399: Parcel Guard is a Smart Mailbox for Online Shoppers

Amazon Go has been touted to be the convenience store of the future - no cashiers, no cash - just use your phone to check in, grab your things and go. A frictionless transaction for the customer on the go.  Well, we might have to put a pin in that last part about being cashless.  Responding to growing criticism, Amazon has revealed that it plans to allow customers who shop at its Amazon Go stores to pay with cash.

Millions of consumers have embraced the voice revolution, using their devices for news, music, games, and ecommerce. But, With any new-fangled tech, there's always that one person you know who says, "I won't use that, someone might be listening." Well, this time your conspiracy-minded friend is actually right. According to a report from Bloomberg, Amazon employs thousands of workers who listen to voice recordings captured by the company's Echo "smart" speaker devices in people's homes.

Fashion designers are always pushing the envelope when it comes to the latest designs.   Is the next trend in fast fashion, natural and organic materials from plants? H&M’s latest collection is using materials from Pineapple leaves, Orange Peels, and Algae. 

After acheiving success as an online furniture and home decor website, Wayfair.com is now looking to the real world for its next investment. The company is opening up its permanent first brick-and-mortar store inside a Massachusetts mall.  Shoppers will be able to buy an assortment of home decor products, as well as place orders for home deliveries.  A spokeswoman said the store’s “front of the house” will cover more than 3,700 square feet. 

They announced lower prices on hundreds of items and plan to double the number of weekly deals for Prime members.

The rumors are flying that Microsoft is planning one of two things – either unleashing a Shopify competitor or try to buy up Shopify itself. Microsoft officials told The Information that Microsoft is seriously considering such a move because its customers, especially larger ones, are asking for such a capability.

The grocery battle between Walmart and Amazon rages on.  Walmart is rolling out a new voice-ordering capability called  Walmart Voice Order, which works across Google Assistant-powered platforms. Voice shopping for grocery pickup will be offered at more than 2,100 Walmart stores and for online delivery at more than 800 stores.

Have you ever woken after a particularly rough night and found those Amazon emails in your inbox listing several strange items on their way to your doorstep? No need to feel shame - You're not alone. A survey carried out by tech and business newsletter The Hustle revealed that waking up with a hangover plus a confirmation receipt for a purchase while drunk is actually a pretty common thing in the United States. 

Square, Inc. recently announced a retooling of its Square Online Store and Square for Retail products. These tools allow merchants to add e-commerce to their sales operations, including tools like Instagram selling, shipping and in-store pickup. The products are partly the result of the payment company's acquisition of Weebly last year. 

McDonald's corporation recently announced its biggest acquisition in 20 years with the 300 million dollar purhcase of Dynamic Yield Ltd., Dynamic Yield is a startup that provides retailers with algorithmically driven “decision logic” technology and allows McDonald's to better personalize menus.

eCommerce platform Big Commerce is rolling a new platform for business-to-business solutions for online merchants. It brings together services for wholesalers, manufacturers, and distributors to create a unified B2B e-commerce solution.

At the Adobe Summit last week in Las Vegas, Adobe announced the launch of Commerce Cloud, the newest part of the company's Experience Cloud.  Commerce Cloud is built on the company's 1.68 billion dollar acquisition of the Magento platform last May. Commerce Cloud is essentially a fully managed cloud-based version of the Magento platform fully integrated with the rest of Adobe’s tools, including its Analytics Cloud, Marketing Cloud and Advertising Cloud.

Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba has unveiled a futuristic model for hotels.  The 290 room “Flyzoo Hotel” in Hangzhou, China was brought together by Alibaba's online travel platform Fliggy. The hotel brings together technology and hospitality to find innovations that empower the hospitality industry in the digital age. 

The pop-ups were a way for Amazon to test various retail concepts but were never meant to be permanent. They were an experiment to let customers try out and buy products like tablets, smart speakers, and other tech gadgets. With the closing, the company is focusing on more traditional brick and mortar stores. 

In a blog post earlier this week, Instagram announced Checkout, a new feature that allows users to buy items they find in their feeds without having to click out of the app. Checkout offers a secure shopping environment and doesn’t require members to log in because it stores members’ payment information.

MailChimp states that Shopify had released updated terms that would negatively impact their business and put users at risk.

In this super-sized episode, co-hosts John Suder and Bart Mroz break down the announcements made at Apple's "It's Show Time" event on March 25, 2019.

For  $36  a year - plus about $11.29 per order, depending on the blend, Bottomless will keep you stocked with your favorite beans before you even run out. Bottomless sends its members an internet-connected scale free of charge, which members place under their bag of coffee grounds. The scale weighs the beans and when it sees you running low, it sends a fresh bag o' beans to your doorstep.

Attempting to make your next trip to Walmart a more pleasant one, Walmart will allow shoppers to return purchases and get a refund without having to walk more than a few steps into a store.  Employees called “customer hosts” will personally process shopper returns by the front doors of select Walmart locations.  Greg Foran, President, and CEO of Walmart US, announced this new service at the UBS Global Consumer and Retail Conference on March 6. 

