven assistants to automate the checkout process, eliminating the manual steps that traditionally generate rich behavioral data. By bypassing page‑level interactions, these autonomous flows erase signals such as mouse movement, dwell time, and device fingerprinting that fraud...
Shoppers Want to Feel Seen and Understood, Suggests New Tesco Media Report
Tesco Media’s third annual "We Know the Nation 2026" report reveals British shoppers are seeking community and shared values, moving beyond pure transactions. With roughly 80% of UK households holding a Clubcard, the data shows event‑driven sales spikes—such as scones...
ACH B2B Volume Hits 8.1 Billion Payments
ACH network B2B payments climbed to 8.1 billion in 2025, a 9.9% increase from 2024. Overall ACH volume reached 35.2 billion payments, valued at $93 trillion, while Same‑Day ACH surged 16.7% to 1.4 billion transactions. Healthcare claim payments rose 7.3% to 548 million, underscoring broader...
Most Consumers Can Identify AI Videos
According to Animoto’s 2026 State of Video Report, 83% of consumers say they can identify AI‑generated videos, and they perceive such content as diminishing brand trust. The study found that robotic gestures, unnatural voices, and lack of emotional tone are...
Philip Pich, Founder of Passive Digital Asset, on Why Cash-Flowing Digital Businesses Are Emerging as a Serious Alternative Asset Class
Investor Philip Pich argues cash‑flowing digital businesses are emerging as a serious alternative asset class. These eCommerce brands generate recurring revenue, offer transparent data, and require less capital than traditional private‑equity deals. Pich emphasizes applying M&A rigor—structured deals, earn‑outs, and...
Particular Audience Introduces Modular Retail Media Solutions to Cut Costs and Accelerate Innovation for RMNs
Particular Audience unveiled a Modular Retail Media (MRM) suite comprising 13 interoperable modules that can be added to existing retail media networks without replacing legacy adtech. The AI‑driven components, ranging from semantic search to automated product bundles, promise higher‑margin ad...
Shenzhen Shares Product Details, Technology Vision
At NRF 2026, Shenzhen’s sales director Tiffany Tian unveiled a suite of technology solutions aimed at modernizing retail and restaurant experiences. The portfolio includes AI‑powered kiosks, modular hardware, and immersive AR/VR tools designed for the North American market. Tian highlighted...
Best Attentive Alternatives And Competitors To Consider In 2026
The episode breaks down Attentive’s niche in SMS and RCS automation and why its demo‑only, custom‑priced model suits mid‑size to large brands. It then surveys 11 alternatives, highlighting Omnisend as the top all‑round ecommerce choice with global SMS, email, and...
Palm Payments: Promise and Reality
Palm‑based biometric payment systems have moved from prototype labs to a handful of pilot sites, offering users the ability to authorize transactions by placing their hand on a dedicated scanner. While the technology promises faster checkout and enhanced fraud protection,...
EBay Advertising Launches 2026 UK Marketing Trends Calendar
eBay Advertising has unveiled its 2026 UK Marketing Trends Calendar, a data‑driven guide that maps seasonal moments, micro‑trends and high‑intent shopping periods across the year. The calendar, built on eBay UK marketplace data, highlights demand spikes such as a 76%...
Co-Op Appoints Former Lidl CEO to Board
The Co-operative Group has appointed former Lidl UK chief executive Ronny Gottschlich as an independent non‑executive director, effective 29 January. Gottschlich, who now runs Heunadel Retail Advisory, brings extensive discount‑retail and European market experience to the member‑owned retailer. The move is...
H&M Lifts Profits Despite Slower Sales Growth
Swedish retailer H&M posted a 6% rise in operating profit to £1.38 bn for the year to 30 Nov 2025, while net sales held steady at roughly £17.1 bn. The profit boost stemmed from tighter cost control, a 12% drop in inventory and a...
Why Russian Gamers Are Using International Skin Marketplaces
Russian gamers are increasingly turning to international skin marketplaces because these platforms circumvent banking restrictions, offer stable cryptocurrency payments, and provide localized Russian-language support. Sophisticated pricing engines deliver 7‑8% higher returns than domestic sites, while transparent fee structures and rapid...
