Mike O'Brien
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.
Warp, providers of a software platform connecting smaller middle mile carriers and cross-dock facilities with SMB shippers, has exited stealth mode with a $2.4M seed round as it expands to more markets, working toward its vision of a coast-to-coast LTL network. One of the co-founders also started hot last mile startup AxleHire.
Sports apparel retailer Foot Locker continues to be hampered in its results by the ongoing shift of major supplier Nike to a direct-to-consumer model, with Foot Locker reporting on its shifting revenue mix during its fourth quarter earnings report. The sneaker giant remains its largest supplier, but at a smaller scale.
Do you want a latte with that toy your kid didn’t like? Target said it is offering curbside returns in select markets starting this fall, as well as the opportunity to grab a Starbucks beverage while you’re at it. The red target retailer said customers can use the Target app to set up a curbside return and/or grab a caffeinated drink.
Macy’s has decided against a spinoff of its more profitable ecommerce business, after a review by its board determined the risk for the business and its customer base was too high and that the company was stronger as a combined physical and digital operation. The company is also pausing a store closure plan initiated in 2019.
Reminiscent of “The Matrix,” the metaverse is a fully immersive virtual world where people can interact and engage in gaming, concerts or live sports. Facebook rebranded to Meta, and brands from Victoria’s Secret to Gucci, to Louis Vuitton are staking a claim. Are we there yet? We explore this topic with Nexla CEO Saket Saurabh.
Social commerce is not slowing down, based on a survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers from Sprout Social, with over two-thirds of respondents saying they make a purchase through a social channel in 2021, and a whopping 98% saying they planned to do so this year.
The union seeking to organize Amazon fulfillment center workers in Bessemer, AL, has filed another complaint alleging the company is not acting in good faith by interfering in the revote process, forcing employees to attend anti-union meetings and tearing down pro-union signs.
Veho, a startup whose software matches demand to crowdsourced drivers and handles deliveries and returns out of its own warehouses, has raised another $170 million to reach a $1.5 billion valuation, just two months after its last $125 million round made it a unicorn. The company plans to expand to national coverage in 2022.
Nearly one in five American consumers prefer the more convenient option of buy online, pickup anywhere or BOPA vs. showing up at a retailer’s stores in an area, if it’s offered at checkout, according to a new study from Via.Delivery. The study was based on thousands of ecommerce transactions in Q4 2021.
More than 350 ecommerce sites running Magento 1 were hit with the same strain of MageCart malware the week of Jan. 31, a card skimming attack that exploited a known leak in the Quickview plugin, according to a report from security provider Sansec.