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
Forest Lawn Builds an Integrated Procure-to-Pay Backbone by Connecting Vroozi, NetSuite, and Shopify
Forest Lawn Memorial Parks & Mortuaries has built a fully integrated procure-to-pay backbone by linking Vroozi’s procurement platform with NetSuite ERP and Shopify e‑commerce. The integration automates inventory replenishment, accounts payable, and even service procurement, allowing real‑time updates across systems. Since adopting Vroozi in 2018 and adding AP automation in 2023, the company now triggers purchase orders from ERP signals and Shopify sales, streamlining operations for both goods and specialized services. This orchestration turns procurement into a strategic operational infrastructure rather than a standalone function.
One Quirky Prop Turned a Bland Shirt Ad Into Bestseller
Every shirt ad looked the same. One prop changed everything. In 1951, Hathaway was a small shirt company from Maine that most people had never heard of. They had a $30,000 ad budget, a fraction of what their competitors were spending,...
Build a 2026 Digital Store Using AI Tools
How To Build A Digital Product Store With AI In 2026 WATCH HERE 👉 https://t.co/ijT1ejXe7l In this video, I show you step-by-step how to build a digital product store using AI in 2026, including how to generate product images, write high-converting...
Surcharges and Discounts Can’t Overcome Payment Inertia
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s new report shows that merchants’ attempts to shift consumer payment behavior with cash discounts or credit‑card surcharges have little impact because shoppers stick to their preferred method out of habit. Discounts only influence cash‑oriented...
Williams-Sonoma to Test Ads in ChatGPT
Williams‑Sonoma has joined OpenAI’s ad pilot, becoming one of the first retailers to test sponsored placements inside ChatGPT. The experiment will surface high‑end home‑goods ads to free and Go users as they ask product‑related questions, while paid subscribers remain ad‑free....
Amazon Sellers Have 2 Weeks to Ensure Compliance of Tools They Use
Amazon will amend its Business Solutions Agreement (BSA) effective March 4, 2026, adding a new Agent Policy that governs AI and automated tools accessing Seller Central. Sellers received notice on February 17 and now have a two‑week window to confirm that any third‑party...
How Reward Systems Boost Customer Retention in Mobile Apps
Retailers are pivoting from acquisition to retention as mobile apps become the primary consumer channel, with users spending over 85% of their time in apps. A modest 5‑6% lift in app retention can translate into profit gains of 25% to...
AI Retention Beats Humans by Making Competitors Look Inferior
I teach retention for a living. I've built post-purchase flows for 200+ brands. But I just heard a demo of an AI trying to retain a canceling Spotify customer. And it used tactics most human reps never even attempt. Customer: "You raised...
Global Payments Builds Salesforce
Global Payments announced a 300‑agent salesforce expansion in 2026, following its recent acquisition of Worldpay. The company will invest $1 billion this year to accelerate growth of its Genius processing brand and AI capabilities. Adjusted net revenue rose 1% to $2.32 billion...
Shopify’s Product Network: The Quiet Update That Could Change Ecommerce Forever
In this episode, Pep Hufen, CEO of Smart Marketer Agency, explains Shopify’s new Product Network—a feature that lets merchants embed other brands’ products on their own sites without holding inventory or losing the customer relationship. He clarifies that it’s not...
Universal Music Strikes Deal with Superfan Platform EVEN to Power D2C Sales for Artists Worldwide
Universal Music Group has signed a multi‑year agreement with superfan platform EVEN, making the service the primary direct‑to‑fan (D2C) hub for its labels and artists. EVEN will provide turnkey tools for early‑access music, exclusive content, and merchandise sales, leveraging UMG’s...
TikTok Shop Halts Plan to End Independent Shipping for U.S. Sellers After Backlash
TikTok Shop has scrapped its planned deadline to end seller‑fulfilled shipping for U.S. merchants, keeping the existing independent‑shipping model in place for now. The reversal follows a wave of backlash from brands that warned the shift would raise fulfillment costs,...
