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Amazon aggregator Forum Brands is betting on six categories for growth, including family, home and kitchen and pets.
Over the years, link-in-bio tools have become an essential part of social commerce in the U.S. Now, Shopify is hoping to grab a greater slice of those sales with a new link-in-bio tool it is announcing today called Linkpop, which will be available free of charge to anyone, whether or not they have a Shopify account.
Whatnot, which was founded in 2019, now plans to increase its investments in NFTs. With Whatnot’s growing number of collectors and enthusiasts, the company joins other retailers — including Adidas, Nike and Walmart — in charting out plans to become a significant NFT player.
EBay is focusing on luxury resellers and buyers with new authentication capabilities and a new product storage vault. In eBay’s fourth quarter 2021 earning report in February, the company announced double digit U.S. sales growth in luxury handbags and watches. Modern Retail chatted with eBay’s GM of luxury, Tirath Kamdar, about expanding into authentication, the launch of eBay Vault, and how eBay is competing with peers like The RealReal.
That Amazon is building out digital ad offerings in its physical stores isn't surprising. But it may well send a shiver down other retail media executives' spines. New details showcase how Amazon is building out its in-store ad offerings and the type of data it will be able to give to brands.
Last week, Shipt announced it was partnering with nearly 500 Sephora stores for same-day delivery, following early partnerships with 7-Eleven and Walgreens this year. Shipt's Chief Business Officer, Rina Hurst, chatted with Modern Retail about moving from grocery delivery to beauty, as well as the looming threat of 15-minute delivery.
Over the past few years, a number of companies ranging from e-commerce consumer brands to fast food chains have built out first-party data hubs. Now, with continuously changing privacy laws, some marketers are suggesting a move to zero-party data, which refers to entirely volunteered user information.
Amazon 4-star stores were an experiment in curation. First unveiled in 2018 with a location in Soho, the idea of the brick and mortar shop was to feature highly rated products available. And their sunsetting hints at Amazon admitting what parts of its current physical retail strategy don't work -- and potentially what does.
While Facebook advertising was heavily reliant on cross-application user data to target users with relevant ads, Reddit instead offers brands paid placements inside self-segregated user communities or subreddits. In turn, over the past year, brands like Ulta and MeUndies have increased their investments in paid placements on the Reddit, while Reddit has invested heavily in staffing and expanding its advertising arm.
Businesses that offer services catering to Amazon and third-party marketplaces are becoming a more popular area for acquisitions, thanks to aggregators raising tens of millions of dollars in venture capital and retailers like Walmart, Target, Instacart and GoPuff increasingly building out their own retail media businesses. The most recent example is Acadia's acquisition of Bobsled Marketing.
Verishop co-founder and CEO Imran Khan says independent brands are flocking to his social commerce marketplace in the wake of Apple’s iPhone privacy changes. In an interview with Modern Retail, he spoke about how he's strategizing the social commerce marketplace's future.
The Instagram brand is over. Instead, TikTok brands -- with video-friendly products and brand founders embracing a social creator role -- are on the rise. A mix of unfiltered content, creator-minded founders and products in use drive virality on the platform.
Alibaba is looking towards the less regulated waters of other countries in Asia and Europe as it plots its expansion, supporting its international platforms and international wholesale and logistics. However, analysts warn of further competition abroad.
Third-party sellers on Amazon are raising prices to stay in the black during a dynamic trading environment. Many small to mid-sized businesses are still grappling with supply chain delays induced by the pandemic. While Amazon has eased some of its storage restrictions at its warehouses that hurt sellers during the crucial holiday period, additional headwinds including inflation and increased fulfillment and shipping costs still linger.
Left alone to navigate the world of Roblox, an online gaming platform used daily by 49.5 million mostly teen users, retailers risk falling into a marketing minefield amid increased regulatory scrutiny of child-friendly online games. In the absence of any real support from Roblox, businesses are being forced to self-regulate their games to avoid any pitfalls around marketing to children -- who may find it difficult to distinguish between advertising and non-advertising content.
Earlier this month, resale platform Rebelstork – which buys back and sells refurbished baby gear – launched in the U.S. The Canadian startup, founded in 2019, is positioning itself as a white-glove and sustainable shopping service for parents. As resale continues to become more popular, more companies like Rebelstork are trying to corner the secondhand market in niche product categories.
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