All Episodes
The Watson Weekly: eCommerce Strategy & News — 317 episodes
Google Buys a Dead Airline's Data, Mom Outranks TikTok, QXO's $55M Loss, Stripe Bids for PayPal
Stripe wanting PayPal says more about Stripe than about PayPal
The B2B Order Management Problem Distributors Don't Know They Have
Cohen May Drop the $56 Billion Bid and Keep the 9.8%
Amazon Sold the Last Organic Surface
De Minimis Went To Zero And Your P&L Hasn't Caught Up
Shopify Tripled AI Orders — From a Base It Won't Name
Shopify Has Stripe by the Throat and Both Sides Know It
Agentic Commerce Does Not Exist. It's Also 25% of Commerce by 2030
Eric Miao, Attentive | Nobody Has Four Brand Voices
Inside Lowe's AI Portfolio: Shop, Sell, Work
Shopify Just Evicted Every Vape Seller
The $40 Billion Retail Tax Nobody Sends You a Bill For
July 13th, 2026: Nike Posted a Record Quarter, Shopify Reviews, Walmart's Ad Platform, and Target's Marketplace
Taylor Swift Got Married and Every Brand Crashed the Reception
The Different Storefront Is Dead: Shopify Design at the Enterprise
July 6th, 2026: Shopify, Amazon, UPS, Walmart, FedEx and PayPal
The Bold and the Cold of 2026 So Far
The Big Green Bag Of Promise: Unified Commerce Is a Data Strategy First
June 29th, 2026: Papa John's and Instacart, Amazon Prime Day, FedEx Earnings, and Agentic Cannes
Shopify Points Its Catalog at Amazon (and ChatGPT Sells Ads)
The Real Enterprise Shopify Math Isn't Cost. It's Opportunity Cost
June 22nd, 2026: Shopify Editions: Spring 2026, Kimberly-Clark Supply Chain, Amazon's DeSantis at VivaTech, and Air Freight: 41% Up on 4% Demand
Three Big Numbers, One That's Real - TikTok Shop, Saks Global, and CaaStle
Agentforce Commerce: New Architecture or New Logo?
June 15th, 2026: Walmart Delivers Subway, CaaStle Fraud, Apple and Siri AI, and Shopify and AI
Shopify's Buyback, Apple's Borrowed Brain, Anthropic's Three Futures
The Highest-Converting Shopper on the Internet Isn't Human with Stripe's Danny Smith
June 8th, 2026: Amazon Prime Day, FedEx Freight, Anthropic Files, and ShipStation Global
IPOs, Last-Mile Deals, and Acquisitions: Anthropic, USPS–DHL, Salesforce
AI Replaces Average Design, Not Designers
June 1st, 2026: Walmart Earnings, ABG Leadership Change, Google I/O, and Kroger News
Walmart's Quarter, Google's Agentic Cart, and the K-Shaped Economy
Storefront Next: Inside Salesforce's New Commerce Architecture with Lennart Stevens
May 25th, 2026: Home Depot and Target Earnings, Google and Blackstone Partner, and Publicis buys LiveRamp
Treading Water at Home Depot, Selling Out at Everlane
May 18th, 2026: Amazon Now Goes Live, eBay Says No to GameStop, and OpenAI Bets $14B on Enterprise
Rufus Is Gone, eBay Said No, Lulu Picked Nike
Omar Qari on Why Logicbroker Revived Connected Commerce In 2026
Townchest, Mirakl, Avalara: How a Marketplace Actually Works Behind the Scenes
May 11th, 2026: Shopify, Alphabet, and Amazon Earnings and GameStop's Bid for eBay
Saks Comeback Plan, Victoria's Secret Boardroom Fight, AI Earnings Reality
The 2001 Acquisition That Quietly Won Home Depot the Internet
H&M, Bridal Waivers, and the Org of the Future
When Your Customer Is on a Roof: B2B UX in the Real World
April 27th, 2026: The Cook Era Ends, Anthropic's $100B AWS Deal, and QXO's Building Products Play
Ternus Takes Apple, Anthropic Commits $100B to AWS, and Home Depot Buys a Robot Startup
How Lo & Sons Cut Product Development From 2 Years to 9 Months
Remembering Jon Panella: The Connector Who Made Commerce Human
April 20th, 2026: Google's Compute Moat, Amazon Grocery, Vinted Finances, and Apple Smart Glasses
Ozempic Economy, Nike's Reset & the AI Compute Crunch
Ads in ChatGPT? AI Agents Buying for You? Three Retail Leaders Debate Agentic Commerce
April 13th, 2026: Amazon USPS Deal, New BNPL Data, Eko Product Catalog Data & Revolve Returns
What Does a $99 Lowe's Subscription, 60% Returns, and Gen Z's Dentist Have in Common?
