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
Decathlon Doubles Order Capacity with Exotec Robots at European Warehouses
Decathlon, the world’s largest sporting‑goods retailer, announced that its seven European warehouses using Exotec’s Skypod robots have seen productivity surges, including a 100% increase in orders at its Portugal hub. The automation cut picker walking distance by up to 90% and halved workplace‑incident rates, underscoring the impact of mobile sorting robots on retail logistics.

Ecommerce: The Stock Mistake Killing Your ROAS
In this episode the Hamasley Brothers dive deeper into the 80/20 rule, focusing on how a small subset of SKUs drives the majority of revenue and ROAS for e‑commerce brands. They explain why stockouts of those critical products can dramatically...

Stricter Rules for Digital Platforms
Thailand has enacted comprehensive trade‑competition guidelines for multi‑sided digital platforms, effective March 24, 2026. The rules target e‑marketplaces such as Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop, tightening oversight of commission, advertising, logistics and payment fees. They also prohibit self‑preferencing, price‑parity clauses, and discriminatory...

Bazaarvoice Integrates with TikTok Shop to Let Brands Syndicate Reviews and UGC to Product Listings
Bazaarvoice announced a new integration that lets brands syndicate ratings, reviews, photos and videos directly to their TikTok Shop product pages. The feature eliminates the “cold start” challenge by automatically porting existing user‑generated content to TikTok listings. TikTok Shop’s U.S....

TrueLayer Hires Satispay and Klarna Veteran as Head of Ecommerce to Scale Pay by Bank in Europe
TrueLayer has appointed Stefano De Lollis, a veteran who grew Satispay’s ecommerce arm and held senior roles at Klarna’s Sofort Banking, as Head of Ecommerce. The move comes as TrueLayer’s transaction volumes are nearly doubling year‑over‑year. Its Pay by Bank...

Shopify‑ChatGPT Integration Instantly Surfaces Product Details
If you've been doing the boring work, clean product titles, structured data, real SEO, the @Shopify x ChatGPT integration is your payoff. I asked for the best Earl Grey, it returned our client as #1, complete with variants, rating, and...
Amazon’s Bestselling $80 Pillows Are on Sale for $21 Apiece, and Shoppers Say They Are Like ‘Sleeping on a Cloud’
Amazon is offering its top‑selling Beckham Hotel Collection queen pillows at a steep discount, slashing the original $80 price to $42 for a two‑pack, or $21 per pillow. The deal is limited‑time and requires a Prime membership or free trial...

EBay Appoints HomeAway Co-Founder Brian Sharples to Its Board as the Platform Shifts Its Marketplace Strategy
eBay announced the addition of Brian Sharples, co‑founder and former CEO of vacation‑rental platform HomeAway, to its board of directors, expanding the board to 12 members. Sharples also chairs GoDaddy and has board experience at Yelp, Kayak, Avalara and RetailMeNot,...

Rugs Direct Launches WhatsApp Returns with stampfree.ai
Rugs Direct, in partnership with stampfree.ai, has launched the UK’s first WhatsApp‑based returns service, using the appfree platform to let shoppers start and track returns via chat. The move follows the Post & Parcel Trend Report 2026, which found 88 %...
U.S. E-Commerce Market in 2025 and 2026: What Every Shopify Brand Needs to Know About Amazon, DTC, and the Platform...
The U.S. e‑commerce market reached $1.2 trillion in 2025 and is projected to hit $1.38 trillion in 2026, growing at a 10.5% CAGR. Amazon and Shopify together command roughly 50% of this market, with Amazon accounting for about $440 billion in sales and...

