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BNPL Can Ease Inflation Pain

| Natasha Zurnamer

As inflation continues to slam consumers worldwide, alternative payment options such as Buy Now, Pay Later can go some way to helping alleviate the pain of higher prices. BNPL is an increasingly popular payment option, with loans usually incurring neither interest charges nor fees, and few require hard credit checks.

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Amazon Aggregators See Deal Flow Dip in Q1

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon aggregators have seen massive investment and deal flow since 2020, but the activity has been slowing as the valuations of top sellers has increased, according to a report on M&A activity in the sector from investment banking firm Capstone Partners. There were just 30 acquisitions of major FBA brands in Q1 vs. 159 in all of 2021.

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Once High-Flying Shopify Continues to Struggle

| Mike O'Brien

Shopify, a certified rock star of the pandemic shutdowns that saw sales and profits soar as consumers flocked to sellers on its platform, is finding itself challenged in 2022 as growth slows significantly and the ardor of investors has cooled off.

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Marketplace Tax Laws Still Challenging, 4 Years After Wayfair

| George Trantas

Beyond the sales tax complexity of marketplace facilitator laws, states have used the Wayfair decision to implement new rules for marketplaces. From policing stolen goods to expanded income tax obligations, marketplace tax laws are far reaching. Here’s how they’ve changed, and how they’re impacting remote sellers.

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Ecommerce to Top $1 Trillion GMV in U.S. in 2022

| Mike O'Brien

Ecommerce sales will top $1 trillion for the first time this year, while Amazon will become the biggest retailer in the U.S. by 2026, surpassing Walmart with a 14.9% market share vs. 12.7%, according to a new report from Edge By Ascential. Costco and Home Depot will hold the number 3 and 4 spots, respectively, the report states.

Shopify Grows, Amazon Slows: A Bellwether for Ecommerce’s Future

| Matthew Lynch

It’s impossible to ignore the fact that most if not all fundamental features and characteristics of DTC brands are not just different from Amazon, but diametrically opposed to it. While Amazon takes the word “monolithic” to new extremes, platforms like Shopify thrive by staying low to the ground and expanding outward.

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5 Growth Milestones For Small Businesses

| Craig Evans

Starting a business is no light feat. It takes nerves, determination and resilience that only entrepreneurs who have gone through it will understand. Here are five stages small businesses need to know to gain success.

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Target, Like Walmart, Takes a Q1 Profit Hit

| Mike O'Brien

Target joined fellow big-box retailer Walmart today in posting a first-quarter earnings figure well below expectations as inflationary strain, inventory overstocks and spiraling costs including from labor and fuel continue to challenge the sector. Same-day services were up 8% — but it had grown a whopping 120% in Q1 of 2021.

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M-Commerce: Automation’s Key Role

| Jay Kulkarni

Mobile commerce demand continues to grow as smartphones are a go-to shopping tool. Yet scalable m-commerce is nearly impossible for humans as it requires high volumes of data and continuous, real-time analysis. Automation helps improve efficiency, collect and analyze first-party data and personalize engagement.

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Walmart Misses Q1 Bottom-Line Expectations

| Mike O'Brien

Walmart reported a disappointing earnings picture for the first quarter, blaming inflation, overstaffing, excess inventory and supply chain issues as the key culprits that sent profits below what analysts had been expecting. The top retailer reported $2.05B, in net income, down from $2.73B a year ago; ecommerce inched up 1%.