What Helped Wild Rye Land 100+ Retailers and Raise $1 Million
In this episode, founder Cassie Abel discusses how Wild Rye transformed the outdoor apparel market by designing high‑performance gear specifically for women and embedding purpose into every decision, from sustainability certifications to social advocacy. She shares how building long‑term, trust‑based...
Instagram Verification Cost in 2026: What Brands Should Know
The episode breaks down Instagram verification in 2026, explaining the two badge options—free verification for notable accounts and the paid Meta Verified subscription that any eligible user can purchase. It details pricing tiers, from $11.99/month for individuals to up to...
M&S Named UK’s Top Brand for Fourth Year in a Row
Marks & Spencer has been crowned the United Kingdom’s strongest brand for the fourth consecutive year, achieving a YouGov BrandIndex score of 52.7, well ahead of runner‑up Ikea’s 45.6. The ranking, derived from more than six million consumer interviews across...
Boomers Have More Patience Than Gen Z With Healthcare Payments Frictions
A PYMNTS Intelligence study reveals a stark generational divide in digital healthcare. While 33% of Gen Z patients report their latest visit was virtual, only 5% of baby boomers did. Payment friction is the biggest hurdle for younger users, with...
Authenticity Beats High Production Value Every Time
I spent $20k on a brand photoshoot with models and studios. Competitor shot iPhone videos in their bedroom. Their content got 4x more engagement. Production value doesn't matter. Authenticity does. Test everything.
Ocado Partner Sobeys to Close Alberta Warehouse
Ocado Group announced that its Canadian partner Sobeys will shut the Calgary customer fulfilment centre, citing slower‑than‑expected e‑commerce growth in Alberta. The closure will shave roughly £7 million from Ocado's FY26 fee revenue, but the company expects an £18 million compensation payment...
Naked Wines Peak Trading in Line with Guidance
UK online wine retailer Naked Wines reported that its peak‑season trading through the 13 weeks to 29 December 2025 was in line with internal guidance. Revenue fell 19 % year‑on‑year on a constant‑currency basis as the company sharpened its focus on a...
Lululemon to Open First Birmingham Store
Lululemon announced its first UK store in the Midlands, opening a 5,700‑square‑foot location at Birmingham’s Bullring. The flagship will carry the brand’s full activewear range for women and men, spanning yoga, running, tennis, golf and more. Lululemon plans to embed...
Liquidations, Rents and the ‘Disappointment Gap’ Holding Back Kiwi Retail
New Zealand’s retail sector entered 2026 amid a wave of closures, with 61 stores shutting in just ten days, including the high‑profile liquidation of ANCZ’s Miniso, Yoyoso and Acecco brands. The collapse follows weak 2025 Christmas sales, rising rent costs...
AS Beauty CEO Joey Shamah on Shuttering CoverFX and Mally Beauty (for Now), Plus Warning Signs a Brand Is Going...
AS Beauty, led by former e.l.f. CEO Joey Shamah, announced the temporary shutdown of its CoverFX and Mally Beauty lines. The move follows a wave of closures in the beauty sector, including the bankruptcy filing of Pat McGrath Labs, and reflects mounting...
Fashion Briefing: Why the New India-EU Trade Deal Will ‘Undoubtedly’ Have Big Benefits for the Fashion Industry
The European Union and India are finalising a historic trade agreement that will slash tariffs on almost all goods, including textiles, jewelry and leather, effectively eliminating duties on 97% of EU exports to India and 99.5% of Indian exports to...
Follett Is Making a Bigger Push Into Private-Label Merch at Its College Bookstores
Follett Higher Education, which runs roughly 1,000 college bookstores, is accelerating its private‑label strategy. The company launched the Cameron J performance‑apparel line, now in 190 locations and already generating millions in sales, while its earlier Campus United brand has posted...
Popflex’s Cassey Ho Is Taking Dupes of Her Viral Skort and Turning Them Into DIY Fashion Kits
Popflex founder Cassey Ho launched the Upcycle Project, offering DIY dress kits made from duplicated Pirouette Skort fabrics. The kits, designed by independent up‑cyclers Kiana Bonollo and Tracy Garcia, let customers deconstruct and redesign the material, with profits benefiting the...