eMarketer senior analyst Jasmine Enberg and forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Nazmul Islam discuss Twitter's stellar Q4 performance and how it managed to close out a terrible 2020 on a high note. They then talk about Snapchat redefining what friendship should mean, TikTok's fate in the Biden administration, and how much Shopify's "Shop Pay" could help boost Facebook and Instagram Shops.
US retail and food service sales jumped after last month’s stimulus: In January, sales were up 5.3% over the prior month, to the highest they’ve been since September. The stimulus in March could boost sales again—but they may stall if we don’t see another package after that.
Millennials want free delivery > discounts
Shopify continues gaining massive momentum: The platform’s 2020 gross merchandise volume increased 96% year over year (YoY), far outpacing global ecommerce growth.
The 2020 US holiday season posted better-than-expected retail sales growth, as huge ecommerce gains added to a surprisingly positive performance for brick-and-mortar retail. The early outlook for the 2021 holiday season is solid despite major economic uncertainty ahead.
Walmart's changing workforce: The retailer has doubled its personal shopper numbers as it works to meet rising demand for online fulfillment services.
BuzzFeed wants you to window shop digitally: The publisher is working on a "digital mall" where consumers can comb through commerce-related content and brands can rep their products, continuing its push for revenue diversification.
The convergence of media and commerce is inching closer. Nearly a year after adding a direct checkout feature to its platform, NBCUniversal is investing further in the commerce space.