online shopping
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Google lets merchants sell for free in its Shopping tab
Google will make it free for retailers to list products in the Google Shopping tab.
Amazon, DOJ ask consumers to report coronavirus price gouging
Since the coronavirus outbreak began, Amazon has seen a "significant increase in demand," especially for medical and cleaning supplies. It has also seen third-party retailers raising prices on things like masks, hand sanitizer and disinfectant sprays. Now, Amazon is asking consumers to cooperate with a Department of Justice (DOJ) probe into coronavirus price gouging.
Amazon will hire 100,000 workers to keep up with the surge in demand
To keep up with a "significant increase in demand" due to the coronavirus outbreak, Amazon is hiring an additional 100,000 warehouse and delivery workers in the US. As more people turn to online shopping in an attempt to stay home (and because grocery stores are struggling to keep shelves stocked), Amazon says its labor needs are unprecedented for this time of year.
Amazon will deliver some same-day orders in just a few hours
We knew Amazon was considering making one-day shipping the default for Prime-eligible purchases, but now, the company is going even further. Prime members in Philadelphia, Phoenix, Orlando and Dallas can now expect their same-day orders to arrive in just a few hours.
Etsy's new ad policy could force more fees on merchants
Etsy is once again in hot water for its latest attempt to boost sales. This week, the company introduced a new "risk-free" offsite advertising service in which it plans to enroll some of its sellers automatically. Under the new system, Esty says it will use its "budget" and "expertise" to help merchants advertise their products on websites like Google, Instagram and Pinterest. If one of those ads leads to a sale within 30 days, the company will charge the seller an advertising fee.
Major credit card companies launch a one-click checkout button
If you're shopping on Cinemark, Movember or Rakuten any time soon, you might see a new click-to-pay button at checkout. American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa have teamed up to create the new option for fast, secure online purchases. Their vision is to have one standard checkout button across all online retail websites, similar to the PayPal experience.
GOAT expands into apparel and accessories
The online sneaker marketplace GOAT is expanding into apparel and accessories. Today, it announced that it's adding "contemporary and luxury brands," including Acne Studios, Maison Margiela, Off-White, Stussy, Gucci and Saint Laurent.
YouTube's AR Beauty feature lets you try on lipstick by tapping ads
After launching in a limited alpha earlier this year, YouTube is expanding the availability of its augmented reality (AR) Beauty Try-On feature. Moving forward, you'll be able to digitally try on lipstick from brands like MAC and NARS by tapping on so-called Masthead and TrueView Discovery ads throughout YouTube on iOS and Android.
Instagram takes its first steps into becoming an AR changing room
As part of its ongoing commerce push, Facebook now allows you to use its Spark AR platform to digitally try on items you can purchase through Instagram. Instagram confirmed in an email that it has launched a pilot where you're able to check out eyewear from Ray-Ban and Warby Parker, in addition to cosmetics from MAC and NARS. The functionality is accessible directly from feed posts, as well as shop pages and stories.
Pinterest's latest Lens update makes it easier to buy items in your photos
Online shopping can be daunting, especially if you're looking for one very specific type of item. Rather than search for "green Jaipur tapestry" or "blue plaid button-down shirt", it might be easier just to snap a photo. Pinterest announced today that it is upgrading its Lens camera search feature to integrate with shoppable pins.
Nike's app powers Foot Locker's new NYC store
Over the past few years, Nike has heavily invested in making its stores more tech-oriented. A big part of that strategy is integrating its Nike app with the company's physical spaces and trying to make it easy for shoppers to do things like instantly pay for product and scan items to check if they're in stock. You can do all of that in the application, at the Nike store, without having to interact much with store associates. Nike says its customers love these type of features so much that it is now bringing them to Foot Locker, one of its biggest retail partners. The Foot Locker Washington Heights Community Power Store, located in uptown New York City, marks the first time Nike's shopping tech will power (part of) a store that isn't one of its own.
Google updates Images to make it easier to compare products
Google has unveiled an update to the Images interface that will allow users to compare and contrast related pictures. Entering a term like "green dress" or "black lamp" into Google Images can yield hundreds of results -- and it can be tough to narrow down the selection. Now, after users select an image, it will appear in a side panel on the page next to the search results. The image will continue to stay there as the user scrolls, allowing them to compare it with different versions of the same item.
