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
Saks Global’s eCommerce Units Gets Permission to Hire Liquidator Amid Bankruptcy
Saks Global’s eCommerce arm, Saks OFF 5th Digital, received court approval to hire a liquidator and sell its remaining inventory while the parent company remains in Chapter 11. The liquidation order applies only to the online unit; the company’s brick‑and‑mortar locations—including Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks OFF 5th—will stay open. Saks Global declared bankruptcy on Jan. 14 after amassing significant debt but secured a $1.75 billion financing package, with an initial $500 million tranche already drawn. New CEO Geoffrey van Raemdonck is steering a restructuring that balances debt relief, supplier negotiations, and brand continuity.
21st Century HealthCare Launches Direct-to-Consumer Ecommerce
21st Century HealthCare Inc., a veteran vitamin and supplement manufacturer, has opened its first direct‑to‑consumer ecommerce store built on Shopify Plus by web agency Fyresite. The new site offers the full product line, subscription ordering, bundled offers and mobile checkout,...
TikTok Deal Finalised: U.S. Joint Venture Secures App’s Future Amid Security Concerns
ByteDance has finalized a U.S. joint venture that transfers TikTok’s American operations to a partnership with domestic investors. The arrangement places all user data on U.S. servers and gives U.S. regulators oversight, addressing longstanding security concerns. ByteDance will retain a...
Brunello Cucinelli Launches a New AI-Powered Ecommerce Site
Brunello Cucinelli unveiled Callimacus, an AI‑powered ecommerce site built on its in‑house Solomeo platform. The site lets shoppers enter natural‑language prompts, delivering real‑time, personalized product recommendations that echo the brand’s boutique experience. Executives say the technology will bolster both brand...
Content Marketing Tips: 10 Ways To Improve Your Strategy
In this episode Karl Bowman stresses that trust has become the core metric for content success, urging marketers to embed credibility through expert voices, transparent data, and a "trust audit." He introduces a "two‑speed funnel" that splits strategy between Answer...
SEO First: Why Generative Engine Optimisation Depends on Strong Foundations
The episode explains that e‑commerce brands must treat SEO as the essential foundation for AI‑driven search, using technical SEO, clear site architecture, unique product content, and internal linking before tackling Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and AI Optimization (AIO). It stresses...
Polyester Vs. Nylon Bags: Which Is Best for Your Brands in 2026?
The episode breaks down the choice between polyester (especially recycled PET) and nylon for promotional bags in 2026, highlighting polyester’s cost advantage, superior printability, UV and water resistance, and sustainability credentials, while nylon shines for strength, premium feel, and durability...
Invest in Expert Guides to Boost AI SEO Authority
💰 Ecommerce: Stop overlooking informational content investment, especially now with AI platforms. This is content that should be used not only for a comprehensive “learn” or “inspirational” section, with tips written by real experts and based on experience. This is particularly...
Why Leading E-Commerce Brands Are Hiring to Offshore Amazon Specialists
The episode explains why top e‑commerce brands are turning to offshore Amazon specialists, emphasizing that the move provides strategic flexibility and faster scaling rather than just payroll savings. Offshore experts bring deep platform knowledge, cross‑market insights, and can be onboarded...
How To Achieve Perfect Order Fulfillment in 7 Steps
The episode explains perfect order fulfillment—a metric that measures whether every order is accurate, on‑time, complete, undamaged, and correctly documented—and why it matters for ecommerce success. It outlines how to calculate the perfect order rate and details seven steps to...
With More Institutions on Board, FedNow Notches Volume and Value Gains
The episode highlights FedNow’s rapid expansion to 1,600 participating institutions, driving a 460% YoY rise in daily transactions to nearly 30,000 and a total transaction value of $853.4 billion, with average payments soaring to $101,435. It contrasts FedNow’s broader network reach...
A Buyer’s Guide: Using a Corporate Gifts Catalog to Pick the Perfect Product
The episode explains how e‑commerce and Shopify brands can leverage corporate gifting to humanize digital interactions, using a centralized gifts catalog to streamline selection, budgeting, and bulk ordering. It highlights key criteria—recipient relevance, practicality, brand alignment, quality, and scalability—while warning...