Amazon recently announced a new feature that could help stop the porch pirates.  The new feature is called Amazon Day, and it allows Prime members to pick the day on which all their orders from the week will be delivered all  – at once. Calling it “a new level of delivery convenience and predictability,” Amazon says Amazon Day will be available immediately for U.S.-based Amazon Prime members.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is teaming with the New York City Department of Sanitation and NYC Economic Development Corp. for a citywide social media campaign titled #WearNext in order to reduce the amount of clothing being dumped in landfills. The NYC Department of Sanitation has created a map that will guide people to more than 1,100 locations across the city where they can take clothes they no longer wear. Participating stores and other locations across the city will act as drop-off points. The campaign also encourages consumers to find ways to repair, reuse, resell or swap old clothing.

A recent report by Bloomberg says the retailer will be releasing a tablet device in the near future. The tablet will be marketed under Walmart's ONN brand.  The report states that the tablet is being manufactured by a supplier in China and will run on Android. The target audience for the device is children.

The Wally Shop is a Brooklyn, New York-based startup that bills itself as a zero-waste grocery store. It is an eco-friendly way to get your groceries.  When you order, a bike courier will head to a farmer’s market or food co-op and deliver it to you.  This cuts down on carbon emissions.  All of the packaging that is used is recyclable, which cuts down on trash.

The first store is set for Los Angeles in the fall of 2019 and the company has reportedly signed at least two additional locations for 2020 openings.  It is negotiating to open stores in San Francisco, Seattle, and Philadelphia.  The Journal also reports Amazon is exploring buying regional grocery chains to accelerate its growth. Unlike Whole Foods, the new grocery chain is expected to be more like a traditional supermarket.  \Whole Foods targets higher-end shoppers and good typically cost more.  A new grocery chain may target more price-sensitive shoppers.

Airbnb is buying HotelTonight, the hotel-booking application that lets travelers arrange last-minute accommodations. The financial terms weren’t disclosed, but sources told Axios the homeshare giant paid close to Hotel Tonight’s last private valuation of about $463m. This would make it Airbnb’s largest acquisition ever. HotelTonight partners with hotels to offer un-sold rooms, catering to business travelers or those looking to make last-minute arrangements. 

Amazon has stopped selling the Dash button, although -  if you’ve got one already -  it will still work. The idea behind the button was to make it really simple to buy replacement products for goods when you’re running low.  It also meant a direct pipeline to brands and sellers, which effectively removed the temptation to shop for lower prices. Amazon created more than 300 Dash buttons for various products.  Not only did they provide a fast way to re-order things, they also served as brand advertising for products when placed in homes.

A super-sized episode: Co-hosts John Suder and Bart Mroz recap Shoptalk 2019, the huge retail show held yearly in Las Vegas.  Since 2015, Shoptalk has been widely regarded as retail’s best show with 8,000+ attendees, including more than 750 CEOs, and the world's best speaker lineup and agenda.

Martha Stewart is the latest celebrity to lend her name to line of CBD-infused products. CNBC reports that Stewart has signed on as an adviser to Canopy Growth, one of the largest marijuana producers in the world, to develop a line of CBD products for animals. 

FedEx has developed an autonomous battery-powered delivery robot to facilitate same-day, last-mile deliveries. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Once approved, brands that join Project Zero will be able to directly flag and remove counterfeit listings of their products from Amazon on their own. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Tide Cleaners will offer several laundry services, including 24/7 drop boxes located in high rise buildings, offices, and storefronts. The service lets customers pre-pay for laundry and pick up the clean clothes once the app notifies them they’re ready.  This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

PayCode allows people to shop and buy from Amazon’s online store and then pay for their purchases at local Western Union locations. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

The technology allows shoppers to use their smartphones to scan products on grocery shelves and helps pinpoint items that help meet their dietary needs.  This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

A group of former company executives have joined together to create a new company, called Tru Kids. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Sensors and cameras will scan faces and estimate age and gender to deliver targeted messages. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

There is no way for sellers to apply to the program; instead, Target explains that each partner is “carefully selected” and then invited into the program. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

The concept reduces floor space for retail and seasonal items and expands space for health care and wellness. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

The luxury cannabis lifestyle shop, in its Beverly Hills flagship store, makes it the first major retailer to open a legal cannabis department.  This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

LinkedIn Live will allow individuals or organizations to broadcast real-time video to LinkedIn Groups or to the entire LinkedIn platform. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Attendees will be able to conveniently order items like sunscreen, hats, and phone chargers and have shipped to the lockers onsite at the festival.  This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

The world’s largest furniture retailer is doing a proof of concept test starting in its home base of Switzerland by leasing office furniture. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

According to a new patent filing, your Amazon package could be riding on a nearby bus, waiting for your pickup. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Using Apple’s ARKit and Face ID technology, the app can show users what glasses would look like by rendering them in 3D and overlaying them on top of your face. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Ahrendts had served in the role at Apple for five years. Executive Director Deirdre O'Brien will assume Ahrendt's role. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Amazon Live will feature hosts demonstrating products that are for sale on the platform.     This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

The coffee is a medium-dark whole-bean blend with “flavor notes of cherry and cocoa.” Each 8 oz. cup contains 7 mg. of hemp-derived CDB. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Zipsell is a self-hosted platform that allows you to set up a fully-functional online store for selling digital products.  This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

The company is using a virtual simulation video game called “Spark City” to train its employees.  The game puts employees in charge of a fictional dry grocery department and challenges them with making it run efficiently. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Called WW Studio, Kohl’s will launch an 1,800 square foot studio within its store and offer wellness workshops.  Kohl’s will also begin selling the WW Healthy Kitchen products, branded kitchenware, and cookware later this year. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Dream Drive is a suite of apps for both driver and passenger, where users can accumulate points for vouchers for discounts.  This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Walmart calls it “smart accessories for an untethered world.”  It’s a private level line of tech accessories under the brand name “Motile.” This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Loop is a circular shopping platform that transforms the packaging of your everyday essentials from single-use disposable to durable, feature-packed designs. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Parcel Guard is an anti-theft mailbox that can only be accessed by your delivery person and you.  This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Pensa Systems has developed a drone that can fly around a store and examine items on shelves and in coolers. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

