Today's Ecommerce Pulse
Target launches Circle Deal Days to rival Amazon Prime Day
Target announced its Target Circle Deal Days running June 23‑26, positioning the free‑to‑join program as a direct competitor to Amazon Prime Day. New members who enroll between June 14‑22 receive a 15% discount on their first purchase and a free Starbucks coffee or Bullseye cookie on June 23. Additional perks include 50% off the first year of Target Circle 360.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Howdens to acquire DIY Kitchens for $495M
‘We’re Not Looking for Brand Exclusivity’: How Amazon Is Looking to Win over Beauty Consumers
Amazon announced its fourth‑annual Summer Beauty Event, running April 27 to May 10, with flash deals of up to 50% off across makeup, tools and grooming products. While the discount window competes with Sephora’s spring sale and Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty, Amazon stresses a premium brand narrative and limits overall promotional days. The platform’s beauty category grew 13% in Q1 2026, driven by younger shoppers and AI‑powered tools like the Rufus assistant, which boosted spend by 80% for users. New brand additions—including Rabanne, Charlotte Tilbury and a dedicated K‑beauty storefront—signal Amazon’s push for discovery and convenience over exclusivity.
The Returns Problem: How to Keep Things Sold and Customers Happy | Reimagining Retail
In this episode of Reimagining Retail, host Susie David-Canyon and analysts Blake Drosch and Sky Canabis dissect the growing challenge of e‑commerce returns, which are projected to make up half of all retail returns by decade’s end despite online sales...
How Thorne Drove 63% Growth in DTC Sales After a Brand Awareness Push
Thorne, a leading supplement brand, achieved a 63% increase in direct‑to‑consumer (DTC) sales after launching a focused brand‑awareness campaign. The initiative leveraged data‑driven media mix modeling, influencer collaborations, and personalized content to convert research‑heavy shoppers. Nearly 90% of supplement buyers...
Samsung Partners With AnyMind Group to Boost Live Commerce in Eight Markets
Samsung Electronics has partnered with AnyMind Group to power its live‑commerce efforts in eight Asia‑Pacific markets using AnyMind’s AI‑driven AnyLive platform. The rollout adds roughly 4,450 livestream hours each month and introduces ten AI‑generated avatars that can answer shopper questions...
Etsy Reverts Back to How It Used to Display Prices in UK
Etsy announced it will revert to its original UK pricing display after seller pushback. The platform will again show the item’s list price with a separate line for price‑plus‑shipping, rather than the combined figure introduced in February to meet the...
Expedia-Owned Last Minute to Close Down
Expedia Group announced that its Australian budget travel site Lastminute.com.au will cease operations on June 2, 2026, with new bookings ending May 15. The closure follows Expedia's broader effort to streamline its online portfolio after acquiring the site in a 2014 deal valued...
LVMH Accelerates AI‑Driven Omnichannel Push for 2026
LVMH announced a comprehensive AI‑driven digital transformation for 2026, targeting omnichannel innovation and hyper‑personalized customer experiences across its luxury brands. The rollout seeks to blend physical boutiques with digital touchpoints, positioning the group at the forefront of tech adoption in...
VTEX Unveils AI‑Native Commerce Suite and Google UCP Integration
VTEX announced an AI‑native commerce suite that adds autonomous agents, a personal shopper storefront, B2B quotation tools and a Google Universal Commerce Protocol integration. The upgrade targets the 24 retailers on its platform that generated $5.55 billion in 2025 sales, promising...
IROAS Uses Dual Factors, Campaign Ranks Vary
Thanks @PhilKiel for engaging seriously with the CPMr report. A thoughtful critique is beneficial to all research. But, two pieces of the thread rest on methodology misreads, and most of the "limitations you surface" are limitations we published ourselves. Here's...
Macy's Ramps up AI-Driven Digital Overhaul, Expanding to 35+ Use Cases
Macy's announced a broad rollout of artificial‑intelligence tools, now running more than 35 use cases across its operations. The retailer says AI is sharpening merchandising, pricing and delivery, while analysts note a forward price‑to‑sales ratio of 0.24×, well below the...
