It’s March 14th, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Kohl’s looks to stave off activist investors by transforming itself Nordstrom plots ad expansion as its new retail media network generates $40 million Shopify launches a shipping platform in Europe with Shippo as its partner Amazon continues to invest in the eCommerce software market. Is a New Platform Coming Soon? And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week...
Mar 14, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Welcome to a Special Edition non-weekly episode of the Watson Weekly! This is the start of a new series where every few months, we will be doing interviews with a series of interesting people. I get asked from time to time about having guests on the show, as it would allow me to do a deeper dive on topics that perhaps I only have a few minutes to cover in a typical show. This week’s guest is none other than Bill Williams. Bill is the founder and CEO of BWG Strategy, a firm whic...
Mar 10, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 32
It’s March 7th, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Brands may need retailers more than they realize. Amazon continues to make digital investments in its stores with cashierless technology and display advertising. Grocer Albertsons starts a strategic review of its business. Target 2021 Q4 earnings roundup highlights continued focus on employees, stores as hubs, and merchandise And the Investor Minute which contains five items this ...
Mar 07, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 31
It’s February 28th, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Walmart enters an economic environment that plays to the company’s strengths Postal service launches new next-day local shipping service called USPS Connect Activist investor Daniel Loeb sees $1 trillion dollars of untapped value in Amazon Macy’s not breaking up but still a lot of hard work ahead And the Investor Minute which contains five items this ...
Feb 28, 2022•12 min•Season 1Ep. 30
It’s February 21st, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: What if Amazon is the best-positioned company to diversify sellers off Amazon? Shopify Q4 2021 earnings shows growth but there are still strategy concerns Hasbro and Mattel’s opposite economic views of toys’ industry future may have implications for other brands 2021 PitchBook venture capital report raises both optimism and concern And the Investor Minute which con...
Feb 21, 2022•13 min•Season 1Ep. 29
It’s February 14th, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Recent earnings calls indicate that Meta’s advertising lead is shrinking quickly, and Google is the biggest beneficiary CMS and eCommerce churn data shows WordPress maintaining market lead, Shopify gaining on WooCommerce Amazon advertising graduates from "Other" and 3P seller units set record Modern retailers must prioritize differentiation and freshness to survive And t...
Feb 14, 2022•12 min•Season 1Ep. 28
It’s February 7th, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Washington State Attorney General investigation shuts down Amazon price fixing program UPS 2021 Q4 earnings highlights their focus on revenue quality Glossier’s CEO learned a hard lesson in technology decision-making as it lays off 80 employees Recent declines at Bed, Bath and Beyond make you wonder if it can make it And the Investor Minute which contains five items this ...
Feb 07, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 27
It’s January 31st, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Amazon's New "Style" Department Store Concept Kicks Sand In the Face of Investors Who Think Retail Innovation is Dead Gopuff Launches its First Private Label Line How Walmart GoLocal Plans to Stand out Among Delivery Businesses Shopify Fulfillment Seems to be Going Nowhere FasAudiogram And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world of venture capital...
Jan 31, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 26
It’s January 24th, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Toyota and Amazon launch new Amazon Parts Store in the UK 2022 supply chain issues are looking remarkably similar to 2021 Online grocery sales of alcohol to reach almost $2 Billion this year according to new report Kohl’s investor Macellum Capital wants to burn the company down And the Investor Minute which contains four items this week from the world of venture capital, ...
Jan 24, 2022•11 min•Season 1Ep. 25
It’s January 17th, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Shopify’s app store changes have some developers upset, but there’s really nothing to see here Accenture predicts social commerce will grow three times faster than eCommerce. Will you let Walmart into your garage? Its In-Home Delivery to expand to 30 million US households this year. Pricing moving on up at IKEA, in step with trends from many brands and retaile...
Jan 17, 2022•11 min•Season 1Ep. 24
It’s January 10th, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Walmart drove 25% of click and collect and curbside orders in 2021 Could Amazon build a new web stores product in the coming years? Fanatics is buying Topps trading card business in a nod to the digital future Mastercard report shows U.S. retail sales grew 8.5% in November and December And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world of venture capital...
Jan 10, 2022•13 min•Season 1Ep. 23
It’s January 3rd, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - your essential eCommerce Digest! Today on our show we’re going to do something a little bit different and review 2021’s top 5 stories, as seen by my LinkedIn feed: Number 5. Supply Chain Crisis hits everyone hard. Number 4. Retail Stores strike back Number 3. Are Target and Walmart the New Malls? Number 2. Investors Look to Split Up Several Large Retailers Number 1. Shopify Executi...
Jan 03, 2022•9 min•Season 1Ep. 22
It’s December 27th, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - your essential eCommerce Digest! Today on our show: Could a new consumer probe blunt the rise of buy now pay later? Nordstrom is looking to split its off-price Rack business McDonald’s sells software provider Dynamic Yield to Mastercard in a warning to both retailers and technology companies Shopify board adds Instacart’s CEO Fidji Simo - What’s the Plan here? And the Investor Minute which contains five items this w...
Dec 27, 2021•12 min•Season 1Ep. 21
It’s December 20th, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Is Meta Taking Aim at Shopify? Instacart’s President Carolyn Everson Departs After Just 3 Months What’s With All the New Marketplaces? What Does 2022 Have In Store for Buy Now, Pay Later? And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. For more news from Rick, check out: https://www.rmwcom...
