WebProNews

Category: Retail & eCommerce

eCommerce, Online Retail & Retail News

  • Walmart Expanding Autonomous Delivery Truck Trial in Arkansas

    Walmart Expanding Autonomous Delivery Truck Trial in Arkansas

    Walmart is taking the next step toward autonomous deliveries, expanding its pilot program involving Gatik’s autonomous trucks.

    Autonomous delivery is one of the next big steps in retail, with Amazon, Walmart and others experimenting with drones and delivery bots. Walmart appears to be teaming up with Gatik, a startup that is developing autonomous delivery trucks.

    According to Business Insider, Walmart says the Gatik pilot program has already logged 70,000 miles in “autonomous mode” with a safety driver present. The company now plans to expand its trial, testing the trucks without a safety driver.

    “This achievement marks a new milestone that signifies the first ever driverless operation carried out on the supply chain middle mile for both Gatik and Walmart,” Tom Ward, Walmart senior vice president of customer product, said in a statement.

    “We’ll be working with Gatik to monitor and gather new data to help us stay on the leading edge of driverless autonomous vehicles,” Ward continued

  • eBay’s Journey to Sustainable Commerce

    eBay’s Journey to Sustainable Commerce

    A business’s goals and the planet’s future don’t have to be at odds.  The truth is that businesses won’t have a successful future if the earth cannot support human life.  Companies need customers to buy their offerings and they need resources to bring those offerings into existence.  Climate change threatens businesses on both counts.  Investments in sustainable commerce are more than philanthropy; they’re investments in the company’s future.

    One company that understands this mission is eBay.  The online commerce platform has made its commitments known in their recent sustainable commerce report.  To use the company’s words, “we work to integrate environmental best practices across our global business to support a healthier planet for our community and generations to come. Across our offices, we invest in clean energy, divert waste from landfills and create efficiencies in water usage. We also encourage responsible consumption through the resale of items on our platform, helping to preserve the world’s finite resources.”

    Since inception, eBay’s normal business operations have had a positive impact on the environment.  Given their popularity as a resale site, used products avoided the landfill by changing hands on eBay’s platform.  The more consumers buy second hand products, the less demand there is for new goods to be produced.  This combination of waste diversion and resource conservation has had a major impact on the planet.  In the areas of apparel and electronics alone, sales on eBay have conserved 720,000 metric tons of carbon emissions.  That’s more than the three million people living in Puerto Rico emit every year!

    But eBay isn’t only sticking to what their company does naturally.  They have announced a wide variety of goals that reflect both their abilities and their ambitions.  Recent reports also illuminate eBay’s commitment to seeing their goals through.  For example, eBay has the goal of powering their data centers and offices with 100% renewable energy by 2025.  As of 2020, they were 74% of the way to their goal, up from 66% a year prior.  One of the ways eBay has been able to make this switch to renewable energy is by partnering with other companies.  Last August, McDonalds and eBay teamed up for an agreement to purchase power from Lightsource bp, the largest solar project in Louisiana.  Not only is eBay making a difference in their own company, but they are helping other actors do the same. 

    In a more recent announcement, eBay also made it known that they will reduce their Scope 1 and 2 emissions 90% by 2030, using 2019 as their base year.  Also included is their commitment to become carbon neutral in 2021.  While these measures may seem dramatic, they are achievable.  More importantly, eBay is taking them up in accordance with the Paris Agreement; specifically, the goal to limit global temperature warming to 1.5 ℃.  

    Keeping the planet habitable requires everyone to make contributions.  eBay is not waiting for the government to act, and nor should their business peers.  More should follow eBay’s example of sustainable commerce.

    eBay sustainability and recommerce
  • eBay Uplifting Women in Business

    eBay Uplifting Women in Business

    We have all been stressed far beyond capacity in the past year and a half since the onset of the COVID pandemic. We’ve been tested and tried and many of us have often felt that we might just fall apart and never recover. We’ve suffered huge, and deep losses in so many areas of our lives, from the loss of jobs, the loss of wages, the loss of normalcy, to the loss of friends and family.

    These wounds run deep across our entire nation and, despite the amount of “normalcy” that has returned to some degree, we are still recovering from all that we’ve experienced since the beginning of 2020. Although many things have made us stronger and many things have caused us to improve and become better, the simple truth is that we will never be the same. Let’s learn about the role of women in business, and how eCommerce has been a game changer.

    Women are Doing More Than Their Fair Share

    One demographic who has felt all of us on a very large, and heavy scale, is women. In general, women have always worn many different hats, and have borne many kinds of responsibilities, from work to home life, and beyond. However, with the pandemic, women were hit particularly hard. 

