Streetify streetscape feature

Streetify Looks to Expand Virtual Shopping Streets

| Mike O'Brien

UK startup Streetify hopes to gain traction with a two-year-old app that creates virtual versions of physical streets and stores, where retailers and brands can display offers, discounts and links, and hopefully drive traffic to physical stores as well. The company says there are 1 billion stores in virtual form, compared to 4.4 million sites for Shopify.

Wix and Shippo feature

Wix Adds Native Shipping Tools With Shippo

| Mike O'Brien

Wix, a platform for merchants to create ecommerce storefronts, has partnered with shipping services provider Shippo to add a set of natively integrated tools its customers can use to simplify order delivery and take advantage of volume discounts with carriers. Wix Shipping went live in November in Canada and has now launched in the U.S. and the UK, with plans to expand shortly to Germany.

Shopify bag logo feature

Shopify Offloads Logistics Assets to Flexport, Ocado

| Mike O'Brien

Shopify has pulled the plug on its ambitious in-house logistics business built up in recent years, selling Deliverr to global supply chain provider Flexport and warehouse robotics firm 6 River Systems to UK-based fulfillment automation firm Ocado. “We are changing the shape of Shopify significantly today to pay unshared attention to our mission,” said Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke in a letter to employees.

Two Boxes founders ecommerce returns feature

Ecommerce Returns Dispositioning Targeted By Two Boxes

| Mike O'Brien

Two Boxes, a software startup promising to make the dispositioning of ecommerce returns more efficient for brands and 3PLs, has launched with a $4.5 million seed round and advisors from Amazon, Shopify, Whiplash, Loop Returns and Rent the Runway. Funding was led by Vinyl Capital, with Matchstick Ventures and Range Ventures.

Amazon van being loaded feature

Amazon Expanding Same-Day Capabilities

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon is aggressively expanding same-day delivery capabilities after a major pullback in planned fulfillment facilities which overshot demand when the pandemic boom receded. Feeling the competitive heat, Amazon is redirecting its investments toward smaller hubs closer to customers, making fast delivery a higher priority in 2023.

Shopify bag logo feature

Shopify Touts Expanded Suite of Tools for Merchants

| Mike O'Brien

Shopify is expanding its fulfillment services as part of a package of 100 new items in its toolset for merchants, including app connections to Flexport for supply chain tracking and visibility, to acquired unit Deliverr for inventory positioning and to Loop Returns to improve that experience for shoppers.

Buy With Prime feature

Buy With Prime Expands Nationally

| Mike O'Brien

Buy With Prime, the program that lets retailers not named Amazon offer shoppers the Prime experience and promise, is rolling out for all U.S. merchants as of Jan. 31, the company announced, ten months after a beta launch by invitation only for select users of Fulfillment By Amazon.

livestream shopping feature

Livestream Commerce Needs a CX Upgrade

| David Fletcher

Livestream commerce became more popular during the pandemic lockdowns, and there are new reasons why it’s seeing some pickup. Some high-profile shakiness in the U.S. (see Facebook, TikTok) means brands need to understand what their audiences want and need, instead of trying to apply here what worked in other markets.

Shopify editions feature

Shopify Launches Boatload of Apps, Pushes into B2B

| Mike O'Brien

Shopify is pursuing a new avenue of attack against Amazon, launching 100 new/updated apps including tools for merchants to drive B2B sales while also turning on social commerce via Twitter, in an effort to boost slowing DTC ecommerce revenue growth. The company said Shopify Editions represents a “connect-to-consumer” focus.