The Caper cart is an AI-powered smart shopping cart that lets customers skip the checkout line.  This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Liquid Death is Austrian mountain water sold in cans. Mike Cessario, a West Coast agency creative, created the brand last year as a side project.  This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

The company is using the autonomous robot to deliver packages.  This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

According to the filing and claims, it’s “an example system for capturing and analyzing sounds in a shopping facility.”  This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

The new service will allow their customers to receive certain products on a schedule - weekly, monthly, twice a year, or any timeline of their choosing.  This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Yahoo Finance reports that Whole Foods is taking a serious look at abandoned Sears and K-Mart stores. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Those with higher scores get special perks for things like waived banking fees, elimination of deposits on rentals, and hotel bookings.  WeChat Pay Points analyzes spending behavior and social media connections to formulate a credit score for even those without established financial history. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute 8huDHNsoEAlJZ5SKwxTo

The card, which is free to obtain and use, will allow Square connected businesses to withdraw and spend the money brought in via Square payments.  This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Axios reports the online giant has partnered with brands including Folgers and Maybelline to send free samples directly to your home.  The companies will target Amazon Prime subscribers based on the company’s massive collection of personal data on its users, including things like browsing, order, and engagement history. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

WeWork recently announced a $32 million investment in Laird Superfood, started by surf star Laird Hamilton. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

This new feature would let users do their own live videos to show products and do live demos.  This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

The Arby's subscription box unveiled at the announcement contained a store serving tray, an Arby's hat, a bacon scarf, and some Arby's temporary tattoos.  This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Weebly Photo Studio lets you send products to Weebly to have the items professionally photographed. The service costs $75 per item. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

The advanced technology records microscopic differences in manufactured products then houses those recorded differences as "product fingerprints". This episode sponsored by SendPro from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Amazon is expanding their checkout-free Go stores to airports targeting busy travelers. This episode sponsored by SendPro from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

The Snackbots are outdoor, self-driving robots on wheels making its way around college campuses delivering snacks and soft drinks. This episode sponsored by SendPro from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Eileen Fisher takes your used clothing and gives them new life.  This episode sponsored by SendPro from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

That’s what some folks at Amazon have dubbed products they are offering that sell for less than what it costs to buy and deliver. This episode sponsored by SendPro from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Users will be able to bypass the lines by letting a biometric kiosk scan their face when they’re ready to leave the rental car lot. This episode sponsored by SendPro from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

The social media giant is in talks with HBO, Showtime, and Starz about adding streaming video.  Facebook would offer subscriptions to these channels which users would watch within the Facebook platform. This episode sponsored by SendPro from Pitney Bowes eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Their "Clever Cups" are reusable cups that include a contactless payment chip. Instead of cups being used for single-usage, the cups are for continuous use. This episode sponsored by SendPro from Pitney Bowes. eCommerce Minute listeners get a free 30-day trial at pb.com/minute

Alibaba helped Mars create a new flavor of Snickers bar for the Chinese market – all based on collected consumer data. 

The Season Three premiere of the eCommerce Minute. In this super-sized episode John and Bart discuss the holiday break, take care of some podcast announcements and make their predictions for 2019. This episode sponsored by SendPro Online by Pitney Bowes. eCommerce Minute listeners can get a FREE 30-day trial when you visit pb.com/minute

On this super-sized episode, Bart and John take a fond look back at some of the episodes from 2018 and look ahead to the trends and stories for 2019. The eCommerce Minute will return with new episodes in January.

Kelloggs has teamed up with Seven Bro7thers Brewery to use "rejected" Corn Flakes in their beer production.

The new program allows sales assistants to help customers find items and complete transactions in-store using their handheld devices.

RedThread aims to do away with sizes and instead focus on actual fit.

WeWork and salad startup Sweetgreen have teamed up to make it easier for WeWork members and employees to get a healthy meal.

The new feature allows users to share and collaborate on collections of saved content and share them with friends and family.

Art.com is largest online art sellers in the world with more than two million curated images in its inventory.

Coin2Shop is a browser extension that you can use to shop on Amazon or eBay using your cryptocurrencies as cash.

HiO is a new retail concept in Brooklyn is testing the idea that consumers will find value in discovering new brands through a brick-and-mortar experience.

Smart Touch is a smart screen that was developed by Alibaba and Damo Academy to assist visually and physically disabled individuals with mobile device tasks, specifically shopping tasks.

Founder and CEO Patrick Byrne is selling the entire business and going all in on crypto.

As part of a viral ad campaign, the shoe retailer opened a fake luxury store and filled it with its discount shoewear.

Italic is betting big that consumers might be more interested in the quality and design rather than the showy label and brand name.

The task was part of a partnership with Adobe's annual analytics challenge where teams of students compete to win a $35,000 prize as well as potential employment.

District showcases items from about 140 retailers and features a dynamic real-time feed that presents shoppers with trending products tailored to each user based on past actions, as well as information shared with the app.

In its latest product update, users will now be able to shop from the videos in their feed.