    Not only do women find themselves being the fallback person for household responsibilities, like managing food preparation and cleanup, maintaining the cleanliness of the home, and making sure the children are taken care of, but with the pandemic, they have had these burdens increased. Many of us are working from home, so there is more food to be consumed and more cleanup needing to happen. Not to mention that kids were doing school via zoom much of last year, which brought it slew of new challenges to the home. 

    On top of all of this, women are also the group who are the most likely to work in industries hit the hardest by COVID quarantines and lockdowns, which induced loss of profits and subsequently, loss of jobs for employees. Women are more likely to work in hospitality, food services, and in-store retail, which means they were also hit hard with loss of hours, and total loss of income. 

    Women are always resourceful, and certainly no less so during all the hardships of a global pandemic. For this reason, many women turned to selling online on sites like eBay to bring in an income and still manage all that they needed to do at home. In fact, in the first 6 months of the pandemic, US based eBay businesses rose by 34%, and US based sales grew by 38%. Eighty-two percent of women who either began selling or increased their eBay presence. They did so due to hardships brought on by COVID. 

    eCommerce is Making a Difference

    eBay has given women exactly what they need during this difficult time. Women who run an eBay business have the flexibility they need to manage everything in their lives. They also enjoy being their own boss, and they enjoy the ability to bring in an income for their household. 

    Selling on eBay has been a wonderful resource to help women to bear their additional burdens and to thrive during this uncertain time.

    eBay Empowering Women Through eCommerce
  • Twitter’s Jack Dorsey: ‘Hyperinflation Will Change Everything’

    Twitter’s Jack Dorsey: ‘Hyperinflation Will Change Everything’

    Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is adding his voice to the chorus of ones concerned about inflation, saying hyperinflation will change everything.

    Many financial experts are concerned about the impact the pandemic has had on the economy. In particular, ongoing supply chain disruptions have been driving the cost of common goods to all-new heights. Citigroup’s CEO, Jane Fraser, even went so far as to say this would be a “brutal winter” as a result.

    Dorsey believes the world is seeing hyperinflation, the effects of which will be profound.

  • Citigroup CEO: ‘We’re Probably In for a Bit of a Brutal Winter’

    Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser has bad news, warning that the markets are in for a “brutal winter.”

    The world economy is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Early lockdowns sparked a chain of events that have led to shortages and supply chain issues around the globe.

    Those supply chain disruptions spell more trouble ahead, according to Fraser, via Yahoo Finance.

    “We’re probably in for a bit of a brutal winter, particularly in the energy markets where there’s also some challenges there,” Fraser says. “But it’s not long-term structural stuff that we won’t adjust to.”

    “This too shall pass,” she added. “It’s going to pass probably in 2022.”

    Fraser’s comments are inline with other financial experts, many of whom believe the supply chain issues will continue to fuel inflation and wreak havoc on the market.

  • Microsoft and Shopify to Display Listings in Microsoft’s Products

    Microsoft and Shopify to Display Listings in Microsoft’s Products

    Microsoft and Shopify are partnering to display merchant listings in Bing, as well as Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Start.

    Shopify is one of the leading e-commerce platforms, with over 1.7 million merchants. Microsoft is looking to bring more products to its users across its Bing, Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Start products.

    The company made the announcement in a blog post.

    For the millions of shoppers using Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Bing, and more recently Microsoft Start, this means a deeper selection of products from more than 1.7 million Shopify merchants. Using the Shopping tab on Microsoft Bing, and Microsoft Edge, you will now see more diverse products, better prices, and improved discovery of deals. You will also be able to simply check out via the Shopping tab on Microsoft Bing quickly and securely.

    The new partnership will also significantly improve visibility and reach for Shopify merchants.

    For Shopify merchants, this partnership will help significantly expand the reach of their brands and products with just a few clicks. Getting started is simple; using the improved Microsoft Channel app, merchants can easily connect with shoppers across the Microsoft network. Shopify merchants’ products will also automatically show on the Shopping tab on Microsoft Bing and the Microsoft Start Shopping tab for free as product listings. Shopify merchants will also find value in creating new ad campaigns and viewing marketing performance through real-time reports in their Shopify store.

    Microsoft says the new partnership is just the beginning of enhancements it has planned for shoppers.

  • Supply Chain Issues Lead to Raspberry Pi’s First-Ever Price Increase

    Supply Chain Issues Lead to Raspberry Pi’s First-Ever Price Increase

    Raspberry Pi has announced it is raising its prices — for the first time ever — as a result of supply chain issues and component shortages.

    Raspberry Pi is the popular computing platform used by programmers, hobbyists and computer users around the world. It was originally marketed toward developing countries, as well as the education market, both of which often face budgetary constraints. Powered by ARM processors, the platform became widely popular outside its original target market.

