Fighting Back: How Restaurants Are Reclaiming the Customer Relationship
Restaurants are actively fighting delivery‑platform dominance by building first‑party ordering channels, adopting B2B order‑management tools, and pursuing regulatory relief. Large chains such as McDonald’s and Domino’s have launched branded apps to capture customers directly, while independents turn to services like Olo, Deliverect, and Bopple for affordable, platform‑agnostic infrastructure. In Europe and South Korea, restaurant associations are lobbying for commission caps and greater transparency. Despite these moves, platform consolidation continues to shrink the window for restaurants to achieve true independence.
Amazon Introduces Transport Surcharge for Partners
Amazon announced a new transport surcharge to offset rising fuel and logistics costs linked to the Middle East conflict. Effective April 17, a 1.5% fee will be added to Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) shipments in ten European countries, followed by a...
Snappy Technologies Rolls Out System to Unify Delivery Marketplaces
Snappy Technologies unveiled a new integration platform that consolidates disparate food‑delivery marketplaces into a single unified system. The solution leverages a standardized API to aggregate orders, inventory, and driver data across services like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Early pilots...
Fiserv, Grocer Expand Pay-by-Bank Effort
Payments processor Fiserv is widening its pay‑by‑bank pilot with the U.S. arm of Dutch grocer Ahold Delhaize, extending the service beyond the three initial brands to a broader customer base. The program, first launched last year on The Giant Company, Giant Food and Stop & Shop...
Ahold Delhaize USA Rolls Out Pay By Bank Option For Online Orders
Ahold Delhaize USA has extended its partnership with Fiserv to launch Pay by Bank on the e‑commerce sites and mobile apps of The Giant Co., Giant Food and Stop & Shop. The new option lets shoppers link their bank accounts for...
CEO Interview: Voxelo
Voxelo targets the e‑commerce infrastructure market with AI‑driven 3D product visualizations, aiming to replace static images and video. Ben McKay estimates a $68 billion total addressable market across roughly 30 million online retailers. The company’s UG3D workflow lets merchants upload a video...
AbbVie Puts Humira on TrumpRx at Steep Discount as Tariff Threat Solidifies
AbbVie has agreed to sell its blockbuster arthritis drug Humira on the Trump administration’s direct‑to‑consumer platform TrumpRx for about $950, an 86 % cut from the typical $6,900 out‑of‑pocket price. The deal, announced after AbbVie pledged $100 billion in R&D and manufacturing...
Amazon Reaches New Deal with U.S. Postal Service
Amazon has signed a new agreement with the United States Postal Service that preserves roughly 80% of the parcels the carrier delivers for its biggest client. The deal provides USPS with essential revenue as it battles yearly deficits, while allowing...
Inside Walmart’s Creator-Driven Social Commerce Playbook
Walmart is building a creator‑driven social commerce engine that blends shoppable ads, influencer networks, and AI‑powered trend tools. The retailer treats social platforms as search venues, targeting Gen Z and millennial users who spend hours daily online. Its Walmart Creator program,...
Flipkart Expands Across Tier-2 and Tier-3 Cities, Targets 1,500+ Dark Stores by 2026
Flipkart is accelerating its quick‑commerce footprint, targeting more than 1,500 dark‑store locations by 2026. The retailer currently runs 750‑850 stores across Tier‑2 and Tier‑3 cities and plans to add roughly 800 new sites before year‑end. Each dark store costs about...
Skip Partners with Loblaw for Grocery Delivery
Skip, the Canadian delivery platform, announced a partnership with Loblaw Companies Limited, integrating 13 of Loblaw's banners—including No Frills, Loblaws, and Real Canadian Superstore—into its grocery delivery network. The collaboration enables coast‑to‑coast, on‑demand grocery fulfillment for a broad range of products,...
Ace Hardware Expands Last Mile Through Partnership With Uber Eats
Uber Technologies and Ace Hardware have launched a partnership that adds more than 3,700 Ace stores across all 50 states to the Uber Eats platform. Starting today, consumers can order DIY and home‑improvement items through the Uber Eats app for...