FedEx drops Amazon (at least for Express shipments in the US)
FedEx announced today that it won't renew its FedEx Express US contract with Amazon. Instead it will "focus on serving the broader e-commerce market." While Amazon relies on other carriers, usually UPS and the United States Postal Service, FedEx is a big player. Dropping Amazon could foreshadow shipping drama.
eBay opens QR code-powered shop in the UK
Today, eBay opened a brick and mortar concept store in the UK's Wolverhampton. The month-long retail experiment will offer wares from 40 small, local businesses and will host a series of free, interactive workshops. While eBay has opened pop-ups before, this is the first of its kind in the UK, and it's meant to test how physical and online retail might work together.
Walmart to offer online grocery shopping with Google Assistant
Walmart customers once again will be able to voice-order their groceries with Google Assistant, another bid by the brick-and-mortar store to compete with Amazon. The retailer announced the partnership on Tuesday, and said it would gradually roll out the feature in the next few weeks. The development comes after Walmart unceremoniously left Google Express, Google's online shopping tool, back in January, reportedly to develop its own Google Assistant shopping feature.
Pinterest's new tools turn it into more of a storefront
If you come across more and more product pins on Pinterest in the future, that's because the platform has rolled out tools that make it easier to sell goods. In fact, companies can now upload their full catalogs to the website, which can turn Pinterest into some sort of a storefront for various brands. The social network's new dashboard can easily create product pins from the items in companies' catalogs. It also gives them a way to organize their feed and make their posts easier to discover.
Etsy will offset its sellers' carbon emissions free of charge
Most of us have accepted one-click shopping as the new norm. But what we tend to forget is how much CO2 is generated by that one click. In the US, 55,000 metric tons of CO2 are produced daily as a result of online shopping package delivery, and online retailers like Etsy are working to address that. Today, Etsy announced it will offset 100 percent of its shipping-generated carbon emissions, making it the first major online shopping platform to do so.
Travelocity apparently saves the best deals for iOS shoppers
Like with most everything, online shopping has its pros and cons. One of the best elements of going the digital route, though, is that you usually end up saving more money than at a brick-and-mortar store. Having said that, according to a recent study by Northeastern University, a number of websites are charging some users more than others. The findings point out that travel-booking companies such as Cheaptickers and Orbits were bumping hotel prices for people who weren't logged in to their site, with prices going up by as much as $12 extra per night to every user without an account. Even more interesting is the fact Travelocity, which is among the most popular places to book travel on the web, was found to be charging iOS users an average of $15 less on hotels compared to those browsing from another mobile platform. Which is to say, you should probably use an iPhone or iPad during your next Travelocity order -- and with the holidays coming up, the timing couldn't be any better. [Image credit: Kasaa/Flickr]
Amazon's Prime Pantry service lets you ship 45 pounds of groceries for a $6 fee
Amazon's dead-set on killing off the grocery store, with a same-day delivery service and even a Dash gadget for restocking items around the house. Now the retailer's going one step further, taking on Costco and Walmart with a new program called Prime Pantry. If you're a Prime member living in the 48 contiguous states, you can ship 45 pounds' worth of household essentials -- in "everyday sizes," not in bulk -- for a flat fee of $6. (Yes, that's on top of your Prime membership payment.) Amazon told us the items available include "popular soft drinks and bottled water, a new range of paper and laundry products in popular pack sizes, single boxes of breakfast cereal, potato chips, convenience-sized personal care products and more." Rumors about an Amazon Pantry service began circling late last year, and while the service is live now, the company hasn't formally announced it.
Etsy reworks guidelines: sellers can now hire outside staff and manufacturers
Etsy, the online marketplace for DIYers, just announced several changes to its seller policies, giving store owners significantly more control over how they run their businesses. Going forward, sellers will be able to hire as many employees as necessary, as well as use outside companies to deliver their products and outsource manufacturing to third parties (provided they receive Etsy's approval). Most notably, these changes allow for a wider definition of "handmade" -- now, the idea for an item simply must originate with the seller. This means 3D-printed items can carry the prized handmade distinction, for instance. And this change isn't just about semantics; previously, Etsy customers could assume items that didn't look handmade were breaking the site's rules and consequently steer clear.