    One of Raspberry Pi’s main appeals has been its price, with its latest 2 GB Raspberry Pi 4 costing a mere $35. When the 2 GB Raspberry Pi 4 was first introduced, it initially sold for $45, with the 1 GB model selling for $35. The Raspberry Pi Foundation ultimately discontinued the 1 GB model and lowered the price of the 2 GB model to $35.

    In a post for the foundation, Eben Upton says it is temporarily raising the price of the 2 GB to its original $45.

    Unfortunately, cost increases caused by the current shortage mean that this product is not currently economically viable at this reduced price point. We are therefore moving it back to $45 on a temporary basis.

    At the same time, the 1 GB model is coming back at $35.

    To support the many industrial customers who have designed the 2GB variant of Raspberry Pi 4 into their products, we are reintroducing the 1GB variant at the $35 price point. This provides a degree of choice: less memory at the same price; or the same memory at a higher price.

    Upton said the price hike is the result of supply chain shortages, the same changes impacting the entire tech industry.

    Our own commercial team, our licensees, and our partners at Sony have done a great job keeping components coming in the door and products going out. But despite significantly increased demand, we’ll only end up making around seven million units in 2021: pretty much exactly what we did in 2020. The result has been a shortage of some products, notably Raspberry Pi Zero and the 2GB variant of Raspberry Pi 4.

  • Major Retailers Commit to Zero-Carbon Ships by 2040

    Major Retailers Commit to Zero-Carbon Ships by 2040

    Some of the world’s biggest retailers have taken a significant step toward decarbonization, committing to zero-carbon ocean shipping by 2040.

    Cargo ships are one of the world’s biggest polluters, yet they are a vital part of international trade. Multiple companies have worked to address the problem, but any real solution requires the retailers shipping products to be on board (pun intended).

    It appears that some of the world’s largest retailers are doing just that, committing to using only cargo ships that use zero-carbon fuel by 2040. Amazon, IKEA, Patagonia and Michelin are just a few of the retailers involved in Cargo Owners for Zero Emissions Vehicles (COZEV).

    “We recognize that reaching this goal requires the shipping industry to deploy new technologies and utilize zero-carbon shipping fuels that are not yet in widespread use,” the companies write. “By setting this target and signaling our dedication to decarbonize this part of our supply chains, we hope to inspire a surge in investment by ocean freight carriers and producers of zero-carbon shipping fuels. To satisfy our climate ambitions, investments should focus on solutions with the potential—either individually or in combination—to reach sufficient scale to truly decarbonize our supply chains by 2040 and the entire shipping industry by 2050 at the latest. As we evaluate potential solutions, we should also ensure they can become economically viable through collaboration across the supply chain and with appropriate policy support.”

  • Lawmakers Accuse Amazon of Misleading Congress, Threaten Criminal Probe

    Lawmakers Accuse Amazon of Misleading Congress, Threaten Criminal Probe

    Amazon is in the hot seat, with US lawmakers accusing the e-commerce giant of misleading Congress and threatening a criminal probe in response.

    Amazon is the world’s largest e-commerce website, but not everyone is happy with how the company conducts business. The company has recently been accused of promoting its own brands at the expense of other, more popular options.

    Lawmakers are now saying Amazon lied to them about how it uses third-party seller data, accusing the company of using that data for its own benefit. Doing so would give the e-commerce giant a significant advantage over the companies using its platform to sell their goods, allowing Amazon to determine what products and features are particularly desirable to consumers and then create knockoffs. Combined with its practice of promoting its own goods over others, it paints a picture of a company that preys off of the very companies that have helped make its platform so successful.

    In response to a report in Reuters, the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Amazon giving the company one last chance to correct the record.

    “At best, this reporting confirms that Amazon’s representatives misled the Committee. At worst, it demonstrates that they may have lied to Congress in possible violation of federal criminal law. In light of the serious nature of this matter, we are providing you with a final opportunity to provide exculpatory evidence to corroborate the prior testimony and statements on behalf of Amazon to the Committee. We strongly encourage you to make use of this opportunity to correct the record and provide the Committee with sworn, truthful, and accurate responses to this request as we consider whether a referral of this matter to the Department of Justice for criminal investigation is appropriate.”

  • Reddit 1-800 Flowers Ad Goes Viral

    Reddit 1-800 Flowers Ad Goes Viral

    “Our ads on Reddit have gotten a lot of traction and puts a big smile on people’s faces,” says 1-800 Flowers CEO Chris McCann. “That’s what we’re trying to do is just make sure we’re relevant and create that cognitive speed bump when people think about our company. They see something different and I’m thrilled with the creative team for coming up with something like that.”

