E-commerce news
One story a day from the e-commerce world, and what it means for your store.
41 stories
- Other
Amazon sets Prime Big Deal Days for Oct 6–7 in 22 countries
Amazon's fall Prime Big Deal Days event will run for 48 hours starting 12:01 a.m. PDT on Oct. 6, with deals dropping three times a day and Alexa price-tracking tools for shoppers. Amazon sellers have three weeks to lock in inventory, pricing and advertising for the event.
- Payments
Circle to buy cross-border payments firm Tazapay in $400M stock deal
USDC issuer Circle agreed on September 8 to acquire Singapore-based cross-border payments company Tazapay, in a deal CoinDesk values at $400 million in stock. Closing is expected in 2027; Tazapay says nothing changes for its customers in the meantime.
- Advertising
Google adds Data Strength Uplift metric to value first-party data in Ads
Google has launched a Data Strength Uplift metric in Google Ads and expanded Data Manager and enhanced conversions to Analytics and DV360. Shopify and DTC advertisers can use it to find and fix lost conversion signals before Q4.
- Other
Deloitte forecasts US holiday sales up 4–4.8%, e-commerce up 7.5–8.4%
Deloitte expects US holiday retail sales of $1.70–1.71 trillion from November 2026 through January 2027, with e-commerce growing about twice as fast as total retail. Online sellers should plan for steady growth and value-driven shoppers who compare prices and switch brands.
- Logistics
USPS watchdog: counterfeit labels cost $3.1B; crackdown snagged 2M paid parcels
A USPS Office of Inspector General audit released Sept. 10 estimates counterfeit shipping labels cost the Postal Service $3.1 billion over two years, while its interception process mistakenly pulled about 2 million legitimately paid packages. Sellers shipping via USPS face delays if their payment records are late, and tighter rules may follow.
- Advertising
Amazon Ads pilots ChatGPT ad buying through Amazon DSP in the US
Amazon Ads has partnered with OpenAI so select US advertisers can buy ChatGPT Ads through Amazon DSP in a managed-service pilot. Self-serve marketplace sellers cannot access it yet, but DSP brands can ask to test it.
- Platforms
Walmart cuts Walmart+ badge qualification window from 30 to 14 days
Walmart Marketplace sellers can now qualify for the Walmart+ badge on 14 days of performance instead of 30, with on-time delivery above 90% and cancellations below 2.5%. The change also means the badge reacts faster to bad weeks.
- AI & tools
Meta launches Muse AI agent that can shop for users and pay via Stripe's Link
Meta released Muse, a personal AI agent that can complete purchases in the US using Stripe's Link wallet or single-use virtual cards. Merchants that accept Link get instant agent checkout; others can still be paid by virtual card.
- Payments
eBay UK stops accepting PayPal for Royal Mail postage labels from Sept 7
From September 7, 2026, eBay UK sellers can no longer pay for Royal Mail labels bought on eBay with PayPal. Labels are paid from eBay funds, with any shortfall charged to a debit card or bank account on file; Simple Delivery users are not affected.
- Policy & regulation
Canada's counter-tariffs on C$27.6B of U.S. goods take effect Sept. 8
Canada's 15%, 25% and 50% tariffs on U.S.-origin goods, including apparel, cosmetics, furniture, appliances and steel, start Tuesday. Sellers shipping U.S.-made products to Canadian buyers are most exposed.