Retail CX Has a Signal Problem
Retail CIOs are confronting a growing "signal problem" as fragmented communication channels undermine customer experience and AI initiatives. Research shows 64 percent of retailers plan to modernize their communication systems to meet consumer expectations for instant, accurate information. Misaligned data streams...
India’s Fintech Powerhouse Cashfree Payments Expands AI Ambitions with ‘Cashfree Here’ Launch
Cashfree Payments introduced Cashfree Here, an in‑chat payment solution unveiled at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, allowing users to complete transactions directly within AI chat applications. The product leverages Cashfree’s existing API banking infrastructure to embed checkout, tokenised card...
New Ecommerce Tools: February 18, 2026
This week’s ecommerce rollout spans AI‑driven marketing, new payment options, and expanded livestream shopping. Mailchimp unveiled predictive analytics, ChatGPT‑powered content tools, and an omnichannel dashboard, while Klarna entered Google Pay in the UK and Amazon launched Pay by Bank for...
Flexibility Matters: Why Traditional Hiring Cycles Won’t Cut It for Today’s Retailers
Retailers face massive seasonal spikes, with November‑December sales representing about 20% of annual revenue and holiday sales projected to exceed $1 trillion in 2025. Meeting this demand requires a broad mix of talent—from supply‑chain managers to digital marketers—beyond traditional in‑store staff....
Stop Fighting Returns, Start Using Them to Build Loyalty
Retailers face $850 billion in US returns in 2025 and a projected $954 billion global market by 2029, yet many still view returns as a cost center. The article argues that turning returns into effortless, proactive experiences can reduce volume, protect margins,...
Zepto Discontinues Zepto Daily as Subscriptions Fail to Anchor Loyalty in Quick Commerce
Quick‑commerce platform Zepto has shut down its loyalty and subscription service, Zepto Daily, after the program failed to cement customer loyalty. The offering, which was priced as low as Rs 1 per month and previously grew to 4 million subscribers, was removed...
How HelloFresh Expanded Its Subscription Portfolio with Launch of Factor in Germany
HelloFresh has introduced its Factor ready‑to‑eat (RTE) brand in Germany, extending a portfolio that already succeeded in Canada and the United States. Factor delivers fresh, heat‑and‑eat meals with high‑protein and vegetarian options, targeting consumers who want convenience without cooking. The...
Businesses Move to Rein In AI in the Shift to Autonomous Finance
Enterprises are granting AI agents authority to initiate payments, approve refunds, and orchestrate cross‑functional workflows, shifting from assistance to autonomous action. Security researchers warn that more than 1.5 million deployed agents could be exposed to misuse, expanding the attack surface faster...
Eddie Bauer Files for Bankruptcy
Eddie Bauer announced a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in the District of New Jersey, attributing the move to a consumer shift toward online shopping, persistent inflation and higher tariffs. The filing, the company’s third, outlines a plan to sell some...
Epetōme Secures Multi-Million-Pound Investment to Scale Its Subscription-Based Gut Health Range Globally
Epetōme, the UK‑based gut‑health brand founded by nutritionist Emily English, has secured a multi‑million‑pound investment led by Active Partners and Redrice Ventures. The funding will accelerate its international rollout and fund expanded clinical trials on probiotics and prebiotics. Since its...
Experience Economy Pushes Payments to $20B Super Bowl Test
The 2026 Super Bowl generated roughly $20.2 billion in experience‑economy spending, spanning tickets, merchandise, streaming and legal wagering. Paysafe’s CEO Bruce Lowthers highlighted the need for payment platforms that can process massive, real‑time transactions across multiple methods without friction. AI‑driven fraud...
Nearly Half of Digital Bank Customers Prefer Digital Wallets
A PYMNTS Intelligence survey of 2,071 U.S. bank customers finds that 44.6% of digital‑bank users prefer paying with digital wallets, outpacing other groups. When paired with discounts and clear buyer protection, 35.4% say they would shift account‑to‑account spending to pay‑by‑bank....
