Over the last decade, ecommerce company Alibaba Group has done a masterful job linking itself to Singles Day, drumming up excitement each year with a variety show countdown starring A-list celebrities, and scaling its humble beginnings as a coat sale to a $1-billion-an-hour retail frenzy. This year, Alibaba promised its Singles Day “will be the…
Today is Diwali, the Hindu holiday of lights. It’s kind of like Christmas and New Year’s Eve combined for consumers in India–it’s a gift-giving holiday that also marks the Hindu new year. And, according to data from digital commerce fulfillment company Delhivery, it is the peak shopping season in India, which means ’tis also the…
Only in American retailers’ wildest dreams could they sell more than $1 billion of merchandise an hour, yet that’s exactly what happened in China on Singles Day last year. China, which has long been the world’s most populous nation, surpassed the U.S. as the world’s biggest retail market in 2016. And that’s why even on…
Just when retailers thought offering two-day shipping could win over shoppers this holiday season, Amazon gave them a big middle finger by saying all customers in the U.S. will get free shipping with no purchase minimum (for an unspecified “limited time”). It just goes to show that Amazon continues to set the bar in retail,…
Shopping on your phone just got a little bit easier. Shopify, the ecommerce platform, is partnering with Venmo, the PayPal-owned mobile platform, to create a faster mobile checkout experience. Shopify merchants who already have PayPal Checkout will see the Venmo option appear automatically. Andre Lyver, head of financial solutions at Shopify, said the Venmo checkout…
In its latest attempt to stitch together augmented reality with ecommerce, Snapchat is offering shoppers at the Levi’s store in Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs the ability to buy a limited-edition Levi’s x Mickey Mouse hat directly on the app. Starting Oct. 27, Snapchat users who scan a Snapcode at the Levi’s store will trigger…
It’s no secret that the direct-to-consumer market is becoming like the New York City subway system: crowded and filled with people jockeying for position to the closest exit. Many of these “upstart” brands are busy carving out a niche for themselves, using emerging technology and focusing on customer experience as important tools to battle the…
Eight years ago, Instagram was nothing more than a new social media app designed to share grainy photos of food, friends and family. A billion-dollar acquisition and several years later, Instagram is turning into a leading contender in the social commerce space, with the platform evolving from a place for influencers and normals to one…
Sometimes it feels like Amazon is taking over the world–or, at the very least, the world of retail. In providing fast, free shipping, operating from a customer-centric philosophy and swallowing up specialized retailers, Amazon has, by some estimates, put itself on track to capture 49 percent of the U.S. ecommerce market this year. But Amazon’s…
The story of ecommerce in Russia is the story of a maturing digital economy, but also oil tycoons, a fugitive, allegations of corruption and human rights violations–and a guy known as the Darth Vader of Russia. That’s because many of its most popular platforms have partnerships with and/or investments from organizations with links to the…
BuzzFeed listicles have given way to BuzzFeed product partnerships. This time, Goodful, a two-year-old BuzzFeed media brand centered around health and wellness, is partnering with Macy’s to release a line of 100 products all geared around items for the home. Starting Oct. 24, the items will become available at Macy’s 400 stores and its website….
Listerine mouthwash has been available in the U.S. since 1879. But its parent, healthcare company Johnson & Johnson, found Chinese consumers reacted poorly to existing formulations of its antiseptic mouthwash. Enter Alibaba’s Tmall Innovation Center, or TMIC, which works with brands to develop new products that appeal to Chinese consumers. Alibaba says it is able…
In its second power move of the month, Walmart has acquired intimates brand Bare Necessities for an undisclosed amount. The 20-year old company has more than 100,000 products with over 160 brands, offering products from bras to underwear to sleepwear. Noah Wrubel, CEO and co-founder of Bare Necessities, will wear a dual hat as part…
Like any brand worth its salt, M.Gemi wants people to love it so much they want to tell others about it. But how do you inspire customers to start sharing? At last month’s Brandweek event in Palm Springs, Calif., the direct-to-consumer luxury shoe brand’s founder and president, Cheryl Kaplan, spoke to Adweek about how the…
In a bid to appeal to advertisers, Snapchat is releasing a series of reports illuminating its users’ shopping behaviors and preferences, both online and off. The reports, dubbed “Retail Footprints,” look at how Snapchat users shop at big-box, apparel and luxury stores and are the company’s latest effort to become synonymous with shopping. Earlier this…
We’re used to getting coffee with books and meatballs with Swedish furniture, but not so much avocado toast with wedding rings or hot chocolate with cellphones. Nevertheless, thanks to online competitors and the preferences of younger consumers, dining options are expanding among specialty retailers as they seek to create welcoming spaces where consumers will linger…
PayPal is putting its patch on the jerseys of three professional sports teams as part of a broader plan to overhaul everything from season tickets to stadium sales. Today, the payments company announced it will sponsor the Phoenix Suns for the 2018-2019 season. Along with the NBA team, PayPal will also sponsor the WNBA’s Phoenix…
Walmart will acquire women’s plus-size clothing retailer Eloquii in a deal reportedly worth $100 million as retailers of women’s fashion are taking steps to be more inclusive. Walmart did not disclose how much it spent, but said the deal is expected to close this quarter. Eloquii began as the plus-size line of mall staple The…
Grocery chain Kroger and pharmacy chain Walgreens are teaming up on a pilot in which shoppers near 13 Walgreen locations in Northern Kentucky will be able to pick up their online Kroger orders at Walgreens–and Walgreens will begin offering grocery items from Kroger’s Our Brands line. Kroger is touting the partnership as a “one-stop shopping…
Snapchat’s busy week continued with yet more ecommerce features for advertisers and brands. After announcing a partnership with Amazon to test visual search shopping, Snapchat is debuting three new features–one was previously in testing. The first, shoppable Snap ads now called Collection Ads, officially roll out in October to every advertiser. The company also announced…
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