The Webretailer News May 23, 2022
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YouTube shopping expansion coming soon
For years, YouTube has been investigating ways to amplify its position as a marketplace for online shopping. They launched shoppable ads and shopping directly from live streams recently.
But now, the company is looking to add new features in this space and take a bite out of TV advertising. For example, a coming feature that will allow streamers to co-host shopping events, allowing each to bring in their own followers.
This feature is in addition to the recently added feature that allows streamers to create a ‘view products’ button on their streaming page. From here, viewers can click the link, and it brings up a list of products featured in the video.
Outside of dual streaming and shopping lists, YouTube creators will also soon be able to use a ‘live redirect’ feature. This feature routes viewers from a streamer’s channel directly to the brand’s channel at the end of a stream. It gives brands an opportunity to pitch their products with their own messaging and gain key analytics.
We can expect the company to continue their shopping push in the coming years as other platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter have all launched their own live shopping features in the past year.
eBay and Snapchat integrate shopping collaboration
eBay sellers received a new marketing tool this week as the company announced an integration with the popular social media platform Snapchat. According to the announcement, sellers will be able to create a snap with listing details, an image, and a link, all in one tap.
There’s also room for creativity with the snaps, as it’s possible to add text, stickers, and other effects to make the listing pop. It’s an excellent opportunity for additional social marketing as well, as friends and buyers can share the snap with their friends.
Sellers who want to use this marketing tool can go into their Active Listings on their eBay app or on the listing itself and click the ‘Share’ icon followed by the Snapchat icon.
For now, the feature remains only on these two pages, but eBay says it plans to expand it to more pages soon.
Uber and Grocery Outlet announce partnership
Uber announced this week that it’s giving its customers another option for grocery delivery. Starting in Oregon, California, and Washington state, Uber users can shop at 72 Grocery Outlet stores for both scheduled and on-demand delivery.
Regarding the new partnership, the Head of the grocery at Uber, Oskar Hjertonsson stated the company seeks to “provide a reliable and affordable grocery delivery option that works for everyone, no matter your budget.”
The company is offering first-time customers free delivery with their first order through June 19 — $30 minimum. And with a $15 purchase, Uber One members will also receive free delivery on all Grocery Outlet orders.
This news adds to Uber’s recent expansion of their partnership with Albertsons on UberEats. The company recently added 800 new Albertsons-owned locations to the platform.
eBay launches new jewelry guidelines
Starting May 25, 2022, eBay is implementing a new set of guidelines for jewelry sellers. Under the new rules, sellers must include specific words within their listings based on the type of jewelry that’s being sold.
For example, if a seller is listing a ‘lab-created’ stone, they must include that term in the title preceding the stone’s name. Or if a stone was dyed for color enhancement, sellers will need to include ‘treated’ in the listing title.
Regarding the announcement, the company stated, “Our updated listing guidelines will create a more consistent and reliable experience for Jewelry buyers, help them find the items they’re looking for quickly and easily, improve conversion, and reduce issues resulting from unclear or inaccurate item descriptions.”
eBay stated it could remove listings that don’t comply by the effective date.
Weee rolls out marketing campaign headed by Hollywood director
The online Weee has been making a name for itself as a purveyor of difficult-to-find Asian and Hispanic foods. But the company took things a step further when it hired “Crazy Rich Asians” and “In the Heights” director John M. Chu as Chief Creative Officer.
The director joined a team of ten in-house marketers to collaborate on videos presenting dishes — listing their ingredients — in a unique way. His vision also includes creating playlists for users to listen to when preparing the dishes and follow-up emails that detail the history of the items they purchased.
Commenting on the project, Chu stated, “To me, this was more important than just doing a job for a start-up. This was about my storytelling taking a new form.” You can see the videos on the Weee website now.
Wayfair implements hiring freeze
For the next ninety days, eCommerce marketplace Wayfair is freezing hiring at the corporate level. The move comes after the company saw slower growth over the past year in a shaky economy.
Wayfair was one of the big winners during the pandemic as it reported revenue growth totaling $14.1 billion in 2020 — a 55% increase. But over the past year, sales declined to $13.7 billion, so the company is being cautious as major companies sail into the unknown waters of a post-pandemic economy.
They’re not alone, as companies like Twitter, Facebook, and Uber have all implemented hiring freezes or cutbacks in response to the current economic environment.
FloorFound raises additional capital in the funding round
In their recent Series A funding round, online reseller FloorFound raised $10.5 million to expand its operations. Next Coast Ventures and LiveOak Venture Partners led the round along with a swath of previous investors who added more funds.
The company is becoming well known in the eCommerce world for offering sustainable solutions for returned and open-box merchandise. They handle reverse logistics for large items that are difficult for companies and consumers alike.
Through FloorFound, furniture brands have found a way to get a return on their investment and do their part to help the environment.
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