Two Boxes Raises $3.2M to Scale AI Returns Platform
Two Boxes, an AI‑powered returns platform, secured $3.2 million in new financing led by Assembly Ventures, bringing its total capital to $13 million. The funding will accelerate product development and push the company deeper into enterprise retail, direct‑to‑consumer and B2B...
Instagram Now Lets Creators Tag Affiliate Links Directly in Reels
Instagram is rolling out a new feature that lets creators tag shoppable products directly in Reels, supporting up to 30 items per video. Creators can add products by pasting affiliate URLs or selecting items from a brand’s Meta commerce catalog,...
China Issues New E-Commerce Guidelines Following Pressure From the EU
China released new e‑commerce guidelines a week after an EU delegation raised concerns in Beijing about counterfeit and unsafe goods flowing to Europe. The rules, crafted with multiple agencies, aim to align Chinese cross‑border platforms with international safety standards and...
Ahold Delhaize USA Introduces Pay by Bank Partnership with Fiserv
Ahold Delhaize USA has broadened its partnership with payments‑technology leader Fiserv to roll out Pay by Bank across the e‑commerce sites and mobile apps of The GIANT Company, Giant Food and Stop & Shop. The new option lets shoppers link...
The Works CEO: How the Brand Is Betting Big on Bricks-and-Mortar
The Works, a UK discount retailer with more than 500 high‑street stores, announced it will abandon its ecommerce platform and double‑down on a store‑led strategy. In‑store sales already account for over 90% of revenue and like‑for‑like sales are up 3.3%...
Clutch Opens Ottawa Customer Hub at Bayshore
Toronto‑based Clutch launched its first Ottawa Customer Hub at Bayshore Shopping Centre, its second physical location nationwide. The hub, opening April 11, serves as a pickup, drop‑off and support centre for the company’s online vehicle buying and selling platform. Clutch, which...
Your Supply Chain Isn’t Just Boxes. It’s Personal Data Too
Southeast Asian e‑commerce firms are being urged to treat customer information as a core component of their supply chains, not just a by‑product of sales. The article highlights how personal data travels through websites, order‑management tools, logistics partners, payment processors...
Sri Lanka Bets on Fee-Free QR Payments to Move Past Cash Into the Digital Age
Sri Lanka has launched a National QR Payment Promotion Programme, removing merchant fees on LankaQR transactions up to 5,000 rupees (about $13.5). The fee waiver, announced on April 6, targets small retailers and aims to shift everyday commerce from cash to...
Sneaker Specialist Sean Wotherspoon Joins Klekt Ahead of Crowdfunding Campaign
American sneaker designer and collector Sean Wotherspoon has joined European marketplace Klekt as an investor and Chief Community Curator just days before the platform’s Republic crowdfunding launch on April 8. The funding round aims to finance Klekt’s expansion from a sneaker‑focused...
Levanta Acquires Affiliate Network Perch+
Levanta announced the acquisition of Perch+, an affiliate network focused on Amazon sellers, adding roughly 60,000 vetted partners to its Marketplace. The deal brings Perch+ brands into Levanta’s suite of tools, including the Paid Placements model that enables flat‑rate creator...
OPINION: Ecommerce in 2026 – How Online Shopping Will Blend Into All Digital Experiences
E‑commerce in 2026 is defined by the convergence of content, community and shopping, moving the purchase decision from a final step to the moment of engagement. Live virtual events now serve as high‑attention windows where 80% of attendees are receptive...
Customer Experience Horror Stories and How Better Connection Prevents Them
Lisa Orford argues that most retail customer‑experience horror stories stem from disconnected internal systems, not bad intentions. She outlines recurring failures such as vanished requests, endless re‑explanations, channel ping‑pong, and uninformed agents. The piece positions unified communication and real‑time team...
ColdTrack’s National Logistics Network Helping US Seafood Companies Widen E-Commerce Reach, Save on Shipping Costs
ColdTrack, a New Jersey‑based e‑commerce logistics firm, has built a national perishable‑goods network that delivers seafood to U.S. consumers within two days. The company leverages proprietary route‑planning software and carrier partnerships across hubs in New Jersey, Indiana and California. After...
