Today's Ecommerce Pulse
Updated 2h agoAmazon automation emerges as a semi‑passive income model for 2026
Amazon automation can generate profitable, semi‑passive income in 2026, but success hinges on disciplined execution and seasoned oversight. Modern automation relies on advanced software for research, pricing, inventory, and ad optimization, while strategic decisions remain human‑driven.
Also developing:
By the numbers: MakeMyTrip to acquire majority stake in Flamingo Transworld
News•Jan 21, 2026
How Barnes & Noble Used Its Stores to Launch a New Chapter
Barnes & Noble reversed its decline by re‑imagining stores as community‑focused bookshops rather than traditional retailers. After hitting a low of roughly 600 locations, the chain opened 60 new stores in 2025 and plans another 60 in 2026, bringing its footprint above 700. Stores now forgo corporate planograms, letting local staff curate titles, events, and social media to reflect neighborhood tastes. This hyper‑local model has turned each outlet into a cultural hub that drives foot traffic and revitalizes sales.
By Retail TouchPoints
News•Jan 21, 2026
Bloomingdale’s Aims for the Heart with ‘Wuthering Heights’ Activation
Bloomingdale’s is turning its Carousel space at the 59th Street flagship into a Wuthering Heights‑themed shop through Feb 22, 2026. The activation features a 35‑piece exclusive Aqua collection plus licensed items from Hanky Panky, Slip, Art of Tea, Maude’s and Dear...
By Retail TouchPoints
News•Jan 21, 2026
At Michaels, Taking Party City and Joann’s Market Share Was Priority No. 1
Michaels CEO David Boone says the retailer’s top priority is seizing market share left by Party City and Joann’s exits. The chain has rolled out a Party Shop and Knit & Sew section in every store, added balloon bars, and plans to...
By Retail Dive
Blog•Jan 21, 2026
FTC Appeals Court Ruling in Meta Monopolization Case
The Federal Trade Commission has filed a notice of appeal after a district court ruled in favor of Meta Platforms in an antitrust lawsuit. The FTC maintains that Meta illegally preserved a monopoly in personal social networking by acquiring Instagram...
By Shopifreaks
Blog•Jan 21, 2026
Naver Prepares ThingsBook Launch with Potential Poshmark Ties
Naver, the South Korean tech giant behind Poshmark, announced the launch of ThingsBook, a social curation app targeting North American users. The service, described as a “personal museum,” lets shoppers organize and showcase favorite items in a visual feed. Scheduled...
By Shopifreaks
Blog•Jan 21, 2026
Cisco Integrates OpenAI Codex for Enterprise Engineering
Cisco has partnered with OpenAI to embed Codex into its engineering workflows, creating an autonomous AI teammate that assists with complex system development. The deployment has slashed build times by 20% and freed roughly 1,500 engineering hours each month through...
By Shopifreaks
Social•Jan 21, 2026
Stay Unc: Blend Kids' Energy with Business Mastery
Being unc in business is great You get to show up, hang with the kids and learn some cool shit, teach them some important lessons and then bounce back to your own ecosystem Let me explain… Most “DTC” people are 30+ Most of these...
By Zach Stuck
News•Jan 21, 2026
Small Business Marketing Predictions for 2026
Constant Contact’s 2025 Small Business Now survey highlights five marketing trends that will shape small‑business success in 2026. Email continues to deliver the highest engagement, even as only 41 % of owners view it as their primary channel. Social media is...
By Total Retail
News•Jan 21, 2026
How to Turn Packaging Into a Revenue Driver (Not Just Another Cost)
Packaging is often seen as a cost, but the article shows it can be a revenue driver. By treating packaging like a marketing asset and measuring revenue per visitor, brands can justify higher spend when conversion lifts outweigh material costs....
