On today's very special holiday episode, host Sara Lebow tees up a conversation between our principal analyst Andrew Lipsman and Dan Hess, global chief product officer of The NPD Group, to unearth the long-lost history of Cyber Monday. Before it became an industrywide phenomenon in 2005, Dan and his team at Comscore were among the first to "discover" the spike in online shopping that happened the Monday after Thanksgiving—as far back as 2002. Find out what caused this phenomenon to take place, why there was so much misinformation about Cyber Monday in the early days, and what the day was originally called.
YouTube dives deeper into social commerce: Amid falling ad revenues, YouTube is adding shopping features to Shorts.
Only 13% of US adults have used augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) while shopping. Though the overwhelming majority have not, 38% are at least somewhat interested in trying the tech.
The firm’s total processing volume increased 54% in the quarter. It plans to double down on embedded finance to sustain growth.
Physical stores remain a priority for retailers: Off-price, fast-fashion, and digitally native brands are ramping up expansion to capitalize on renewed demand for in-store shopping.
Pinterest and LinkedIn get top marks on social media trust report card: Research reveals users have low confidence overall in platforms’ ability to safeguard their information.
Next year, for the first time, more than half of US social network users will buy via social platforms.
Target rethinks its large-format stores: The retailer’s new format features backroom fulfillment space five times larger than at its previous large stores, as well as a broader selection of merchandise.
Apple and Amazon deal faces a new lawsuit: The companies are headed to court to determine if their 2019 deal for Apple’s storefront on Amazon Marketplace reduced competition from independent Apple resellers.
Nike and Apple eye opportunities in the metaverse: Nike is opening an online store and trading platform for digital sneakers, while Apple is reportedly working on its own virtual environment.
Holiday travel demand was already low, but it just got lower: Domestic travel looks to slow significantly this season due to higher airline ticket prices.
FedEx says volumes are lower than expected going into the holiday season: But UPS anticipates a peak later in the year as shoppers return to stores and supply chain concerns fade.
The company’s gross merchandise volume surged 62% YoY thanks to a boost in active customers and merchants.
The early results are in: Foot traffic saw increases week over week between September 19 and October 16, suggesting the holiday season may have kicked off earlier in-store, per Placer.ai.