    Reddit Ad That Went Viral for 1-800-Flowers.com

    As usual, some opinionated Redditers expressed their thoughts on the ads:

    1-800 Flowers CEO discusses the company’s growth that was accelerated by the pandemic:

    Ecommerce Growth Accelerated During Pandemic

    What we’ve seen is an acceleration of growth in our company that began back in 2018 and really then accelerated even further in 2020 with the pandemic. It’s driven by the need for us as people to connect and express ourselves. As a company whose vision is to inspire more human expression, connection, and celebration, and as an ecommerce leader, we’re well-positioned in the trends that we see coming out of this pandemic. We think these trends are sustainable going forward.

    We started out as one flower shop many years ago. What we’ve done is created this e-commerce platform for growth, a platform for expression, connection, and celebration. It starts with this all-star family of brands that we have led by Harry & David, 1-800-Flowers, Cheryl’s Cookies, Shari’s Berries, and our recent acquisition just this past August of Personalization Mall. You see us now as a company in the expression and connection business with a leadership position in floral, a leadership position in gourmet food gifting, and certainly now leadership and position in expressions and personalized items which is a fast-growing market.

    You’ll continue to continue to see us grow by organic product development of products that help customers express and connect. And as we’ve done through acquisition, adding to that platform and leveraging that platform that we’ve built.

    Need To Express and Connect Is a Lasting Trend

    Hopefully, the vaccines accelerate and we turn to some sense of normalcy sooner rather than later. As we look at our business, the momentum we saw began in 2018 and 2019 and then accelerated with the pandemic. We’ve been on a good momentum growth even before the pandemic and we really see ourselves now as a bigger stronger company than we were prior to it. We’ve acquired Personalization Mall just this past August and by putting it on our platform and leveraging our digital marketing expertise we accelerated the growth of that company. It grew by 50 percent this last quarter.

    A year ago August we acquired Shari’s Berries and took a business that was stagnant and losing money to now one that’s got a nice growth rate and is generating a nice contribution margin as well. If we just keep our focus on what the consumer is looking for to help express and connect then we’ll be continuing to see double-digit growth for some time to come. That trend that we’ve all learned from being isolated, our need to express and connect is a lasting trend coming out of this pandemic along with the shift from offline to online.

    1-800 Flowers Ecommerce Growth Accelerated During Pandemic

  • Google Cloud Retail Search to Address $300 Billion E-Commerce Search Abandonment

    Google Cloud Retail Search to Address $300 Billion E-Commerce Search Abandonment

    Google is trying to help the e-commerce industry address a $300 billion abandonment issue with Google Cloud Retail Search.

    According to Inc. search abandonment — where a user searches for a product but doesn’t click through to the results — costs the e-commerce industry a whopping $300 billion a year. Google is working to address that with its new tool, which has been in private preview, but is now available to all.

    “Search abandonment is a costly industry-wide issue, but for startup founders and small business owners, it can be devastating,” Carrie Tharp, Google Cloud’s vice president of retail and consumer, told Inc. “With Retail Search, we’re able to help convert site traffic to sales and keep startups and small businesses from leaving money on the table.”

    The tool brings the power of Google Search to a company’s own sites.

    Retailers now have the ability to provide Google-quality search and recommendations on their own digital properties, helping to increase conversions and reduce search abandonment. 

    Cloud Retail Search should help Google as it continues to fight for cloud market share against its larger rivals, AWS and Microsoft Azure.

  • Why Does Going Contactless In Restaurants Mean More Profit And Safety For Restaurateurs?

    Why Does Going Contactless In Restaurants Mean More Profit And Safety For Restaurateurs?

    Modern technology has made running a business more manageable for business owners, especially during this challenging time. The use of a QR code for digital menus is one of the most recent restaurant trends to adapt to the new normal setting. 

    No one wants to touch anything during the COVID-19 outbreak. Small and large businesses are looking for ways to provide a touchless experience to address the new consumer need. Also, one of the new guidelines for many countries is to use a contactless option whenever possible.

    Restaurants have discovered that QR codes are one of the most effective ways to limit physical contact and lessen the risk of contamination. The advantages of QR codes are numerous; they provide guests with an easy and efficient way to order, pay, and more.

    The days of lingering over a menu at a table or in front of a restaurant are long gone. After scanning a menu QR code to order, you can sit down and watch a movie or talk to anyone on your phone.

    What is a menu QR code? 

    A menu QR code is a digital menu that allows customers to browse and purchase menu items immediately from their smartphones.

    Restaurants can add visuals to their menus.  It is also an environmentally friendly, contactless, and safe solution for the food industry. A contactless restaurant is safe because it restricts physical interaction with personnel, menus, etc. 

    Diners can use their cell phones to display and view menus, order, and pay for meals. Users don’t need to use other devices to access your menus; they need a smartphone camera.

