Walmart chips away at Amazon’s marketplace dominance: The big-box retailer is offering discounts for new sellers just as Amazon raises fees.
Buy with Prime launch could be a turning point for Shopify: The ecommerce platform raised prices and diversified its retailer appeal to protect revenues, but could still take a hit should merchants flock to its biggest rival.
Discovery—not influencers—is what separates TikTok and Amazon’s ecommerce businesses: The retail giant is trying to replicate TikTok’s success via its “Inspire” video feed.
Despite slower spending growth, both companies managed to pull in more customers—positioning them well in the long term.
Publishers continue to prioritize first-party data: OpenWeb acquires Jeeng in a sign that major outlets don’t want to rely on social media.
TikTok’s magic is no longer in its mystery. The illusion of TikTok content being personalized for users through an all-powerful algorithm is fading. Two weeks ago, Forbes reported TikTok’s use of a secret “heating” tool. But TikTok’s heating controversy doesn’t mean marketers should immediately retreat to Instagram Reels. Rather, they should think of TikTok and Reels as two different tools.
The next phase of direct-to-consumer (D2C) retail won’t be defined by a singular distribution strategy, but rather by the goal of making a real connection with customers. To get to the next level, D2Cs must use their physical presence, partnerships, marketing dollars, and customer data.
On today's episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss why returns volume is falling, where people will return items in the future, and what returns look like across the pond. Then for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the top five things retailers can do to reduce the volume of ecommerce returns. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Sky Canaves and Carina Perkins.
Housing market-related brands and retailers face a tough road ahead: Sherwin-Williams is pessimistic about its ability to grow given high inflation and a weak US housing market.
After several years of double-digit increases, worldwide digital ad spending saw growth slow to 8.6% in 2022, for a total of $567.49 billion, according to our forecast. This year, growth will rebound to 10.5%, and spend will reach $626.86 billion.
The tech industry is hurting—even Apple is expected to report a year-over-year revenue decline this week. Valuations are tumbling. Layoffs abound, and venture capital deal value is down. “People are not buying into the hype as much, and [these new technologies are] really going to start to be applied in useful ways for marketers,” said our analyst Yory Wurmser.
Cruise and Waymo on notice in San Francisco: Repeated incidents of idled robotaxis are delaying buses and impeding emergency workers. Complaints could stall countrywide expansion.
Amazon institutes delivery fees for most Amazon Fresh orders: The move should offset some fulfillment costs, but could also drive shoppers to cheaper grocers.
Plant-based meat sales fell last year: The challenging environment is driving Impossible Foods to reportedly cut about 20% of its staff.
Doctors use entertainment as education: Video games keep physicians’ skills sharp long past medical school.
Tia-Cedars Sinai partnership is a win for female patients: As long as the increased access to care won’t hurt their wallets.
Emergency care in your living room Overwhelmed emergency rooms are driving healthcare players to shift care into the home. Will the movement last?
US, allies put pressure on China’s chipmaking efforts: Key producers of equipment critical for advanced chip design won’t be exported to China, which could lead to reprisal or wider geopolitical retaliation.