US Beer Industry Uncovers More ‘Meaningful’ Routes to Market
The latest Sovos ShipCompliant and Brewers Association report shows overwhelming consumer appetite for direct‑to‑consumer (DTC) beer shipping in the United States. Sixty‑three percent of adults and 81 percent of regular craft drinkers favor expanding the current 12‑state limit. The data...
What to Know About Dynamic Pricing — and How to Beat It
Dynamic pricing leverages AI‑driven algorithms to fluctuate prices based on demand, competition, and individual shopper data. The practice, long used by airlines, now spans hotels, ride‑hailing apps, event tickets, and major e‑commerce platforms like Amazon and Walmart. Recent investigations revealed...
Half of UK Shoppers Want Laws to Stop Ultra-Cheap Goods Flooding the Market
Research from the Retail Technology Show shows that 54% of UK shoppers want the government to tighten the de‑minimis threshold to curb ultra‑cheap imports, with support rising to 68% among Gen Z. Last year, 45% of UK consumers bought from low‑price...
Thinking of Opening a Liquor Store? Here’s What You Need to Know About Digitization
Prospective liquor store owners must treat digitization as core infrastructure rather than an afterthought. The article stresses that searchable, well‑structured online inventory and integrated POS systems are more critical than sheer product depth. It also highlights the value of first‑party...
Checkatrade Marketplace to Launch This Spring
Checkatrade is launching a new Marketplace this spring, adding a commerce layer that lets both tradespeople and homeowners purchase tools, materials, and finished products alongside service bookings. The platform already supports about 50,000 trade businesses and attracts millions of UK...
NFuse Raises $2M as Messaging Overtakes B2B Ordering Apps
nFuse, an AI‑driven B2B ordering platform that lets retailers order via WhatsApp, Viber or SMS, secured $2 million from Eleven Ventures and LAUNCHub. The startup claims over 70 percent adoption among enterprise clients, cutting deployment time to eight weeks and driving order...
Esetrix Launches to Power the Next Generation of Marketplace Infrastructure
Esetrix, formerly Avasam Enterprise, has rebranded to offer enterprise‑grade marketplace infrastructure. The platform lets retailers, brands and distributors launch multi‑seller marketplaces, automating seller onboarding, order sync, payments and fulfillment. By removing the need for inventory ownership, Esetrix aims to help...
Zeus Adds Catheter Components to Chamfr Marketplace
Zeus, a global polymer and catheter manufacturer, has added over 100 liner and heat‑shrink components to Chamfr’s online marketplace. The catalog now includes PTFE liners, FEP heat‑shrink tubing and the FluoroPEELZ peelable shrink, giving engineers on‑demand access to critical materials....
30% VistaPrint Coupon & Promo Codes | April 2026
VistaPrint is rolling out a suite of coupons and promo codes aimed at both new shoppers and repeat customers. New users receive 20% off orders of $100 or more, while tiered discounts of $10, $20 and $50 apply to larger...
Aldi Hires Instacart to Power Its U.S. Website Instead of Developing It In-House
Aldi U.S. has abandoned its in‑house e‑commerce build and launched a new website and mobile app powered by Instacart’s white‑label Storefront Pro platform. The partnership leverages Instacart’s decade‑long grocery data, fulfillment network, and rapid development cycle to deliver personalized recommendations, shoppable...
Mondelez Overhauls Its $3.5 Billion Digital Commerce Strategy in Era of AI Search
Mondelez International is revamping its $3.5 billion digital commerce operation to meet the rise of AI‑driven, agentic search. After initially blocking AI crawlers, the company unblocked them and rebuilt its brand sites with clean sitemaps, fast load times and machine‑readable content....
Google Says Its AI-Powered Ads Helped Aritzia Lift Online Sales by 80%
Google announced that its AI‑powered ad suite, particularly AI Max, helped fashion retailer Aritzia boost online revenue by 80%. The company is expanding AI‑driven ad formats in its new AI Mode and testing “direct offers” that deliver real‑time promotions. Google’s fourth‑quarter ad...