Anthropologie Says It Marries Data and Intuition in Merchandising as It Looks for ‘Calculated Risks’
Anthropologie is blending quantitative sales data with qualitative customer insights to drive fast‑moving merchandising decisions. The retailer launched a dedicated 90s minimalist section within a week after spotting TikTok and Hulu‑driven trend signals. It also expanded in‑store footwear from eight...
Amazon’s Unprecedented Gamble on AI Redemption Might Just Work
Amazon is abandoning its traditionally frugal reputation to embark on an unprecedented AI spending spree, dubbed a “Capexapalooza” by JPMorgan Chase. The e‑commerce giant is allocating billions of dollars to build custom AI chips, expand data‑center capacity, and integrate generative...
How Shopify Brands Are Using AI to Replace $300 UGC Creators
Shopify DTC brands are swapping $150‑$500 creator‑produced UGC videos for AI‑generated ads that cost roughly $2.50 each. The new workflow lets marketers produce 40 video variations for about $99, cutting turnaround from weeks to minutes. By testing dozens of hooks...

Curated SharkWorld Picks with Exclusive 24‑Hour Discounts
The next thesharkworld boxes are here. I’ve spent years seeing what’s real and what’s hype. Meeting founders, testing products, spotting what actually stands out. No fluff. Just the good stuff. And if you’re not on the list yet, pay attention to my...
What High-Growth Brands Expect From Their Packaging Supplier
High‑growth Shopify brands handling $500 K‑$10 M in revenue are hitting 500‑1,000 orders per week, where their packaging supplier shifts from a simple vendor to a strategic operational partner. The article outlines six expectations these brands have, including speed, flexibility, cost transparency,...

Turn Static Images Into $100K Viral AI Ads
How I Made $102k Turning Image Ads Into (Viral) AI Videos. WATCH HERE 👉 https://t.co/Iv6vzSoi9V In 2026, you don't need a $5,000 production budget or a house full of influencers to scale. I’m showing you the exact workflow I used to...
How Retail Data Analytics Turns Browsing Behavior Into Repeat Revenue
Shopify merchants earning $10K‑$500K monthly are urged to replace gut‑based decisions with retail data analytics. The article outlines five core metrics—repeat purchase rate, CLV, purchase frequency, sell‑through, and acquisition source cohorts—and a four‑step framework to flag at‑risk customers. It also...
Hire Strategic Roles to Break $5M Ceiling
14 lessons from coaching 70+ 7-8 figure ecom founders: 1. A lot of founders hit $2-5M and can't break through. They picked a $5M product from day one, did dropshipping with no repeat customers and only Facebook working. 2. Product flywheel determines...

Amazon Wants To Be The Web's Search Bar, Ulta's Back & Vizio TVs Are Now Walmart Stores | Fast Five
The episode revisits former OmniTalk co‑host Carter Jensen, who now leads The Uncommon Business, a startup helping brands navigate AI. The hosts dissect Amazon’s expanded Shop Direct program, which now ingests third‑party product feeds and lets shoppers buy directly via...

58% of Shoppers Lose Brand Trust over Faulty AI Suggestions
Rithum’s new study of 1,046 U.S. and U.K. shoppers shows that 58% of consumers blame retailers when AI‑generated product recommendations contain errors, and 16% would abandon a purchase after a bad suggestion. In the U.K., 70% have used AI tools...

GOOD GOOD Partners with 3PL to Support UK Growth with Multi-Channel Fulfilment
GOOD GOOD, the health‑focused food brand, has signed a three‑year partnership with UK third‑party logistics provider 3PL to handle multi‑channel fulfillment across direct‑to‑consumer, Amazon Seller Fulfilled Prime, and wholesale distribution to Holland & Barrett. The deal leverages 3PL’s Flex service and...
How Poor Credit Can Quietly Limit Your Ecommerce Business Growth
E‑commerce founders earning $50 K‑$2 M annually often discover that personal credit scores dictate financing, supplier terms, and payment‑processor fees. Collections, high utilization, and missed payments can trigger loan rejections, higher interest rates, and loss of trade credit, throttling inventory purchases and...
What TikTok’s Volatility Means for Retail Media Planning
TikTok’s uninstall rates have surged roughly 150% as U.S. regulatory uncertainty intensifies, prompting retailers to reassess video spend. The spike highlights the risk of concentrating advertising budgets on a single social feed during critical back‑to‑school and holiday periods. Marketers are...