Amazon Deploys 75 Electric Trucks From Einride to Boost Zero‑Emission Freight
Amazon has integrated 75 electric heavy‑duty trucks from Sweden’s Einride into its Relay freight platform, targeting three million electric miles per year and expanding charging infrastructure at five sites. The deal showcases Amazon’s broader push to decarbonize its logistics network...
Planning Under Pressure: Beating Retail Volatility with AI
Retail Express chief strategist Ed Betts warns that the current wave of consumer‑demand swings and supply‑chain disruptions is forcing retailers to abandon intuition‑based planning. He argues that AI‑driven forecasting, scenario modeling and dynamic pricing now provide the clarity needed to...
Over 400K Records Allegedly Stolen From Major Dutch Webshop Bol, Data Leaked
A hacker using the alias “Jeffrey Epstein” claims to have stolen data on over 400,000 Belgian customers of Dutch e‑commerce giant Bol. The alleged dataset includes names, birthdates, contact details, shipping information and order history, though passwords and bank data are...
KIME Review 2026: The AI Search Visibility Platform Built for Brands That Want to Win in LLM Search
KIME is a purpose‑built AI search visibility platform that monitors how Shopify brands appear in large‑language‑model responses such as ChatGPT and Perplexity. It provides prompt‑level share‑of‑voice, citation analytics, sentiment scores and an Action Centre that delivers weekly optimization recommendations. Pricing...
Chelsea Home Tickets Sold to Rivals, Profit over Safety
Hundreds upon hundreds of tickets for Chelsea’s final home match available on Todd Boehly’s Vivid Seats website. This could be a crucial match & having away fans in the home end is a risk. Yet all this is sacrificed for...
IKEA Launches 4,500‑sq‑ft Michigan Pop‑up for Click‑and‑collect, Expanding E‑commerce Footprint
IKEA is opening a 4,500‑square‑foot pop‑up store at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills, Michigan, slated for early summer. The format blends in‑store browsing with click‑and‑collect for nearly 500 accessories and larger furniture orders, underscoring the retailer’s push toward...
Unified Commerce Is Redefining the Future of Retail
Retailers are moving beyond fragmented omnichannel approaches to adopt unified commerce, a single real‑time platform that merges inventory, order management, and customer data. Manhattan Associates’ 2025 Unified Commerce Benchmark shows that leaders using this model achieve higher conversion rates, lower...
Sneaker and Heel Emojis Are Fueling the Rise of ‘Vibe Shopping’
Fast Simon reports that emoji usage in e‑commerce search surged 42% in 2025, with the sneaker emoji ranking first and the high‑heel emoji second. The trend, dubbed “vibe shopping,” reflects shoppers using visual shorthand instead of traditional product terms. Retailers...
Kroger Highlights Benefit of Ecommerce Leading Into Online Deal Days
Kroger announced its Online Deal Days promotion, running from April 22 through May 5, offering discounts tied to pickup and delivery orders. The retailer highlighted that delivery customers save an average of 47 minutes per order, while pickup shoppers save about 29...
Cheap at the Price: FTC V. StubHub and the Limits of Junk Fee Enforcement
The FTC secured a $10 million settlement with StubHub over undisclosed mandatory fees, compelling the ticket resale platform to refund affected buyers and adopt all‑in pricing. The case targets the agency’s junk‑fee rule, which bans drip pricing that hides extra costs...
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Walmart Makes the Next Move to Match Delivery with Amazon
Walmart is piloting a back‑room shelf‑staging system in Dallas stores to accelerate same‑day, third‑party deliveries. The retailer’s e‑commerce unit posted its first profit in April 2025, crediting store‑based logistics and customers’ willingness to pay for speed. Walmart now reaches 95% of...
Could Device Trade-Ins Be Retail’s Most Underutilized Sales Tool?
Retailers are underutilizing device trade‑in programs despite strong consumer demand. Alchemy’s research shows only 61% of U.S. smartphone purchasers are presented with a trade‑in option and less than half complete it, leaving roughly $83 billion of devices idle. A compelling trade‑in...
MKM Launches First Mobile App for Trade Customers and DIYers
UK building‑materials distributor MKM has rolled out its first mobile application, targeting both trade professionals and DIY shoppers. Developed entirely in‑house, the app lets users browse local branch inventory, view branch‑specific pricing, assemble baskets and pay invoices, with biometric login...
