More online shopping in Black Friday plans

Author

Stephen Babcock
November 23, 2022

The daily current header

Here’s some data to bring cheer amid final BFCM preparations, courtesy of Pitney Bowes: One in four consumers are planning to shop more online this year than in 2021, and that outweighs the share who plan to shop less. That may be surprising given the trends of 2022, but VP Vijay Ramachandran sees a couple of reasons: Consumer spending isn’t slowing down as much as the economic forecasts might lead you to believe, and the definition of convenience has changed.

Ecommerce is shifting toward mobile phones, the Pew Research Center found. About three-quarters of US adults reported buying things online with a smartphone. The share is even higher among those under 50, as half of adults ages 30-49 say they use a smartphone to make purchases at least weekly. Build shopping experiences accordingly. – Pew Research Center

In this week’s hiring roundup, The Current has a look at succession plans to usher in new CEOs at Cargill, Ahold Delhaize USA and Kodiak Cakes. Plus, key North American leaders are appointed at Kraft Heinz and Mars Petcare, while Fetch Rewards grabs a new board member.

Much attention is being given to TikTok’s move to stand up ecommerce in the US, but in truth it remains a global operation that is intent on expanding the reach of livestreaming from China to the West. One leader who works with influencers makes a bold prediction: “In the U.S., it’s going to work first.” – Rest of World

Remember Amazon’s 5% inflation surcharge, and how it was supposed to be temporary? In 2023, it will be folded into the permanent rate structure as the company raises fees. Key areas seeing changes are storage and outbound. Meanwhile, other changes are designed to make programs that attract new sellers and allow more shipping of smaller items more attractive.

Tweet of the Day 🐦

Were you forwarded this email by a friend or colleague?