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
AI, Personalisation in, Discounts Out in Growth Ambitions Says Asos
ASOS is abandoning its pandemic‑era, discount‑heavy model in favor of a customer‑centric strategy built on AI‑driven personalization. The company is emphasizing relevance—right product, price, size, and delivery—while reducing promotional noise. Early data show stronger engagement from full‑price product drops and lower return rates thanks to virtual try‑on and fit algorithms. CEO José Antonio Ramos Calamonte says disciplined pricing and ultra‑personalized experiences are key to sustainable, profitable growth.
Building Bharat’s Commerce Backbone: The Team Behind Shiprocket’s Rise
Shiprocket, founded by Saahil Goel, Gautam Kapoor and Akshay Ghulati, has evolved from a simple shipping‑aggregation tool into a full‑stack commerce platform that powers checkout, fulfillment, ads and cross‑border logistics for millions of Indian sellers. The leadership team, augmented by...
How Retailers Use Print-on-Demand to Test and Scale Products
Retailers are turning to print‑on‑demand (POD) to test new products before committing to bulk runs, allowing faster launches and lower financial risk. By producing items only after an order is placed, businesses can gather real‑time sales data, refine designs, and...
Every System Has to Compound: Kumar on Meesho's First 100 Days as a Public Company
Meesho’s AI‑driven discovery feed now initiates 73% of its orders, delivering 690 million purchases in Q3 FY26—a 36% year‑on‑year rise across 251 million transacting users. The platform processes over four billion daily data signals, using a 100‑300 ms latency engine that personalises feeds in...
Fiverr International Posts $8.6M Q1 Profit as Freelance Marketplace Gains Momentum
Fiverr International Ltd. announced a first‑quarter profit of $8.56 million, or $0.23 per share, a dramatic increase from $0.79 million a year ago. Adjusted earnings rose to $22.87 million, while revenue slipped 1.6% to $105.49 million, underscoring the platform’s pricing power and growing inbound...
H&M Opens Storefront on Nordstrom Marketplace to Boost Omnichannel Reach
H&M has launched a dedicated storefront on Nordstrom’s online marketplace, adding its most popular items to the platform and promising regular refreshes. The move, highlighted by Kate Rogowski of H&M Americas, underscores the brand’s strategy to meet shoppers wherever they...
Prxxhri $53 Smart Ring Beats Smartwatches in Amazon Sales, Fueling Minimalist Wearable Trend
Prxxhri’s $53 smart ring has become Amazon’s best‑selling health wearable, overtaking bulkier smartwatches. Shoppers praise its sleek design, all‑day comfort and comprehensive health tracking, signaling a shift toward minimalist wearables.
16 Stellar Goldbelly Mother's Day Food Gifts That Are 100% Worth The Splurge
Goldbelly is positioning itself as a go‑to marketplace for Mother’s Day gourmet gifts, offering curated dishes from top U.S. chefs and bakeries with nationwide shipping. The selection spans luxury items like a $485 caviar trio and a $229.95 designer‑style handbag...
Amazon May Move Prime Day to June and Extend to Four Days, Sources Say
Amazon is likely to launch its 2026 Prime Day in June instead of July and may repeat the four‑day format introduced last year, according to Bloomberg and Amazon Seller Central data. The shift could reshape the timing of the retailer’s...
Live-Shopping Platform Whatnot Taps Shopify to Reach Millions of Merchants as It Chases Growth
Whatnot launched a native integration with Shopify that automatically syncs product listings, inventory, and orders between the two platforms. The tool lets merchants manage catalog details in Shopify while conducting live sales on Whatnot, with purchases routed back to Shopify...
Mirakl Agentic Activation First Enterprise Solution to Make Product Pages LLM-Ready
Mirakl unveiled Agentic Activation, the first enterprise‑grade platform that makes product pages LLM‑ready, enabling AI agents to discover, recommend, and complete purchases at scale. The solution offers two live features—Agentic Product Enrichment, which rewrites catalog data for AI readability, and...
John Lewis Hit with Click-and-Collect Lawsuit
Landlord Hammerson and former co‑owner Aberdeen have sued John Lewis in the High Court, seeking a declaration that click‑and‑collect sales count toward turnover rent under the 1979 lease. The lease obliges John Lewis to pay a £30,000 (≈$38,400) base rent plus 0.75%...