The magazine has launched Marie Claire Edit, an aggregator site where readers can shop from retail partners.

Ford Motor Company is joining forces with Walmart and Postmates to create an autonomous grocery delivery service in Miami, Florida.

This holiday season, eBay is following Amazons lead and releasing a holiday toy catalog. The online retailer is putting out a Toy Book with the hottest gifts this year, as well as listings for rare and retro playthings from your childhood.

Uber has launched a new loyalty program called Uber Rewards.

Two Jet.com alums have created a community of shoppers you can trust with their new social shopping platform called MASSE.

The new Tide liquid detergent comes in a container about the size of a small shoebox is designed for e-commerce sales only.

The ‘Town Center’ features amenities that would conceptually make Walmart a community gathering space.

Kroger has partnered with Geoffrey LLC to put Geoffrey’s Toy Box merchandise in nearly 600 stores this holiday season.

The online shaving supply company will be rolling out a line of vending machines featuring trail-size versions of its products.

Facebook organized the 9 pop up stores to be part of The Market @ Macy's. The Market @ Macy's concept debuted earlier this year to provide space and exposure to small brands.

When it was all said and done, the total for this year was a staggering $30.8 Billion. That number topped the $25.3 billion record set in 2017 and shows a nearly 27 percent year-on-year rise. This is a huge number, of course, but smaller than the 39 percent year-on-year growth recorded in 2017.

The patent is for autonomous robotic bees, technically called pollination drones, that could potentially pollinate crops just like real bees.

CarePass members get free delivery on most prescriptions and online purchases, access to a pharmacist helpline, a 20 percent discount on all CVS-branded products and a monthly $10 coupon.

Amazon is offering free shipping during the holidays for all US customers on hundreds of millions of items.

Shopify has announced the addition of Venmo as a payment option at checkout for its 600,000 merchant clients.

‘Check Out With Me’ will enable customers to pay for items directly with associates using hand-held devices equipped with a Bluetooth receipt printer.

New perks include same-day and one-day shipping for free on over 1 million items, spending analytics, buying guides.

Jet.com's newly launched City Grocery offering is now selling Blue Apron meal kits, featuring menu offerings exclusive to Jet customers. This is the first time they've been available through an online retailer.

Just 20% of shoppers who placed an order on the site in the fourth quarter of 2017 placed another order a quarter later, according to data from Edison Trends.

The Prime Day outage was caused by Amazon moving its database for an Ohio warehouse off of Oracle's to its own technology.

The event is in its 10th year and now a monthlong shopping festival, and the company says this will be its biggest ever.

Target will offer free 2-day shipping on hundreds of thousands of items ordered between November 1 and December 22.

Online marketplace eBay has filed a complaint in California Superior Court alleging that Amazon "perpetuated a scheme to infiltrate and exploit eBay's internal member email system" in order to "recruit high-value eBay sellers to Amazon." eBay is demanding a jury trial for the suit.

The coworking giant is partnering with designer rental service Rent the Runway. Rent the Runway is staging 15 drop-off points at locations in New York, San Fransisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Miami.

Terminal is an all-in-one device that can process payments over Wi-Fi and print out receipts. The Terminal accepts chip cards inserted at the front, mag-stripe cards swiped along the edge, and the tap of a smartphone/smartwatch to make a mobile payment.

Last week, Lyft unveiled their All-Access Pass. The plan costs $299 upfront. Riders can take 30 rides each month, as long as those rides cost $15 or less each.

The robot is called Space Egg and is designed to act like a robot porter, used to ferry items around hotels to guests.

The new collection features over 70 products that successfully received funding from the popular “Shark Tank” TV show during seasons 1 through 9.

BuzzFeed is planning to open a toy store in the Flatiron District of New York City, just in time for the holidays.

DoneGood makes it easy to use your purchasing power to make the world better every time you shop online.

CommerceHub streamlines the last-mile delivery process of large or bulk merchandise.

Farmers Fridge makes eating healthy food for people on the go as easy as using a vending machine.

Target has launched a new essentials brand called Smartly featuring over 70 products with most items less than $2.

Deliverr helps business offer rapid delivery experiences for their customers and uses machine learning and predictive intelligence to determine which of its warehouses to store its client’s goods.

The tiny home measures just 275 square feet and is powered by an oil that’s produced from spent Dunkin’ coffee grounds.

The service, called Square Installments, will enable small business sellers to offer financing on purchases from $250 to $10,000.

Snap, Inc. has announced an updated set of eCommerce ad products.

Walmart wants to know if its shoppers are stressed out. That's the idea behind a patent application for a biometric feedback shopping cart handle was recently published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

eBay now lets you add a prepaid wireless phone plan as an add-on option in the listing.

The site now has a stronger focus on the needs of city dwellers and millennials and features a new, three-hour grocery delivery service.

Amazon has opened a 4-star concept store in New York City's Soho neighborhood featuring only products that have been rated 4 stars or better.

Snap announced a new visual search tool for the company's Snapchat app in partnership with Amazon.

FedEx has announced that they will be expanding their ground operations to add a sixth day to their delivery schedule.

StoreMe is an on-demand mobile app that connects travelers and tourists with a place to safely store their stuff, from a few hours to up to seven days.

A Houston area car dealership is the first Rolls-Royce dealer to accept bitcoin and bitcoin cash for the purchase their luxury cars.

Amazon will wrap and ship fresh-cut, full-size Christmas trees beginning in November.

