Meituan: A Messy Quarter, But Underlying Trends Are Positive
Meituan reported a loss in Q4, but analysts see the dip as superficial, noting stronger user quality and a recovering margin profile. The company’s upgraded membership program is lifting average revenue per user and reducing churn, while low‑margin orders are being pruned. Core local commerce remains pressured, yet food‑delivery competition is consolidating, supporting a sequential margin rebound. At roughly 8.7× two‑year forward EBITDA, the stock appears undervalued given the projected EBITDA growth and easing competitive headwinds.
Why Attend Retail MediaX Europe – 14th May 2026
Retail MediaX Europe will be held on May 14, 2026 in London as the flagship event of RetailX’s Spring Commerce Media Festival. The conference gathers retailers, agencies and marketing leaders to explore the latest in retail media, connected TV, OTT...
50% Shoppers Back Regulations to Stop Cheap Online Goods Flooding the UK
New RTS research shows 54% of UK shoppers favor tightening the de‑minimis threshold that currently exempts parcels under £135 (~$170) from duties. Support is strongest among Gen Z, with 68% backing stricter rules, while 82% already shop on Chinese marketplaces...
New Look to Open Largest Concept Store at Metrocentre with 'Enhanced Omnichannel Capabilities'
New Look will relocate to an 11,000 sq ft space in the Metrocentre, creating its largest concept store to date. The new format expands womenswear, accessories and the 915 brand while adding click‑&‑collect, self‑service e‑commerce drop‑offs, showroom elevations and digital browsing displays....
Gen Z Digital Wallet Use Climbs 21% as Budgets Tighten
A PYMNTS Intelligence survey of 2,108 U.S. adults shows digital wallet usage soaring, especially among Gen Z, where adoption for retail purchases more than doubled to 36%—a 21% increase since March 2024. Consumers experiencing high financial stress are twice as likely...
How E-Commerce Technology Is Transforming Sneaker Retail Across the Gulf Region
Sneaker retailers in the Gulf are leveraging technology to turn a fragmented, reseller‑driven market into a seamless e‑commerce experience. Platforms such as Dubai‑based Mad Kicks use localized storefronts, advanced product discovery tools, and multi‑point authentication to offer authentic, premium footwear...
Why Smarter Data, Not More Messages, Will Define E-Commerce Growth
D2C Innerwear Brands XYXX, DaMENSCH Scale up in FY25, Profitability Remains Elusive
India’s D2C men’s innerwear startups XYXX and DaMENSCH posted strong top‑line growth in FY25, with XYXX’s revenue rising 46% to roughly $22.5 million and DaMENSCH’s up 34% to $14.2 million. Despite the scale boost, both firms remained loss‑making, though XYXX cut its...
OnPoint, Byte Media Sign Partnership to Expand TikTok Shop Services
OnPoint and Byte Media have signed an MoU to jointly expand TikTok Shop services, focusing on livestream, affiliate networks, and AI‑driven content production. The partnership will deliver automated media‑buying solutions for small‑ and medium‑sized businesses, aiming to boost cost efficiency...
These 9 Shoptalk Conversations Are Shaping Commerce’s Future
Shoptalk in Las Vegas showcased the industry’s anxiety and optimism about commerce’s next evolution, from AI‑driven chatbots to search‑embedded shopping. Key conversations highlighted retailers such as Home Depot and technology firms like Stratacache grappling with omnichannel strategies. Google announced a partnership with...
Retail Reinvention: How Heritage Fashion Brands Are Expanding in a Digital Era
Heritage fashion houses such as Burberry, Chanel and Louis Vuitton are reshaping their business models for the digital age, building dedicated e‑commerce channels and partnering with curated online platforms. While Indian luxury shoppers still prefer tactile, in‑store experiences for high‑value...
Instacart Promo Code: Save on Groceries in March 2026
Instacart is rolling out a suite of March 2026 promotions, including free delivery on a new user’s first three orders, a $50 credit for customers who obtain the Instacart Mastercard, and $10 discounts on Petco and Walgreens purchases. Existing members can...
