Good Morning and get ready to enjoy yesterday's turkey leftovers... 

On this Friday, there's no need to fret. The work is done. You've given it your all and now it's time to sit back, relax, and let the chips fall where they may. 

In case you've missed some of this week's ☕️ in retail and e-commerce, read on for a recap!

• Cars aren't the only hybrid things now, shopping is too!
• Long wait times are over for B2B E-Commerce - HubSpot Payments is here
• High-speed flying robots might not be just a futuristic fantasy anymore - Drone delivery unicorn Zipline partners with Walmart

Top Retail and E-commerce Stories

Video Killed the Radio Star: How Traditional Shopping is Dead 

In-store shopping or online shopping? Facebook says both. In this new era, shoppers will be able to enjoy the best of both online and offline shopping. Check out the complete report from Facebook here.

As the epidemic wanes, a new hybrid world of retail is taking shape, with the distinctions between physical and digital becoming even less distinct and purchasing becoming even more interconnected. This has created a new "no compromise" consumer mentality in which customers demand the best of both online and offline in every commercial interaction.

The demands for interconnectivity among these channels present a fresh challenge for businesses to cater to consumers' expectations for convenience and speed while still providing them with the physicality and experience that they want from brick-and-mortar places.

Easy Money: Hubspot Payments Make Purchasing Easier, Quicker, and More Secure for Businesses and Buyers Alike

Fast, easy, and secure B2B payments? Give it to us! Buyers of today's B2B transactions can expect a frictionless, digital buying experience that is comparable to that of B2C e-commerce. Secure and efficient payments may be made in as few steps as possible thanks to Hubspot Payments, the end-to-end payment solution built into HubSpot, which was announced at the INBOUND 2021.

With Hubspot Payments, businesses can now expect a more delightful and connected buyer experience. With this, companies may accept payments securely and easily using HubSpot Payments, which is integrated natively as part of the HubSpot CRM platform.

Attack of the Flying Robots: Drones Are Disrupting Online Shopping, One App At A Time

Flying robots and airdrop deliveries? 'Guess we might be living in the future sooner than we thought. Another shipment-oriented emerging technology firm set up shop in Northwest Arkansas. Recently, Zipline, a San Francisco–based drone delivery business, announced a new partnership with Walmart following a pilot last fall.

The scope of this agreement is similar to other US drone delivery connections now: Zipline will service one store and one rural community in Pea Ridge, Arkansas. It'll specialize in health and wellness items, and—like most drones flying in the United States—its planes must remain within a human's line of sight.

Walmart's strategy is to incorporate drone delivery that is in line with its approach to other technologies like autonomous cars and robotics: testing out numerous vendors to see what works. Last year it expanded its relationship with DroneUp, and in 2016 it carried out a test with Flytrex.

A LITTLE MORE

• Lush is getting out of the social media game
• Survey says, expect a wave of returns
• Walmart: The world’s most powerful retailer is on the prowl again
  

FUN FACT

Twitter ads have the most sales conversions out of any social media platform when it comes to online advertisements.

QUICK TIP

Try this. Try to recover abandoned carts. On average, the abandonment rate is between 60-80%. Try to recover at least 1-5% of them by sending the first retargeting email six hours after the cart has been abandoned and then at least 3 more emails afterward.

TWEET TWEET

"You will either step forward into growth or you will step back into safety." - Abraham Maslow

OLDIE BUT A GOODIE

Charles M. Stack launched Book Stacks Unlimited, the first online bookstore. The site began in dial-up bulletin board style and transitioned to the internet in 1994.