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
Home Depot’s Key to Great AI Experiences? Ensure It Remains an Authority
Home Depot is moving beyond a wait‑and‑see approach, actively shaping how AI agents interact with shoppers. The retailer insists that its AI‑driven chat and voice assistants uphold the same brand voice and service standards as an in‑store associate. It is embedding its proprietary knowledge base into AI experiences and partnering with vendors rather than relying solely on generic large‑language models. Transparency cues, such as clear AI disclosures, are being tested to build trust while keeping the customer journey seamless.
How Macy’s Is Flexing Its Style Crew Affiliate Program Beyond Social Media
Macy’s is scaling its Style Crew affiliate program from 600 to 1,000 creators, adding storefronts on macys.com and offering 12% commissions. The initiative drove a 315% revenue jump, 327% traffic surge, and 30‑40% conversion lift among top influencers in 2025....
Acoustic Launches Native Integrations with Leading Commerce Platforms
Acoustic announced native, bi‑directional integrations with Shopify, BigCommerce and WooCommerce inside its Acoustic Connect platform. The connectors deliver real‑time catalog, order and behavioral data sync, giving retailers a continuously updated view of each customer. Marketers can now trigger omnichannel journeys...
Dmr Advertising Chooses Pentaleap to Modernize Its Retail Media and Accelerate Growth
Retail media marketer dmr Advertising has selected Pentaleap as its technology partner to modernize its retail media operations for DocMorris. The transition began with a collaborative upgrade alongside the incumbent system, delivering immediate relevance and user‑experience improvements, before expanding to...
Why One-Size-Fits-All ERP Fails Mid-Market Retailers
Mid‑market retailers facing tighter margins are abandoning legacy, monolithic ERP systems in favor of cloud‑native platforms that promise speed, simplicity, and real‑time control. Traditional on‑premise solutions require extensive customization, long rollouts, and costly maintenance, limiting visibility into inventory and sales....
ThriveCart Introduces Installment Payments
ThriveCart has launched ThrivePay Installments, a new payment option that splits purchases into 3, 6 or 12‑month installments using customers’ existing credit‑card limits while paying merchants upfront. The service taps the roughly $4.1 trillion of pre‑authorized credit in the U.S., aiming...
New Ecommerce Tools: January 28, 2026
A wave of AI‑enhanced ecommerce solutions launched this week, ranging from Yolando’s competitive‑intelligence platform and Voxelo’s video‑to‑3D content studio to DiversiFi’s AI billing suite for 3PLs. PayPal’s acquisition of Cymbio adds agentic commerce capabilities, while Yottaa, Lightspeed, and Commercetools introduce...
Amaze To Sponsor SoCom 2026
Amaze Holdings announced its official sponsorship of the second‑annual SoCom Conference, a premier social‑commerce event in Venice Beach on Feb. 26, 2026. The partnership underscores Amaze’s focus on creator‑led retail as the global social‑commerce market heads toward a $5.2 trillion valuation by 2030,...
Manage the Emerging Costs of Agentic Commerce by Taking a Cue From Drop Shipping Strategy
The episode examines the emerging costs of "agentic commerce"—shopping experiences that happen inside answer engines like ChatGPT—highlighting OpenAI’s 4% fee for Shopify merchants and the resulting 7%+ transaction cost when using native checkout. It draws parallels to early drop‑shipping, urging...
5 Trends Impacting the In-Store Experience
Retailers are reshaping physical stores by integrating natural, biomorphic elements and eliminating digital screens. The Look Company’s 2026 report highlights a shift toward modular backdrops, personalized experiences, and smarter space utilization. Major chains such as Walmart and Lululemon are piloting...
How PayPal Uses Smart Strategic Shortcuts to Enter and Scale in New Markets
PayPal is accelerating its global footprint by employing a series of strategic shortcuts, including targeted acquisitions and partnership models. The recent purchase of Cymbio expands its Agentic Commerce Suite, giving the company a ready‑made platform for local merchant onboarding. Simultaneously,...
Long-Tail Keywords: The Ultimate 2026 Guide
In this episode, Rana Vikramaditya breaks down the power of long‑tail keywords in 2026, explaining how they capture high‑intent searchers and outperform broad terms in conversion. He outlines practical steps to discover these phrases—from seed keywords and Google SERP features...
