Social Commerce

Snap Inc. announced a partnership with Amazon.com earlier this week that will enable users to point their smartphone cameras at any object and instantly see how much that object is selling for on Amazon. When Snapchat users scan an object or barcode with their cameras, a window pops up within the app showing that and similar…

This week, Instagram announced the roll out of a shoppable video feature, allowing its audience to shop directly from Instagram Stories. MarketWatch reports the shoppable videos enable retailers to add shopping “stickers” to the images that users can then click on if they wish to learn more about the product or the merchandise. In addition,…

More than 12,000 retail stores are expected to close in 2018, up from around 9,000 in 2017, according to commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield. While physical retail is absolutely undergoing a seismic transformation, it’s not necessarily the apocalypse that headlines have made it out to be. In fact, a slew of digital-first brands,…

On average, people use social media worldwide for 135 minutes every day, up from 126 minutes in 2016. This presents a huge opportunity for retailers to reach consumers on the platforms where they already spend more than two hours per day. However, not all retailers are successfully using these channels. In the final installment of…

The modern shopping experience is continuously evolving. Today’s consumers can get groceries delivered to their doorsteps, discover new products through their social media feeds, and use voice assistants to make purchases. In this dynamic environment, retailers are constantly seeking scalable ways to make shopping experiences more convenient and delightful for customers. To better understand what…

When it comes to e-commerce, growth is a trend you can’t ignore. Globally, the e-commerce industry is projected to reach $4.5 trillion by 2021, and in the U.S., online sales are increasing by about 15 percent every year. But when looking at more specific e-commerce trends, it can be difficult to discern fact from fiction.…

Malls may not be dead, but there's no denying that the retail landscape has dramatically shifted — even within the past five years. Retailers are scrambling to adopt technologies that are necessary to maintain relevance and meet the demands of their increasingly digital customer bases. Young consumers expect the brands they love to respond with…

eBay announced last week a collaboration with media and entertainment company Mashable to create “shoppable” stories across the U.K. and U.S. According to a post on the eBay blog, the pilot partnership lets Mashable’s audience use eBay to shop, browse and purchase products matching those featured on the news site without ever leaving the Mashable site. More…

As we begin a new year, it’s time to reflect on what changed in the last 12 months. What worked and what didn’t? Is your retail business keeping up with shifting consumer behaviors? My main observation is that social mobile shopping by millennials is by far the most important trend, presenting a fantastic opportunity that we…

For any U.S.-based social media users, connecting with friends and family is easy. Most platforms are designed with this experience in mind. Users can chat, post pictures and share their thoughts with the tap of a finger. While this social connection is important, it's becoming increasingly common for users to crave more from their favorite…