It's the weekend!!!✨ (Almost)

Here are some top retail and e-commerce stories 📰 to keep you in the know.

• Etsy raised seller fees on its platform, and sellers are going on a strike.
• BNPL shows to increase AOV
• With the newest funding round, Shein's worth is estimated to reach $100 billion.
• New research shows Amazon advertising has a seven times return rate.

Top Retail and E-commerce Stories

Price Hike: Etsy is Raising Fees and Etsy Sellers Are Striking Back

Strike against Etsy fees! More than 5,000 individuals have signed a petition asking Etsy not to raise fees by 30% this month, in what sellers claim is just the latest in a line of new policies that put short-term financial gain above what's good for the people who run the platform.

According to the Verge, Etsy announced the price increase in February. Sellers were dissatisfied with the announcement and took to social media sites such as Twitter and Reddit to express their disapproval, prompting a few like-minded company owners to band together in order to pressure Etsy into reversing its decision.

Certain shop owners announced that they will cease selling their products on Etsy beginning April 11, and they have urged consumers to boycott the platform through April 18 as well in show of support. 

Shop Now and Pay Later: BNPL's AOV is 139% Greater for Monoprice's Online Store

Your next purchase is just a click away! In 2019, Monoprice, an online store for technology products, began partnering with Affirm as a buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) option at checkout to cater to customers interested in more expensive goods.

With Affirm, customers can pay using one-click PayPal, Amazon Pay, PayPal credit, or Click to Pay at checkout. In addition, customers that use Affirm are also shown a breakdown of the different payment choices depending on their timeline in a pop-up window. A one-button Venmo option appears if a consumer shops on their phone.

According to the tech retail site, customers who pay with Affirm were found to have a 400% higher AOV than Monoprice.com's overall average AOV of $90. 

Could Shein Be Worth $100 Billion?: New Funding Round Boosts Shein's Valuation

The 2022 unicorn club is getting crowded. According to Bloomberg, Shein, the Chinese e-commerce company specializing in fast fashion will be the latest start-up to be valued at $100 billion if it completes its latest round of funding. 

The apparel e-retailer is in discussions with potential investors, including growth equity firm General Atlantic, while meeting with prospective partners.

Last year, Shein's revenues increased 57% to $15.7 billion, according to projections from Coresight Research, defying the perception that fast fashion is declining and outstripping rivals such as Asos and Boohoo Group.

The Amazon Corner

Seven Times Your Money Back: Amazon Ads Can Return 7x Your Investment

Amazon advertising is paying off big time! A new survey from Feedvisor shows that Amazon advertisers are seeing a seven times return rate on their investment.

The study, which polled over 1000 U.S. brands from direct-to-consumer to Fortune 1000 companies, found that those who are using Amazon advertising saw a median return of 700% in the form of additional sales. Here are other key findings from the report:

• 58% of brands agree that Amazon Advertising has "great value", accounting for the highest percentage to date.
• More than one in five companies are spending more than $100,000 a month on Amazon advertising.
• Amazon video advertisements are now used by 44% of brands. As a result, video advertising and bespoke marketing solutions have surpassed Sponsored Products, Sponsored Display, Sponsored Brands, and Amazon DSP Display Ads as the most commonly utilized Amazon Advertising.

A LITTLE MORE

• Productsup just raised $70M to help brands list and manage their products on marketplaces.
• Consumers who are feeling the pinch of inflation, according to Macy's, might prefer to spend money on travel rather than shopping.
• Walmart launches "Snap Scan & Shop" lens via Snapchap

FUN FACT

61% of US-based online shoppers will make a purchase based on a blog recommendation.

QUICK TIP

Try this. If you want to reduce your ad spend without compromising your revenue, start building external backlinks to your website. Promote your content on social media, in forums, and in guest blog posts. This will improve your SEO organically and help you rank higher in SERPs.

TWEET TWEET

“If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.” — Reid Hoffman

OLDIE BUT A GOODIE

This week, let's turn back time to the year 2005. Here's YouTube a few months just after its launch!