By Retail TouchPoints
Podcast•Jan 21, 2026•50 min
#489 - 2026 Amazon Keyword Research Masterclass - Part 1
In this first part of the Amazon Keyword Research Masterclass, Helium 10’s Bradley Sutton walks listeners through the fundamentals of 2026 Amazon keyword research using the Cerebro reverse‑ASIN tool. He demonstrates how to filter for revenue‑driving keywords, track historical ranking data,...
By AM/PM Podcast
News•Jan 21, 2026
Cyber Fallout Continues as M&S CTO Exits Months After Ransomware Attack
Marks & Spencer’s chief technology officer Josie Smith is leaving the firm, a move that comes nine months after a ransomware attack by the Scattered Spiders group wiped out roughly £229 million and halved the retailer’s 2025 profit. The breach forced...
By InternetRetailing
News•Jan 21, 2026
Rithum Appoints New Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Financial Officer
Rithum announced the appointment of Gregory Banning as Chief Revenue Officer and the promotion of Caitlin Hauser to Chief Financial Officer. Banning arrives with more than two decades of enterprise sales leadership across Fortune 500 and private‑equity‑backed firms, while Hauser...
By ChannelX (formerly Tamebay)
News•Jan 21, 2026
Adyen and Forage Team Up to Bring SNAP EBT Payments to U.S. Retailers
Adyen and Forage have announced a strategic partnership to enable SNAP EBT payments on Adyen’s U.S. commerce platform. The collaboration integrates Forage’s compliance‑focused EBT processing with Adyen’s unified payment APIs, allowing grocery, convenience and select food retailers to accept government...
By PaySpace Magazine
News•Jan 21, 2026
Consumer Text-Based Purchases on the Rise
In 2025, 65% of consumers completed purchases through brand text messages, marking the first time text messaging outpaced email for promotional offers in Vibes’ nine‑year study. The report also found 81% of respondents view RCS messaging as superior to SMS,...
By Retail Customer Experience
News•Jan 21, 2026
Magecart Hack Injects JavaScript to Steal Online Payment Data
Security researchers have uncovered a new Magecart‑style campaign that injects obfuscated JavaScript from cc-analytics.com/app.js into e‑commerce checkout pages. The script captures credit‑card numbers and billing details, then exfiltrates them to attacker‑controlled servers at pstatics.com via XMLHttpRequest POSTs. Infrastructure analysis reveals...
By GBHackers On Security
News•Jan 21, 2026
Morrisons Records ‘Resilient’ Annual Results as Festive Sales Rise
Morrisons posted a resilient 2025 financial year, keeping underlying EBITDA steady at £835 million despite a cyber‑attack, higher inflation and unexpected budget‑driven costs. Group like‑for‑like sales rose 2.8% to £15.8 billion, with a 3.4% lift over the Christmas period. Its online division...
By Retail Gazette
News•Jan 21, 2026
Linnworks Launches Spotlight AI to Help Online Retailers Automate Operations
Linnworks introduced Spotlight AI, the inaugural offering in its Commerce Ops Intelligence suite, to automate repetitive ecommerce tasks and surface operational blind spots. The AI engine continuously scans order‑processing workflows, flags manual actions, and recommends high‑impact automations. Early adopters reported...
By ChannelX (formerly Tamebay)
News•Jan 21, 2026
PayTail Summit
The PayTail Summit gathered leading retailers, e‑commerce platforms and payment innovators to chart the next phase of retail commerce and digital payments. Speakers examined how real‑time settlement, tokenization and AI‑driven fraud tools are reshaping checkout experiences. Case studies highlighted buy‑now‑pay‑later...
By PaySpace Magazine
News•Jan 21, 2026
Money Movement
Money Movement 2026 merges two flagship conferences, drawing a broad spectrum of banks, credit unions, regulators, PSPs, retailers, and fintech innovators. The event expects over 350 senior attendees and 150 leading companies, with two‑in‑three decision makers represented. Featuring more than...