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How eBay Generates Revenue: Key Streams Explained
eBay reported FY2024 revenue of $10.28 billion, driven by $74.67 billion in gross merchandise volume. The marketplace generated $1.98 billion in net income, down from $2.77 billion a year earlier, while active users held steady at 134 million. Revenue is split between marketplace fees, advertising,...
JBL’s Boombox 3 Drops to $300 and the Tour Pro 2 Earbuds Hit $140 During Amazon’s Big Spring Sale
Amazon's Big Spring Sale slashes JBL prices, with the Boombox 3 now $299.95—a $200 discount—and the Tour Pro 2 earbuds at $139.95, 44% off. The promotion also includes deep discounts on PartyBox, Charge 6, and a range of JBL headphones...
Meta Acquisition of Moltbook Signals Shift to Agentic Commerce Infrastructure
Meta has acquired Moltbook and folded its agent‑to‑agent directory into Meta Superintelligence Labs, signaling a pivot from experimental autonomous buying to a core commerce infrastructure. The integration eliminates traditional human‑behavior signals at checkout, replacing them with "agentic telemetry" that validates...
Skullcandy Taps Riskified for Fraud Prevention
Skullcandy partnered with Riskified via the Shopify app to overhaul its fraud‑prevention workflow. By adding a secondary review layer and recalibrating AI‑driven thresholds, the retailer cut its fraud‑decline rate to about 0.1% and kept chargebacks around 0.06% over 12 months....
Meta Aims to Position WhatsApp as the New Frontier in Customer Relations
Meta is positioning WhatsApp as a core channel for B2C customer relations, citing that 80% of users interact with brands weekly and a billion daily business‑consumer conversations occur. The platform now supports promotions, live‑shopping, abandoned‑cart recovery (15‑20% recovered), payments and...
This Pretzel Startup Turned a Viral TikTok Moment Into Months’ Worth of Sales—In Just Three Days
Baltimore entrepreneur Marcus Moore’s pretzel brand Moore Crunch went viral on TikTok after a news clip hit 2 million views, prompting a three‑day order volume normally seen over three to four months. The company, launched in October 2022, offers five flavors at...
Refurbed and GoPro Announce Exclusive Partnership in Ireland
Refurbed has sealed an exclusive partnership with GoPro to sell refurbished HERO9‑11 cameras in Ireland, Denmark and Sweden. The collaboration follows a pilot that saw GoPro sales on the platform jump 195%, and reflects a 329% year‑on‑year increase in camera...
PayNearby Introduces Integrated UPI Cash Withdrawal Solution Through Retail Network
PayNearby has become the first Business Correspondent in India to launch a fully integrated UPI cash‑withdrawal solution, allowing users to pull physical cash from nearby retail outlets. The service is built in partnership with IndusInd Bank and supported by YES...
Deals – Big Spring Sale Day 3: Lenovo Idea Tab Pro 40% Off, TCL 60 NXTPAPER $180, Snapdragon X Elite...
Day 3 of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale delivers deep discounts across tablets, smartphones, laptops and accessories. Lenovo’s 12.7‑inch Idea Tab Pro falls to $237.50, a 40% cut, while TCL’s 60 XE NXTPAPER phone starts at $180, 30% off. Microsoft’s Snapdragon X Elite Surface Laptop is...
Brands For Less Shows up for Small Businesses with ‘By the Community, For the Community’
Brands For Less, a leading discount retailer in the Middle East, has launched the “By the Community, For the Community” platform to help UAE small businesses weather a slowdown in demand. The initiative offers rent‑free shelf space, in‑store activations, and exposure through...
In the Age of AI, Home Depot’s Stores Have ‘Never Been More Relevant’
Home Depot is embedding generative‑AI tools, branded as Magic Apron, into its omnichannel ecosystem to streamline product discovery and advice. A partnership with Google Cloud now lets shoppers converse in plain language, receiving personalized recommendations and compatibility checks. The retailer...
Best Canopy Management Alternatives for Amazon Sellers: Ranked and Reviewed
The article ranks the ten most viable Amazon agency alternatives to Canopy Management, highlighting Olifant Digital as the top overall choice. It evaluates agencies on client retention, senior‑level staffing, daily optimization cadence, and TACoS‑first reporting. Key pain points with Canopy—manager...
