Facebook: 11,000 chatbots developed for Messenger app

Retailers and other businesses are turning to Facebook Messenger chatbots to improve customer service and drive sales.

By Dan O'Shea • July 5, 2016

Vantiv on what EMV means for e-commerce fraud—and why Apple Pay is a security game changer

EMV chip-enabled credit and debit cards threaten to push counterfeit fraud from brick-and-mortar retail to the web. Merchants must take decisive steps to protect their customers and their brand, says Vantiv's Ned Canning.

By Jason Ankeny • July 5, 2016

Explore the Trendline➔

What's shaping the e-commerce landscape?

From pivots in digital strategies to challenges retailers must overcome with reverse logistics, here are some of the forces shaping online retail.

By Retail Dive staff

Report: Back-to-school shopping sales to grow 2.6%

But much of the rise is in e-commerce, which promises to slice into profits.

By Daphne Howland • July 5, 2016

Alibaba launches new system to combat counterfeits

The company has been under increasing pressure from brands as well as U.S. and Chinese regulators to curtail the volume of fake goods sold on its marketplaces.

By Daphne Howland • July 5, 2016

Report: Amazon silently dropping 'list price' comparisons

The effort appears to be a widespread, two-month long experiment that is taking some Amazon marketplace sellers by surprise.

By Daphne Howland • July 5, 2016

Honeywell buys into warehouse automation with $1.5b Intelligrated deal

Intelligrated serves customers including Amazon, United Parcel Service and Nordstrom.

By Dan O'Shea • July 4, 2016

Retail Therapy: When retailers take 'trendy' a little too far

From celebrity dating insurance to a poorly-styled Wimbledon tennis dress, retailers are responding to trends in amusing ways. 

By Kelsey Lindsey • July 1, 2016

UPS expanding locker pickup to 300 new locations

UPS's Smart Locker program offers an alternative package pickup location to e-commerce shoppers who live in residences where front-door delivery is not possible.

By Dan O'Shea • June 30, 2016

Why Apple Pay's move online means more drama in the payments space

Apple Pay's push into online transactions means facing a crowded payments segment at a key point in its evolution.

By Dan O'Shea • June 30, 2016

Amazon sets July 12 for second Prime Day, pledges over 100k deals

In addition to Prime Day's July 12 return, Amazon will offer countdown deals for Prime members in the U.S. every day from July 5 through July 11.

By Daphne Howland • June 30, 2016

Amazon quietly launches its own private label foods

The items join other private label Amazon goods, from tech accessories to apparel, in a significant challenge to rivals and its own marketplace sellers.

By Daphne Howland • June 30, 2016

Wal-Mart expands two-day shipping nationwide, offers free trial

Following a limited rollout, Wal-Mart's ShippingPass is launching across the U.S. just weeks before rival Amazon holds its next Prime Day sale event.

By Dan O'Shea • June 29, 2016

Amazon discounts Android phones in exchange for lockscreen ads

The pricing promotion is only available to Prime members. 

By Jason Ankeny • June 29, 2016

Report: Amazon Prime Day deals pale compared to Black Friday offers

Amazon Prime Day prices last summer were higher on average than during the company's Black Friday sales event.

By Dan O'Shea • June 28, 2016

Pinterest adds shopping cart, visual search in e-commerce push

About 30% of people who shop on Pinterest use search capabilities to find products of interest, while another 50% discover items through related pins or the site's homepage.

By Dan O'Shea • June 28, 2016

UPDATE: Amazon adds 50 brands to Dash buttons despite slow adoption

Dash buttons appear to have limited staying power with consumers: Fewer than half who bought a button since the March 2015 launch still use them to replenish goods.

By Daphne Howland • June 27, 2016

E-commerce growth driving investors to REITs

As e-commerce firms require more space for logistics and fulfillment, mutual funds are moving money into real estate investment trusts that own warehouse space.

By Dan O'Shea • June 26, 2016

Report: Brexit could put Amazon's U.K. growth on ice

Some market observers believe that the U.K. leaving the European Union will complicate expansion plans announced by Amazon earlier this year.

By Dan O'Shea • June 26, 2016

Amazon benefitting from growing web fashion sales

But just because sales are growing doesn’t mean profits are.

By Daphne Howland • June 24, 2016

Pinterest bags Tote for social media merchandising strategy

Pinterest acquires the talent behind the Tote m-commerce app as it continues to push toward new forms of social media monetization.

By Dan O'Shea • June 23, 2016

Amazon merchants preparing for huge Prime Day event

Amazon said 2015 Prime Day sales surpassed its Black Friday numbers the year before by 18%. 

By Daphne Howland • June 23, 2016

Instacart cuts cashier hours in NYC, assigns checkout chores to in-store shoppers

Instacart continues to make changes to its online grocery shopping model, but says it is not eliminating the cashier role from its services.

By Dan O'Shea • June 22, 2016

Localytics CEO: 'Retail is in a mobile engagement crisis'

Mobile is revolutionizing how consumers shop, but retailers are struggling to capitalize on the enormous opportunities the platform offers. Their missteps could alienate loyal customers, says Localytics chief Raj Aggarwal.

By Jason Ankeny • June 22, 2016

How the fractured customer journey is decimating the value of your marketing dollars

If you cannot see a single customer from a unified point of view, you won't know when that customer is ready to make a purchase, writes Revmatrix's Hemang Gadhia. 

By Hemang Gadhia • June 22, 2016

Modiface chatbot turns Facebook Messenger into lipstick sales tool

The chatbot now allows customers to try on lipstick using facial recognition technology. 

By Dan O'Shea • June 21, 2016