European eCommerce Fulfillment Through a Global Lens
In this episode, Kevin interviews Ken Byrne, founder of RedSky Europe, about the challenges and opportunities of European eCommerce fulfillment for global brands. Byrne explains how his experience as an eCommerce brand owner informs RedSky’s tech‑first, scalable approach, especially for...
What to Do When Reddit Turns on Your Brand
Reddit’s community‑driven format can quickly amplify brand criticism, forcing fashion houses to confront negative narratives in real time. The article outlines a step‑by‑step playbook: set up listening tools, engage authentically, avoid corporate jargon, and leverage AMAs or moderated threads to...
SendGrid Vs. Mailchimp: Which Email Platform Is Better In 2026?
In this episode Vytautas Palubeckas compares SendGrid and Mailchimp, highlighting that SendGrid is a developer‑focused platform optimized for high‑volume transactional emails, while Mailchimp is a marketer‑friendly suite offering drag‑and‑drop design, robust automation, and broader CRM tools. Key takeaways include the...
Macy’s Is Drawing on Events Like the Thanksgiving Day Parade to Grow Its Creator Program
Macy’s is scaling its Style Crew influencer program in 2026, aiming to grow from roughly 600 members to 1,000 by adding more in‑person events tied to marquee assets like the Thanksgiving Day Parade. The creator storefronts have generated a 478%...
Lando Norris’s Streetwear Brand Quadrant Opens Melbourne Pop-Up Store
Lando Norris’s streetwear label Quadrant is launching its first physical retail space with a three‑day pop‑up in Melbourne from March 5 to 7, timed with the Australian Grand Prix. The temporary store will showcase Melbourne‑exclusive merchandise, a preview of the 2026...
Avocado Mattress Proves Interactive CTV Ads Are Ripe for Growth
The episode explores the rise of interactive CTV ads, highlighting how formats like pause ads, shoppable units, and overlays are turning passive TV viewing into actionable moments. It showcases Avocado Mattress’s successful campaign with Tatari and Innovid, which used a...
10 Viral Marketing Examples + Tips for Going Viral
In this episode, host Tina Donati breaks down viral marketing, defining it as share‑driven content that spreads like a virus and outlining its key benefits such as traffic, sales, and community building. She highlights common tactics—humor, emotional appeal, assumption‑reversal, collaborations,...
Why a Merger Could Be the Death of Myer and David Jones
The rise of online shopping—now exceeding 20% of sales for both Myer and David Jones—is forcing Australian department stores to rethink their brick‑and‑mortar models. Myer is pivoting to a vertically integrated, aspirational brand by acquiring Premier Investments’ apparel portfolio and...
Master Live-Stream Arbitrage Across Platforms for Big Profits
Obviously, this is very general in the video that I put out here, but the reality is: is learning how to buy and sell, and finding arbitrage in what you pay for something, versus what you sell it, and understanding...
Conversion Tweaks Beat Pricey Platform Migrations Every Time
I spent $40k on a Shopify Plus migration. No revenue increase. Competitor optimized their product pages. 30% revenue increase. Platform doesn't matter. Conversion optimization does. Test everything.
Step One Half-Year Loss Prompts Call for ‘Urgency’ in Reset
Step One reported a 24.5% revenue decline to $36.3 million and a 203% drop in net profit after tax, posting a $8.4 million loss for the first half of FY 2026. The company booked a $10.9 million provision for slow‑moving legacy inventory, highlighting challenges...
Checkout Now Shows Prices in Your Local Currency
Starting February 18, our checkout page will display prices in students' local currency. Location is detected based on IP address, and prices are automatically converted using real-time exchange rates. 🙂 https://t.co/xCo69SeIx8
DoorDash Inc (DASH) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
DoorDash reported accelerated international growth in Q4 2025, led by its Deliveroo and Wolt acquisitions, while consolidating three technology platforms to streamline operations. The company expects a modest rise in full‑year 2026 EBITDA margin, with Deliveroo contributing roughly $200 million of...
