Here comes...FRRRRIYAY! 

We've rounded up the top retail and e-commerce stories from this week, so you can stay on top of what's going on in the industry. 

So let's get into it!

• New Data Underlines a Slowing E-Commerce Market
• New Tool from Shopify Makes it Easy to Sell Products from Your Instagram Bio
• How Content Creators are Making a Killing on E-Commerce via TikTok
• American Sellers Gaining Share on Amazon

Top Retail and E-commerce Stories

Slowdown?: Data Shows That E-commerce is Slowing Down

Is the e-commerce boom nearing its end? New data has suggested that the e-commerce boom may be winding down. 

Results from Alibaba and others suggest that a pull-forward method of recent e-commerce growth is the most likely the cause. It's not entirely good or bad news for small businesses.

E-commerce has certainly moved forward, but we should expect a return to pre-pandemic growth levels as we begin returning to pre-pandemic life. 

#LinkInBio: Shopify Launches Its Latest App, Linkpop, Allowing Customers to Make Purchases From Bio Links

No more copy-pasting links! With the introduction of a new tool called "Linkpop" Shopify has entered the "link in bio" market. The new service is designed for creators and allows them to sell items directly from their Linkpop page.

Creators and merchants may include relevant links on the page, as well as create storefronts to sell products immediately on other platforms.

Consumers may now buy items straight from Linkpop by shopping on a Shopify merchant's selection of products rather than having to leave the app they were using.

Merchants can create an account, connect it to their Shopify shop, and start adding shoppable links to their website. They may also include URLs for websites, essays, films, playlists, and other items.

Shoppable links synchronize with a merchant's product catalog to provide all of the information a customer requires before making a purchase.

Content Creators Making Bank: A New Wave of E-commerce is Being Driven by Content Creators

The Next Big Thing In E-Commerce Is Not A Storefront … It's TikTok! While e-commerce has been on the rise for a while now, a new wave of e-commerce is being driven by content creators.

These are people who have built up a following on social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. And they're using that following to sell products directly to their fans.

This new breed of e-commerce dubbed as "Gen Z's Shopping Network" is combining shopping with live entertainment. In comparison to China's $200 billion market, the US market still has a lot of room for growth at $10 billion.

And it's not just big brands that are getting in on the action. Small businesses and entrepreneurs are also seeing the potential of this new market.

The Amazon Corner

Make Amazon Great Again: American Sellers Gaining Ground on Amazon

Gaining ground, finally! For nearly a year, North American sellers have been gaining market share on Amazon, reversing the multi-year trend of losing to mostly Chinese vendors. Domestic businesses account for half of the top third-party sellers on Amazon's marketplace, up from an all-time low of 48% in November 2020.

For the past sixteen months, U.S.-based vendors have been gaining ground against Chinese competitors due to more lockdowns, supply chain issues, and suspensions than ever before, along with other restrictions such as registration requirements with government agencies and laws regulating how much inventory can be sold per individual vendor account.

A LITTLE MORE

• Wix integrates Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment for e-commerce sellers.
• The best conversion rates go to omnichannel retailers and here's why.
• Pantastic, a firm providing e-commerce technologies, raises $18 million.
• Ecommerce Technical SEO: What You Need to Know and How to Fix it 

FUN FACT

Online consumers spend approximately $1,200 and $1,300 per year on items bought over the Internet.

QUICK TIP

Try this. Use your networks to build connections with relevant influencers. Even micro-influencers with smaller followings can be very valuable in promoting your products or services as long as their followers are engaged and interested in what you have to offer.

TWEET TWEET

“You learn more from failure than from success. Don’t let it stop you. Failure builds character.” — Unknown

OLDIE BUT A GOODIE

Here's Twitter's first look before its launch in 2006.