Target Adds Former Nike Innovation Chief to Board
Target announced that former Nike chief innovation officer John Hoke will join its board in March, while ex‑HanesBrands CEO Steve Bratspies will come aboard in April. Both will serve on key committees—Hoke on governance, sustainability, compensation and human‑capital, Bratspies on audit,...
Shopify for Artists: A Complete Guide to Selling Art Online
Artists are moving from marketplace‑centric sites like Etsy to Shopify, gaining full control over branding, pricing, and customer data. The Basic plan at $39 per month eliminates commission fees, allowing creators to set true‑value prices and own their storefronts. Integrated...
Automation Flows Boost Email Revenue 30% in 2025
Automations drove 30% of email revenue in 2025. From 2% of sends. But most of the brands we audit still treat flows like a set-it-and-forget-it checkbox. On Feb 3rd, @yojimmykim and I are walking through how we actually structure retention. 8 flows. Real segmentation. A 90-day...
Apple Faces £1.5bn U.K. Class Action over Apple Pay Fees
Apple is confronting a £1.5 billion class‑action lawsuit in the United Kingdom alleging that its Apple Pay mobile‑wallet imposes hidden fees that banks have shifted onto roughly 50 million consumers. The claim, brought by financial campaigner James Daley, accuses Apple of stifling competition...
The Weekly Closeout: Reebok Teams with Karol G and Will January Storms Ice Out Retail Sales?
Reebok announced a multiyear partnership with Grammy‑winning Colombian star Karol G, naming her a global brand ambassador and co‑designer for upcoming Classics‑inspired footwear and apparel. Hasbro bolstered its board with former Nintendo of America president and COO Doug Bowser and...
Yann LeCun Launches AMI Labs to Build ‘World Model’
Yann LeCun, Meta’s former chief AI scientist, has founded AMI Labs, a Paris‑based startup dedicated to building “world models” that understand physical reality. Unlike large language models, these models will be trained on video and sensor streams to embed common‑sense...
OpenAI API Unit Adds $1 Billion in Annual Recurring Revenue
OpenAI announced its API unit generated over $1 billion in annual recurring revenue in the past month. The API powers third‑party developers such as Perplexity and legal‑tech startup Harvey, cementing its role as core infrastructure. The revenue boost arrives as the...
AI Agents Erase Traditional Brand Loyalty Forever
AI Agents Are Killing Brand Loyalty — And Reshaping How We Shop AI driven personalisation and recommendations are changing consumer habits — the article argues we may be witnessing the end of traditional brand loyalty. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eKJxW8du #AI...
Caleres Taps Interim CFO; Details Saks Bankruptcy Impact
Caleres named its chief accounting officer, Daniel Karpel, as interim CFO after Jack Calandra resigned effective Jan. 15 and will leave by Jan. 30. The company launched an external search for a permanent finance chief. Caleres also revised its Q4 guidance, flagging...
Ulta Continues Middle East Expansion with UAE Debut
Ulta Beauty is debuting in the United Arab Emirates with a flagship store at Mall of the Emirates on Jan. 29, marking its first UAE location. The expansion is executed through a franchise partnership with Alshaya Group, which also oversees Ulta’s...
Use AI for Summaries, Not Autopilot Guides
🤖 Let’s talk about good AI content use cases: Although AI-generated content is used in many scenarios, in some cases it doesn’t make sense and can do more harm than good (eg. writing guides on autopilot, without real human experience...
Use Copywriting Frameworks to Write 10× Faster
The Holy Grail of Copywriting Frameworks: Never write from scratch again ❌ Use one of these frameworks below to “assemble” your copy. Writing is 10x easier when you do this. — If you found this helpful, please leave a comment and let me know....
Affirm Seeks Nevada Bank Charter
Affirm Holdings has filed applications with Nevada’s Financial Institutions Division and the FDIC to obtain a state charter for an industrial loan company, dubbed "Affirm Bank." The move aims to expand its buy‑now‑pay‑later (BNPL) offerings and diversify beyond merchant‑only financing....
