Know What's Happening in Ecommerce
Know What's Happening in Ecommerce
Ecommerce Pulse
EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
Amazon fuels rural delivery with $4B logistics push
Amazon is accelerating its delivery network in rural America, raising same‑day or next‑day coverage to 16% of remote customers, up from 8% mid‑2024. The $4 billion logistics investment helped ship more than 13 billion items on same‑day or next‑day terms in February.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Grab acquires Foodpanda Taiwan for $600M
Retailers are witnessing a rapid erosion of the traditional middle segment as shoppers split between low‑price value and high‑premium experiences. Across grocery, pet food, fashion, automotive and coffee, brands positioned at the extremes are gaining share while mid‑tier offerings lose relevance. The shift is driven not only by cost‑of‑living pressures but by emotional narratives that associate thrift or luxury with personal identity. Companies that continue to straddle price tiers risk losing relevance; they must commit to either essential value or desirable premium.
The Merchant Payments Ecosystem (MPE) 2026 conference will take place in Berlin from March 17‑19, gathering Europe’s leading merchants, acquirers, fintechs and regulators. Organisers are offering a 10 % discount with the code payspace10 through March 17, lowering ticket costs for attendees....
The White House postponed the rollout of TrumpRx, the federal direct‑to‑consumer drug marketplace. Officials cite potential violations of the federal anti‑kickback statute as a key factor, prompting HHS to issue a guidance bulletin outlining required safeguards. Major manufacturers including Pfizer,...
Birks Group reported an 11.8% increase in net sales for its FY2026 holiday period, ending Dec. 27, 2025. The growth was driven by recent European Boutique store acquisitions and stronger sales of branded jewelry and timepieces across both physical locations and e‑commerce...
The episode walks listeners through the nine top UI design tools for ecommerce, explaining how each platform—from Shopify's no‑code builder to AI‑driven Lovable—helps create attractive, conversion‑focused storefronts. It clarifies the distinction between UI and UX, emphasizing that visual design must...
Sengarmi.sn is reshaping Dakar’s 2026 fitness surge by pairing pharmaceutical‑grade sports supplements with dermatologist‑approved tropical skincare. The platform offers creatine, whey isolate, high‑calorie gainers, BCAAs and Omega‑3s, plus local‑flavored bundles, while also stocking SPF‑50+ serums and moisturizers designed for high...
Three German software firms—STACKIT, Adesso, and Empiriecom—have launched the German Digital Commerce Operation Model, an end‑to‑end ecommerce solution that keeps all data and processes within Europe. The platform stores information in Germany and Austria, complying with GDPR and offering zero‑access...
Crypto Network Mesh announced it has reached unicorn status, achieving a $1 billion post‑money valuation after closing a $200 million Series B round. The funding was led by Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, with participation from several sovereign wealth funds. Mesh’s decentralized protocol...
At NRF 2026, Tom Yang, head of sales strategy and transformation at NICE, highlighted the rise of agentic AI in retail customer experience. He explained how NICE’s purpose‑built, AI‑powered platforms turn engagements into proactive, safe, and intelligent actions, enabling retailers...
The 28th annual Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index (CLEI) identifies Levi Strauss, Walmart and Amazon as the top loyalty leaders for 2026, alongside sector champions such as Dick’s, Costco and Whole Foods. The study highlights a rapid rise in...
Levi Strauss & Co. reported a resilient fourth quarter, with net revenues rising 1% to $1.8 bn (5% organic) despite wholesale pressure. Europe stood out, posting an 8% reported and 10% organic increase, while the U.S. saw a 7% decline on...
The PYMNTS Intelligence study shows digital wallets are twice as likely to be used for online retail purchases (16%) than in physical stores (8%). Consumer payment preferences now align more with shopping channel than with age, as e‑commerce adoption converges...
Fraud no longer looks like a discrete incident; data scientists see it as subtle behavioral deviations across a dynamic transaction ecosystem. Traditional rule‑based defenses create excessive false declines, eroding revenue and customer trust. Visa’s shift to deep‑learning models delivers 15‑20%...
I've tested 150+ landing pages. Here's the pattern: Pages I thought were 'too simple' converted at 8%. Pages I 'perfected' for weeks converted at 2%. Your aesthetic doesn't matter. Clarity does. Test everything. Trust nothing.
