5 more shopping events getting an early jump on the holidays

Author

Stephen Babcock
October 25, 2022

The daily current header

On this week’s Dealboard, data from CB Insights shows retail tech investment levels at five-year lows as megarounds and unicorns diminish. In this week’s activity, Instacart is reportedly pulling back 2022 IPO plans, while Nestlé strikes its latest coffee deal with Starbucks.

With the rise of grocery ecommerce, retailers are working with the USDA to open up acceptance of SNAP payments for online orders. Participation has followed. The number of households using these benefits for at least one online order doubled since the start of 2021. – Grocery Dive

At a time when rates are rising, Bainbridge Growth digs into earnings reports from shipping companies FedEx and UPS to find the relationship between costs, stock prices and profitability, as well as how it all affects the businesses that are customers of these services. A telling data point: Revenue per package at both companies has increased 10-12% annually over the last six quarters, which is well above USPS.

It's not just Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale that is shifting discounting ahead of Black Friday this year. Holiday deal events are continuing into late October through November from retailers and platforms like Wayfair, YouTube, Walmart and Target. Livestreaming and exclusive access are some of the tools being used to stand out.

In China, Alibaba’s Singles Day is the biggest shopping event of the year. Yet Reuters reports that the “lion’s share” of traffic – and 3.5% of overall sales – comes via the so-called king and queen of livestreaming, Li Jiaqi and Viya. This year, they won’t be participating, dampening brands’ expectations for results. It shows how live shopping revolves around stars. – Reuters

Fill out our quick survey

Tweet of the Day 🐦

Were you forwarded this email by a friend or colleague?