Verifone Tackles Identity Challenge
Verifone is tackling the biggest friction in omnichannel commerce—consumer identity—by unifying identification, loyalty and payment into a single transaction flow. The company highlights that while digital shoppers can be recognized with cookies and device fingerprints, in‑store shoppers remain anonymous until...
Iceland Bolsters Retail Media with ‘UK First’ Sensor Technology
Iceland Foods has partnered with Stratacache to roll out Walkbase sensor technology across its 766‑store retail media network, making it the first European retailer to use camera‑free, privacy‑safe audience measurement. The sensor solution will provide real‑time, closed‑loop attribution for in‑store...
M&A Advisor on Ecommerce Valuations
Frank Kosarek, co‑founder of BizPort, explains that ecommerce valuations now hinge on seller discretionary earnings (SDE) rather than top‑line revenue, with multiples typically 2×–2.5× and up to 5× for subscription‑heavy brands. He notes that buyers prefer companies generating recurring sales,...
HiStone Refreshes Flagship Portfolio
HiStone unveiled a refreshed flagship POS portfolio at NRF 2026, featuring five models powered by Intel’s 12th‑ and 13th‑Gen Core processors. The new devices—HK568A, HK578A, HK600A, HS330A and HK968A—offer clock speeds up to 4.6 GHz, expanded Smart Cache, DDR4 memory and PCIe Gen 4...
Banks Without Invoicing Services Are Missing a Small Business Opportunity
The episode highlights how small businesses now view invoicing as a core part of their payments experience and why banks are uniquely positioned to capture this market. Ian Benton explains that effective invoicing tools—ranging from simple payment requests linked to...
M&A Advisor on Ecommerce Valuations
In this episode, Frank Kosarek, co‑founder of the M&A marketplace BizPort and former head of acquisitions for a major ecommerce aggregator, explains how ecommerce business valuations have shifted toward discretionary earnings and recurring revenue models like subscriptions. He outlines the...
Hike in Retail Sales in November: Statistics Canada
Canada's retail sales grew 1.3% in November, reaching $70.4 billion, with core sales up 1.6% after two months of decline. Food and beverage stores led the rebound, posting a 3.0% increase, driven by a 14.3% surge in beer, wine and liquor...
Amaze Announces Expanded Partnership with Contend to Scale the Next Generation of Creator-Led Commerce
Amaze Holdings announced an expanded strategic partnership with Contend, elevating the studio from advisor to fully integrated partner. The collaboration will combine Contend’s storytelling expertise with Amaze’s global commerce platform to deliver end‑to‑end creator‑led product launches. Throughout 2026 the duo...
Canadian Holiday Shoppers Getting Savvier: NerdWallet
NerdWallet Canada’s Harris Poll reveals that 2025 holiday shoppers spent an average of $828 on gifts, $120 more than the $708 they expected in October. Only 7% attribute the overspend to poor planning, while 43% point to inflation as the primary...
OnePay Integrates Rakuten Card-Linked Offers to Make Rewards Easier and More Valuable
OnePay, the Walmart‑backed fintech, has teamed up with Rakuten’s Card‑Linked Offer Network to embed merchant cashback offers directly within its app. The integration delivers automatic, card‑linked rewards at the point of sale, eliminating the need for coupons or manual redemption....
Form SS-4: How to Complete It & Obtain Your EIN
In this episode, Scott Vinkle walks listeners through IRS Form SS‑4, explaining its purpose as the application for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and why virtually every business needs one for banking, hiring, tax filing, and licensing. He breaks down...
UK to Spend £1 Billion on Influencers, but 59% Can’t See a ROI
The UK is on track to spend more than £1 billion on influencer marketing by 2029, yet 59% of marketers say proving return on investment remains a major hurdle. Consumer trust is eroding, with authenticity, product use and clear sponsorship disclosure...
How to Sell It Well: Expert Tips for Mid‑Winter Success
eBay released a mid‑winter selling guide to help sellers boost listings during January’s slow period. The guide highlights AI‑driven photo listings, detailed item specifics, seasonal product focus, optimized titles, and pricing research. It also advises on choosing the right sale...
