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Unybrands Raises $300M to Scale Amazon Brands Pursuit

| Mike O'Brien

Unybrands, a Miami-based aggregator of successful brands both on and off Amazon, has raised another $300 million to pursue its manifest destiny of acquiring 20 companies in 2021, building out its platform and doubling headcount to 50. Unybrands CEO Ulrich Kratz said the company is tracking ahead of its acquisition goal.

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NewStore Raises $45 Million in New Funding

| Mike O'Brien

NewStore, provider of an omnichannel platform focusing on helping vertically integrated brands improve their customer experience, has raised $45 million as it expands in Europe and looks to fuel further growth. Stephan Schambach, founder and CEO of NewStore, said the pandemic “changed the sentiment” around omnichannel.

Biden Taking Big Stick to Big Tech

| Mike O'Brien

President Joseph Biden, in a sweeping executive order, is seeking to limit the power of big tech companies, including extra scrutiny of mergers and acquisition to check their monopolistic tendencies. It covers 72 different actions, including a reinstatement of net neutrality and asking the FTC to challenge prior “bad acquisitions.”

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The Critical Role of Ecommerce Marketplaces

| Jed Danbury

Those who only think of ecommerce marketplaces of major American and Chinese operators when they consider the global platform economy overlook opportunities this business model also offers SMBs. Merchants with complementary offerings can learn from the big players and serve their customers better together.

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Card-Linked Offers Work But Need Improvement

| Arlo Laitin

Card-linked offers, such as “get 5% cash back at Retailer X,” have become ubiquitous in online banking. And although targeting has improved, they’ve looked fairly similar for a while. Consumers ask “Why don’t I get offers from merchants I spend the most with?” The answer has to do with the limitations of bank-transaction data. 

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Overcoming Website Accessibility Roadblocks

| Amanda DiSilvestro

Even if you ignore the increased lawsuits, new ADA laws requiring website accessibility and the boost in traffic you’ll see, it’s important for your site to welcome all users. Marketers, this means you. Unfortunately, working with developers to create an ADA-compliant site is no easy task. Not to worry; here are 8 tips to help you get there.

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Omnichannel Grocery Shoppers Spend 20% More

| Mike O'Brien

Omnichannel grocery shoppers spend on average 20% more and shop more frequently compared to those that just visit the store, according to new research from Symphony RetailAI. The survey also found that while half of first-time e-grocery shoppers made a single online purchase, the other half become highly engaged and loyal.

MCM CommerceChat podcast

3 Years After Wayfair Decision, Issues Continue

| Mike O'Brien

In our latest MCM CommerceChat podcast, Liz Armbruester of Avalara, and Kevin Permenter of IDC provide an update on the ecommerce taxation landscape, three years after the landmark Wayfair decision. We also discuss the tax implications of the explosion in ecommerce, and how adding new sales channels equals new complexities.  

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Voice Commerce: Coming Soon to a Device Near You

| Deepak Gupta

Although voice tech isn’t new, using it for ecommerce is a relatively recent development. The hands-free approach is novel, but consumers remain skeptical. When voice tech was first introduced, there were obvious capacity limits. Now, there have been significant improvements to enable voice commerce thanks to machine learning and AI.