ecommerce
Stories tagged ecommerce.
QVC lines up TikTok livestreams, celebrity guests and exclusive launches for 40th holiday season
QVC is marking its 40th holiday season with a push spanning television, TikTok and creator partnerships, backed by exclusive product launches and a three-day November sales event.
Retailers Rework Holiday Hiring as Sales Forecast Tops $1 Trillion
U.S. retailers and logistics operators are adding seasonal staff with more targeted, flexible plans as holiday sales are projected to exceed $1 trillion for the first time. Companies are balancing store roles with fulfillment and cross-training needs.
DoorDash and TikTok Shop expand easier returns options
DoorDash has added retail returns with a $7.99 pickup fee, while TikTok Shop now lets shoppers return items through Happy Returns drop-off locations. Both moves reflect a push to make returns more convenient as marketplaces compete for sales.
NBCUniversal shoppable TV expands to about 12 shows, led by Traitors and Love Island USA
Source signal: NBCUniversal’s shoppable TV business is seeing a boost from shows like ‘Traitors’ and ‘Love Island USA’
AI narrows the gift hunt, but shoppers still lean on reviews to close the sale
New survey data shows AI assistants are increasingly where holiday shoppers begin product searches, yet only a small fraction complete a purchase on the spot. Most still cross-check reviews, prices and retailer policies before committing.
TikTok Shop Beauty Chief Expects Holiday Sales Jump as Brands Go Live
TikTok Shop expects beauty sales to significantly surpass last year's holiday season, with brand-run livestreams set to take a much larger share of the platform's business, according to its beauty general manager Ajay Salpekar.
Hint Rolls Out Dessert-Inspired 'Treat Yourself' Water Pack
Hint is launching a limited-edition Treat Yourself variety pack of zero-calorie waters flavored after desserts, betting that sweeter, indulgent profiles will draw younger and first-time buyers. The pack follows a successful summer release and has already drawn a waitlist of more than 8,000 customers.
Amazon's Fall Prime Day Pushes Holiday Shopping Into October
Amazon's Prime Big Deals Days has shifted the start of holiday shopping into October, with consumers researching and comparing prices earlier and sellers treating the event as a testing ground before Black Friday.
Retailers Told to Look Past Technology as Digital Edge Becomes Easy to Copy
Retailers are being urged to compete on strategy, customer experience and execution as digital tools become cheaper to adopt and harder to use as a differentiator.
Agentic Commerce Moves to the Center of Black Friday Cyber Monday Prep
E-commerce brands are being urged to treat Black Friday and Cyber Monday readiness as a year-round infrastructure project, pairing AI-powered storefronts with backend systems that can carry an order through delivery and returns.
Savvy shoppers account for $11.5b in Southeast Asian e-commerce spending, study finds
About one in four online shoppers in Southeast Asia spends 31% more each month than the typical buyer, a gap valued at $11.5b in annual marketplace spending, according to a Lazada-commissioned study.
AI Product Recommendations Reshape Retail Shelves as Brands Chase the 'AI Shelf'
Consumers increasingly ask ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini for product suggestions, creating a new 'AI shelf' that is changing how brands position themselves online.
Tmall Enlists ELLE to Turn Its Fashion Category Managers Into On-Camera Tastemakers
Tmall has teamed up with ELLE on a video podcast lineup that puts eight of its fashion category managers in front of the camera as public arbiters of taste, as the platform looks to differentiate on curation rather than selection and price alone.
AI Discovery Leaves Luxury Skincare Brands Behind, Euromonitor Finds
Six of the 10 biggest luxury and premium skincare brands by e-commerce rank fall outside the top 300 for AI referrals, and only 8% of skincare brands show measurable AI traffic at all.
Nori Cloud Steamer Reaches 900 Target Stores After 10-Month Development Sprint
Nori rolled out its Nori Cloud steamer to 900 Target stores at $89.99 in July 2026, completing a 10-month development timeline set by the retailer.
Reformation reports first public-quarter revenue of $155.2M as active customers climb 23%
Reformation used its debut earnings call as a public company to pitch the durability of its direct-to-consumer model, reporting second-quarter net revenue of $155.2 million and 23% growth in active customers.
Kroger Precision Marketing profit climbs 24% as retail media takes earnings spotlight
Kroger's retail media arm posted 24% profit growth in the second quarter, its strongest since 2021, while the grocer's e-commerce sales rose 20%.
Instacart Launches White-Label Cart Assistant and Clementine AI Shopping Tool
Source signal: Instacart launches custom AI assistants for retailers, and its own
Brands Rework Holiday Return Policies as Q4 Refund Wave Approaches
Retailers are rolling out temporary holiday return policies to handle the seasonal spike in refunds and exchanges, with roughly 17% of holiday sales expected to come back, according to new industry survey data.
