Amazon Briefing: The rise of influencer videos on Amazon

Over the last year, influencer-created videos have increasingly popped up on Amazon product pages. With these videos, Amazon is trying to bring some of the cues from social platforms onto its own site -- and rather than have its influencers only recommend products on YouTube or TikTok, and just link back to Amazon, now Amazon is trying to bring more content natively onto its platform.

Instacart is courting CPG brands by giving them more control over product display

In early May, Instacart quietly added a new feature called “Product Library,” which lets brands whose products are bought and sold on Instacart edit how their products appear on the platform. The Product Library update might be small, but it showcases the extent to which Instacart, as it becomes an increasingly ad-focused company, has tried to make itself more friendly to brands.

Why strategic inventory planning has become essential to retail success

How City Hive is courting liquor shops with white label tools

Digital alcohol delivery surged during lockdowns, with major players like Drizly and Minibar dominating sales within past year. However, smaller, niche platforms also found success in wooing local merchants. One startup that's offering liquor stores an alternative to big marketplaces is City Hive, which allows small businesses to provide white labeled pickup and delivery fulfillment.

'The no mask policy is already giving me anxiety': 4 retail workers on changing mask regulations

Last month, the CDC announced the loosening of its mask guidance, saying people who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus are not required to wear a mask “in any setting” unless local laws and regulations demanded it. Since then, retailers have been left to their own devices to come up with new mask guidelines for employees and customers. Modern Retail spoke to four people currently working in retail about how they feel about these new guidelines.

Why Impossible Foods’ viability in Asia is key to its highly anticipated IPO

After the successful IPOs of Beyond Meat and Oatly, plant-based behemoth Impossible Foods is reportedly preparing to enter the public market -- and Asia is key to its success. “The bigger a footprint Impossible has in the Asian market, the bigger their expected long-term value is going to be,” said one investor. 

A tale of 3 cities: The state of retail in Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles

After a year and a half of unevenly applied US Covid-19 regulations as well as various city exoduses, Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago’s retail scenes fare differently. While many hope for a return to store in 2021, retailers' fates rest somewhat on location. Here's our look into how the three cities are faring.

Virtual event: Product detail pages — the next battleground for Amazon ads

'Workcation Retreats': Tourist destinations offer remote-working packages including personal assistants, to attract visitors

Tourist destinations like the Maldives and Seychelles are promoting remote-working, featuring ocean views, discounts, strong WiFi and personal assistants to help with work admin.