Alibaba co-founder and executive chairman Jack Ma has announced he's getting ready to leave the company he founded in 1999.

Lolli is a startup that wants you to earn bitcoin as you shop. Lolli's mission: Put cryptocurrencies like bitcoin into the hands of consumers, risk-free. Lolli offers a browser extension for Chrome and Safari that so far pairs with more than 600 retailers, like Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Lucky Brand, Home Depot, Hotels.com, Jet.com, SeatGeek ,Walmart, Best Buy and ClassPass.

The Cafe X concept identifies and remedies the pain points of the coffee buying experience and then using robotics and automation to solve those issues.

In honor of this last Blockbuster, 10 Barrel Brewing Company is creating a beer fittingly called "The Last Blockbuster."

Glasses USA has created a free app called Prescription Scanner that will allow you to scan and pull your current prescription right from your existing glasses.

The two patents describe a "virtual showroom" and a fulfillment system that connect shoppers equipped with VR headsets and special sensory gloves to a VR Walmart store.

Imperfect Produce partners with farmers, taking their weird-yet-edible outcasts and offering them to the public through discounted subscription boxes.

IBM has secured a patent for a coffee drone that not only flies around public spaces to provide hot java but also may predict which people need a caffeine boost.

A real-life recreation of the iconic Kwik-E-Mart convenience store from the series has just opened in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The store was designed with the same look and feel from the animated series, and the store's creators said four years of planning went into the attraction.

The store will offer Walmart online shoppers access to an assortment of outdoor specialty items that weren’t available on the site in the past.

The site offers lightly used gear that was returned to REI under its guarantee program, with items discounted up to 65% from the original.

The company announced a partnership with Rakuten Kobo to bring you ebooks, available in-store and online. The service will be called Walmart eBooks.

Kroger has launched a new shopping app called OptUP, a data-driven app to help consumers make more informed decisions about the food they buy.

The Porsche Charging Service app will simplify the process of finding an electric-car charger and paying to use it.

According to a report, Google has signed a lease on a 14,000 square foot space to be used as a two-level permanent retail store.

The Plano, Texas location is 2,900 sq ft & has eight fuel pumps, grab-and-go foods, a wall of cold beverages and a walk-in beer cooler.

Great Call has with over 900,00 subscribers and provides connected health and emergency response services to the aging population.

Iconic South Philadelphia steak shop Pat's Steaks is now offering nationwide delivery of its signature sandwiches.

Kroger is venturing into the international market with the launch of Our Brands through Alibaba's Tmall platform.

Its called the Workonomy Hub and is integrated into their Los Gatos, California store.

Online mattress startup Casper is planning to open 200 retail stores over the next three years, including 18 “pop-up” locations that will become permanent.

Cargo makes it easy for rideshare drivers to sell goods to their passengers.

Seattle sports fans will be the first in the U.S. to buy booze with a fingerprint.

Optoro uses data analytics to help brands determine the best way to sell off excess inventory.

The Alphabot robots will help associates pick and package grocery orders.

GM announced a new peer-to-peer car-sharing service in which owners of GM-branded vehicles would rent their cars to other people.

The Grocery giant has announced they're launching their own delivery service called 'Kroger Ship'.

Co-working giant WeWork is getting into retail, with the launch of WeMRKET a “modern retail space” that will be piloted at WeWork 205 Hudson in New York City.

The service would be run through Alibaba's food delivery unit called Ele.me

CallPage allows you to call interested visitors to your site.

Walmart is teaming up with driverless car company Waymo on a one-store test project that will allow shoppers who ordered groceries online to be shuttled to and from the store in Waymo vehicles.

The clothes are equipped with smart-chip technology and offer rewards for people who participate in on-the-go experiences, creating a micro-community of brand ambassadors.

The surfboard was designed in Tesla's design studios “in collaboration with Lost Surfboards and Matt “Mayhem” Biolos.” According to the product description, the board features a finish similar to the company's cars, and a top that's reinforced with carbon fiber.

Payments processor Worldpay has come up with a solution to combat fraud with a new prototype system that secures proper payment before completing deliveries.

The tool, part of the Amazon app, is able to identify and match around 100 types of screws, bolts, and nuts, then show you matching parts in its catalog.

Walmart is looking to chip away at one more core service that Amazon Prime Members enjoy – streaming video. Insider sources reports that the service could be priced at under $8 a month.

Facebook is diving deeper into eCommerce, and soon there's one more thing you'll be able to buy: Movie Tickets. Starting soon, Facebook users will see a new tab on the pages called Movies. The Movies page will give users options to purchase movie tickets through AMC, Fandango, or Atom Tickets.

The showroom features photo galleries and lets potential car buyers view and compare different Hyundai models. The showroom includes price comparisons, reviews, vehicle details, test drive bookings, the ability to check dealership inventories and other Shopper Assurance elements through Amazon Vehicles, the automaker said in a news release.

Home Depot is installing pickup lockers within its stores as part of its "Buy Online, Pickup In Store" program.

By using more than 2,800 keywords, users can search by brand, season, city, trend, color, fabric or style through 128,000 pictures.

The patent says the company plans to coat its floors with various invisible substances designed to rub off onto shopping cart wheels.

Target has an invite-only app called Studio Connect that allows users to connect with the Target designers.

As the era of physical media fades, so does the fate of the once mighty Blockbuster Video chain. One store remains in Bend, Oregon.

The Facebook patent allows users to pay for goods through message bots, highlighting the company's continued expansion into eCommerce.