Commerce Media ‘Firmly in the Growth Phase’, Finds SMG’s New Maturity Index
SMG’s newly launched Commerce Media Network (CMN) Maturity Index reveals the sector is solidly in a growth phase, with 58% of networks classified as mid‑market and 28% reaching mature status. The Index evaluates networks across three dimensions—What (capabilities, data, inventory),...
Fashion E-Tailer Giglio.com Posts 14% Revenue Slump in 2025, Rallies in Europe in 2026
Italian luxury e‑tailer Giglio.com reported a 14% revenue decline in 2025, posting $43.5 million in sales versus $50.8 million the year before. EBITDA turned negative at $1.8 million, reflecting a –4.1% margin, while net loss widened to $2.8 million. Despite the downturn, the company...
Fonq, Dutch Home Decor Webshop, Declared Bankrupt
Dutch online home‑decor retailer Fonq, founded in 2003, announced bankruptcy after years of decline. The company once posted €66 million (≈ $71 million) in revenue in 2015 and was bought in 2016 by Ad Scheepbouwer, who hoped to expand sales to €200 million (≈ $214 million)....
Content Beats Design, Says CRO Pro
The founder of Syntra, an agency, says content and copy play a big role in ecommerce conversions, if not the biggest. The post Content Beats Design, Says CRO Pro appeared first on Practical Ecommerce.
Embrace Progress Says Sephora As ChatGPT Pilot Expands Across U.S.
Sephora has launched a U.S. pilot that embeds a dedicated beauty‑advisor experience inside the ChatGPT app, allowing shoppers to ask natural‑language questions and receive personalized product recommendations. The service taps into customers’ Beauty Insider loyalty data to tailor advice on...
Just Eat and Autotrader Among Firms Investigated in Fake Reviews Probe
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a probe into five companies—including Just Eat and Autotrader—over allegations of fake or misleading online reviews. The investigation will examine how reviews are collected, moderated and displayed, with particular focus on...
Google Merchant Center Will Highlight Vehicle Ads Data Quality Issues
Google announced that starting mid‑April 2026, Merchant Center will surface data‑quality issues for Vehicle ads directly in the account‑issues page. The new checks compare each vehicle's feed attributes—availability, condition, price, mileage, VIN, and landing‑page URLs—with the corresponding details on the...
EU Customs Overhaul Targets Fashion Parcel Surge
The European Union is revamping its customs code to tighten control over the flood of low‑cost fashion parcels entering the bloc. Under the new rules, online marketplaces such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress will be liable for customs duties, product...
How to Protect Razor-Thin Retail Margins with AI
Retail margins are collapsing, with grocery net margins falling below 1.5%, echoing the 2008 crisis. A recent NVIDIA study shows 89% of retailers using AI report higher revenue and 95% see lower operating costs. AI delivers the strongest returns in...
Grocery Shopping via ChatGPT: How Carrefour Is Embracing AI
Carrefour has become the first European retailer to embed its product catalogue directly into ChatGPT, allowing French users to browse items, check stock, and build a shopping cart within the AI chat interface. The service launched Thursday and is instantly...
Tesco Beats Clubcard Copycats to Claim Loyalty Scheme Crown
Tesco’s Clubcard has been crowned the UK’s most valued loyalty scheme, scoring 8.38 out of 10 in HyperFinity’s index that surveyed over 50 retailers. The programme’s appeal stems from its straightforward discounts, including a 40 p (≈ $0.50) meal‑deal cut, and strong...
How to Achieve Seamless Shoppable CTV
At Streaming Media Connect 2026, leaders from Fuse Media, Disney, Spaceback and LG outlined the next wave of shoppable CTV innovations. They highlighted homepage tile ads as a low‑funnel performance tool, Roku’s phone‑number‑linked click‑to‑buy flow, and LG’s Shop Time platform that leverages...
Libas Hits Rs 1,000 Cr ARR; Eyes 30 Pc Growth with Offline Scale-Up and Quick Commerce Push
Libas, an Indian fast‑fashion ethnic‑wear D2C brand, has reached a Rs 1,000 crore (≈ $120 million) annual run‑rate while staying EBITDA‑positive. The company posted 30‑plus percent year‑on‑year growth and projects FY26 revenue of Rs 750‑800 crore (≈ $90‑$96 million). It is accelerating offline expansion, opening 28 stores in...
