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Amazon CEO Remains Upbeat as Headwinds Blow

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy kept a positive tone while running down ways that Amazon has had to scale back its business to accommodate shifting conditions in his second annual shareholder letter, including reducing and reconfiguring its fulfillment network and dealing with a slowdown in cloud computing. The company is also trying to figure out a physical grocery model that works, Jassy said.

Grocers Fear Digital is Eroding Customer Loyalty

| Mike O'Brien

Grocers are increasingly concerned with the impact of the digital age on customer loyalty, as options have proliferated and made it easier for shoppers to cross over to competitors, according to a new report from Incisiv, The Food Industry Association (FMI) and Loyal Guru. About 75% of grocers said e-grocery has made shoppers less loyal, while 71% report that improving loyalty is a C-level issue.

Sustainability and Recommerce Highlighted in Multichannel Merchant Spotlight

| Ian McRae

Multichannel Merchant has launched the first of its Sector Spotlights, which will feature weekly content focused on sustainability and recommerce, helping retail and ecommerce executives gain a better understanding of these important, related trends. Future Spotlights will focus on returns and demand forecasting. Check out our webinar with Brian Kilcourse of RSR Research on consumer attitudes in 2023.

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Boxed Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

| Mike O'Brien

Boxed, purveyor of bulk home products that likened itself to an online Costco, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after failing to find a buyer and enduring sustained weak revenue and earnings, a far cry from the promise of its SPAC IPO in December 2021. An affiliate of its main creditor may purchase its software service.

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Cryptocurrency Payments: Are We There Yet?

| Suresh Daksina

While cryptocurrency can be volatile, for merchants who sell to the tech industry, especially if they deal in blockchain-related technology, and those who want to reach tech-savvy customers looking for the latest digital payment options, accepting cryptocurrency payments can be a great way to build a loyal customer base.

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Amazon Files Lawsuits Against Counterfeiters

| Mike O'Brien

In a first, Amazon has filed three separate lawsuits against multiple parties it claims submitted thousands of false copyright infringement claims against legitimate sellers, seeking to have their products removed from the marketplace. It has also joined WWE and Cartier in other legal actions against counterfeiters.

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Composable Commerce Offering the Anti-MACH, Says SAP

| Mike O'Brien

Software giant SAP is jumping into the composable commerce ring, admittedly later to the game than smaller competitors but pitching it as providing greater flexibility, scalability and maturity than members of the growing MACH Alliance of headless, cloud, API and microservices-based vendors.

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Economy Rough on Retail, Yet Luxury Still Strong

| Ian McRae

A trio of industry experts offered a mostly gloomy picture of retail economic indicators at this week’s Shoptalk conference at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, noting recessionary trends and a nagging reduction in demand for durable, higher-ticket goods as consumers keep their powder dry.

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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.