Novelist Riley Costello has created a new way to sell apparel and home goods as her fans read her last novel. She's even trademarked the process as 'Shopfiction.'

Amazon has announced new Back to School and Off to College online stores, with new landing pages for each.

Grocery chain Kroger is partnering with autonomous car company Nuro to introduce driverless cars to its grocery delivery.

Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba has created an AI that can generate 20,000 lines of copy at the click of a button.

The Sound of Vinyl is an online record store and discovery engine with over 20,000 titles from every major label, plus indie titles.

Looking to fill the void left by Toys R Us, Amazon might publish a physical toy catalog for the holiday season.

Kohl's announced last Wednesday that it would begin hiring seasonal workers for the back-to-school, fall and holiday shopping season earlier than its ever done before.

You pick the day, they pick the show - just $49 - $59.

The Swedish retailer Ikea announced a new collaborative line of products called SPANST. The collection features furniture and accessories but also streetwear-styled clothing in collaboration with Chris Stamp, the LA-based fashion designer.

Amazon shook up the healthcare business last week with the acquisition of online pharmacy startup PillPack for around $1 billion.

Ride-sharing passengers will now be able to purchase on-demand, per day accident and death coverage insurance via a new smartphone app.

Ping is a free mobile app for Shopify merchants that bring together customer conversations, marketing workflows in a single interface.

The new features will allow users to share their shopping experiences and leave feedback after viewing a Facebook ad.

The program gives new partner companies discounted rates on fuel, insurance, and delivery vans, as well as expert guidance and driver training from Amazon.

PayPal continued its acquisition streak with the recent acquisition of Simility, a specialist in AI-based fraud and risk management.

Chinese eCommerce giant JD.com pulled in $24.6B during their annual 618 Shopping Festival, held this year June 2 to the 18th. That number set a new record for the festival, with a whopping 37% increase over last years festival.

A 5-4 ruling cleared states to collect sales tax from online retailers, even if those companies don’t have a physical presence in the state.

The New York-based startup lets investors buy equity stakes in classic cars for as little as $50.

Thanks to an integration with SeatGeek, Sports teams and musicians can sell tickets directly to fans via their Snapchat Stories. This marks the first ticket buying integration within the app.

Walmart has introduced a new private label wine collection called Winemakers Selection. It includes ten wines sourced from California, France, and Italy.

Macy's has announced its partnering with electronics discovery store b8ta to expand it's Market @Macy's pop-up shops within Macy's stores. Part of the deal includes Macy's taking a minority stake in b8ta, which also helps brands build out physical stores.

The investment is part of Google's effort to expand their presence in the fast-growing Asian market and to battle rivals like Amazon.

Amazon is reportedly destroying “massive amounts” of as-new and returned items in Germany.

Draft for Home will sell a line of home tap machines, along with the special 2-liter kegs that dispense your favorite brews.

The SF-based startup hit $1 billion in revenue in 2017 and said revenue had doubled year after year since the founding of Wish eight years ago.

North Face has launched a pilot program for online sales of refurbished clothing called "The North Face Renewed”.

According to a new patent filing, the rideshare service is working on a plan to detect whether a ride customer is hammered or not before they climb into the car.

Alibaba wants to put a temperature-controlled smart locker outside your home.

Best Buy has launched a $200 per year subscription version of their Geek Squad called Total Tech Support.

Apple debuted the new service last week at the Bottle Rock Music Festival near San Francisco.

Historic Katz's Deli in New York City has finally got a solution for your long-distance pastrami cravings.

Jetblack is a personal shopper service where you'll simply text a request to have Walmart fulfill your needs, by purchasing the item and shipping it to you for same or next day delivery.

Sears has entered into a partnership with Amazon to sell and install tires; both DieHard branded and others — at Sears Auto Centers nationwide.

Quiddity is a new video-based review and lifestyle site that combines video, product details and "inspirational content" to create immersive experiences.

Gravy is a new app that combines gaming, shopping, and fundraising in one app. It's self-described as 'the first shopping game show you play on your phone'. Each night at 8:30 pm, Gravy live streams a show that gives audiences the chance to compete for discounts on new, innovative products and win cash prizes, all while raising money for charity.

Google is adding deep integration with PayPal.

The codes, dubbed "Smile Codes" can be scanned by customers with the Amazon app to reveal instructions on how to use their Amazon package boxes for arts and crafts.

Hatchful is a digital designer in the palm of your hands. It's a mobile app aimed to help business owners create a visual identity for their brand.

Under the UberEats umbrella, Uber promises food delivery in 5 to 30 minutes, beginning in their test city San Diego.

Eleven James, often referred to as 'The Netflix for Watches' is an online subscription rental service for luxury watches. Founded in 2013, it offers curated watch collections to both men and women for a flat monthly subscription.

Adobe announced on Monday that it was acquiring eCommerce platform Magento Commerce for $1.68 Billion.

Trader Joe’s has released a limited series podcast called ‘Inside Trader Joe's’.

UPS has teamed up with electric vehicle manufacturer Arrival to roll out a "pilot fleet" of electric delivery vehicles in London and Paris. The new light-weight EVs have zero tailpipe emissions, 150-mile battery range, and advanced safety features.

A recent report from Reuters states that rideshare companies Uber and Lyft will no longer be handling grocery for deliveries for Walmart.

PayPal confirms that it is buying payments startup iZettle for $2.2B in an all-cash deal to close in Q3 2018.