    Restaurant owners do not have to reprint their menu, as they can edit the QR code content. Unlike the traditional handheld menus where you have to reprint them when adding new menu items, you don’t have to reprint them in the menu QR code. 

    That is why you can update or change any items on your menu; you can edit your menu file behind your QR code anytime. The changes will automatically reflect in the QR code even after printing or distributing it.

    How to create a menu QR code

    1. Create your menu and save it as a PDF or in a Jpeg file.
    2. Go to an online QR code generator with logo software. .
    3. Upload your PDF or Jpeg file in the Menu feature.
    4. Generate your QR code and personalize it. You can add a call to action tag to increase scans and prompt your customers what to do.
    5. Do a QR code scan test and download it.
    6. Print and place the QR code on any corner of your dining table. You can print it like a sticker or display it as a table tent for your customers.

    Advantages of using a contactless dining solution in a restaurant

    1. Brings greater customer satisfaction

    Because contactless dining speeds up the entire ordering and payment process while offering customer control and autonomy over their orders, it increases customer happiness. 

    With contactless ordering, diners can assure that precisely what they ordered will be prepared in the kitchen. Special instructions, add-ons, dietary preferences, and allergies are all examples of this. 

    1. It keeps everyone safe and healthy.

    Another significant advantage of digital contactless ordering is its potential to improve building occupant safety. It is absurd to expect restaurant patrons to eat while wearing a mask. 

    Consider how many lives could be saved by helping to minimize the transmission of infections on physical surfaces by allowing customers to view menu options and place orders from the convenience of their own homes. 

    1. Digital ordering increases customer loyalty.

    Digital ordering improved frictionless ordering, converting and retaining customers through personalized offers, loyalty points, and rewards. As a result, guests are more likely to return to the restaurant again.

    1. Improve the efficiency of your operations

    Table turnover is one of the essential indicators, as it affects operational expenses and efficiency. 

    The more tables you can set and the more things you can offer, the faster you can turn tables.  

    Guests can send orders directly to a kitchen display system using a contactless dining solution, then split the bill amongst the table when it’s time to pay. The entire process avoids a few low-value procedures for staff and is sure to save minutes at every table. 

    In Conclusion

    Using a digital contactless ordering mechanism is also a step to pursue further foodservice expansion prospects. 

    Restaurants with digital technology sound futuristic, and they are.  Digital kitchens are the pinnacle of foodservice innovation, combining technology, people, software, and guided workflows to streamline and smooth restaurant operations. 

    With the use of a QR code generator online, restaurants can have a complete integration between old and new technologies like QR codes to succeed and adapt to this new normal.

  • Fiserve CEO: From Large To Small There’s a Comeback In Payments

    Fiserve CEO: From Large To Small There’s a Comeback In Payments

    “It’s a great space a great and a great opportunity,” says Fiserv CEO Frank Bisignano. “You have to love the clients and you have to love the payment space. The opportunity to build things and grow is always a lot of fun. From large to small there’s a comeback in payments and we see growth going forward.”

    Fiserv, a major fintech player worldwide, had a strong earnings report in the second quarter with 129 percent growth in revenue.

    Frank Bisignano, CEO of Fiserv, discusses how their Clover acquisition will help the company power their growth going forward. Fiserv announced that they completed their $22 billion purchase First Data which included Clover on July 29:

    From Large To Small There’s a Comeback In Payments

    Clover is an unbelievable platform. It continues to grow. It serves small businesses. We think it’s integral. Our bank partners love it since we announced the deal. We have 160 new banks that want to be Clover partners with us. It is growing. We talked about a 32 percent growth rate in July in the heat of a pandemic. It’s a tool that we help businesses manage their business through. It’s a great asset to help small businesses. We see it as an integrated solution for our company.

    We’ve seen growth with Clover. We talked about seeing what we call internal revenue growth which is driven by transaction volume. We see transaction volume up and there is obviously a large move to e-com. If you look at our Clover platform which has order ahead capabilities and virtual terminal that’s driving that growth. From large to small there’s a comeback in payments and we see growth going forward. There are still businesses coming back in the recovery. Lots of businesses are still working their way back. We’re here to help small businesses grow.

    Fiserve CEO Frank Bisignano: From Large To Small There’s a Comeback In Payments
  • Recommerce: the Secondhand eCommerce Market

    Recommerce: the Secondhand eCommerce Market

    Since eBay began as a company in 1995, transactions between consumers (known as C2C transactions) have been a vital part of eBay’s business model.  In particular, the sale of secondhand goods between parties is something eBay has grown famous for during the internet age.   When someone sells a pre-owned good to another person, they engage in a process known as recommerce.  To celebrate the impact recommerce has had on eBay, its users, and the planet as a whole, eBay launched its new Recommerce Report.  The report’s highlights have been outlined below.