Bed, Bath & Beyond Hope Re-Born - a Retail Lazarus Pitches Its Everything Home Omni-Channel Strategy, with some Very Bold...
Bed, Bath & Beyond, bought out of bankruptcy for $21.5 million, is rebranding as a data‑centric “Everything Home” platform. CEO Marcus Lemonis says the firm will unify its portfolio—including Overstock.com, Kirkland’s, buybuy BABY and the Container Store—under a single customer identity and...
Q1 Lyst Index: Blazy, Demna and Anderson Drive Chanel, Gucci, and Dior Higher
Lyst unveiled its evolved Q1 Index, built on the Desire, Demand and Discovery framework that incorporates AI‑driven search and creator ecosystems. Chanel surged to the top spot and entered the Top 20 for the first time, while Saint Laurent, Dior and Miu Miu...
The 9 Pm Rule Inside India’s Predictable Summer Shopping Pattern
India’s Instamart Summer Trends 2026 report reveals a striking 9 PM peak for ice‑cream orders, with demand more than doubling between 6 PM and 9 PM nationwide. Curd tops overall sales, while mangoes, cold beverages and frozen desserts surge up to 300% week‑on‑week as...
SHEIN Rolls Out Enhanced Marketplace Services For Over 2,500 UK Sellers
SHEIN has launched a suite of localized services for more than 2,500 UK sellers on its Marketplace, aiming to simplify cross‑border sales. The new offering integrates directly with THG Fulfil’s logistics network, routing orders, returns and next‑day delivery through an...
Thai Influencer Sells Premium Durians for Dirt Cheap to Avoid Rotting Amid Surplus
Thai influencer Pimrypie used a four‑hour live stream to sell premium Monthong durians at as low as $3 per fruit, far below the usual $21‑$24 price, in an effort to prevent a looming surplus. The broadcast attracted 700,000 peak viewers...
Italy's Software Fiscalization Shift: Lower Hardware Costs, Higher Compliance Complexity
Italy is rolling out a software‑based fiscalization system that will replace traditional fiscal printers with a certified, distributed architecture. The change promises lower upfront hardware costs, reduced maintenance, and fewer local service dependencies for retailers. However, the model shifts compliance...
Temu and QIMA Partner to Strengthen Product Testing and Platform Compliance
Temu announced a partnership with QIMA to embed independent product testing and certification services directly into its Seller Center. The collaboration initially covers electrical and electronic goods, jewelry, food‑contact materials, and light industrial products, offering on‑site factory inspections, digital compliance...
Forecasting Turns Unpredictable Dips Into Stable Growth
Some “bad months” are not market problems. (Home Decor eCommerce) $4M/month… great months followed by sudden dips. Demand was there. Predictability wasn’t. We built forecasting systems → revenue stabilized at $4.8M.
Baymard Launches Private Community for E‑Commerce Professionals
Oooo... The Baymard Institute has started a community for those involved in ecommerce. Its private but anybody can ask to join if they work in the field. If you do work for an ecomm company this is definitely something you should...
The Twin Regulation Test Facing UK Subscription Retailers
UK subscription retailers face a dual regulatory hurdle in 2026 as the EU enacts a “one‑click return” right of withdrawal on 19 June and the UK rolls out its Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act. Both regimes demand that cancellation be...
Google’s UCP Just Won Agentic Commerce. Stripe, Amazon, and Microsoft Walked Into the Room
On April 24, 2026 Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) expanded its Tech Council to include Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Salesforce and Stripe, joining founding members Shopify, Etsy, Target, Wayfair and Google. The move shifts the battle from a demo‑centric checkout race...
Inside Thayers’ TikToker-Led Product Development Strategy, with Nina Pool and Shelby Ann Bell
Thayers turned TikTok stars Nina Pool and Shelby Ann Bell into product consultants for a new Hydrating Milky Mist priced at $14.99. The concept originated from Pool’s June 5, 2025 TikTok, prompting Bell’s DIY spray test and a flood of community requests. Within 24 hours...
Quick Commerce Firms Face Heat as Riders Stay Off Peak Hours
India's quick‑commerce firms are grappling with a rider shortage as extreme heat deters couriers from working peak afternoon hours. To retain staff, companies are offering extra pay of roughly $0.10‑$0.18 per delivery on top of a base $0.24‑$0.36 per order....