Dec 20, 2021•15 min•Season 1Ep. 20
It’s December 13th, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Is Amazon Fooling the Market About Its Profitability? Kohl’s Is Next Up In a Long Line of Retailers Targeted by Activist Investors Allbirds’ Q3 Losses Prompt Debate Over Its Future Supply Chain Issues Will Take Longer To Sort Out Than Many Expect And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. &...
Dec 13, 2021•14 min•Season 1Ep. 19
It’s December 6th, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: PopSugar partners with Target for new fitness line Cyber Monday sales drop but Amazon’s sales soar What’s really going on with the Metaverse? Is Amazon already king of the third-party logistics market? And the Investor Minute which contains four items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. For more news from Rick, check out: https...
Dec 06, 2021•10 min•Season 1Ep. 18
It’s December 1st, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: eCommerce Platform Commercetools Takes Aim at the Mid-Market with a New Acquisition Tracking the Cyber Week Winners and Losers UPS and FedEx Looking Good for the Holiday Crunch Nike Invests in the Metaverse with a Roblox Partnership And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. For more news from Ri...
Dec 01, 2021•11 min•Season 1Ep. 17
It’s November 22nd, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Shopify releases its hydrogen custom storefront framework - but more is needed Walmart’s Q3 earnings highlight its grocery gains Amazon introduces new payment options and delivers an ultimatum to Visa in the UK Target continues great operational execution triggered by growth in same day services And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world o...
Nov 22, 2021•12 min•Season 1Ep. 16
It’s November 15th, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Saks eCommerce split sounds worse every day: What makes it so bad? Square stakes its claim on the future of currency and payments What’s the status of livestreaming in the United States? Retailer American Eagle Outfitters continues to acquire logistics capabilities - should other retailers be paying attention? And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week f...
Nov 15, 2021•15 min•Season 1Ep. 15
It’s November 8th, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Advertising is slowing down with supply constraints Bed Bath & Beyond signs a big partnership with Kroger Amazon has surprisingly challenging earnings Shopify’s fulfillment strategy remains a mystery And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. For more news from Rick, check out: ht...
Nov 08, 2021•14 min•Season 1Ep. 14
It’s November 1st, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Poshmark launches a new brand closet program to cozy up to big brands. Mailchimp and Shopify kiss and make up. UPS earnings highlight volume and profit growth. Amazon launches an in-store pickup option for marketplace sellers. And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. For more news from Rick, check out...
Nov 01, 2021•12 min•Season 1Ep. 13
It’s October 25th, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Transportation company J.B. Hunt looks for shipping costs to keep rising through 2022. Are instant delivery startups the new investment bubble? Instacart’s new acquisition Caper means it’s still searching for its next act. New data suggests that shoppers may spend more and sooner this holiday season. And the Investor Minute which contains five items thi...
Oct 25, 2021•11 min•Season 1Ep. 12
It’s October 18th, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Will Macy’s be forced to spin off its eCommerce business? Arts and crafts chain store, Michael’s, looks to launch its own eCommerce marketplace. Amazon aggregator, Thrasio, delays SPAC deal as executives exit. Port delays prompt big-company workarounds and government action. And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world of venture capita...
Oct 18, 2021•16 min•Season 1Ep. 11
It’s October 11th, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: The holidays are starting early this year at Amazon and Target. Google is looking to update its eCommerce strategy, but is it enough? Home Depot signs up with Walmart GoLocal for same day delivery. Rent the Runway files for IPO, but the road ahead looks difficult. And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IP...
Oct 11, 2021•13 min•Season 1Ep. 10
It’s October 4th, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Amazon’s fall product event showcases its creativity. What do Bloomingdale’s new Bloomie stores add to the new small-format retail trend? Pinterest and Albertsons hook up in an interesting content play. Is the eCommerce world headed for an “IOU Christmas”? And what to do about it. And the Investor Minute which contains six items this week from the w...
Oct 04, 2021•14 min•Season 1Ep. 9
It’s September 27th, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: And the Investor Minute which contains six items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. For more news from Rick, check out: https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickwatsonecommerce/ ...
Sep 27, 2021•11 min•Season 1Ep. 8
It’s September 20th, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Shopify invests in marketing provider Yotpo Top Amazon seller Packable looks to go public via reverse merger Are Walmart and Target the biggest beneficiaries of the decline of malls in America? Intuit’s acquisition of marketing provider Mailchimp continues its move into eCommerce For more news from Rick, check out: https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ and https://w...
Sep 20, 2021•13 min•Ep. 7
It’s September 13th, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Disney is closing virtually all of its retail locations Are Square, Paypal and Shopify on a collision course? Amazon keeps investing more and more in planes Is Instacart nervous about its future? The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. For more news from Rick, check out: https://www.rmwcommer...
Sep 13, 2021•12 min•Season 1Ep. 6
It’s September 7th, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: The Buy Now, Pay Later space continues to heat up with Affirm and Afterpay news. Two leading CPG brands are testing eCommerce. The entire global supply chain is in the trash can, but that trash is actually a treasure for off-price retail. Finally, we have The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, private equity, and IPOs. Fo...
Sep 07, 2021•11 min•Season 1Ep. 5
It’s August 30th, 2021 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show: Is Macy’s turnaround strategy working? Walmart is launching a local delivery service. Urban Outfitters is launching a second-hand clothing marketplace. Why is Amazon Investing in Department Stores? The Investor Minute! For more news from Rick, check out: https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickwatsonecommerce/ ...
Aug 30, 2021•13 min•Season 1Ep. 4