Consumers Trust AI to Search but Not to Shop, Mintel Report Finds
A Mintel report finds shoppers are comfortable using artificial intelligence to search, compare and simplify purchase decisions, but far less willing to let it act on their behalf and complete the transaction. The trust gap persists even as brands keep spending on agentic AI.
TikTok Shop's Next Breakout Beauty Brands: Phofay and Crowned Skin Lead Growth List
Charm.io analysis spots 10 fast-rising beauty brands on TikTok Shop, with Phofay and Crowned Skin among those reaching six- and seven-figure monthly sales.
Mango tops UK fashion returns policy ranking
A new ranking places Mango as the UK's most returns-friendly fashion retailer, thanks to its 30-day returns window, free drop-off and in-store options, and low-cost home collection. ASOS follows in second place with a score of 75/100.
FTC and 22 States Sue Amazon Over Alleged Secret Ad Surcharge Scheme
The Federal Trade Commission and 22 states have sued Amazon, accusing the company of secretly raising advertising prices for over a million businesses through its online ad auctions.
YouTube expands shopping affiliate program with Amazon product tagging for creators
YouTube is adding Amazon’s catalog to its Shopping affiliate program, letting eligible U.S. creators tag products across videos and earn commissions on sales.
AI Streamlines Beauty’s Direct-to-Consumer Tech Stack
Generative AI is helping direct-to-consumer beauty brands shrink their technology stacks, speed up website development and operate with leaner teams.
Stanley 1913 Reworks Content for AI Search Visibility
Stanley 1913 is shifting from hack-driven SEO tactics to a long-term content strategy designed for AI search engines, adding FAQs and usage guides to answer real consumer questions.
TikTok Shop Wins Over High-Ticket Home and Lifestyle Brands
TikTok Shop is increasingly attracting higher-priced home and lifestyle brands as consumer trust and logistics improve, signaling a shift from impulse buys to larger purchases.
Walmart Connect Introduces Negative Keywords for Sponsored Products
Walmart's advertising arm now lets brands block their ads from certain search terms, a shift aimed at giving marketers more control over budget efficiency.
OpenAI Trials Product Carousel Ads on ChatGPT
OpenAI is testing a product carousel ad format in ChatGPT, allowing multiple products to appear side-by-side in a single ad placement at the bottom of conversations.
EU Ends Duty-Free E-Commerce Imports, Shifting Customs Liability to Merchants
As of July 1, all parcels entering the European Union are subject to customs duties, ending the de minimis exemption for low-value goods. Merchants now bear the legal responsibility for duty payments, impacting cross-border e-commerce operations.
Cavu unifies three travel-tech platforms under single brand
Cavu, the travel technology company owned by Manchester Airports Group (MAG), has rebranded its ecommerce, distribution and lounge platforms under one identity to simplify its offering to clients.
Michaels' AI Assistant Doubles Conversion Rate with Google Gemini
Michaels reports that its Google Gemini-powered shopping assistant, Ask Mike, has achieved a conversion rate more than double that of traditional search since its quiet launch in May.
Ikea's Parent Ingka Group Sells Eight Former Retail Sites in China
Ingka Group, Ikea's parent company, has hired JLL to sell eight former retail properties in mainland China, marking its largest asset disposal in nearly 30 years in the market.
AI-Driven Commerce Reshapes China's Beauty Market, Says Yaso Co-Founder
Adam Knight, co-founder of Yaso, advises beauty brands to adopt an AI-first approach as China's market shifts away from legacy retail routes, with AI integration far ahead of the West.
Livestream Shopping Evolves Into Core Retail Channel in Southeast Asia
Livestream commerce has evolved from a marketing experiment into a distinct retail channel in Southeast Asia, with brands building dedicated teams and creator partnerships to drive long-term sales.
Hong Kong retail sales rise 7.9% in May, online spending surges 33.1%
Hong Kong's retail sales grew 7.9% year on year to HK$33.8 billion in May, with online sales accounting for 10.1% of the total, according to the Census & Statistics Department.
John Lewis Partnership Taps Kevel for On-Site Retail Media Network
The John Lewis Partnership has appointed media technology firm Kevel to power its on-site retail communications network across both John Lewis department stores and Waitrose supermarket websites.
Amazon Prime Day Sales Rose 9% to $26.4 Billion Amid Inflation
US shoppers spent $26.4 billion during Amazon's Prime Day event from June 23-26, a 9% increase from last year, as inflation drove demand for deals on essentials and electronics, according to Adobe Analytics.
German Regulator Probes Zalando Over Undisclosed Shareholder Stake
Zalando is under investigation by Germany's financial regulator for failing to disclose in its annual report that its largest shareholder also held a stake in a company the e-commerce giant acquired last year.