By PaySpace Magazine
News•Jan 21, 2026
Retail Subscriptions Slide 3.5% as Consumers Demand Flexibility
Retail subscriptions slipped 3.5% year‑on‑year, making the sector the sole category in decline while overall subscription revenue grew 8.3%. The drop stems from consumer frustration over rigid pricing and the inability to pause or adjust plans. More shoppers are shopping...
By InternetRetailing
News•Jan 21, 2026
JD Sports Reports Mixed Christmas Trading Performance
JD Sports reported 1.4% organic sales growth in Q4, but its Christmas trading period saw a 1.8% decline in like‑for‑like sales. The dip was driven by a 5.3% fall in the UK and a 3.4% drop in Europe, while North...
By The Retail Bulletin
News•Jan 21, 2026
Inflation Rises to 3.4%
UK inflation rose to 3.4% year‑on‑year in December, edging above the 3.2% recorded in November. The Office for National Statistics attributes the uptick partly to higher airfare and tobacco costs. Food and non‑alcoholic drink prices accelerated to 4.5% YoY, with...
By Retail Gazette
News•Jan 21, 2026
Currys Upgrades Profit Outlook After Strong Christmas Trading
Currys announced an upgraded profit outlook after its peak trading period, reporting a 6% like‑for‑like revenue increase. In the ten weeks to 10 January, UK‑Ireland revenue rose 3% while omnichannel sales jumped 11% year‑on‑year, and the Nordics saw a 12% revenue...
By The Retail Bulletin
News•Jan 21, 2026
Myer to Launch Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty Brands in Australia
Myer will introduce the complete Fenty Beauty portfolio—including Fenty Skin and the Australian retail debut of Fenty Eau de Parfum—across all stores and its e‑commerce platform starting in May. The rollout stems from a new partnership with Kendo Brands, the...
By Inside Retail Australia
Blog•Jan 21, 2026
BLOY Loyalty Alternatives: Top Picks For 2026
The episode explains why growing brands outgrow the basic BLOY Rewards app and need loyalty platforms that offer strategic guidance, deep data integration, and extensive customization. It highlights Yotpo Loyalty as the top 2026 alternative, emphasizing its dedicated eCommerce experts,...
By eCommerce Fastlane
News•Jan 21, 2026
OnePay Launches “Swipe to Finance” With Klarna, Bringing Post-Purchase BNPL Into the App
OnePay has introduced “Swipe to Finance,” a post‑purchase buy‑now‑pay‑later feature powered by Klarna that lets eligible debit‑card users convert recent purchases into fixed‑term payment plans within the app. The tool expands OnePay’s suite of flexible payment options beyond checkout, offering...
By PaySpace Magazine
News•Jan 21, 2026
Why Beginning Boutique Collabed with ‘the Most Famous Woman in Men’s Tennis’
Beginning Boutique, the Brisbane‑based e‑tailer famed for party dresses, has unveiled a 20‑piece capsule with influencer Morgan Riddle, dubbed the most important woman in men’s tennis. The collection, blending festival flair with tennis‑inspired aesthetics, launches alongside the Australian Open to...
By Inside Retail Australia
Blog•Jan 21, 2026
Content Research Guide: How To Do Content Research
The episode breaks down why content research is essential for ecommerce growth, using Sean Reyes’s Shock Surplus as a case study of how deep audience insights and educational video content drove a $25 million business. It outlines a six‑step research framework—setting...
By eCommerce Fastlane
Blog•Jan 21, 2026
10 Topics to Cover With Your POD Order Management Provider
In this episode, Maddy Alcala outlines ten critical questions to ask a print‑on‑demand (POD) order management provider, covering everything from end‑to‑end order handling and performance under load to role‑based access, compliance, and disaster recovery. She emphasizes the importance of robust...