Expanding 2P Boosts Selection, Wallet Share, Competitiveness
Former Senior Director at $CPNG on how Coupang can grow their 2P business, which allows them to offer a wider selection, which in turn increases wallet share of both the consumer and the seller "You're gaining greater share of wallet at...
Walmart Tests Third‑Party Marketplace Storage in Supercenter Backrooms
Walmart has launched a pilot that places third‑party marketplace inventory in the backrooms of select supercenters, allowing faster pickup and delivery. The test, part of broader store redesign and AI‑driven supply‑chain upgrades, pits the retailer directly against Amazon’s marketplace model.
REFUNNEL Fixed What We Couldn't in 7 Days
In this episode, Jordan West of Social Commerce Club explains how his agency solves the TikTok Shop bottleneck for creators by using ReFunnel’s automated operations platform. He highlights four key pillars: custom landing pages and Shopify integration for seamless order...
Bath & Body Works Closes 92 Stores, Accelerates Shift to E‑Commerce
Bath & Body Works said it has shut 92 stores worldwide, including 62 in the U.S., as part of a broader strategy to lean on digital channels. The retailer launched a $250 million cost‑saving program and expanded its Amazon presence, reflecting...
Building Cost-Aware Product Roadmaps Using Real-Time Data From Distributed Logistics Systems
Traditional product roadmaps rely on static cost and demand assumptions, limiting agility. Leading retailers are now integrating real‑time logistics data—shipping costs, inventory levels, and warehouse capacity—directly into roadmap tools. Predictive analytics and automated cost‑threshold alerts further enable dynamic reprioritization of...
Amazon Filed a WARN Notice to Lay Off 616 Workers at Its Homestead, Florida Warehouse, Which It Plans to Close...
Amazon filed a WARN notice indicating it will lay off about 616 employees at its Homestead, Florida fulfillment center as the site closes temporarily for a multi‑year renovation. The layoffs will begin in early July and run through September, with...
Amazon Uses X-Ray Scanners to Scrutinize Product Returns
Amazon’s largest European returns center in Slovakia, spanning 60,000 sqm and employing up to 3,000 staff, uses X‑ray scanners, machine‑learning algorithms and drone test rooms to evaluate returned products. The facility’s 3.8 km of conveyor belts automatically classifies items into new‑condition resale,...
Amazon's MFN Isn't Collusion, Antitrust Claim Overblown
Stacy and the CA AG say this is "blatant price fixing." It's not. The framing is doing work the evidence doesn't. It's argument by winks and nods. Most of what's quoted is Amazon enforcing a de facto MFN. "Don't let us...
Fintechs Push Bill for Fed Payment Rail Access
U.S. Representatives Young Kim (R‑CA) and Sam Liccardo (D‑CA) introduced the Payments Access and Consumer Efficiency (PACE) Act, a House bill that would allow qualified fintechs to access the Federal Reserve’s FedACH and FedNow payment rails as “registered covered providers.”...
Quick Commerce Discounts Plateau as Firms Balance Growth, Profitability: Report
India’s quick‑commerce and e‑grocery platforms are tempering discount levels after two years of aggressive price cuts, with average grocery discounts now around 17% versus 15‑24% across major players. Flipkart Minutes’ XtraSaver leads the pack, offering up to 24% off, while...
Your Next Customer Will Find You Using AI. Now What?
AI‑powered large language model (LLM) search is reshaping how consumers discover products, with 44% of U.S. online buyers now starting their journey in an LLM or AI tool. Adoption is twice as fast among Gen Z and millennials, but the trend...
Retailers Leverage Pricing Power to Shield Margins as Inflation Persists
Retailers are turning to dynamic pricing tools, strategic collaborations and macro‑economic relief to protect margins as inflation squeezes consumer spending. From H&M’s designer partnership to AI‑enabled e‑commerce platforms, the industry is deploying pricing power to offset higher input costs.
O9 Survey Reveals Summer Shopping Will Be Omnichannel and Youth-Driven, Putting Pressure on Retail Inventory and Supply Chain Agility
The o9 Solutions survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers shows 69% will shop both in‑store and online this summer, while only 12% of Gen Z and 9% of Millennials plan to shop exclusively online. Younger shoppers are driving higher summer spending, especially...