Retailers Are Bringing AI Into Stores in More Ways
Retailers are experimenting with AI‑driven tools inside brick‑and‑mortar locations, from Vitamin Shoppe's interactive touchscreen advisor to Guitar Center's QR‑based Rig Advisor. Smart fitting rooms equipped with AI screens have rolled out at brands like Victoria’s Secret, while Walmart is testing...
Amazon, USPS Strike a Deal — Showing They Still Need Each Other Despite T...
Amazon announced a new agreement with the United States Postal Service that preserves the bulk of its parcel shipments through the agency. The deal retains roughly 80% of Amazon’s previous USPS delivery volume after earlier threats of far larger cuts....
3 TV Advertising Myths DTC Brands Should Ignore
Direct‑to‑consumer brands are confronting rising acquisition costs and saturated digital channels, prompting a shift toward streaming TV. Connected‑TV now accounts for nearly 18% of U.S. adult viewing time, yet only 7.4% of media budgets target it, creating a sizable growth...
Panasonic Uses TikTok Videos to Fight Fakes in China, Southeast Asia
Panasonic Holdings has launched a TikTok‑based campaign to expose counterfeit products across China and Southeast Asia, complementing a broader effort that monitors roughly 1,000 e‑commerce sites for dangerous fakes. The videos highlight specific hazards, such as low‑quality air‑conditioners, and direct...
5 Email Myths That Are Quietly Damaging Your Brand’s Reputation
Retailers are enjoying AI‑driven personalization, yet 27% remain in a DMARC enforcement gap, exposing them to domain spoofing. Valimail’s 2026 State of DMARC report shows many have only reporting‑only records, which lets attackers use their brand in AI‑generated phishing emails....
Fair Warning Expands With Saara Pritchard, Doubling Down on ‘Conviction’ in a Crowded Art Market
Fair Warning, the boutique online auction app founded by former Christie’s chairman Loïc Gouzer, has generated roughly $81.9 million in sales by offering only a handful of meticulously curated works at a time. Recent headline‑making results include a $16.7 million Warhol portrait...
Andie Debuts Target Swimwear Collection
Andie, the direct‑to‑consumer swimwear label, launched a limited‑edition collection with Target featuring 49 exclusive styles in sizes XS to 3X. Priced between $32 and $50, the line undercuts Andie's typical $100‑plus DTC prices. Available both online and in Target’s 2,000...
Ulta Doubled Store Fulfillment Capabilities in 2025
Ulta Beauty doubled its ship‑from‑store locations to over 1,000 U.S. stores in fiscal year 2025, up from about 500 the prior year. The expansion was powered by an AI‑driven order‑management system, while the company kept its existing distribution‑center network and...
US Digital Wallet Use Projected to Grow by 2030
Worldpay’s 2026 Global Payments Report forecasts a decisive shift in U.S. consumer behavior, with digital wallets expected to handle 44% of online purchases and 26% of in‑store transactions by 2030. Already leading e‑commerce payments at 40%, digital wallets are set...
D2C Brands Face Longer Wait, Higher Costs to Enter Quick Commerce as Monetisation Tightens
Direct‑to‑consumer brands are encountering longer onboarding times and higher fees to list on quick‑commerce platforms, with commissions rising 8‑12% and premiums of about 8% versus last year. Combined platform costs now exceed 35% of the selling price in many categories,...
Target Puts Customers on the Hook for AI Shopping Assistant Errors
Target is rolling out a Gemini‑powered AI shopping assistant that can select and purchase items on behalf of shoppers. The retailer’s updated terms and conditions state that any transaction executed by the AI is considered authorized by the customer, making...
How DHL Tackled Mail and Parcel Boom During Peak Easter Season
DHL’s Post & Parcel division in Germany handled a record Easter surge, processing up to 10.5 million parcels on April 7, well above the previous year’s 9 million daily peak. The surge was managed through a multi‑year $1.15 billion investment that modernises sorting centres,...
China Provides E-Commerce Guidelines After Visit of EU Legislators
China released new e‑commerce guidance aimed at aligning domestic growth with international markets, following a high‑profile visit by European Parliament members. The policy encourages Chinese platforms to set up overseas procurement bases, expand imports of premium goods, and create an...