By eCommerce Fastlane
News•Jan 21, 2026
Nude by Nature Enters Walmart with Nicole Richie as Global Ambassador
Australian clean‑beauty brand Nude by Nature, now owned by Vidacorp, has entered the U.S. market through a rollout at 1,900 Walmart locations, offering 94 SKUs under $14 each. The launch is anchored by global ambassador Nicole Richie, whose Instagram video...
By Glossy
News•Jan 21, 2026
The Australian Open Wants to Be ‘the Super Bowl’ for Experiential Beauty Marketing
Australian tennis’s governing body has elevated beauty retailer Mecca to a flagship sponsor for the 2026 Australian Open, positioning the event as a hub for experiential marketing aimed at Gen‑Z. In 2025 Mecca supplied gift bags to over 800 players...
By Glossy
News•Jan 21, 2026
Behind Pacsun’s Strategy for Keeping a Pulse on the Changing Tastes of Gen Z
Pacsun has launched a Youth Advisory Council and published its first Youth Report, gathering insights from 6,000 Gen‑Z and Gen‑Alpha respondents. The data fueled the creation of the PS Community Hub, a shoppable app that lets users curate purchases and...
By Modern Retail
News•Jan 21, 2026
Wellness Briefing: How OpenAI’s ChatGPT Health Beta Launch Could Impact the Wellness Industry
OpenAI unveiled the ChatGPT Health beta, an AI‑driven chatbot that aggregates medical records, wearable data, and personal wellness insights into a single conversational interface. The launch coincides with Target’s plan to boost its wellness product line by 30%, and a...
By Glossy
News•Jan 21, 2026
What Amazon’s Proposed Big-Box Store Could Mean for Walmart
Amazon has filed plans for a 225,000‑square‑foot big‑box store in Orland Park, a Chicago suburb, that will combine groceries, general merchandise and dining, directly rivaling the average Walmart Supercenter. The concept marks Amazon’s first attempt at a full‑scale supercenter format, a...
By Modern Retail
News•Jan 21, 2026
Fifth Third Says New Banking App Drives Engagement, Originations
Fifth Third Bancorp reported record net interest income and strong operating leverage in Q4, driven by aggressive branch expansion and digital upgrades. The bank added 50 new branches in 2025, including its 200th in Florida and 100th in the Carolinas,...
By PYMNTS
News•Jan 21, 2026
Retention Is Name of the Game for Netflix’s AI Strategy
Netflix’s Q4 2025 earnings call revealed that the streaming giant is pivoting from pure growth to a retention‑centric model, using artificial intelligence as core infrastructure. With 325 million paid members and $45.2 billion in revenue, the company views churn reduction as the...
By PYMNTS
Blog•Jan 21, 2026
Attentive Vs. Klaviyo: Comparison And Better Option
The episode compares two leading e‑commerce messaging platforms, Attentive and Klaviyo, breaking down their core features, pricing models, and integration capabilities. Hosts highlight Attentive's strength in SMS automation and compliance, while noting Klaviyo's robust email segmentation and data analytics tools....
By eCommerce Fastlane
News•Jan 21, 2026
NRF 2026: Innovations Showcase
At NRF 2026 in New York, a wave of retail startups announced they are building next‑generation AI commerce platforms. The firms highlighted advanced machine‑learning models for personalization, inventory optimization, and automated checkout. Miya Knights of Retail Technology Publisher noted that...
By Retail Technology (Magazine)
News•Jan 20, 2026
WOW Index Shows In-Store Experience Slipping in 2026
Léger’s 2026 WOW Index reveals a measurable decline in in‑store experience across Ontario and Western Canada, driven by higher prices, longer checkout waits, stockouts and fewer staff interactions. The study surveyed over 18,000 shoppers, evaluating 264 retailers in 34 sectors....
By Retail Insider Canada
News•Jan 20, 2026
Amazon Adds More Payment Options to Latest Smart Shopping Cart
Amazon is rolling out the next‑generation Dash Cart to dozens of Whole Foods stores across the United States by year‑end. The new cart adds credit‑card, mobile‑payment and Amazon‑linked payment options, expanding beyond its original Amazon‑only model. It also features a...