    The first main point to come out of the report is the rise in recommerce’s popularity.  More than 7 in 10 of the US eBay sellers surveyed say buying pre-owned products has grown more common in recent years.  The numbers are even higher among Generation Z, of which 81% report that buying second hand has become more common in 2020.  This may be due in part to the recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  When people face financial woes, they are less likely to buy items new.  Furthermore, the strains coronavirus placed on traditional stores did not affect eBay’s online platform, allowing business on eBay to continue as normal while yard sales and thrift stores may have suffered.  Though possible the trend towards recommerce may reverse as the economy heals, there is also the chance that the current trend reduces the long term stigma of buying and using secondhand items.  If that is the case, the power of recommerce is here to stay.

    The Benefits of Recommerce

    For sellers, the recommerce market boasts extremely low barriers to entry.  The average American owns 36 household items that are worthy of sale on eBay.  If the individual agrees to part with said items, they can earn over $3600 in supplemental income.  While most sellers are likely to only engage in recommerce as a side hustle, more dedicated sellers can also search yard and estate sales for hidden treasures.  On the side of the buyers, secondhand finds usually cost less than their new counterparts.  Thanks to eBay’s auction style format, buyers and sellers can negotiate a mutually beneficial price on each transaction that takes place.

    So far, recommerce has been shown to greatly benefit eBay, buyers, and sellers.  There is still one more beneficiary worth discussing: planet Earth.  As green living enthusiast Hannah Stringer put it, “recommerce is the most effective strategy as a consumer taking on a climate crisis.”  In addition to being accessible to consumers with a wide variety of incomes, buying second hand preserves the environment in two important ways.  Every item sold second hand is spared from a landfill and every consumer who demands a pre-owned good saves the water, energy, and resources that would have made a new good from being used.  In the electronics and apparel markets alone, recommerce on eBay kept 720,000 metric tons of carbon emissions out of the air.

    eBay Recommerce Report
  • Ecommerce Nearing $1 Trillion

    Ecommerce Nearing $1 Trillion

    “We’re forecasting that ecommerce spending this year will be somewhere between $850 billion and $930 billion,” says John Copeland, Vice President of Marketing Science and Customer Insights at Adobe. This would be a 14 percent increase over last year. That would be more typical of what we see year over year in the ecommerce channel.”

    John Copeland of Adobe, predicts that ecommerce spending could be $930 billion, or just under $1 trillion, in 2021:

    COVID was a catalyst to the ecommerce channel last year. What we saw when you look at the full calendar year of 2020 was $813 billion dollars in ecommerce spending, 42 percent growth over 2019. That’s like combining two years’ worth of growth into a single year. Consumers have really embraced the online channel to meet their needs during these challenging times.

    We’re all kind of wondering what (the vaccine rollout) is going to do in terms of ecommerce. We’re forecasting this year somewhere between $850 billion, only a 5 percent over last year, and up to $930 billion, which would be a 14 percent increase over last year. The 5 percent increase would be if everybody gets vaccinated and rushes out and we see kind of a slowdown. The $930 billion, 14 percent increase, would be more typical of what we see year over year in the ecommerce channel.

    Buy Now Pay Later Up 215 Percent Over Last Year

    Buy Now Pay Later is very much good for retailers. In fact, what we’ve seen in February this year relative to February 2020, which is kind of on the cusp of the pandemic, is a 215 percent increase year over year in buy now pay later orders. In terms of retailers, it comes along with larger average order values. What we’re seeing is 18 percent larger orders when customers are using that service. Unlike layaway, with buy now pay later you actually get the goods upfront, you don’t have to wait until the payment’s done.

    Another trend is Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store, also known as BOPUS. In February of this year, we’re already seeing it growing 67 percent year on year. It’s always been huge and growing during the holiday season but now people are clearly working it in as part of their fulfillment options. Picking up in the store gives consumers the ability to schedule it according to their availability and knowing that stock will be there for them when they want to pick it up.

    Ecommerce Nearing $1 Trillion, Says John Copeland of Adobe
  • Uber Built A Very Anti-Fragile Business, Says Jason Calacanis

    Uber Built A Very Anti-Fragile Business, Says Jason Calacanis

    “Uber built a very anti-fragile business in regards to having the Eats business and having the Rides business,” says early Uber investor Jason Calacanis. “When the Ride’s business went down that kind of indicates people are staying home. When they stay home they use Uber Eats and increasingly Drizly, Cornershop, and Postmates. Watching the Uber team take on this challenge of the pandemic year has been really impressive.”

