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
How Can Retailers Use Micro-Influencers?
Retailers such as Disney Store, ASOS, Zara and others are shifting to micro‑influencers for campaigns. These creators have modest followings but are deeply embedded in niche communities, delivering higher engagement and authentic storytelling. Agencies like Coolr and Iris note that micro‑influencers generate quality interactions, sentiment and conversion metrics beyond vanity numbers. Brands now evaluate success through comments, shares, affiliate links and brand lift rather than reach alone.
From Startup to Scale: Myntra’s Zero-Commission Model Is Powering India’s Next D2C Wave
India’s D2C sector is expanding rapidly, but early‑stage brands struggle to scale beyond owned channels due to high CAC and limited reach. Myntra launched the zero‑commission Myntra Rising Stars (MRS) program, letting qualifying brands list on its marketplace without paying...
Amazon Just Banned AI Agents From Its Seller Platform
Amazon updated its Business Solutions Agreement on March 4, 2026, adding a new Agent Policy that bans AI agents from accessing its seller platform unless they self‑identify and can be shut down on request. The agreement also forbids using Amazon’s...
Who Is the Modern Male Shopper Now?
The modern male shopper has moved from muscle‑centric marketing to demanding ingredient transparency and functional benefits. Protein brands now highlight whey isolate purity, grass‑fed sourcing and the absence of additives, while men increasingly view protein as everyday nutrition. Skincare, haircare...
Vitamin Shoppe Debuts ‘Suppie Awards’ and SuppCo Unveils Certification Program as Third-Party Validation Drives Category Growth, Plus News
The Vitamin Shoppe unveiled its first Suppie Awards, a brand‑focused accolade created with Hearst Magazines, while supplement‑tracking startup SuppCo launched a “Tested by SuppCo” certification program featuring a roster of leading supplement brands. Both initiatives aim to provide third‑party validation...
USPS Suspends Mail to Middle East and Numerous Military Post Offices
The United States Postal Service announced a temporary suspension of acceptance for items bound for 18 countries, citing logistics impacts from the Middle East conflict. The list includes Algeria, Iran, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates, among others. In parallel,...
SEANs: Opinionated Software Unifying Marketing and Finance
Another way to think of SEANs is software with a point of view If you think about Ads Manager, as a traditional software, Ads Manager is agnostic to your strategy. You can go in there, click whatever buttons you want, and...
One Quality Rep Doubles LTV, Beats Cheap VA Teams
I spent $20k on a team of VAs to handle customer service. It was a disaster. I hired one amazing UK-based support rep. My LTV doubled. The market doesn't care about cheap. It cares about quality. Test everything.
Meta Tests Shopping AI Chatbot in US
Meta is piloting a shopping research feature inside its Meta AI chatbot for U.S. users. The tool returns a carousel of product images with brand, price, and website details, plus brief recommendation bullet points. The move mirrors similar experiments by...
Pinterest Creators Now Link Direct Amazon Storefronts
🚨 NEW 🚨 Pinterest and Amazon Influencers have teamed up on a new integration that allows select Pinterest creators to link their Amazon Storefronts to their profiles. By connecting their accounts, creators can: 🔗 Feature a Storefront link on their Pinterest profile 🏷️...
If You Don’t See This on Your Amazon Purchase, Your Delivery Window and Returns Might Take Longer
Amazon distinguishes between items "Sold by Amazon" and third‑party listings, a split that directly affects delivery windows and return processes. Products owned and shipped by Amazon enjoy uniform Prime delivery times and streamlined QR‑code returns, while seller‑fulfilled items can face...
Unlocking Global Growth: A Practical Road Map for Cross-Border E-Commerce Success
Retailers are turning to cross‑border e‑commerce as domestic markets saturate, with global online sales forecast to hit $6.8 trillion by 2028. A Total Retail whitepaper, created with Melissa Data, highlights that address errors affect nearly one‑fifth of orders, driving costly failures....