‘Backing The Underdog’: Thomas Tearle & Brent Clarke Launch Transformation Consultancy
Thomas Tearte, former VML CEO, and ex‑McDonald’s digital chief Brent Clarke have launched Underdog Studio, a transformation consultancy focused on eCommerce, subscription models, loyalty, CRM, and AI‑enabled digital products. The firm operates on an outcomes‑based remuneration model, positioning itself between...
Fundamental Brands to Acquire Great American Beauty, Adding $31 M Fragrance Business
Fundamental Brands announced a definitive agreement to acquire Great American Beauty and its licensing arm Palm Beach Beauté, bringing roughly $31 million in 2025 sales into its portfolio. The deal adds licensed and proprietary fragrance brands and paves the way for...
Marketplace Facilitator Rules and CDTFA Audits
California treats registered marketplace facilitators as the retailer for sales tax, but sellers must still prove each transaction’s facilitator status in a CDTFA audit. The audit focus shifts from the existence of the rule to whether sellers can separate marketplace...
Retail Giants Pour Billions Into AI Yet Admit Unprepared for Next‑Gen Tech
A Pattern survey of 1,000 senior e‑commerce executives across the US, UK, Germany and the UAE finds retailers are splashing cash on AI while more than a quarter flag ethical, legacy and cultural obstacles. The mismatch threatens to stall the...
Disney Reshuffles Streaming Commerce and Data Units After SVP Ajay Arora Exits
Disney announced that senior vice president Ajay Arora will leave on April 30, prompting a reorganization of its Commerce & Identity and Data Product groups. The changes place commerce under product management and shift data engineering to the ad‑platform side,...
Flipkart and Kinnect India Turns ‘Double Sale’ Into ‘Sale on Sale’ with SASA LELE 2.0
Flipkart and Kinnect India have revived their viral summer promotion with SASA LELE 2.0, branding it as India’s first “Sale pe Sale” – a sale stacked on another sale. The campaign doubles the discount experience across categories, from electronics to apparel, and leans heavily...
EBay Inc (EBAY) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
eBay reported Q1 2026 GMV of $21.2 billion, up 8% on an FX‑neutral basis, driven by a 19% surge in U.S. sales while international volumes slipped slightly. Revenue rose 13% to $2.96 billion, bolstered by advertising that generated $544 million, and non‑GAAP operating...
ETSY Inc (ETSY) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Etsy reported a $2.8 billion consolidated Gross Merchandise Sales (GMS) for Q1 2026, a 4.8% year‑over‑year decline, while revenue rose 4% to $673 million and adjusted EBITDA reached $169 million, delivering a 25.1% margin. The take rate improved to 24%, up 200 basis points,...
New Square AI Agent Automates Daily Tasks for Main Street Sellers
Square, a Block subsidiary, has launched Managerbot, an AI‑powered business agent, in open beta for U.S. non‑franchise food, retail and health‑beauty merchants. Integrated directly into the Square Dashboard, Managerbot goes beyond the conversational Square AI by monitoring operations, surfacing insights...
EP251: Amazon's New Payment Trap: What Every Seller Needs to Know
Amazon will begin automatically deducting advertising costs from seller disbursements on August 1 2026, replacing separate invoices. The change eliminates the 30‑45‑day credit window sellers previously enjoyed, directly shrinking cash inflows. As a result, sellers must reassess cash‑flow projections, tighten inventory planning,...
Have You Ever Bought A Car From An Online Car Dealership?
The auto market is increasingly shifting to fully digital transactions, with companies like Carvana, Vroom and CarMax allowing consumers to browse, finance, and sign for a vehicle without ever stepping into a showroom. The model draws on Saturn’s legacy of...
AI Referred Shoppers Convert More and Return Less. Here’s What Online Merchants Need to Know.
Adobe’s Q1 2026 analytics reveal AI‑referred traffic to U.S. ecommerce sites exploded 393% year‑over‑year, becoming the fastest‑growing channel. Shoppers arriving via AI assistants such as ChatGPT or Google AI Mode convert 42% better, generate 37% higher revenue per visit, and return...
