Mobile Commerce

Walmart tests text-to-shop tool

The pilot comes about two years after the mass merchant discontinued Jet Black, a shop-by-text service geared toward higher-income New Yorkers.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris and Caroline Jansen • Oct. 15, 2021

Sponsored by Yotpo

Solve iOS 15 challenges with SMS this holiday season

To engage iOS 15 users and drive sales this holiday season, embrace the channel that is already privacy-first — SMS.

Google adds visual search features for shoppers

Users will soon be able to make all images on a website searchable, in a continued effort to prompt discovery of products and brands. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Sept. 30, 2021

Sponsored by Bolt

It's time to make payment processing part of your customer experience

Learn why legacy payment systems no longer meet today's shoppers' demands for great customer experiences.

Walmart looks for a cryptocurrency strategy leader

The retailer follows Amazon in seeking a subject matter expert for a field that is still largely unproven and sorting itself out. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Aug. 16, 2021

Sponsored by PPRO

Everyday e-commerce: How new ways of paying accelerated new ways of buying

Whether it's the purchases themselves or the payment methods, digital platforms are now an integral part of the retail experience.

By Claire Gates, CCO PPRO • Aug. 02, 2021

Pinterest rolls out new monetization features for creators

Users can make commissions through affiliate links, partner with brands and make content shoppable as the platform deepens its relationship with creators.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • July 28, 2021

Deep Dive

The omnichannel age is here — and it's expensive

Store pickup of online orders grew by triple digits amid the pandemic. Retailers are now scrambling to become more efficient sellers across channels.

By Ben Unglesbee • April 05, 2021

Anthropologie unveils first digital-only catalog on Pinterest

The social media platform has seen 80% growth in engagement with shoppable items over the past year.

By Robert Williams • March 24, 2021

Perfect Corp, Mineral Fusion partner for virtual beauty try-on in Whole Foods

Using their smartphones, shoppers can scan QR codes on in-store displays to virtually test out the cosmetics. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • March 23, 2021

Afterpay shopping event to include physical retail for the first time

The installment payment platform has partnered with more brick-and-mortar retailers in pursuit of in-store transactions.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • March 22, 2021

Snap acquires sizing tech company Fit Analytics

The deal is the social media company's latest push to grow its e-commerce platform.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • March 18, 2021

Stripe reaches $95B valuation

The payments processing company's new valuation is based on raising $600 million in new capital that it plans to use for further expansion in Europe.

By Lynne Marek • March 16, 2021

Poshmark debuts listing videos feature to showcase sellers' items

Video appears to be a focus for the company after launching Posh Stories last spring.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • March 16, 2021

Chatbot startup Heyday raises $5.1M

Spending via chatbot is expected to reach over $140 billion by 2024 as the pandemic sped up the adoption of digital technology. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • March 15, 2021

Mobile wallet industry to reach $3.5 trillion by 2023: report

Western countries are behind in adopting the technology, but the pandemic accelerated the digital transformation of payments. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • March 12, 2021

Walmart returns to TikTok for beauty-focused shoppable livestream

The retailer's first livestream on the platform experienced seven times as many views as it had expected, and boosted its TikTok following by 25%.​

By Robert Williams • March 10, 2021

Best Buy Health, Apple partner on health tech tools for older consumers

The retailer is continuing its expansion into device-based emergency response tools and virtual care services to match doctors with patients.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • March 09, 2021

Ikea deals out digital card game on Instagram to fight domestic work inequality

FiftyFifty recognizes that women are doing up to three times as much unpaid care and domestic chores as men amid the pandemic.

By Peter Adams • March 09, 2021

Livestream shopping platform Whatnot raises $20M

Aiming to serve a niche, the company plans to expand into more collectible categories and emphasize the community element of collecting.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • March 08, 2021

Instagram launches Live Rooms in bid to expand livestreaming capabilities

Up to four people can livestream at once, and viewers can buy badges for hosts, as well as use other features such as Shopping and Live Fundraisers.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • March 03, 2021

Klarna raises $1B in funding, hits $31B valuation

The funding makes it the highest-valued private fintech in Europe and the second highest globally, according to the company. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • March 02, 2021

Fabletics releases fitness app

Like other activewear brands, the company is shifting its focus toward digital engagement and benefiting from the home workout trend.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • March 02, 2021

Study: 59% of US shoppers see Amazon Go as a threat to Walmart

A number of retailers are ramping up their cashierless payment systems as more tech companies offer the capability. 

By Catherine Douglas Moran • March 02, 2021

American Eagle creates AR shoppable jeans guide for Snapchat

With fewer customers shopping in-store, the retailer is leaning into social media experiences and its lingerie brand.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris and Cara Salpini • Feb. 26, 2021