Evri Fulfilment Invest £4m to Expand Network in Barnsley
Evri Fulfilment is investing over £4 million (≈$5.1 million) to open a 265,000‑square‑foot fulfillment centre in Barnsley, slated for July 2026. The site will feature advanced sorting and packing automation, allowing parcels to move from order to network entry within an hour...

OnBuy Accelerates European Rollout With Launch Into 8 New Markets
OnBuy, the UK‑based cashback marketplace, has launched in eight additional European countries, taking its footprint to 21 markets. The rollout follows a 152% quarterly sales surge and a 300% rise in site visits across its first 12 markets. Beta testing...

YouTube Just Lowered the Bar for Affiliate Earnings—Now Creators With 500 Subscribers Can Cash In
YouTube has lowered the entry barrier for its Affiliate Shopping program, now allowing creators with just 500 subscribers to earn commissions on product tags. Eligible creators must also meet YouTube Partner Program criteria, such as three recent uploads and either...

Shopify: The Operating System of AI-Driven Commerce
Shopify is redefining its role from a pure e‑commerce platform to the operating system of digital commerce by embedding generative AI directly into merchant tools. Rather than chasing frontier AI models, the company focuses on the operational layer where business...
Meta Expands AI Commerce and Launches Small Business Initiative to Accelerate Adoption
Meta announced AI‑driven commerce upgrades for Facebook and Instagram, adding real‑time summaries of user reviews, brand insights, and product recommendations within ads. The company also rolled out an updated in‑app checkout powered by Stripe and PayPal, with future integrations planned...

Here’s Your Cheat Sheet to the Best Menswear Deals From Amazon’s Big Spring Sale
Amazon’s spring sale is flooding the market with deep discounts on men’s essentials, from a 40%‑off Citizen Promaster Dive watch to $25 Levi’s 501 jeans. Athletic gear such as New Balance Fresh Foam X running shoes and Nike Dri‑FIT shorts...

Amazon Is Making It Easier to Return That Order You Didn’t Like
Amazon has expanded its returns network to more than 10,000 drop‑off locations across the United States, adding over 1,500 FedEx Office sites to an existing roster that includes Whole Foods, UPS Store, Kohl’s, Staples and regional partners. Four out of...
CarParts.com, A-Premium Launch 30,000 SKUs for JC Whitney Line
CarParts.com and A-Premium are expanding their JC Whitney partnership to launch roughly 30,000 mechanical auto parts, starting with about 6,000 SKUs in Q2 2026 and rolling out the full assortment through the year. To finance the expansion, CarParts.com completed an...
Bridgeline, Znode Partner on AI Search for B2B Ecommerce
Bridgeline Digital and Znode have announced a partnership to embed Bridgeline’s HawkSearch AI‑powered search and merchandising engine into Znode’s B2B ecommerce platform. The integration leverages HawkSearch’s API‑first architecture, allowing distributors to improve product discovery across large, complex catalogs without replacing...

The Best Smart Home Deals at Amazon’s Big Spring Sale: Connected Locks and Security Cameras up to 57% Off
Amazon’s Big Spring Sale is offering steep discounts on a range of smart‑home gear, with prices slashed up to 57 percent. Flagship bundles such as the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus with Floodlight Cam are now $164.99, half their original price,...

One Month to Go Until the 2026 Retail Technology Show
The Retail Technology Show returns to London’s ExCeL on April 22‑23, 2026 with a new disco theme and over 450 exhibitors, marking its largest technology showcase yet. New features include a Cyber & Loss Prevention Zone, an AI‑maturity focus, and...

Best Klaviyo Alternatives for Revenue Growth and Advanced Analytics
Klaviyo remains a leading CRM for e‑commerce, but its cost and complexity can deter startups. The article highlights three cost‑effective alternatives—Maestra, Brevo, and Omnisend—that deliver advanced analytics and multi‑channel performance tracking. Each platform offers customizable attribution, granular revenue dashboards, and...

I Set a Small Budget to Test a Low-Cost Shopping Platform Everyone’s Been Mentioning
The author conducted a controlled test of Voghion, a low‑cost shopping platform, using a modest, category‑based budget. Prices were markedly lower than typical retailers, but product descriptions were sparse and quality inconsistent across household items, clothing, and a risk purchase....