Amazon Chief: Tariff Costs Creeping Into Prices
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told CNBC that tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump since early 2025 are beginning to show up in Amazon’s product prices. The retailer had urged third‑party sellers to stock up on inventory ahead of the duties,...
What Recession Pop Reveals About the Psychology of Nostalgia
The resurgence of “recession pop” sees millennials and older Gen Z gravitating toward late‑2000s music, fashion and media as a comfort amid economic volatility. Marketers are recognizing nostalgia not just as a creative hook but as a measurable audience signal that...
SkipCash Integrates PayLater for Seamless, Flexible Checkout
SkipCash, a leading Qatari digital payments provider, has integrated the licensed PayLater buy‑now‑pay‑later (BNPL) service directly into its payment gateway and payment‑link offerings. The new feature enables merchants to present customers with flexible installment options at checkout without leaving the...
#527 - The Piggyback Method: Build an Amazon Brand Without Starting From Zero with The Zab Twins
In this episode Andy explains the "Piggyback Method," a strategy for launching an Amazon brand by leveraging existing product demand rather than building from scratch. The Zab Twins share how piggybacking on proven listings outperforms traditional retail and supplier models,...
SUPER DELIVERY: A Practical Way to Source Directly From Japan
Japanese products are booming on social media and among travelers, turning items like stationery and homeware into global must‑haves. Retailers worldwide want to stock these goods but face language barriers, high minimum order quantities, and opaque supplier networks. SUPER DELIVERY,...
Metroblox Unveils Ride USD Stablecoin for Everyday Transportation Payments
Metroblox announced the launch of Ride USD, a USD‑pegged stablecoin designed for everyday transportation payments. The token will be usable across ride‑hailing, public transit, and micro‑mobility services, offering instant settlement and near‑zero transaction fees. By embedding the stablecoin into its...
Debenhams Group Reports Trading Above Expectations
Debenhams Group raised its full‑year adjusted EBITDA outlook to £50 million after trading outperformed expectations through 28 February 2026. Momentum in the flagship Debenhams stores and a clear uplift in its youth labels, especially Pretty Little Thing, drove the results. The retailer accelerated its transformation...
MetaRouter Strengthens Executive Leadership Team to Accelerate Global Growth in AI-Ready Marketing and Commerce Infrastructure
MetaRouter announced three senior executive hires—Ana Laura Zain as chief marketing officer, Jason Bagg as chief financial officer, and Jon Flugstad as chief business officer—to strengthen its leadership as it scales a privacy‑first, AI‑ready data orchestration platform. The appointments bring...
Card Factory Festive Trading Impacted by Lower Footfall
Card Factory reported that its Christmas trading was hampered by a challenging consumer environment and reduced footfall on the UK high street. While total group revenue rose 4.3% in the final two months of 2025, store sales fell 0.8% and...
Pets at Home Says Performance in Line with Expectations as It Works Through Turnaround Plan
Pets at Home reported third‑quarter results that met expectations, with group consumer revenue edging up 0.8% to £472 million. The vet‑group saw a 5% revenue rise driven by higher transaction values and Care Plan uptake, while retail consumer revenue slipped 1.1%...
Edikted to Open First UK Store
US‑based fashion label Edikted announced the opening of its first standalone store in the UK and Europe on London’s iconic Carnaby Street. The 4,800 sq ft flagship will showcase women’s apparel and accessories that blend streetwear, runway trends, and contemporary style. Edikted’s...
Why Ethical Products Struggle to Sell — and the Simple Pricing Fix That Could Change That
New research from Toronto Metropolitan University finds ethical products can boost sales by offering the same shelf price as conventional items but in slightly smaller, clearly labeled quantities. Six experiments with about 2,500 shoppers in Canada, the United States and...
The New Wave of Protein Is for the Girls
David, the protein‑bar maker valued at $725 million, introduced the Bronze Bar, a lower‑protein, indulgent snack positioned as a beauty‑focused lifestyle product. The brand partnered with actress Julia Fox to market protein as a status symbol for women, emphasizing body composition and...