April 6th, 2026: Shopify's Partner Town Hall, Lowe’s HomeCare+, USPS and Amazon Fees, and Allbirds is Done
Apple at 50, Amazon's Robot Bet, and How Allbirds Burned $4B
I Read Rick Watson's Research Prompts and Used Them Against Him | Kaplan Wednesday
Shoptalk 2026: The Agentic Fog and the Retail Advice Nobody Wants to Hear
The AI Double Standard — Why Brands Fear AI Mistakes More Than Human Ones
March 23rd, 2026: The Shoptalk Edition
Dollar Stores Win, Prime Day Jumps the Calendar, and the AI Reboot Begins
Why Most AI Projects Are Failing — And What to Do Before It's Too Late
March 16th, 2026: Stripe’s Agentic Suite, Salesforce Marketing Cloud Rebrand, Costco Earnings, and Customer Wallet Share Research
Analyzing Dick’s App Success, Nike’s Strategy, and the Amazon-Walmart Gap
From 50% to 95% AI Adoption: How Mirakl's Chief Data & AI Officer Is Disrupting Enterprise Commerce
March 9th, 2026: Shopify Middleware? Stripe Letter, Amazon-OpenAI Deal, & Thoma Bravo
Who Is Really Winning Between OpenAI and Amazon?
The Retail Earnings Breakdown: Who’s Winning 2026?
March 2nd, 2026: Walmart Continues Its Tear: eCom Growth at 27%, Perplexity Abandons Advertising to Maintain User Trust, The Great Parcel Reconfiguration No One is Talking About, and About That 2028 Global Intelligence Crisis
Trump Tariff Doo Doo Doo
The Death of the Subscription Box & The Rise of Membership
February 23rd, 2026: Stripe’s $140 Billion Question, Why Temu is the New Cross-Border Standard, The UPS $150k Exit: Strategic Rightsizing or a Teamster Trap? and Is Agentic Commerce a Nothingburger?
She Broke The Saks Global Saga
Mythbusting AI: Why SaaS Isn't Dead and Your Job Might Be Safer Than You Think
February 16th, 2026: Amazon is a Vertically Integrated Utility, Shopify Fiscal Year 2025 Earnings: a Pony with One Great Trick, Could it Be More? Kroger Opens a New Marketplace, and Paypal Earnings and David Marcus
Shopify: It’s Always Been About the Checkout and Swipe Stupid
Why Your Agency is Falling for the AI Trap
The Goliath Paradox: Why Scale is a Lie in Modern Commerce
Whatnot vs Traditional E-commerce: The Shift No One’s Talking About
NRF 2026 Debrief: Beyond the Buzzwords & The "Age of Intelligence"
February 2nd, 2026: ChatGPT's 4% Fee Confirms Marketplace Economics, American Eagle to Close Quiet Logistics Business, UPS Releases 4Q 2025 Earnings and Provides 2026 Guidance, and Meta Earnings in Superintelligence We Trust
What Really Happened inside the Shopify Massacre
From Banking to AI: The Future of Agentic Commerce with Gareth Cummings
January 26th, 2026: Sam Altman Testing Ad, Lowes to license its checkout, AI meets Davos and a Jassy Sighting, and Claude Code Is Having a Viral Moment
From Playbooks to Pipelines: How DigitalGenius Is Scaling AI in SaaS Sales & Service
January 19th, 2026: Walmart Shakes Up Its Leadership Ranks, NRF 2026 Recap, and More Content Coming To You from the Watson Weekly
January 12th, 2026: It’s Time to Be Bold in 2026 and Welcome to NRF
December 19th, 2025: Thank You!