ASOS has introduced a tiered returns policy that removes the £3.95 fee for shoppers who maintain a low return rate, and it now lets customers track their return history directly in the mobile app. The move highlights a growing industry...
Canada’s retail sector shows mixed signals as e‑commerce orders surged 20% in 2025 while payroll employment slipped 1.5% in November. Major players are investing heavily: GoodLife Fitness rolled out a year‑long multichannel campaign, Empire Company expects a $95 million operating‑income lift...
Empire Company and its Sobeys subsidiary announced a restructuring of their grocery e‑commerce network, closing the Calgary and Edmonton fulfillment centers in Alberta. The move, combined with an expanded partnership with DoorDash, is projected to generate about $95 million of annualized...
Larry’s Catch, a Canadian direct‑to‑consumer seafood delivery startup, appeared on CBC’s Dragons’ Den and secured three investor offers during its national television debut. The founders used the platform to showcase a subscription model that sources wild‑caught fish from sustainable family fisheries...
Fine jewelry has become the standout performer in luxury, outpacing fashion and leather goods. LVMH’s watches and jewelry division posted an 8% earnings increase in 2025, driven by Bulgari and Tiffany & Co.’s repositioning. Richemont similarly benefits from its jewelry...
Canadian ecommerce order volume jumped 20% year‑over‑year in 2025, but the surge was unevenly distributed. The top 10% of brands captured half of all order growth, highlighting a widening performance gap. Shoppers engaged with marketing less often, yet those interactions...
After more than a decade, Walmart and Target will each install new CEOs next week, ending the tenures of Doug McMillon and Brian Cornell. McMillon left Walmart with expanded three‑hour delivery coverage, a thriving Walmart+ membership, and a reengineered advertising...
At Shoptalk Luxe in Abu Dhabi, luxury brands highlighted a dual focus on AI integration and the renewed importance of human storytelling in retail. Executives said AI is best applied to back‑office tasks such as data analysis, while client‑facing experiences...
Billing Support offers high‑growth e‑commerce brands a fully outsourced, 24/7 billing help desk that handles payments, refunds, and account queries across email, chat, phone and digital channels. The service scales with demand, allowing retailers to add support capacity during peak...
Country Road Group posted a 2.3% sales rise for the 26‑week period ending 28 December, with comparable‑store sales up 2.5%. December performance softened to 1% growth, while net trading space grew 0.2% and online sales held at 27.2%. The newly appointed...
The House of Ara, founded by designer Avani K Chandan, is scaling a craft‑led ready‑to‑wear label that translates heritage Indian textiles into modern, everyday silhouettes. The brand fills a market gap between fast fashion and high‑end ethnic wear by emphasizing slow...
In this episode Ben Zettler explains how ecommerce marketers can measure the true incremental impact of email and SMS using Klaviyo, distinguishing incrementality from standard attribution. He walks listeners through setting up controlled holdout groups and program‑level suppression tests, detailing...
Decathlon has launched a dedicated mobile app for iOS and Android that consolidates its full product catalog, promotions, membership benefits, and order management in a single interface. Shoppers can browse inventory, check in‑store stock, scan barcodes for detailed product data,...
The episode examines how Amazon and Flipkart are intensifying discounting in India's quick commerce market to challenge leaders like Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart. Data from Bizom shows average discounts jumping to 55% in January, driven by Amazon matching Zepto's...
The episode breaks down how product‑recommendation quizzes can transform e‑commerce by tackling choice paralysis and harvesting zero‑party data. It walks listeners through the full quiz creation process—from defining a single goal and selecting the right quiz type, to crafting conversational...
In this episode Roxanne Voidonicolas breaks down how SEO and social media marketing (SMM) can work together rather than compete, outlining the core components of each—on‑page, off‑page, technical and local SEO versus organic posts, paid ads and influencer work. She...
In this episode, Andris Mucenieks walks listeners through the entire process of creating iron‑on patches in 2026, covering both DIY methods—using transfer paper, embroidery, or fabric paint—and the advantages of leveraging print‑on‑demand services for scalable production. He explains the science...
The episode explains how free stock videos can instantly upgrade the visual quality of marketing, educational, and personal projects without the high costs of original production. It outlines a simple workflow—selecting appropriate clips, checking licenses, customizing with brand elements, and...
