April 2023

Amazon’s net sales grew 9% year-over-year to $127.4 billion in Q1 2023. Net income was $3.2 billion for the period, compared with a net loss of $3.8 billion in Q1 2022. Growth in both retail sales and AWS services was slow compared to past quarters, in line with the uncertainty the retailer warned about earlier…

For the first time ever, Pinterest is opening its platform to third-party ad demand, starting with a multi-year strategic partnership with Amazon. User engagement with shoppable content on Pinterest continues to grow, and the platform is hoping to expand this trend further by bringing more brands and products to the platform and connecting users directly…

Gap Inc. will cut approximately 1,800 jobs from its headquarters and upper-field workforce as it seeks to “simplify and optimize its operating model and structure,” according to an April 25, 2023 SEC filing. The layoffs, which will cost Gap $100 to $120 million in employee-related and consulting costs, are expected to be completed by July…

True Religion, born in the Y2K era, is benefiting from its current cultural resurgence. Creative Director Zihaad Wells attributes the brand’s heightened relevance among Gen Zers to its strong heritage and distinct design elements: the arch logo, buddha design and, of course, its signature rope stitch. But Wells knows that to successfully acquire this coveted…

Digitization has overhauled much of the business world, and in departments like finance or marketing you’d find most employees are hooked on apps that serve up-to-date information on the status of their programs and connect them with others on their team for real-time collaboration. But in many places across the retail ecosystem, an employee’s day…

Target is rolling out its Drive Up Returns service nationwide following a successful pilot test. The retailer expects to upgrade all of its nearly 2,000 locations by the end of the summer in a bid to improve omnichannel convenience for its customers. Drive Up Returns lets shoppers return any item, including those purchased online, directly…

Kroger will improve networking support for in-store experiences, benefiting both shoppers and associates, by deploying the ExtremeCloud IQ cloud management and WiFi 6E access points across its brick-and-mortar fleet. In addition to supporting services such as scan-as-you-go, inventory location and temperature sensing applications, the solution from Extreme Networks will provide Kroger with a single view…

As rival TikTok ramps up its shopping initiatives, Meta is streamlining its own commerce strategy to drive more in-platform shopping on Instagram and Facebook. A shift toward a new dynamic for Instagram and Facebook Shops will require companies to enable in-app checkout in order to offer a Shop on both sites. Previously, companies could create…

Yahoo Advertising has teamed up with ecommerce marketing platform Pear Commerce to bring shoppable ad products to its demand-side advertising platform (DSP). Pear’s technology connects CPGs with more than 3,000 retailers, representing nearly 165,000 locations across the U.S. and Canada, to put ads for their products in front of consumers that link directly to retailer…