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Real-Time Payments Can Unlock New Value for Retailers

| Jack Baldwin

While real-time payments offer retailers faster processing and lower costs, they can unlock new value by enhancing the customer experience, improving loyalty and offering more insight into consumer needs and shopping behaviors. To capitalize on these opportunities, retailers and their PSPs need modern back-office systems designed to operate in a real-time payment environment.

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Razor Group Being Sued by Two Acquired Brands

| Mike O'Brien

Razor Group, a Berlin-based aggregator of top-selling brands, and Factory 14, the UK rollup which it acquired in 2022, are being sued by two companies and their founders — Kettlebell Kings and Tribe WOD — in interlocking charges of breach of contract and failure to live up to purchase agreements by not adequately funding their growth and expansion.

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How Ecommerce Network Design Is Being Reshaped

| Mike O'Brien

A recent trend in ecommerce network design supports a strategy of “getting product closer to the customer,” a more efficient model that delivers on service-level promises. Then came COVID-19, upending everything and accelerating the pace of change in inventory and supply chain strategy, in turn affecting network design. Retailers and analysts discuss the current state and where it’s headed.

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Alt-Commerce: The Future of Consumer Buying and Selling

| Olivia Viniss

In recent years, a new wave of non-traditional, alt-commerce models has emerged, challenging our assumptions about consumer purchasing and preferences. Alt-commerce represents a radical shift in the way people buy and sell products. Innovation and technological advances, coupled with the need to foster closer customer relationships, have given rise to new selling channels.

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Prime Day Squares Off Against Walmart, Target Deal Days

| Mike O'Brien

Let the Prime Day show begin! Or rather, make that shows, as Target and Walmart are once again offering up competitive summer bargain events as each tries to shake off the economic doldrums, steal the other’s thunder and stir up consumer interest in a raft of online savings. Amazon could use a win considering all the heat it’s facing, although expectations aren’t set high.

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Online Prices See Largest Year-Over-Year Drop Since Pandemic Onset

| Mike O'Brien

Online prices continue to fall as inflationary pressure has eased and retailers discount to clear out stocks ahead of Q4 ordering. Prices were down 2.3% year-over-year in May, the largest drop since the onset of the pandemic, and down 1.2% from April 2023, according to Adobe Analytics. It was good news for consumers but bad news for retail ledgers. Big-ticket categories remain challenged.

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Coupon Code Leaks Addressed by Startup

| Mike O'Brien

The problem of coupon code leaks from influencers and creators to discount sites like Honey and RetailMeNot, leading to misattribution of affiliate commissions, is being addressed by a startup that uses one-time links much like those in password recovery to ensure proper credit. Social Snowball started with a platform that automates the management of influencer and creator partners on Shopify.

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How Generative AI Wins Shoppers, Converts Browsers

| Chinedu Eleanya

Despite concerns about what generative AI heralds for society and humankind, in the form of warning letters from prominent tech executives and academics, many consumers are excited about the prospects for the technology. Like every technology-driven shift in commerce, smart merchants will take a customer-first mindset when evaluating available generative AI solutions and investments. 

The INFORM Act: What You Need to Know

| Mike O'Brien

The INFORM Act goes into effect June 27, to help stem the tide of counterfeit goods on ecommerce marketplaces. The FTC can impose fines and injunctions against marketplace operators that don’t provide information on high-volume sellers. Alexandra Megaris of Venable LLP helps us gain a better understanding of its ramifications.

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Why Your Ecommerce Subscription Model Isn’t Working

| Mike Debnar

Not every ecommerce subscription plan is well designed. In fact, some can result in customer experience (CX) failures leading to dissatisfaction, churn and brand detractors. This in turn hits the bottom line, transforming a win-win into a lose-lose. Here are some tips to help boost loyalty by making your program more attractive.