In this episode, Siddharth Sinha, co‑founder and CEO of Dresma, walks through how his AI‑powered platform scales studio‑quality e‑commerce imagery and video for global brands using usage‑based pricing and automated workflows. He explains why the usage model outperformed seat‑based pricing,...
At one point, I was doing over $100M in revenue and genuinely didn't know how much money I had. I didn’t know if I could afford to spend $2,000 a month or $200,000 a month. I literally couldn't tell what I could...
Lane Bryant, the U.S. plus‑size fashion leader, is entering Canada through an exclusive partnership with Walmart Canada. The brand’s collection goes live online immediately and will appear in 320 Walmart stores nationwide starting February 1, 2026. In‑store sizes range from 1X to...
The episode explains how Direct‑to‑Film (DTF) transfers are giving e‑commerce apparel brands a competitive edge by enabling faster product launches, on‑demand fulfillment, and consistent, durable prints across a range of fabrics. It outlines a practical workflow—printing designs onto film, quality‑checking...
Jason Bell was promoted to executive vice president and chief supply chain officer at Nordstrom, assuming the role immediately and adding transportation oversight to his duties. Bell, who joined Nordstrom in 2021 as senior vice president of supply chain operations,...
Brazilian digital bank PicPay priced its initial public offering at $19 per share, targeting roughly $434 million in proceeds. The offering comprises 22.9 million Class A common shares that will debut on Nasdaq under the ticker “PICS” on January 29, 2026. PicPay currently serves...
Yozo.ai, a UAE‑based e‑commerce AI startup, secured $1.7 million in pre‑seed funding. The round was co‑led by Access Bridge Ventures and Disruptech Ventures, with participation from Arzan VC and Suhail Ventures. The capital will fund engineering expansion and international market entry...
Print Aura is a US‑based print‑on‑demand fulfillment service that charges no monthly fees and integrates only with Shopify and Etsy. It offers white‑label options such as custom neck tags and pack‑ins, targeting low‑volume sellers who need branded packaging. Pricing is...
Shopify has revised its chargeback rate calculations to incorporate every dispute, including those resolved through Visa’s Rapid Dispute Resolution (RDR) program. The updated metric lets merchants filter data by dispute type, delivering a more precise view of account risk. By...
Meta announced it will roll out AI‑driven shopping agents and new generative models within months, using its vast user data to personalize commerce experiences. The plan is part of a broader investment surge, with 2026 capital expenditures projected between $115 billion...
Paytm posted a net profit of 2.25 billion rupees in the latest quarter, surpassing analyst expectations, while revenue climbed 20% to 22 billion rupees. The fintech’s turnaround follows a series of cost‑cutting measures, the sale of its ticketing business, and a renewed...
The episode examines the newly signed India‑EU Free Trade Agreement, highlighting payments interoperability as a cornerstone, including real‑time cross‑border payments and remittances. It explains how the deal builds on the ECB’s plan to link its TARGET Instant Payment Settlement service...
Bolt announced a partnership with Aethir, the leading distributed GPU cloud provider, to deliver open‑web checkout for games hosted outside traditional app stores. The deal makes Bolt the preferred payments provider for studios on Aethir’s platform, enabling one‑click, browser‑based purchases...
Amaze Holdings announced a new creator‑powered merch line featuring customizable plush toys, enabled by a partnership with OpenWav.AI’s inventory‑light, global fulfillment platform. The rollout will begin with a limited group of managed creators and later expand to all Amaze users,...
The episode argues that despite the hype around autonomous AI agents, real commerce and AI interactions ultimately hinge on people. It outlines how ad‑ and commerce‑funded AI tools must keep humans central, warns that agent‑to‑agent workflows become opaque operations challenges,...
The episode dissects how niche e‑commerce brands can build strong identities and loyal communities, using truck‑parts retailer Big Rig World as a case study. It highlights the power of a deep, well‑organized catalog, clear “Hot Deals” promotions, and expert‑level content that educates...
BigCommerce has broadened its partnership with Stripe, rolling out the Optimized Checkout Suite to merchants worldwide. The upgrade adds Link’s rapid repeat‑checkout, over 30 local and BNPL payment options, and Stripe Radar’s AI‑driven fraud protection. Merchants can activate the new...
Everyone at brunch: I'm so hungover. Ecom founders at brunch: Checking if that email sequence hit 30% open rate. Different mindset. Different life.