On the Tesla Q1 2018 earnings call CEO Elon Musk essentially admitted the project had been put on hold.

iZettle is expanding its service portfolio beyond payments and financing and branching into eCommerce.

The Canadian company stated that it was opening the retail location in an undisclosed location in the US by the Summer.

Soon, you could be paying for goods with your glasses. That's what PayPal has in mind, according to a recently revived patent.

Amazon's 'Pay' payment system has been struggling to gain large-scale adoption. So the commerce giant has decided to pass along the discounts they get on credit card fees along to retailers if they agree to implement the payment service.

Walmart has outbid Amazon for a $16B stake in India's e-commerce giant Flipkart. Flipkart's board has approved the deal to sell a 77% stake of the company to Walmart.

Sears is expanding its product leasing program to the Sears and Kmart websites. The program is an extension of their in-store WhyNotLeaseIt program.

At the 2018 Facebook f8 developers conference last week, the company rolled out new features to augment the Messenger platform to help brands sell more.

The new feature allows users to register a debit or credit card as part of a profile allowing you to shop and pay, without ever leaving the platform.

Bringing together virtual reality and eCommerce, sneaker brand Six Hundred Four recently opened a VR sneaker store.

Payment processor Square announced that they are acquiring website builder Weebly for $365 million dollars.

Snapchat’s new Shoppable AR takes Sponsored Lenses one step further and allows businesses to sell products directly from a Snapchat filter.

Amazon has teamed up with GM and Volvo to provide a service where your vehicle can be unlocked and packages delivered.

Apple's first foray into the smart speaker market hasn't been going so well. Despite rave reviews for its sound quality, Home Pod sales have been disappointing, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Starting May 1st, the 3 dollar grocery and personal care website is launching a pop-up store in Los Angeles.

Jet.com saw a 60% decline in traffic over last year, as Walmart invests in its Walmart.com marketing efforts while cutting back on Jet promotions.

For the first weekend of the annual Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California, Amex created a shoppable AR component in the Coachella app. The AR experience allowed cardholders to buy select merchandise using the Coachella app's AR camera anywhere on the festival grounds.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced in his annual shareholder letter that the e-commerce giant has exceeded 100 million paid Prime subscribers.

Online furniture retailer Wayfair is the latest company to invent its own shopping holiday called "Way Day", which occurs on April 25th.

German sportswear company Adidas is preparing to close more stores this year to focus on digital initiatives.

On a typical day at Amazon HQ in Seattle, employees share their space with as many as 6,000 of their four-legged friends. Every day is bring your dog to work day, a longstanding tradition at the e-commerce company.

Target is piloting a reorder service that's powered by smart devices in your home. It will monitor things like toilet paper, hand soap and paper towels, and reorder the items when supplies get low.

Nordstrom is opening a men’s store in New York City that will operate 24 hours a day. The store will offer a variety of services at the store, including overnight in-store pickup, a self-service return kiosk, shoe shining, and “sneaker cleanings.”

The app-based service, called Access, will launch first in Nashville and give subscribers access to a fleet of cars for a set fee.

Club retailer Boxed has launched a premium-perks program similar to Amazon Prime that provides free priority shipping, price-matching for competitors, and other benefits for subscribers. Boxed Up costs $49 a year after a free 30-day trial.

If you're visiting Costco anytime soon, be prepared for a treasure hunt. The rotisserie chicken and cheap vodka purveyor allegedly designs its store layout to purposely confuse their customers.

Target and Google teamed up for a voice-activated coupon on Google Assistant. The coupon was for a $15 offer for Target orders placed on shopping service Google Express via Google Assistant.

A variety of companies are currently beta testing Apple’s new Business Chat functionality, part of the iOs 11.3 software update.

Most retailers are visible on social media, but might not be posting the messages customers really want. This is according to The Social Shopping Report, a study conducted by Astound Commerce Insights.

Kohl's Chairman, President, and CEO Kevin Mansell says that the partnership has so far been successful, noting that driving traffic has been Kohl's No. 1 priority for the last two years.

Bolt is a startup that wants to give e-commerce retailers a better shot at competing with Amazon in the checkout experience.

Shoppers are making more quick trips to Whole Foods stores that have installed Amazon.com lockers, research from location data advertising firm inMarket showed.

Alibaba and Ford have unveiled a car vending machine in Guangzhou, China. The car facility came about as a result of a partnership signed two years ago between the eCommerce giant and the car maker. The unstaffed, digital vending machine is called the Super Test-Drive Center and houses dozens of Ford vehicles in the multi-story building.

Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette announced at Shoptalk 2018 a rollout of mobile self-checkout at all stores by years end.

In its earnings report, HelloFresh reported increased revenue and decreased losses pushing it further ahead of BlueApron.

Target ran a test program where selected stores in the Northwest could trade in their old denim clothing for a 10% off coupon for new jeans.

Amazon has reportedly looked into expanding their retail footprint by acquiring some locations from bankrupt Toys R Us.

Google has announced a new program called Shopping Actions that will allow users to purchase items through Google Assistant and shopping ads in search results.

Despite Walmart’s disappointing Q4 results, Marc Lore told the crowd at ShopTalk 2018 that they're staying the course, and that he's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Retailer Macy's has created a unique Instagram hack to promote their Spring 2018 campaign. The campaign is called 'Remarkable You" that helps customers via Instagram put together outfits with help from influencers and Macy’s stylists, according to a news release.