    Early Uber investor Jason Calacanis says that unlike Lyft, Uber built a very anti-fragile business with the combination of Eats and Rides and has become relentlessly focused:

    Uber Built A Very Anti-Fragile Business

    What we’re really going to see here is that Uber built a very anti-fragile business in regards to having the Eats business and having the Rides business. When the Ride’s business went down that kind of indicates people are staying home. When they stay home they use Uber Eats and increasingly Drizly, Cornershop, and Postmates. People are ordering groceries. Watching the Uber team take on this challenge of the pandemic year has been really impressive.

    It reminds me a lot of Disney and how they got focused around Disney+ as the center of the organization. They looked at what was happening in the pandemic and said parks are great, merch is great, movies are great, let’s just put everything into Disney+ and accelerate that. Look what happened to that company. I’ve got to give Dara Khosrowshahi a lot of credit. He got rid of a lot of the noise like self-driving cars which are a multi-decade kind of vision. He sold off the places where they weren’t going to be in first, second, or even third place. He did JVs and sold off those businesses like Russia and China, etc. That’s well documented.

    The Space Can’t Have 50 Players Losing Money

    They found a new really inspiring footing which is if Amazon is two-day delivery going to one-day, Uber’s is one-hour delivery going to 10-minute delivery. That is Travis Kalanick’s original vision for Uber. When I met with him when he was building the company and I was the third or fourth investor his vision was this is a logistic company. We took atoms in the world made them bits on the internet. Now we’re going to take bits on your phone, an app, and we’re going to move atoms in the real world. That was his original pitch. Here we are in decade two where I’m still own the same shares I’ve had since I bought them for a penny or whatever back in 2008 or 2009. I remain super bullish. I have a huge position in Uber and I’m going to hold it for the next decade.

    It’s fairly obvious that there are acquisitions and consolidation that need to happen in the space in order for it to be profitable. The space can’t have 50 players losing money. We’ve watched Lyft, Postmates, Doordash, and everybody, say that we’re going to have to charge what this product is worth. We’re going to have to stop burning money. There’s no free VC money. The public markets are not down with lose money forever and grow. I think we found a happy medium here between what public market investors want, profits, and what private market investors want, growth.

    Uber Has Become Relentlessly Focused

    I think Dara has done an exceptional job. Some things will come from acquisitions but most of it has to be just relentless execution and focus. That is the inspiring part of what happened here. Uber has become relentlessly focused. Things that were coming in 10 or 20 years like self-driving in all likelihood will be a commodity business. In 10 or 20 years there’ll be five companies who have that technology. VTOLs are very fascinating and very interesting, but again that’s probably seven, eight, nine, or ten years off as a very niche product.

    Uber Built A Very Anti-Fragile Business, Says Jason Calacanis
  • Netflix Buys Night School Studio, Creator of Oxenfree

    Netflix Buys Night School Studio, Creator of Oxenfree

    Netflix has purchased Night School Studio, its first game studio, as the company expands from streaming into gaming.

    Netflix has been making a move into gaming, hiring former Electronic Arts executive Mike Verdu to head up its efforts. The company later confirmed its plans to offer games to its subscribers at no extra cost and ad-free.

    Night School Studio is the maker of the critically acclaimed Oxenfree. Significantly, the purchase would seem to indicate Netflix’s efforts will not be restricted to mobile games, given that Oxenfree is a cross-platform game.

    Verdu made the announcement in a blog post.

    Founded by Sean Krankel and Adam Hines in 2014, Night School Studio is best known for their critically acclaimed debut game, OXENFREE. We’re inspired by their bold mission to set a new bar for storytelling in games. Their commitment to artistic excellence and proven track record make them invaluable partners as we build out the creative capabilities and library of Netflix games together.

    We’ll continue working with developers around the world and hiring the best talent in the industry to deliver a great collection of exclusive games designed for every kind of gamer and any level of play. Like our shows and films, these games will all be included as part of your Netflix membership — all with no ads and no in-app purchases. Stay tuned for more.

    The purchase price was not disclosed.

  • White House Wades In As Chip Crisis Poised to Cost Auto Industry $210 Billion

    White House Wades In As Chip Crisis Poised to Cost Auto Industry $210 Billion

    The White House is discussing the ongoing semiconductor crisis with companies as the auto industry is poised to lose $210 billion in revenue.

    The semiconductor crisis has taken a major toll on the auto industry, with manufacturers around the world being impacted. For example, GM recently announced it would shut down most of its American plants as a result of the shortage, and had previously said it would ship some 2021 trucks without their full complement of chips, leading to 1 MPG less than previous models.

    Companies are taking various measures to ease the shortage. Intel has said it will start producing chips for the auto industry, but warned it would take months before its first chips were produced.

