Goooood Morning Friday!! ✨

We're a few days away from Valentine's, yet there are plenty of news and market trends to discuss before the big day, so let's jump right in! 💥

• Swirl has announced an integration with Shopify that allows for live commerce. Shopify merchants can now build shoppable films and use live streaming to boost sales.
• Floyd, a furniture store, has launched a resale program for returns.
• As Cart.com continues to expand and record massive sales, it has added $240 million in fresh capital through its latest funding round.

Top Retail and E-commerce Stories

Creating the Perfect Storm in E-commerce: Shopify and Swirl Teams Up to Enable Live Commerce

Say goodbye to boring product videos, hello to shoppable films! Swirl, an AR-based mobile commerce platform, announced a new integration with Shopify that makes it possible for brands to sell products via live streaming. This means that creators can now use Swirl's shoppable film technology and Shopify’s checkout capabilities to create interactive shopping experiences.

With Swirl's integration with Shopify, merchants will be able to take advantage of all the platform's video commerce features while maintaining complete control of their database, payment gateway, and customer experience.

Cart is Just Getting Started: Cart.com Smashes Funding Goal, Prepares for Even More Explosive Growth

Add to Cart! The end-to-end e-commerce company, Cart.com, secured venture debt financing from J.P. Morgan and TriplePoint Capital. Cart.com has now raised $380M in total capital since its inception when combined with previous rounds.

The funds will go towards a year of team and talent development, as the firm prepares to launch its game-changing end-to-end e-commerce platform for online retailers worldwide. Cart.com has seen revenues rise by more than 400% in the past year, and it has added over 850 employees to its team throughout Q1 2022 setting off a remarkable start to the year.

The Amazon Corner

Battle of the Beauties: Sephora, Ulta, and Amazon—Who's the Fairest of Them All?

Beauty companies have struck deals with Amazon to prevent unauthorized sales of their items on the site and gain access to lucrative promotional and marketing benefits. For Amazon, it's a means to compete with traditional retail behemoths like Ulta and Sephora.

In the past year, skincare and cosmetics firm Peace Out and acne treatment business Alleyoop have both signed up for Amazon's "premium" and "indie" beauty programs. By joining up, the companies get access to a protected part of Amazon's platform without third-party resellers, as well as perks such as early notification and high revenue-generating placements in Amazon's beauty section.

A LITTLE MORE

• Gartner: A quarter of consumers will use the metaverse daily by 2026
• How resale app Mercari is incentivizing users to list more items
• How Bic revamped its social media strategy for its temporary tattoo product line

FUN FACT

53% of consumers who abandon a website would be convinced to return if they saw an exit-intent pop-up.

QUICK TIP

Try this. Urgency can boost your store's sales. One of the simplest methods to do this is to include a flash sale area on your website. In this section, every item should have a countdown timer and the products should be refreshed at least once a week. 

TWEET TWEET

“Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” — John D. Rockefeller

OLDIE BUT A GOODIE

In 2008, Chris Xu launched a Chinese fast-fashion retailer that initially sold wedding dresses online. In 2012, he then branched out to womenswear and later changed the brand name to Shein. Today, Shein has surpassed Amazon as the most downloaded shopping app in the United States and is winning the hearts of Gen Z's on Tiktok.