Mike O'Brien

[email protected] / MikeOBmcm

Mike O’Brien has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for … well, quite a while. At Multichannel Merchant he focuses on the world of direct-to-customer operations and fulfillment, editing MCM’s weekly O+F Advisor newsletter, and programs the annual Ecommerce Operations Summit conference. Previously Mike was a senior account executive for Marx Communications, a boutique public relations firm working with marketing and advertising technology companies. Other past work includes stints as a media relations consultant for a concert promoter, a marketing communications specialist for a pharma software firm, a research analyst covering corporate e-learning and a daily newspaper reporter on every beat imaginable – except sports.

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Prime Day Hits Record of $11B Over Two Days

| Mike O'Brien

Prime Day 2021 is in the books with a record $11 billion in sales, according to Adobe’s Digital Economy Index, up 6.1% from $10.4 billion in 2020, when the event was held in October, but was not a winner for retailers not named Amazon, based on data from SalesForce. Wall Street wasn’t impressed with flat growth over the 2020 event.

MCM CommerceChat podcast

Breaking Down New EU VAT Changes

| Mike O'Brien

As of July 1, the EU is updating how retailers calculate Value-Added Tax (VAT) when selling goods into member countries. This extends a 2015 change to include low-cost ecommerce goods under 22 Euros. Peter Boerhof of Vertex helps us better understand the implications for sellers in our latest MCM CommerceChat podcast.

Bringg Raises $100M to Reach $1B Valuation

| Mike O'Brien

Bringg, a provider of order orchestration software for last-mile deliveries, has raised $100 million in a series E round, bringing it into the growing unicorn club as it looks to international expansion, explores extensions into less-than-truckload and other forms of transportation and eyes acquisitions. This is 4x from a year-ago valuation.

Prime Day No. 1 Hits $5.6 Billion

| Mike O'Brien

Prime Day one on Monday saw total online sales in the U.S. surpass $5.6 billion, up 8.7% from 2020, surpassing Thanksgiving Day last year which rung in at $5.1 billion, according to data from the Adobe Digital Economy Index. Toys saw the deepest discounts, while appliances and electronics proved most popular, Adobe reported.

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Ecommerce Operations Summit Strikes the Right Notes in Music City

| Mike O'Brien

Ecommerce Operations Summit 2021 is back live, at the Gaylord Opreyland in Nashville on Aug. 17-18, and the team at Multichannel Merchant has a great event on tap to help operations and fulfillment professionals keep on top of key industry trends and address the challenges of a disruptive time. Read on for some program highlights.

Stackline Raises $130M, Looks Ahead to IPO

| Mike O'Brien

Ecommerce technology provider Stackline has received $130 million in funding from UK-based private equity firm TA Associates, on top of a $50 million investment from Goldman Sachs’ growth equity team in November, using it to create new products, pursue foreign markets and look ahead to an IPO.

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Alex and Ani Files for Chapter 11 Protection

| Mike O'Brien

Alex and Ani, the Rhode Island-based retailer which reached huge popularity a decade ago with its inexpensive bangles and charm bracelets promoting spirituality and good vibes, has filed for has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company, owned by a UK concern, has faced poor sales, lawsuits and internal conflicts.

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American Eagle Expands Same-Day Delivery with ShopRunner

| Mike O'Brien

American Eagle Outfitters has expanded its offering of free same-day delivery for members of partner ShopRunner to include 50 U.S. cities, up from six when the retailer started working with the FedEx acquired service in October. During the past year, American Eagle and Aerie have offered free store and curbside pickup.

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Legislation Aimed at Breakup of Big Tech Firms

| Mike O'Brien

Bipartisan legislation being considered in Congress could force Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook to either shed private-label assets or effectively split in two in an attempt to regulate them, the WSJ said. Congress is also looking at limiting their ability to use their platforms to improperly direct consumers toward their own offerings.

MCM CommerceChat podcast

Relaxing of Amazon FBA Storage Rules, Explained

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon has revoked the 200-unit limit for new FBA sellers and changed how it assesses sellers’ storage limits. New sellers can start with 500-1,000 units depending on their storage type. It also now subject all sellers to new restock limits. Eytan Wiener, CEO of Getida and a former Amazon power seller, helps us break down the changes.