The couple received box after box from China and which included everything from Bluetooth speakers and humidifiers to phone chargers and flashlights.

37% of U.S. consumers are willing to pay more for a product or service providing that they can get a superior shopping experience with mobile, according to a recent study.

The company has recently announced it now can design and prepare pre-sale products like shoes in five days or less, rather than the typical 18-month process.

According to a report by finder.com, Americans who drink alcohol regularly admit to purchasing while under the influence — an estimated 68 million people, drawn from their study of 2,000 American adults.

A study released by OC&C Strategy Consultants expects voice shopping to surge over 1,900% to $40 billion, up from the current number of $2 billion today.

Last week, the carmaker sent the new Tesla Semi heavy-duty truck on a voyage, carrying battery packs from the Gigafactory in the Nevada mountains to the car factory in Fremont, California.

BONUS EPISODE: People around the country are mourning the loss of a piece of their childhood today, following yesterday's announcement that Toys 'R' Us will close all 800 of its U.S stores.

Shoppable social video is coming of age, and we can look to recent shopping events as proof that consumers are ready and willing to shop via social platforms. MikMak is one company that's making this a reality.

Many people last week reported hearing unprompted laughs from their smart speaker devices. The laughs were occurring randomly when nobody is using the device, or in response to a request to turn on or off lights.

Amazon has been quietly expanding a program over the past few months in which some of its delivery providers take a picture of where they put your package.

Apple is holding a "Lose Your Wallet" shopping event in Los Angeles, giving discounts to users using the Apple Pay payment service at select retail locations.

Digital publisher BuzzFeed is expanding its commerce business by creating a line of its own cookware, which it will sell exclusively through Walmart.

eBay has unveiled a new "Under $10" page featuring millions of products priced $10 and under to compete with Amazon and the growing dollar store trend.

Online eyeglass retailer Warby Parker has big ambitions for brick and mortar retail. The company, founded in 2010, is looking to have nearly 100 retail locations across the U.S. this year.

Rep the Squad is a Netflix-like service that allows you to borrow authentic sports jerseys for $19.95 a month.

Amazon has reportedly acquired home security provider Ring to the tune of one billion dollars.

Walmart is launching its own private-label mattress and bedding brand that will be sold exclusively online, part of the giant retailer’s effort to bolster its e-commerce business.

Amazon has received patent approval for a wristband system able to gauge the accuracy of warehouse workers' item and picking location.

Macy's is launching a series of pop-up shops aimed to boost exposure of brands looking to break into traditional brick and mortar retail.

Nike made history by becoming the first brand to sell a product directly through the Snapchat app, selling out in 23 minutes.

Coworking giant WeWork is launching a partnership with J.Crew to host a panel discussion series at select WeWork locations in New York City, San Francisco, Atlanta and Philadelphia.

The new and improved features to the Walmart app help you get in and out of the store quickly but also help you before you even leave the house.

The eCommerce marketplace will be rolling out new augmented reality features this year to make shopping and selling on the site more engaging.

The eCommerce giant will handle online cannabis sales for the province of Ontario, Canada.

By July 2018, Tesla -staffed kiosks will appear in 800 Home Depots across the US.

Whole Foods fans, rejoice: Amazon’s Prime Now service will start delivering your Whole Foods goodies in about 20 minutes.

The retailer, after touting a 100% return guarantee on any product ever sold - regardless of condition - is finally scrapping of the policy.

Amazon is reportedly set to launch a competitor to FedEx and UPS named ‘Shipping with Amazon’.

The iconic donuts and coffee chain is making a big change for their future stores.

Walmart will now require suppliers to deliver goods exactly on time or face fines, in an effort to keep inventory low and shelves stocked as it battles Amazon.com

Amazon is taking a stab at QR Codes with their new SmileCodes.

Electronics retailer Best Buy has announced they are pulling compact discs from their store shelves, and not everyone is happy.

eBay has teamed up with Mashable for a launch of their shoppable images pilot.

At Amazon HQ in Seattle, employees can now chill out in a real rainforest.

Beauty company Coty has created a new visual skill for Amazon’s Alexa-powered Echo Show called ‘Let’s Get Ready’.

Stripe Ends Bitcoin Support

Four years ago Stripe said it would be the first major online payment processor to accept bitcoin. This week, they’re giving up on the idea.

With Fishbox, customers get packages delivered at a time that’s convenient for them.

A major cyber attack on U.S. cloud services could cost retail and wholesale Industries up to $3.4 billion in losses.

ReTuna Återbruksgalleria is a shopping center dedicated entirely to repaired and up-cycled goods.

A new patent from Walmart would allow consumers to view real images of the groceries before purchasing them online.

If you’re planning on doing a lot of traveling in the coming year, you might want to double check your Amazon orders.

Megaxstore.com aims to accept payment only in Bitcoin Cash or’MGX Coins’, a form of token created by the partners.

Swyft vending machines will soon link customers who order certain goods online with delivery services like Uber and Lyft that will ferry the order to your door.

Walmart will soon be offering a free drug disposal product to pharmacy customers as part of an effort to combat the nation’s opioid epidemic.

A recent patent filing by Amazon is a blended reality display that puts your image onto a virtual scene, wearing your virtual outfit.

CVS Pharmacy said it would stop “materially” altering beauty images in brand-created marketing materials that appear in stores, online and on social media.

These were the five big takeaways from this years Consumer Electronics Show, according to RetailDive.com.