GASPARD PREMIER Charts Measured Growth as Niche Fragrance Maker Leans on Small-Batch Model
GASPARD PREMIER, a Montreal‑based niche fragrance and skincare label, has sustained growth by producing ultra‑small batches of natural, botanical‑based products. Founder Raphaël Gaspard keeps production, bottling and distribution under one roof, resulting in frequent sell‑outs, including two December launches. The...
Wellness Briefing: Is Absorption the New Supplement Industry Frontier? Plus, Industry News
The Absorption Company, a three‑year‑old supplement brand backed by celebrity couple Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder, launched a line of single‑nutrient products that sold out within days. The founders emphasized absorption and bioavailability as the next frontier for differentiating supplements...
Rhone Debuts Resale Site Built on Customer Returns
Rhone has launched ReRhone, a branded resale channel that sells customer returns through a partnership with Archive. The program debuts with roughly 400 items ranging from $19 to $274 and leverages the 5,000 returns the brand processes each month. By...
How Miu Miu Beauty Used AI to Ensure a Successful Launch
Miu Miu Beauty, launched by L’Oréal Luxe in 2025, deployed AI early to streamline internal workflows and pre‑test creative assets for its debut fragrance Miutine. The brand leveraged AI tools such as Vizit and L’Oréal GPT to predict visual engagement and...
Science-Led CX: Why Proof Builds Loyalty in Health Retail
Health‑focused retailers are moving beyond flashy trends to a science‑led customer experience, where proof of efficacy replaces hype. Consumers in wellness, skincare and family‑health categories now demand clinical backing, clear ingredient origins and regulatory compliance before they commit. Brands like...
Inside Amazon’s Big Bet on Harris Farm
Amazon Australia has partnered with premium grocer Harris Farm Markets to bring fresh produce, meat and berries to its platform, marking the first time fresh food is available on Amazon.com.au. The rollout starts in more than 80 Sydney inner‑city suburbs,...
How To Design Black Websites: Examples + Tips
In this episode Kaushiki explains how to design effective black‑background websites, outlining their advantages for brand differentiation, visual impact, and relevance to luxury, tech, and streetwear sectors. She balances this with the drawbacks—readability issues, higher cognitive load, and limited aesthetic...
Toys R Us Exits Saskatchewan as Canadian Store Network Shrinks
Toys R Us is exiting Saskatchewan, joining the recent British Columbia shutdown and leaving only 22 Canadian stores, down from a peak of 103. The remaining Saskatchewan locations in Saskatoon and Regina are in clearance mode and slated for liquidation. The contraction...
SharkNinja CEO Mark Barrocas on Building Strong Consumer Advocacy
At the National Retail Federation Big Show, SharkNinja CEO Mark Barrocas highlighted the company’s consumer‑obsessed culture and its two billion‑dollar brands, Shark and Ninja. He explained how the firms use real‑time consumer feedback to iterate products quickly while maintaining rigorous...
Nearly 40% of US Merchants Now Accept Crypto at Checkout: PayPal
PayPal’s latest survey shows that nearly 40% of U.S. merchants now accept cryptocurrency at checkout, up from earlier experimental phases. The study of 619 payment‑strategy leaders reveals that 84% of merchants believe crypto payments will become mainstream within five years,...
MercadoLibre and Endeavor Say Latin America’s eCommerce Growth Outpaces Rest of World
Online shopping in Latin America is expanding 1.5 times faster than the rest of the world, according to data from Endeavor and MercadoLibre. The region’s e‑commerce market is projected to hit $215.31 billion this year, with Argentina, Brazil and Mexico accounting...
Enova Spotlights Small Business Confidence as Loan Demand Surges
Enova reported fourth‑quarter originations of $2.3 billion, a 32% year‑over‑year increase, pushing its portfolio to a record $4.9 billion. Small‑business loans drove 68% of the portfolio, with originations up 48% to $1.6 billion and revenue climbing 34% to $383 million. The company highlighted an...