    In the meantime, a report from AlixPartners is warning the crisis will cost auto makers $210 billion in revenue in 2021, exacerbated by a COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia, a main hub for automotive semiconductor manufacturing.

    “Of course, everyone had hoped that the chip crisis would have abated more by now, but unfortunate events such as the COVID-19 lockdowns in Malaysia and continued problems elsewhere have exacerbated things,” said Mark Wakefield, global co-leader of the automotive and industrial practice at AlixPartners. “Also, chips are just one of a multitude of extraordinary disruptions the industry is facing—including everything from resin and steel shortages to labor shortages. There’s no room for error for automakers and suppliers right now; they need to calculate every alternative and make sure they’re undertaking only the best options.”

    At the same time, the White House is engaging with companies in an effort to determine what measures can be taken to ease the crisis. According to TheStreet, executives from Apple, Ford, General Motors, Intel, Microsoft and Samsung were expected to attend a meeting at the White House Thursday to discuss the issues.

    Unfortunately, in the short term, there appears to be no quick fixes or easy answers to the problem.

  • Salesforce and FedEx Partner to Deliver End-to-End E-Commerce Solution

    Salesforce and FedEx Partner to Deliver End-to-End E-Commerce Solution

    Salesforce and FedEx are partnering to deliver an end-to-end e-commerce and shipping solution.

    The partnership between the two companies will see the integration of Salesforce Commerce Cloud and Salesforce Order Management with features from FedEx and its e-commerce subsidiary, ShopRunner. The combination of platforms and services should help e-commerce shops manage the entire process, from promotion to purchase to shipping.

    “Brands and merchants have to move quicker than ever to meet their customers’ expectations,” said Claude Russ, COO of FedEx Dataworks and CEO of ShopRunner. “With the combined power of Salesforce and FedEx, we will provide them the speed, control and economics they need to help them exceed those expectations. From optimizing their inventory management and fulfillment operations, to faster delivery and attracting new buyers, together we’re helping change the game so brands and merchants can have greater control over the links of their supply chain and increase their competitiveness.”

    “We are in a world of commerce anytime and anywhere,” said Lidiane Jones, EVP & GM, Salesforce Commerce Cloud. “Commerce Cloud and Order Management let companies sell wherever their customers shop and fulfill on any channel. Pairing that with FedEx’s logistics capabilities lets us deliver an even faster, easier, and cost-efficient experience for our customers. Now, retailers can better meet shoppers’ two-day shipping expectations without accumulating extensive costs, or sacrificing their time or brand.”

    The partnership is a multi-year agreement, with US customers set to see the first results of the partnership in Spring 2022.

  • South Korea Poised to Ban App Store Payment Monopolies

    South Korea Poised to Ban App Store Payment Monopolies

    South Korea is poised to become the first country to ban Apple and Google from locking developers into the use of their payment systems.

    Apple and Google are both facing pressure over their respective app stores, and especially over the fact that they try to force developers to use their payment systems exclusively. Doing so ensures developers continue to pay the companies the 30% commission they charge for apps, in-app purchases and ongoing services. Both companies are facing lawsuits in the US, but South Korea is set to take even more drastic action.

    According to AFP, South Korea’s National Assembly is set to vote on a bill — the “Anti-Google Law” — that would force Apple and Google to allow users to choose which payment service to use when making purchases.

    “This law will certainly set a precedent for other countries, as well as app developers and content creators worldwide,” Kang Ki-hwan, Korea Mobile Internet Business Association, told AFP.

    If the bill passes, it will likely encourage countries around the world to take up similar measures.

  • Office 2021 Arriving October 5, No Subscription Required

    Office 2021 Arriving October 5, No Subscription Required

    Microsoft Office 2021 is arriving on October 5, and users will be able to purchase it for a one-time fee and no subscription.

    While Microsoft has gone all-in on Microsoft 365, it’s subscription-based version of the popular office suite, there are many instances where individuals and companies may not want to be locked into a subscription. For those customers, Microsoft makes Office Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC), for both Windows and macOS.

    According to a blog post by Jared Spataro, Corporate Vice President for Microsoft 365, Office LTSC offers some performance improvements, but is missing key elements included in Microsoft 365.

    Office LTSC is designed for specific scenarios: regulated devices that cannot accept feature updates, process control devices on the manufacturing floor, and specialty systems that cannot connect to the internet. To meet this need, Office LTSC will provide a locked-in-time version of familiar productivity tools. While it offers performance improvements and expanded accessibility, it will not offer the cloud-based capabilities of Microsoft 365 Apps like real-time collaboration and AI-driven automation in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as security and compliance capabilities that give added confidence in a hybrid world.

    The latest version of Office LTSC will be available October 5, the same day as Windows 11.