Retail & Ecommerce

European consumers are changing their buying habits vis-à-vis inflation: The war in Ukraine is impacting economic conditions in numerous European markets, driving up prices to near-record levels and reversing recent gains in consumer confidence.

Experiential marketing makes a return, but COVID still looms large: Food brands’ plans for in-person activations could be soured by a new omicron surge.

Google looks to help retailers understand shoppers’ intent: The tech giant launches a tool to allow retailers to add Google’s search technology and recommendations to their digital properties.

Offering users 3% at PayPal merchants and 2% elsewhere can help PayPal achieve the user engagement goals it outlined earlier this year.

Walmart eyes a significant opportunity with its online marketplace: The retail giant is offering sellers discounted commission rates to entice them to sell on its platform.

After years of development, delivery drones are finally taking off: Alphabet, Walgreens, and FedEx are some companies turning to autonomous tech to speed up delivery.

Hypebeast keeps the SPAC trend alive with a deal to go public: The lifestyle and ecommerce company will use the proceeds to grow its omnichannel business.

While the rest of the travel industry rebounds, airport retail struggles: Fewer business travelers and Chinese tourists are forcing airport shops to reinvent themselves.

Fashion waste during festival season is a problem: platform thredUP knows this, and is building a campaign around it—but will the overall resale pie grow?

Westfield Malls’ owner looks to offload its US mall portfolio: The planned pivot is a sign executives believe that the evolving retail landscape means even top-performing malls aren’t worth retaining.

Ikea is one step closer to becoming a circular business: The home goods retailer makes its furniture resale service permanent in the US, but restrictions could limit adoption.

Nearly half of marketers have increased their AI-related CX spending: Customer service and custom content are two of a few priority investment areas for companies.

Retailers haven’t given up trying to make voice shopping happen: Amazon Prime users can now receive notifications about upcoming discounts and schedule purchases in advance.

Tripadvisor used conversational AI technology for a campaign executed on voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant with the goal of maintaining engagement during the pandemic, according to Adam Ochman, global head of marketing at Tripadvisor.

Apple is taking a stand against anti-LGBTQ+ policies: the tech giant is taking a stance popular with its employees—and an increasing number of consumers.