Deal Sets Us Up as DTC Market Leader
David Ellison: “This deal positions us to be one of the leading competitors in the DTC space, to really accelerate our growth and to achieve scale in DTC… It is a primary goal for the business.”
Xometry Tightens Grip on AI Sourcing
Xometry is upgrading its AI‑driven marketplace with a new lead‑time prediction model and enhanced dynamic pricing logic. The lead‑time model, trained on a dataset four times larger, now incorporates supplier certifications, material requirements and specialized finishing specifications, improving forecasting accuracy...
PayPal and TCS Blockchain Modernize Logistics Payments
PayPal and TCS Blockchain have partnered to launch a blockchain‑based payment platform that uses PayPal USD (PYUSD) stablecoin to settle freight invoices. The solution promises same‑day, year‑round settlement and cost reductions of up to 90% compared with traditional invoice factoring....
Henry Schein Advances Global Ecommerce Rollout
Henry Schein is entering the next phase of its global ecommerce rollout, completing key North American deployments of its consolidated HenrySchein.com platform for dental and medical customers. The unified architecture standardizes the B2B purchasing experience and aligns ordering with data‑driven...
Amazon Begins Grocery Delivery for Cub
Amazon has launched a grocery delivery partnership with Minnesota‑based Cub, enabling Twin Cities shoppers to order Cub’s fresh produce, meat, private‑label brands and household items via Amazon’s website and app. The service offers same‑day delivery, two‑hour windows and free shipping...
Stablecoins Power Philippines’ Thriving Gig Economy
The Philippines’ gig workforce, now about a quarter of employed workers, is turning to stablecoins for cross‑border payouts. Traditional bank transfers can delay payments for days and erode earnings by up to 10% through fees and FX conversion. Stablecoins such...
How to Choose a Domain Registrar That’s Right for Your Needs?
The 2026 domain‑registrar market splits into dedicated registrars and all‑in‑one platforms, each catering to different user priorities. Dedicated services like GoDaddy and Namecheap lure buyers with ultra‑low first‑year fees but often raise renewal costs and push upsells. All‑in‑one solutions such...
The 2026 E-Commerce Stack: Integrating WhatsApp CRM Into Your Shopify Workflow
Integrating a professional WhatsApp CRM into Shopify transforms ad‑driven chats into a managed sales pipeline. The article warns that relying on personal phones creates shadow‑IT risks, data silos, and quality‑control blind spots. Platforms like WADesk centralize conversations, enable load‑balanced agent...
Macro Trends Don't Matter for Sub‑$50M Ecom
The ecom space is obsessed with economic policy and macro trends and graphs for a specific phrase on Google. If I could predict anything useful from graphs and policies, I'd be in private equity or trading stocks. I'm in ecom because...
MPE – Merchant Payments Ecosystem: Conference Overview
The Merchant Payments Ecosystem (MPE) conference highlighted three major fintech developments. OpenAI’s partnership with the Pentagon sparked industry backlash over ethical AI use. Capitec Pay launched instant bank‑payment capabilities for Paystack merchants, streamlining payouts. BitGo Europe expanded its crypto‑as‑a‑service offering...
How To Start a Substack To Promote Your Small Business
E‑commerce brands are turning to Substack to publish editorial‑style newsletters that feel like personal essays rather than sales blasts. The platform offers free publishing, a 10% revenue share on paid subscriptions, and permanent web URLs that can be shared beyond...
10‑20% Growth Unlocks Cash Extraction After $1M
Extracting capital from a fast growing eCom business is nearly impossible. But there's a sweet spot where it does make sense. I surveyed 200+ store owners to figure out where. Here's what I found: The magic growth range is 10-20% annual revenue growth. Half of...
B2C Brands Excelling on LinkedIn Over Other Channels
For an article: looking for an example of a B2C brand that is doing as good or better on LinkedIn performance-wise than any other owned social channel. Know of any??
Instacart Perks and Promotions for United MileagePlus Members: Earn up to 10,500 Miles, Complimentary Instacart+, and More
United MileagePlus and Instacart have expanded their partnership, offering members up to 10,500 bonus miles through three linked activities: a first order, four additional orders, and an annual Instacart+ subscription. A complimentary 7‑day Instacart+ trial with $0 delivery fees is...
