Etsy Prioritizes Mobile App and Loyalty Program

Etsy Prioritizes Mobile App and Loyalty Program

In 2024, Etsy focused on strengthening its core offerings, specifically its mobile app and the launch of its new loyalty program, to retool customer engagement and increase purchase frequency. During Etsy’s fourth-quarter earnings call Wednesday (Feb. 19), CEO Josh Silverman acknowledged the challenges the company faced, including declining gross merchandise sales (GMS), but emphasized investments in…

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USPS Halts All Packages From China, Sending the Ecommerce Industry Into Chaos

USPS Halts All Packages From China, Sending the Ecommerce Industry Into Chaos

The United States Postal Services has abruptly stopped accepting all packages from Hong Kong and China until further notice, according to an international service disruption notice posted on the USPS website. The move comes after China imposed retaliatory tariffs on US imports, including coal and liquified natural gas, in response to President Trump’s executive order…

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Shopping Ranking Reveals Best in Personalized Experiences

Shopping Ranking Reveals Best in Personalized Experiences

Consumers are relying more on shopping apps for personalized shopping experiences. Retailers are trying to meet the growing demand for digital commerce, allowing shoppers to browse and buy products easily from any location. PYMNTS’ Provider Ranking of Shopping Apps offers a comprehensive look at the shopping apps that are excelling in this competitive landscape. The…

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AI Visual Search Apps Seek to Drive ‘See-Now-Buy-Now’ Retail

AI Visual Search Apps Seek to Drive ‘See-Now-Buy-Now’ Retail

Tech firms are escalating their push to turn every outfit spotted on social media into an instant shopping opportunity, with startup Aesthetic launching the latest entry into the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered clothing recognition field. The launch adds to the growing competition in “see-now-buy-now” fashion AI technology, where established players like Google Lens and Pinterest already…

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Convenience Drives Growing Adoption of Mobile Shopping

Convenience Drives Growing Adoption of Mobile Shopping

Mobile shopping is reportedly gaining ground during this year’s holiday shopping season. The growth is being driven by the convenience provided by refinements retailers have made to the mobile shopping experience, Reuters reported Friday (Nov. 29). While consumers used to browse on their mobile phones but go to a desktop computer to make their purchases, that has changed,…

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Ulta Beauty Revamps Digital Strategy

Ulta Beauty Revamps Digital Strategy

With the shopping season upon us, PYMNTS’ App Provider Rankings take a peek into shopping apps. And what we found were some strategies paying dividends in retail app usage and access. We’ll start with Ulta Beauty, the cosmetics and skincare retailer, which has been on a mission to overhaul its digital presence to counter rising competition…

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Target CEO Says Consumer Budgets Are Being ‘Stretched’

Target CEO Says Consumer Budgets Are Being ‘Stretched’

As economic uncertainty and rising costs continue to impact consumers, shoppers are more cautious with their spending, according to Target CEO Brian Cornell. Faced with a volatile financial landscape, many are making deliberate purchasing decisions, prioritizing essentials and seeking value. “Consumers tell us their budgets are being stretched,” Cornell said Wednesday (Nov. 20) during the…

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Amazon Adds Personalized Recommendations to Shopping App

Amazon Adds Personalized Recommendations to Shopping App

Amazon says it is adding more personalization features with the updates to its Shopping app. “Personalization helps customers find what they’re looking for faster, and surfaces other relevant products that align with their interests based on previous shopping behaviors like recent purchases and browsing history,” the eCommerce giant wrote in a recent blog post.  For…

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