By PYMNTS
News•Jan 20, 2026
Lululemon Pauses Online Sales of New Workout Line ‘Get Low’ After Complaints
Lululemon Athletica has temporarily halted online sales of its new “Get Low” workout leggings after customers reported the fabric becoming see‑through during bends and squats. The collection remains on shelves in North American stores while the company investigates the feedback...
By Total Retail
News•Jan 20, 2026
Casavogue Pays the Taxes This January
Casavogue has launched a limited‑time “We Pay the Taxes” promotion, covering sales tax on all furniture purchases and pairing it with a 12‑month interest‑free financing option. The offer focuses on high‑end sectional sofas, positioning them as the centerpiece of a...
By Retail Insider Canada
Blog•Jan 20, 2026
How To Start A Children’s Clothing Line With Print On Demand
In this episode Janis Lazda walks listeners through a six‑step roadmap for launching a children’s clothing line using Printify’s print‑on‑demand service, emphasizing low‑risk startup and rapid launch. She details how to craft a solid business plan—including brand vision, market research,...
By eCommerce Fastlane
News•Jan 20, 2026
Dealing With Frustrated Customers? AI Can Help Your Teams Stay Ready
Enterprise retailers hit by summer import‑threshold shifts faced sudden tariffs, shipment delays, and a flood of frustrated customer inquiries. The operational disruption exposed gaps in agents’ readiness, leading to miscommunication and reputational risk. ReflexAI proposes AI‑driven simulation platforms that let...
By Total Retail
Blog•Jan 20, 2026
How Better Sleep Products Are Shaping the Wellness Market
The episode explores how sleep has shifted from a cultural stigma to a core pillar of wellness, driving a booming market of high‑tech pillows, smart mattresses, and natural sleep aids. It highlights that ergonomic and temperature‑controlled products not only relieve...
By eCommerce Fastlane
Blog•Jan 20, 2026
From One-and-Done Buyers To Repeat Revenue: How DTC Brands Turn Trend Shoppers Into Long-Term Customers
The episode explains how DTC brands can convert one‑off trend shoppers—who surge from viral TikTok hits—into repeat customers by replacing immediate discount codes with styling content, early‑access rewards, and a "micro‑drop ladder" that releases small, low‑MOQ trend capsules followed by...
By eCommerce Fastlane
Blog•Jan 20, 2026
USPS Loosens Amazon’s Grip on Its Last-Mile Delivery
The United States Postal Service has launched a new bidding platform that lets any shipper compete for access to more than 18,000 destination delivery units nationwide. The move challenges Amazon’s long‑standing exclusive Sunday‑delivery contract, which runs until October 1 2026, and aims...
By EcommerceBytes
News•Jan 20, 2026
Overcoming the Barriers to Omnichannel by Recognising that One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Omnichannel retail is no longer a one‑size‑fits‑all proposition; success depends on tailoring strategies to each retailer’s customers, operating model, and growth goals. Consistent experiences across digital and physical touchpoints are now a baseline expectation, not a differentiator. Persistent challenges such...
By Retail Dive
News•Jan 20, 2026
Google Shopping API Cutoff Looms, Putting Ad Delivery at Risk
Google is sunsetting its legacy Shopping APIs and mandating migration to the Merchant API, the new single source of truth for Shopping Ads. Advertisers using the beta version must switch by February 28 2024, while Content API users have until August 18 2024. Failure to...
By Search Engine Land
News•Jan 20, 2026
The Power of Gathering: Why Shared Experiences Are the New Growth Engine for Local Business
The article highlights a resurgence of communal experiences—watch parties and pop‑up events—as powerful growth drivers for local businesses. It cites Tom’s Watch Bar, which saw a 900% sales surge, generating nearly $30,000 in one night during a Love Island watch...
By Total Retail