Third‑Party Praise Beats Ads for Brand Breakthrough
Time Magazine called Allbirds' Wool Runners the 'world's most comfortable shoes' in 2016. That single endorsement launched the brand into the mainstream. Meanwhile you're relying solely on paid ads with zero third-party validation. That's the gap.
New Naruto Merch Collaboration Launches Today
We did a merch collab with the greatest anime ever made in the history of the universe, Naruto :D https://t.co/vMBSTlcdKJ
Google Sets $5 Daily Minimum Budget for Demand Gen Campaigns, Forcing Small Advertisers to Spend More
Google will enforce a $5‑per‑day minimum budget for all Demand Gen campaigns starting April 1, aiming to give its AI enough data during the 7‑ to 14‑day cold‑start learning phase. The rule primarily hits small advertisers who run low‑budget, hyper‑segmented tests,...
Why Software‑Enabled Agencies Are the Future of E‑commerce
Despite a small pocket of futile, violent resistance (looking at you @jacob_posel, @ChereneAubert and @Chillestdotcom) SEAN's (Software Enabled AgeNcies) are all the rage. In this week's ecommerce playbook podcast episode I break down why we are committed to building a SEAN and...
Simple Shopify Gift App Reveals Complex Cart Management Challenges
We spent a year building a 'simple' @Shopify app: add free gift to cart, discount to zero. Then cart state management, discount conflicts, and popup cooldown debates happened. New pod with @karlmeisterheim and @PaulReda on what it actually takes. https://t.co/i2VKEDRfPy
Top 10 Retail Tech at eTail West 2026
At eTail West 2026, retailers emphasized operational maturity over pure experimentation, seeking technology that directly drives revenue, efficiency, and retention. The top ten solutions ranged from Furniture.com’s aggregated home‑goods marketplace to Glance.com’s AR virtual‑try‑on and Teikametrics’ AI‑powered marketplace advertising. Companies...
Cargojet Secures UPS Contracts to Offset the Loss of China E-Commerce Volume Caused by US Tariffs
Cargojet, the Canadian cargo airline, signed new service agreements with UPS to replace capacity lost after the FAA grounded its MD‑11 fleet. The move cushions a sharp drop in transpacific revenue caused by Great Vision HK Express suspending its contract...
Wix Launches Website Creation App in ChatGPT Through OpenAI Collaboration to Simplify Design
Wix announced a partnership with OpenAI to embed its website‑building application inside ChatGPT. The new app lets users generate production‑ready sites using plain‑language text or voice commands, leveraging Wix’s proprietary protocols. The feature is being rolled out globally, aiming to...
Apple, Google Wallets Get Personal
Digital‑wallet platforms from Apple and Google are evolving beyond simple payments, with startups like Badge turning them into interactive commerce channels. Badge’s infrastructure lets brands push real‑time, location‑aware offers and loyalty updates directly to a consumer’s wallet. The San‑Francisco‑based company...
Military Strikes on Iran Delay Middle East E-Commerce Deliveries as Shipping Costs Threaten to Double
Military strikes on Iran have forced major container lines to suspend cargo bookings to the Middle East, triggering widespread delivery delays for e‑commerce giants such as Amazon and Temu. Freight forwarders warn that shipping costs could nearly double as transit...
One-Third of E-Commerce Packages in Violation
Liège Airport processes about 3.6 million e‑commerce parcels daily, accounting for roughly 20 % of Europe’s online sales. Customs can inspect only 0.006 % of these shipments—around 216 files per day—and 30 % of the checked B2C parcels are found in violation, generating €3.3 million...
Worldline Completes First Wero Online Payment in Belgium with Belgian Red Cross-Flanders
Worldline processed Belgium's first Wero e‑commerce transaction, enabling the Belgian Red Cross‑Flanders to accept the pan‑European digital wallet at checkout. Belgium becomes the second European market, after Germany, to support Wero for online payments. The wallet, developed by the European...