Amazon Adds AI-Powered Chat to Audio-Shopping Feature
Amazon has upgraded its Hear the Highlights audio‑shopping feature with a new "Join the Chat" capability, allowing shoppers to ask AI‑generated hosts questions via text or voice while listening to product summaries. The AI responds in real time, drawing from...
Google and Mastercard Contribute Agentic Commerce Standards to FIDO Alliance
The FIDO Alliance announced two new technical working groups to create open standards for AI‑agent authentication and commerce. Google donated its Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) and Mastercard contributed its Verifiable Intent framework to the Payments Working Group. The Agentic Authentication...
Shortcut To Popularity: Grubhub's Loyalty Program
Grubhub is launching a month‑long Gold Days promotion for its Grubhub+ loyalty program, running May 1‑31. New members can sign up for six months at a 99‑cent monthly rate, a 90% discount off the regular $9.99 fee. During the campaign, members...
These Three Shoe Brands Raked in Almost $100 Million on TikTok Shop During the Last 12 Months
TikTok Shop generated nearly $100 million in shoe sales for Crocs, Hey Dude, and QVC between April 2025 and March 2026, with Crocs alone accounting for $52.4 million. The broader top‑10 U.S. TikTok shoe sellers posted $163.7 million in revenue, underscoring the platform’s rapid emergence...
Bed Bath & Beyond Q1 2026 Revenue Rises 7% as Net Loss Narrows to $16.4M
Bed Bath & Beyond reported first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $247.8 million, up 6.9% year‑over‑year, while net loss narrowed to $16.4 million. Management highlighted cost reductions, AI‑driven efficiencies and ongoing store‑footprint optimization as the drivers of the modest rebound.
Amazon Launches an AI-Powered Audio Q&A Experience on Product Pages
Amazon introduced "Join the chat," an AI-powered audio Q&A tool on product pages within its Shopping app. The feature lets users ask product-specific questions and receive real-time, conversational audio answers generated by Amazon's "shopping experts." It expands the existing "Hear...
The Loyalty Data Your AI Chat Is Ignoring – And Why It’s Costing You Revenue
AI‑powered chat converts shoppers at four times the rate of traditional sites, yet most implementations ignore loyalty data such as points balances and purchase history. This blind spot leaves valuable revenue on the table because AI agents treat first‑time visitors...
Coach Pioneered DTC Strategy Decades Before the Buzz
Before “DTC” was a buzzword, Coach did it in 1981. Open a catalog. Open a freestanding NYC store. Why? To control the story. To elevate the service. To show the full assortment. To meet customers wherever they chose to shop. That’s channel strategy. That’s brand strategy. #Kaihan #Outthinker...
Pick Chewy and Global-E to Counter Headwinds in eCommerce
E‑commerce sales rose 5.3% year‑over‑year in Q4 2025, capturing roughly 16.6% of total U.S. retail spend, even as macro‑economic and geopolitical headwinds pressure margins. The industry is shifting toward omnichannel models that blend online and offline experiences, with Gen‑Z driving social‑commerce...
How to Create High-Converting Product Images for eCommerce (2026 Guide)
The 2026 guide walks Shopify and eCommerce merchants through a step‑by‑step framework for turning raw supplier photos, stock images, or marketplace assets into high‑converting product visuals. It highlights four non‑negotiable optimization rules—high‑resolution, clean backgrounds, multiple angles, and fast‑loading formats—while showcasing...
Customers Hack Add‑On Fees; Easify Solves It
You’d be amazed how creative customers get at removing add-on charges from personalized products. We learned this the hard way with Pins & Aces. After trying too many product options apps, we settled on Easify Custom Product Options. So much...
Starbucks Pre‑order Limited to One‑hour Advance
Frankly this seems like a no-brainer to be able to do on a delivery app: Starbucks will allow you to pre-order and plan your pick up times in advance. But - apparently only up to one hour ahead of pick-up. #restaurant #delivery...
How Adobe Is Building AI and Agentic Tools for Brands—While Keeping an Eye on Actual Adoption
Adobe announced a suite of AI‑driven tools aimed at boosting brand visibility and agentic capabilities as AI‑assisted retail traffic surged 393% year‑over‑year in Q1 2026. The new Brand Concierge and LLM Apps let brands appear inside large language model interfaces, while...