Just Eat: Consumer Protection Enforcement Case
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened a formal investigation on 26 March 2026 into Just Eat’s compliance with consumer‑protection law. The probe focuses on whether the platform’s star‑rating system artificially inflates the scores of certain restaurants and grocers, potentially misleading...
From Side Hustle to Serious Brand: Lessons Every Ecommerce Founder Should Know
The article outlines a step‑by‑step playbook for ecommerce founders who want to transform a side hustle into a recognized brand. It stresses the power of an authentic founder narrative, a customer‑obsessed feedback flywheel, and scalable technology and logistics. It also...
Food Delivery Wars Continue to Bite Meituan, Which Posts Another Quarterly Loss
Meituan reported a second consecutive quarterly loss, with revenue of 92.1 billion yuan ($13.3 bn) rising 4.1% year‑over‑year but falling just short of analyst expectations. Adjusted net loss narrowed to 15.1 billion yuan ($2.2 bn) from 16 billion yuan a quarter earlier, after posting a...
Macy’s AI Chatbot Quadruples Customer Spending
Macy’s introduced the Ask Macy’s AI shopping assistant on March 23, leveraging Google’s Gemini model to provide outfit‑completion suggestions and virtual try‑on capabilities. Early data show that shoppers who engage with the chatbot spend roughly 4.75 times more than those...
Shippo Adds to Functionality for AI-Powered Shipping Insights, Analytics
Shippo has upgraded its AI‑driven Shippo Intelligence platform with new analytics tools for ecommerce merchants. The enhancements include weekly AI‑generated insights emails, interactive shipping performance maps, and two dedicated dashboards that surface carrier surcharges and positive invoice adjustments. Merchants can...
TikTok for Business Introduces Campaign to Drive In-App Shopping
TikTok for Business launched the “Watch it. Love it. Want it.” campaign to promote its expanding in‑app shopping experience. The platform reported a 40 % year‑over‑year increase in search activity, with billions of daily queries, and one in four users searching...
E.l.f. Beauty Says AI Answer Engines Are Already Changing How People Shop
At Shoptalk 2026, e.l.f. Beauty highlighted how AI answer engines are reshaping product discovery and purchase intent. ReFiBuy co‑founder and CEO Scot Wingo projected that 10% of commerce will be fully agentic by 2030, while retail‑media analyst Andrew Lipsman dismissed the notion as...
Ecommerce Trends: The Fastest-Growing Online Retailers in 2026
The 2026 State of American Ecommerce Report shows mass‑merchant platforms leading online growth, with a 14.4% year‑over‑year increase in 2025. Amazon alone captured 40% of sales among the Top 2000 retailers, pushing the combined share of the four biggest mass merchants...
Get a $1,250 Gift Card if You Buy an Actual Car From Amazon
Amazon Autos is rewarding Prime members with a $1,250 Amazon gift card when they purchase a new vehicle through its online platform. Shoppers must complete checkout by March 31, 2026 and pick up the car by April 3, 2026. The...
USA Cycling Is Getting Into the Used E-Bike Market
USA Cycling announced a two‑year partnership with Upway, the online marketplace for certified refurbished e‑bikes. The collaboration gives USA Cycling members exclusive discounts and provides a trusted platform for buying and selling used e‑bikes, spanning cargo, road, mountain and gravel...
New Zealand’s Credit Card Surcharge Ban May Not Happen After All
New Zealand’s proposed ban on in‑store credit‑card surcharges, slated for May, is effectively dead after the ACT Party withdrew its support. The legislation, introduced last year, faced opposition from Retail NZ, which warned businesses would shift costs to prices. While...
How to Buy Loose Diamonds Online, According to Jewelry Experts
The guide explains how to purchase loose diamonds online, outlining the advantages of buying unmounted stones for custom jewelry. It ranks top retailers such as Blue Nile, Brilliant Earth, Kay Jewelers, Ritani and Frank Darling, and details safety factors like...