Payment Friction Wins in Africa
African ecommerce still wrestles with deep‑rooted trust gaps, turning checkout into a conversational process often mediated through WhatsApp. Local platforms like Paystack, Flutterwave, and Egypt’s Fawry have succeeded by offering instant bank transfers, mobile‑money protocols such as STK Push, and cash‑at‑kiosk...
Brands Briefing: Caraway Makes Its First Big OOH Push as It Seeks to Make the Brand ‘Impossible to Ignore’
Caraway, a six‑year‑old cookware startup, has launched its first major out‑of‑home (OOH) advertising campaign to become “impossible to ignore.” The eye‑catching mural at Columbus Circle subway targets high‑traffic commuters. After growing from a pure DTC model, the brand now sells...
X Turns Dormant Usernames Into Digital Real Estate
X has launched a Handles Marketplace that lets Premium+ and Premium Business subscribers claim dormant @handles. Handles are split into free Priority names and paid Rare names, the latter fetching $2,500 to over $1 million. Paid Rare handles remain with the...
YouTube Shopping Guide for Brands (Not Just Creators)
YouTube Shopping has expanded in 2026 to let brands turn any video—Shorts, long‑form, or Live—into a direct storefront. By linking a product catalog through Google Merchant Center, brands can tag SKUs within videos, letting viewers purchase without leaving the platform....
Searchable Review 2026: The AI Search Visibility Platform Built for Shopify and DTC Brands
Searchable is an AI‑search visibility platform that consolidates GA4, Google Search Console, and AI assistant data into a single growth command center for Shopify and DTC brands. The tool surfaces insights via an interactive AI agent and links them to...
Holland & Barrett Sales Boosted by TikTok Trends, as Losses Widen
Holland & Barrett reported an 11% rise in annual sales to £981 million, propelled by TikTok‑driven health trends and appetite‑suppressing products. Store revenue climbed to £731.3 million, and gross profit increased to £579.9 million. However, pre‑tax losses widened to £71 million, reflecting higher staff...
Cheaper Retail Prices Unlikely Despite Tariff Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Feb. 20 that the Trump administration’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose broad tariffs was unconstitutional. Within hours, the administration invoked a different legal tool to impose a 15% tariff, later...
Google Cloud and Nexi to Build Agentic Commerce Infrastructure
Google Cloud and Italy’s Nexi Group have signed a memorandum of understanding to create an agentic commerce infrastructure across Europe. The deal merges Google Cloud’s artificial‑intelligence and data platforms with Nexi’s payment‑processing network, and backs open‑source standards such as the...
OPINION: Resale Isn’t a Sideshow Anymore — It’s Reshaping Digital Fashion Retail
The online fashion resale market has moved from niche to mainstream, with Vinted now the UK’s third‑largest fashion retailer by customer numbers and eBay agreeing to buy Depop for about $1.2 bn. UK online second‑hand sales are projected to hit roughly...
DMWF Spotlight: How Ecommerce Marketers Gain a Competitive Advantage – without More Complexity
E‑commerce marketers are confronting rising acquisition costs and a fragmented, multi‑device buyer journey that traditional search and social channels no longer dominate. Autonomous AI platforms now analyze live intent signals across the open internet, allowing brands to reach high‑intent shoppers...
Castore Cuts Pricing Execution From Five Hours to Minutes on 35 Shopify Stores
Castore, a global sportswear brand operating 35 Shopify stores, replaced its manual, spreadsheet‑driven pricing workflow with Patchworks, a retail‑first iPaaS. The new integration cut pricing execution from roughly five hours to two‑three minutes and slashed error rates from 30‑35% to...
Second-Hand Marketplace Refurbed Reaches Three Billion Milestone
Refurbed announced a 40% year‑on‑year growth, pushing its gross merchandise volume past €3 billion and expanding into twelve new European markets. The platform now claims the title of Europe’s largest refurbished marketplace and reported profitability for the first time. A fresh...