The Top 7,000 Amazon Sellers Get Over Half of All Amazon Sales
The episode breaks down the extreme concentration of Amazon's US third‑party marketplace, revealing that roughly 7,000 sellers—just 1.6% of the seller base—account for over half of all third‑party GMV, while the top 20% generate 90% of revenue. It highlights how...
From SAP Emarsys To SAP Engagement Cloud: Powering The Next Era Of Engagement
In this episode Sara Richter announces the rebranding of SAP Emarsys to SAP Engagement Cloud, highlighting its evolution from a marketer‑first personalization tool to an enterprise‑wide, AI‑enabled engagement platform. She explains how the new solution integrates real‑time customer insights, operational...
Fourthwall vs Printify: What Each Platform Actually Does for You
The article compares Fourthwall and Printify, two print‑on‑demand platforms serving creators. Fourthwall bundles storefront creation, fulfillment, support, and monetization tools into a single package, while Printify offers a vast product catalog but leaves the rest of the tech stack to...
RBTX Launches New Online Shopping Experience for Customers
RBTX has launched a full e‑commerce platform on RBTX.com, enabling engineers to purchase robotics components, robots, and services online. The site offers instant credit‑card checkout and transparent pricing, eliminating the need for a sales consultation for known‑item buyers. A guided...
How To Sell On Social Media: What You Need To Know Before Posting Products
The article outlines a step‑by‑step framework for selling products on social media, emphasizing platform selection, compliance, and visual storytelling. It details how Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube each suit different buyer intents and highlights common pitfalls such as category...
Genuine Parts Split Will Accelerate B2B Digital Strategy
Genuine Parts Co. will spin off its automotive and industrial divisions into two publicly traded entities—Global Automotive and Motion—targeting completion in the first quarter of 2027. The split is framed as a move toward strategic clarity and capital discipline, allowing...
Recover Lost Shoppers, Turn Wasted Ad Spend Into Revenue
Your ad budget is on life support, and you don’t even know it yet. Let me explain how you’re losing money on things you THINK are working: Let’s say you spend $50K on ads… …leading you to drive 12,000 visitors at $4 CPC… …but...
The Future of Retail: Integrating 3D Renderings Services with Augmented Reality (AR)
E‑commerce is moving from static product images to immersive 3D renderings that power augmented reality “see in your room” experiences. High‑quality, low‑poly models with PBR materials and optimized formats like USDZ and glTF enable real‑time performance on smartphones while preserving...
Radial Launches New Commerce Solutions Services for Payments and Fraud Prevention
Radial, a fulfillment and third‑party logistics provider, has introduced Radial Commerce Solutions, a suite of payment orchestration and AI‑driven fraud prevention services. The modular platform offers PSP‑agnostic processing, automatic failover, tokenization, chargeback resolution and tax compliance. It joins existing fulfillment,...
As Agentic Commerce Emerges, Services Providers Are Rewriting Commerce Playbooks End To End
The episode explores how commerce‑services providers are reshaping traditional commerce strategies to accommodate both human shoppers and AI‑driven agentic buyers. It highlights three critical capabilities: dual optimization for humans and agents, AI‑powered operations that enhance resilience in brick‑and‑mortar and online...
626: The Content Strategies That Will Die In 2026 (And What’s Taking Over)
In this episode Toni and guest Tony forecast the content‑creation landscape for 2026, warning that high‑volume AI‑generated posts will drown out average creators and that many traditional tactics—like generic blogs, mass‑produced reels, and saturated podcast formats—will lose effectiveness. They stress...
Olympics Payments Hurdles Are a Microcosm of EU Challenges
The episode examines how Visa's exclusive role as the card provider at the Milano‑Cortina Winter Olympics exposed Europe’s reliance on U.S. payment networks, leaving many visitors stranded with cash‑only options and long ATM queues. Guest Don Apgar explains that geopolitical...
YouTube Tops Growth: People Prefer Video over Reading
Had a Head of Growth tell me this morning that YouTube is their #1 source of new customers because no one wants to read anymore and I think that's incredibly true.