Good Morning and another Happy FriYAY! 

Cheers to the weekend before Thanksgiving! But before we get into that holiday cheer, here's some juicy news and updates you shouldn't miss.

Check out this recap of what's been going on this week...

• YouTube is joining the livestream e-commerce party!
• Klarna + Stripe = Payment freedom for your customers
• Facebook ad fatigue has marketers looking elsewhere

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, but it looks like social media won't only be just for posting your Thanksgiving feast and family photos...

Top Retail and E-commerce Stories

Facebook Live vs. YouTube's Shoppable Videos

The battle of the livestreams. With Facebook Live raking in billions of dollars and TikTok releasing TikTok Live, livestream commerce is definitely making waves across the social media landscape. No wonder marketers are thinking about what this will mean for YouTube's new "shoppable videos".

The company launched Holiday Stream and Shop as part of its e-commerce push. The week-long event began on Monday, with internet celebrities (Mr.Beast, Patrick Starrr) selling items directly from YouTube. In the weeks ahead, the idea — dubbed shoppable videos — will be extended to a wider audience (naturally, in time for the holidays).

Klarna and Stripe Team up for Buy Now, Pay Later 

"Your first payment on us," said Klarna. Stripe and Klarna have partnered up to provide an alternative to traditional credit card purchases. Customers of both services can now use them together without having to fill out any additional forms or go through multiple steps. Klarna will check the customer's creditworthiness and if they're approved, Stripe will process the transaction.

This is a massive breakthrough in the world of online commerce and it currently seems like buy now, pay later is all set to revolutionize the way we make purchases online.

The End of Facebook Dominance? Here's Where Marketers are Heading

Is it time to break up with Facebook? Last year, social media platforms like Facebook were very successful in reaching passive smartphone users who were stuck at home aimlessly scrolling on their phones. However, between Apple's privacy changes and the ongoing debate over Facebook's practices, consumers are increasingly avoiding Facebook apps, including Instagram and WhatsApp.

Alternatively, they're turning to podcasts, catalogs, and new social commerce platforms like TikTok. 

A LITTLE MORE

• Join the Club: Williams Sonoma launches their new shipping membership program
• Historic Traffic Jam Easing at Port of Los Angeles
• Heyday raises $555M to buy up and scale more D2C brands
• Check out the latest E-commerce Product Return Rate – Statistics and Trends

FUN FACT

In 1979, Michael Aldrich, who is considered the father of e-commerce, invented a system that became the foundation for online shopping by connecting a tv to a computer using a telephone line with the idea of allowing people to grocery shop from home. 

QUICK TIP

Try this. When you first start your store, it can be tempting to lump all of the products into generic categories. Be as specific and descriptive as possible because as soon as there are more than 15 items on offer - things will get a lot harder for customers to find specific items. 

TWEET TWEET

"Quality is the best business plan." - John Lasseter

OLDIE BUT A GOODIE

The world's first television commercial aired for the Bulova Watch Company. The ad was only 10 seconds long and it cost between $4 and $9, yet it still managed to gain over 4 thousand views in just two days!