B2B Ecommerce Powers Africa Retail
African consumer ecommerce is hampered by high acquisition costs and fragmented delivery, prompting a pivot toward B2B platforms that supply physical retailers. Companies like Nigeria’s TradeDepot and the MaxAB‑Wasoko merger are turning trucks into high‑density supply nodes while also offering...
Andon Labs Opens AI‑Run Retail Store in San Francisco, Giving Bot Luna $100K Autonomy
Andon Labs launched Andon Market, a boutique store in San Francisco’s Cow Hollow, handing AI bot Luna $100,000, a credit card and a three‑year lease to run daily operations. The experiment puts an autonomous AI in charge of hiring, inventory and...
QVC Group Files for Bankruptcy, Highlighting Amazon Prime and TikTok Shop Dominance
QVC Group Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to restructure roughly $5 billion of debt, aiming to shed up to 80% of its $6.6 billion liabilities. The filing spotlights the accelerating migration of consumers from televised home‑shopping to Amazon Prime and...
Ecominsights Unveils SaaS Platform to Streamline Amazon Market Research
Ecominsights announced the general availability of its Amazon product research SaaS platform, delivering structured data on millions of listings to brands, distributors, agencies and investors. The tool promises to replace fragmented, manual research with a unified intelligence suite for product...
South Korean Retailers Deploy Service Robots to Revamp In‑Store Shopping
Lotte Shopping introduced the HyperShell wearable robot on its Lotte On platform, while offline chain Electro Mart opened a robot experience zone at its Yongsan flagship store. Both moves signal a rapid shift toward AI‑driven customer service and inventory automation...
Scam Texts Are Creating a Friction Tax for Retailers
Scam text messages (smishing) have surged, costing consumers $470 million in 2025 and eroding the near‑98 % open‑rate that made SMS a retail goldmine. Retailers now face a “friction tax” as shoppers delete or ignore legitimate texts, hurting engagement and revenue. Telecom...
Seeing the Full Picture Reveals Need for Support
I chatted with a creative this week who sells bookish products on Shopify and has a physical location. She wanted to do her own books so I walked her through what that looks like. Daily sales entries, recording Shopify payouts correctly...
Zalando Bulgaria Launch Expected Soon
Zalando is speeding up its European rollout, having gone live in Portugal and Greece and now targeting a Bulgarian launch on August 1 2026. The addition will push the retailer’s footprint to 28 European countries, reinforcing its pan‑European logistics network. The company’s...
Particular Audience Launches PA DiscoveryOS App on Shopify – Signalling a New Era of Accessible Enterprise AI for Merchants
Particular Audience has launched the PA DiscoveryOS app on the Shopify App Store, delivering enterprise‑grade AI search, personalization, and retail‑media tools through a zero‑code, app‑based integration. The solution lets Shopify Plus merchants activate sophisticated AI infrastructure overnight, eliminating the need...
Returns Evolve Into Front‑Line Profit Strategy
Retail is at a pivotal moment: returns are no longer a backroom headache. They’re a front-line retail strategy. Deborah Dull and I hosted a terrific conversation on Supply Chain Now that featured long-time leaders from the retail world that unpacked...
Shoppers Prefer Video Answers Over Textual Descriptions
Ben’s right, shoppers don’t read product pages. They scroll, they skim, they bounce. Visual Response is the first real solution I’ve seen. Instead of burying answers in text, eko lets shoppers see a video response to whatever they ask. About dang time....
Cut Facebook Ads, Build Sustainable Profitability
Blueland reached profitability and $300M in sales by *cutting* over $1M/month in Facebook ad spend to focus on a stronger business foundation. Meanwhile you're burning all your cash on Facebook ads to chase unprofitable growth instead of building a sustainable...
Higher ROAS Doesn’t Guarantee Profit: P&L Matters
Paid ads winners in the 2026 eComFuel report had 2.5x ROAS. Losers had 4x ROAS. The difference was the P&L! Survey has 300 stores, $3.5B revenue, and 6 years of data. Link in replies. https://t.co/5XjFgANzNn
Brand Concierge Embeds Conversational AI Into E‑commerce Sites
Brand Concierge lets embedding a conversational experience in an ecommerce site. #AdobeSummit #AI #ecommerce https://t.co/o2OAAwXN8D