What Jaimee Vilela Learnt Building a $3m Haircare Business
Jaimee Vilela grew Cooki from $179,000 to $3 million in revenue by keeping the business capital‑light and founder‑led. She limited growth channels to Meta advertising for acquisition and email for retention, avoiding agencies, investors and extra staff. A strategic rebrand from...
Texas Declares War on Chinese Tech — And It’s Getting Weird
Governor Greg Abbott announced an expanded ban on Chinese‑linked technology for Texas state employees, prohibiting hardware, software, and AI tools from firms such as Alibaba, Shein, Temu, TP‑Link and CATL. The measure, framed as a privacy safeguard against foreign surveillance,...
The Best Businesses To Start In 2026
In this episode, Andris Mucenieks outlines the top 14 business ideas to launch in 2026, highlighting low‑cost, online‑first models such as print‑on‑demand, AI‑based services, sustainable product stores, and digital offerings like courses, affiliate marketing, and VR/AR content. He backs each...
LVMH Doubles Down on Tiffany and Loro Piana as It Plays the Long Game Through Luxury’s Slowdown
LVMH closed 2025 with revenue just over €80 billion and free cash flow of €11.3 billion, an 8% year‑over‑year rise despite modest organic decline and currency headwinds. The group highlighted a long‑term brand strategy, centering on Tiffany & Co.’s shift to gold and high‑jewelry...
ShopTalk Luxe: How Luxury Leaders Are Redefining Growth in Volatile Markets
At ShopTalk Luxe in Abu Dhabi, Chalhoub Group CEO Michael Chalhoub detailed how the 14,000‑employee luxury retailer navigated sudden missile threats in Qatar and Bahrain, placing employee safety above all else. He highlighted the firm’s historic resilience, having rebuilt after...
American Eagle to Close Quiet Logistics Business
American Eagle Outfitters announced the shutdown of its Quiet Logistics fulfillment business, ending the anti‑Amazon strategy launched with the 2021 acquisition of Quiet and AirTerra. The closure will see Boston and Dallas centers cease operations by mid‑2026, while the Atlanta...
Collectibles Marketing Unlocks New Audiences and Revenue
One of the biggest opportunities most people are sleeping on in 2026 and beyond is using collectibles — and collectibles strategy — as marketing to enhance their relationship with current consumers, open up new audiences, and find new revenue streams. What’s...
Nuvei and WEX Team on Virtual Cards for Travel Merchants
Nuvei announced a partnership with WEX to embed virtual‑card technology into its travel merchant network. The integration lets agencies, airlines and hospitality brands issue single‑use cards directly from settlement flows, improving cash‑flow visibility and reducing reliance on external credit. By...
Mastercard Launches ‘Agent Suite’ to Help Merchants Deploy Agentic AI
Mastercard announced the Agent Suite, a portfolio of customizable agentic AI services slated for release in Q2 2026. The offering combines AI agents with consulting, leveraging Mastercard’s payments infrastructure, data assets, and a global network of over 4,000 advisors. Initial use...
DLocal Powers HONOR’s Peru Debut as E-Commerce Sales Set to Hit $59.5bn
Cross‑border payments platform dLocal has partnered with Chinese AI device maker HONOR to launch the brand’s first website in Peru. The deal gives HONOR access to a suite of local payment methods—including credit‑card installments, bank transfers, cash and the Yape...
Dialogue Integration With Instagram & TikTok
In this episode, Omri Katz discusses how brands can leverage Dialogue’s integration with Instagram and TikTok to deliver personalized customer experiences. He explains the technical steps for syncing product catalogs, automating messaging, and using social commerce tools to drive engagement...
Home Depot Introduces AI Tool to Help Contractors Build Project Material Lists Faster
Home Depot has added a Material List Builder AI to its Project Planning platform, allowing professional contractors to generate detailed, job‑specific material lists in minutes using natural language, voice or existing documents. The tool groups items by project phase, shows...
7 Best Places to Buy Affordable Jigsaw Puzzles
The article outlines seven retailers where puzzle enthusiasts can find affordable, quality jigsaw puzzles, ranging from mass‑market giants like Amazon and Target to specialty sites such as PuzzleWarehouse.com and heirloom‑focused Nautilus Wooden Puzzles. It highlights the pandemic‑driven surge in puzzle...