King’s Cross Reports Sales Growth Driven by Coal Drops Yard Retailers
London’s King’s Cross retail district posted double‑digit sales growth in 2024. Coal Drops Yard recorded a 20% year‑on‑year increase, while the wider estate saw total sales rise 13.5%, driven by a 16% jump in retail and a 10% lift in...
Gr4vy and Ecommpay Partner to Simplify Global Payments Through Single Integration
Fintech platforms Gr4vy and Ecommpay announced a partnership that delivers a single‑integration solution for global payments. The joint offering merges Gr4vy’s payment orchestration layer with Ecommpay’s extensive acquiring network, giving merchants access to over 200 payment methods in more than...
Retail Brand Monitoring: Protect Your Reputation
Retailers face instant brand reputation shifts as social media amplifies reviews, influencer posts, and viral content. Distinguishing brand monitoring (mention tracking) from reputation monitoring (sentiment and impact analysis) is essential for omnichannel consistency, product refinement, and crisis prevention. The article...
What Is Stockpile Inventory? Meaning, Examples & How To Manage It Effectively
The episode defines stockpile inventory as a strategic reserve that cushions businesses against unexpected demand spikes, supply disruptions, or viral events, distinguishing it from safety stock, buffer stock, and working inventory. It outlines when to build reserves—seasonal peaks, promotions, supply‑chain...
Exclusive: The Nue Co. Brings Its Functional Fragrances to Ulta Beauty
The Nue Co., a wellness brand known for functional fragrances, is launching its scent line at Ulta Beauty, expanding to 1,100 stores by April. The partnership introduces exclusive discovery kits, travel‑size 10 ml bottles, and full‑size options within Ulta’s new wellness‑focused...
Top Reasons Why Fintech Companies Struggle to Succeed in the Competitive Digital Landscape
Fintech firms face mounting obstacles that impede growth in an increasingly crowded digital arena. Tight regulatory regimes, persistent cash‑flow constraints for SME clients, and fierce competition for talent and technology stack integration are among the primary culprits. Recent moves—Qonto’s credit‑card...
How to Make Your Instagram Grid Aesthetic (2026 Playbook)
In this episode, Loieto Tugas explains why a cohesive Instagram grid is crucial for e‑commerce brands, linking visual consistency to stronger first impressions, brand trust, and higher engagement that can translate into sales. He outlines practical steps for creating a...
Gen X Spending Patterns Are Shifting as Costs Rise
Gen X, the 46‑61 age cohort, remains the highest‑spending group, averaging $96,941 in 2024. Rising inflation and living costs have forced 67% to trim grocery budgets and 52% to postpone major purchases such as cars or furniture. Financial strain is...
Eight in 10 Small Businesses Want Credit and on Their Terms
A PYMNTS Intelligence survey of 514 U.S. small‑to‑medium business leaders shows that 83% are confident they will be approved for a new business credit card, shifting the market focus from basic access to product flexibility. More than half of card...
The U.S. Consumer in 2026: Why Relevance, Not Reach, Is Driving Growth
The episode explains that U.S. consumer growth in 2026 will come from relevance, not reach, as eCommerce stabilizes and shoppers—especially Gen Z and Millennials—demand fast, personalized, cross‑device experiences while older buyers seek clarity and confidence. Mobile is now a baseline,...
Razorpay Secures RBI PA-P Licence, Expanding Fully Regulated In-Store Payments Across India
Razorpay has been granted the Reserve Bank of India’s Payment Aggregator‑Physical (PA‑P) licence, allowing its point‑of‑sale solution to function as a fully regulated aggregator for in‑store transactions. The approval comes as physical retail remains the dominant purchase channel in India,...
Waterstones Enjoys Healthy Sales Both In-Store and Online
Waterstones reported a 7% sales increase to £565.6 million for the 53 weeks ending 3 May 2025, with like‑for‑like sales up 5%. Growth was broad‑based across regions and channels, driven by strong fiction titles and higher demand for stationery and children’s educational toys....