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Amazon is quietly pausing its third-party delivering service. While it's only a small move, it shows the company is trying to focus more on its core offering and less on dominating ancillary markets. From a broader perspective, it could indicate that logistics and other invisible service providers are about to feel a lot more strain.
Cale was most recently senior reporter at Modern Retail. Since joining us in June from Fast Company, he has been a force here, writing incredible in depth features about the reinvention of the retail industries. He’s covered everything from Amazon seller issues to the unprecedented changes happening in the world of online grocery to the rise of the “DTC bro” and more. He’s fast become a leader in the group, and we’re excited to see what he does next.
The newfound need for fast, on-demand alcohol delivery has spurred a golden age for platforms. Fulfillment platforms like Minibar and Saucey are proving there's room for multiple players in this category.
Two weeks into the age of coronavirus and Amazon third party sellers still feel in the dark. Those considered non-essential are trying to figure out ways to stay afloat while Amazon de-prioritizes their products. Some are trying to get their products re-categorized, others investing in new fulfillment resources. Risks abound for all the options.
Brands on Amazon are struggling to figure out how to adapt to the Amazon advertising ecosystem in the age of coronavirus. Supply and demand -- both for products and ad units -- have become volatile. Meanwhile, brands are struggling to figure out how best to remain profitable and plan for the future.
Radish, Everlywell and Nurx announced their own respective versions of at-home coronavirus tests.
Most adults have probably never heard of Loren Gray. But plenty of teens know all about the TikTok celebrity with 38.4 million followers. What exactly makes a creator like Gray soar in popularity is somewhat of a mystery, but those who “understand trends and become early adopters are more likely to gain more traction,” says Ariadna Jacob, CEO of Influences.
Retailers’ use of TikTok is still in its early days, but many are already testing the water by partnering with existing influencers on the popular app. While many brands aren’t necessarily building out official pages on the video sharing platform, retailers like Target, Kroger and Walmart are finding value in early investment in youth-geared social network.
ThredUp just announced a new partnership with Gap that would let customers consign their old clothes. It shows the secondhand clothing platform staking it claim as a helpful brand partner for traditional retailers looking for a refresh.
“We're building the shoppable surfaces and we're improving the ML that matches inspiring images."
Selling on Amazon can be tricky. The company’s sheer scale means the key to getting the most out of Amazon as a retailer is the details. That was the major takeaway at Digiday Media’s recent Amazon Strategies event.
Within the past year, Google has made a significant push to turn itself into more of a shopping destination. But it's also taken steps to encourage more retailers and direct-to-consumer brands to invest in YouTube. In November, YouTube announced that it was extending shopping ads to YouTube's home feed and search results, so that when a user searches for say, Puma shoes, they see an ad with a carousel of suggested products to buy.
Reviews have been on Amazon for decades. But big and small brands alike are noticing more players gaming them. While Amazon claims that it's trying its best to fight the problem, it is only becoming a bigger headache as the e-commerce platform continues to grow.
Reviews have been on Amazon for decades, and so too have fake ones. But as Amazon has become a more dominant e-commerce force, the problem review fraud presents has become more clear. Here is a look at how Amazon has approached its review ecosystem, and how it's led to dark network of bad online actors.
Retailers are now gravitating toward Pinterest’s shopping-friendly features to add another source of e-commerce revenue. The platform has added more social commerce tools in an effort to pitch retailers on how being on the platform can help actual conversions. These include the ability to build custom shopping catalogs, product pins and improved retargeting.
Advertisers, from DTCs scrapping for share in a crackling at-home beauty market to seasoned retailers leaning into the quarantined consumer’s e-commerce surge, what’s changing about your campaign KPIs? How are you using data to make choices and effectively budget across channels? What’s working, what’s broken and how will you fix it? Take this survey and get the full results plus a $5 Starbucks gift card.
BigCommerce filed its S-1 earlier this week, providing a little more visibility into how its business works. Since 2009, BigCommerce has provided digital commerce services for merchants. It touts customers including Woolrich, Camelbak, Clarks and Gillette. While it's true that digital commerce is accelerating at an unprecedented clip, the platform faces stiff competition from companies like Shopify.
Read MoreAt the Modern Retail Virtual Forum, we’ll bring together senior retail marketers online to discuss the challenges they’re facing and the solutions they’re seeking in the era of smarter retail.
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