Shopify’s Moat Deepens as Valuation Hits Historic Low
5 quality stocks with durable moats and high upside 👇 Some of the strongest platforms are now trading near historical valuation lows. $SHOP Shopify — 10.3x forward P/S Shopify powers $378B in GMV. Not just storefronts anymore. Payments, fulfillment, back-office tools all embedded...

Leading Ecommerce Agencies Generate $170k in Revenue per SMB Client by Getting More From Their Audiences
A new Omnisend report of 717 agencies shows the top 10% generate an average $170,000 in annual revenue per SMB ecommerce client, equating to $16.70 per subscriber. The outperformance stems from a blend of SMS marketing, systematic A/B testing, and...

Alibaba, JD, & Meituan Rocket On “The Takeout War Is Over”
Chinese regulators signaled an official end to the aggressive restaurant‑delivery price war that has strained Meituan, JD.com and Alibaba, prompting a sharp rally in their stocks. The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) urged price supervision and anti‑unfair competition measures,...

Kyivstar Subsidiary Uklon Launches Long-Distance Coach Ticket Booking
Uklon, a Kyivstar subsidiary owned by the Veon Group, has launched a new Travel service that lets users book domestic and international bus tickets directly within its app. The feature extends Uklon’s existing portfolio of ride‑hailing, delivery, and ad‑tech offerings,...

Krvvy and Ugees Partner to Expand Product Ecosystems and Drive D2C Growth
Krvvy, a women’s innerwear and shapewear brand, and Ugees, an intimate‑wear wash brand, announced a strategic partnership to broaden their product ecosystems and drive direct‑to‑consumer growth. The collaboration will enable cross‑selling and post‑purchase care, aiming to improve retention and lower...

Food Delivery Is Expensive, And Rapido Wants It Fixed
Rapido officially launched Ownly, a standalone food‑delivery app in Bengaluru on March 3, 2026, backed by roughly $15 million (₹125 cr) from Nexus Venture Partners. The platform targets the 70,000 FSSAI‑licensed restaurants absent from Swiggy and Zomato, offering a zero‑commission model that...
Arvo Platform Builds Bridge Between Farmers and Online Shoppers
In this episode of Real Agriculture, Whitney Shaw of Arvo and Sam Jenkins of Punch Card Systems discuss Arvo, an online farmer's market platform that connects local producers directly with consumers. Arvo was conceived to replace informal listings on sites...

Riding the Rocketship: Creating a Retail Media Mindset
Retail media is rapidly evolving into a multi‑billion‑dollar growth engine, posting double‑digit expansion in key markets. The sector has shifted from a startup focus on formats and measurement to a scale‑up model demanding strategic alignment. Colin Lewis proposes that success...

(Update: 5% Amazon) ShopBack Shopping Portal $15+ In Signup Bonuses & More; Earn Cashback On Amazon & More
ShopBack, a cashback portal expanding in the U.S., is running a slate of high‑rate offers that include up to 5% back on Amazon (capped at $10 per order) for a three‑day window, unlimited 50% cashback on Temu, 15% on Home...

Swiggy Hikes Fees, Signaling Profit‑first Shift
Food delivery to be more expensive Swiggy hiked platform fee by around 18% once again Current platform fees: ₹14.99 New platform fees: ₹17.58 Recently both Zomato and Swiggy hiked their fees Now Swiggy once again Food delivery apps are shifting from Growth mode to Profit mode now..

Amazon Slashes Outdoor Power Tool Prices for Spring
From combo kits to pressure washers, Amazon is cutting prices on outdoor power tools just as spring yard work ramps up. https://t.co/O9CyA4Kcjl https://t.co/I7LcJA3GFU
Google Expands Shopping Ads to 15 New EU Markets
While OpenAI burns cash, Google just announced Shopping Ads in 15 new European markets https://t.co/hQB6wuOTAW https://t.co/eCZo8LPYwP