December 15th, 2025: Shopify Winter Editions 2025 Special Podcast
December 8th, 2025: Black Friday Cyber Monday - You Devil You! Sam Altman Calls a Code Red to Stop Google Threat, Amazon and Visa Partner on Agentic Payments, and Nike CEO Purges John Donahoe’s Lieutenants
November 24th, 2025: Walmart Plans a CEO Transition, Commerce Operations Foundation Critical to Our Common Agentic Future, Intuit's Announcement Makes it Clear: OpenAI Coming for Operating Systems, and Walmart Earnings Call Important for Everyone to Understand
November 17th, 2025: Same-Day Facilities Key to Amazon's New Powerful Grocery Strategy, Walmart CEO Doug McMillion Steps Down, TheRealReal Records Record GMV During Earnings, and Google Releases Some AI Shopping Updates
November 10th, 2025: Implications of Amazon Working with OpenAI and ChatGPT, Shopify Reports Great Q3 Earnings, Some of the Worst Mistakes I Made First Time as CEO, and Klaviyo’s Earnings Answer Some Key Questions
November 3rd, 2025: Walmart Holiday Plans Shows There Will Be Blood, UPS Gains Margin, Plans Strong Peak, But Remains Mired in Uncertainty, Amazon All In On Agentic - Reports Great Earnings, and Shopify Merchants Go Live with ChatGPT Instant Checkout
October 27th, 2025: Commercetools CEO is out, so what’s next? Bigcommerce partners with Paypal to improve monetization, Will the new Ulta Beauty marketplace cook? And Shopify and Lovable Integration Shows a Fire and Motion Strategy
October 20th, 2025: Walmart Partners With OpenAI, Cannot Hold Back the Tide, S&P Global Puts Tariff Costs at $1.2T This Year, Salesforce Partners With OpenAI, and Saks Struggles to Deliver in Q2
October 13th, 2025: Process Re-Engineering Is a Key Skill in the Age of AI, Stripe Link Moving More Consumer Facing, Is OpenAI Building a Super App? And Shopify CRO Bobby Morrison Forced Out
The CEO Spot with Matt Harris of Harris Digital
October 6th, 2025: ChatGPT Is Actually The Ultimate In Influencer-Driven Commerce and OpenAI x Stripe Agentic Commerce Protocol Has Makings of Silicon Valley Catfight
September 29th, 2025: What the Hell Will Happen At Tiktok? Ryder Releases New eCommerce Study, Klaviyo Innovations Made Possible By Different Ecosystem Approach, and OpenAI Announces They Are Pursuing Ads
September 22nd, 2025: Google and Paypal Announce New Commerce Partnership, Fireside Chat With Andy Jassy at Amazon Accelerate Conference, and The First Q4 Holiday Predictions Appear
September 15th, 2025: The Future is Less If Then And More Prompts, Agents, and MCP - A SVP Looks to the Future
September 8th, 2025: Shopify Betting Big on Design, Amazon Still Stuck Muddling Through Day 2, Why Software Sales Is Still Hard in 2025, A New Podcast where SaaS Meets AI: Oh Shift
September 1st, 2025: Best Buy Relaunches Its Marketplace, Target Earnings: Like a Slow-Moving Train Wreck, Upcoming RMW Commerce Events in Second Half of the Year, and Walmart Raises Revenue Guidance in Earnings Call
August 25th, 2025: Shipping Smackdown: Nate Skiver on the Parcel Industry's Biggest Myth
August 18th, 2025: We Once Made a Deal with Google. The Deal Has Changed, The Unspoken AI Enthusiasm Gap At Large Companies, The Road Ahead for Commerce.com, and An Update On Gnawing Your Arm Off, or Replatforming
August 11th, 2025: Amazon Reports Earnings, Dogged by AI Questions, Shopify Q2 Earnings Show Its Not Going Anywhere, Klaviyo Delivers Growth, But Efficiency Still Lacking, and Recap from Austin: Auctane’s Spicy Innovation Delivered Event
August 4th, 2025: Bigcommerce Rebrands as Just Commerce, UPS Q2 Earnings Highlights Strange Economic Times, Last Flight of the Aggregator: OpenStore Valuation Burns, and Amazon Pulled out of Google Shopping for AI, not for Advertising
The CEO Spot: From Silicon Chips to Supply Chains – Dipti Desai’s Mission to Modernize EDI
July 14th, 2025: NRF Files Suit Against NY State Law, Why Is There No Best Practice for ECommerce Org Structure, Amazon Quietly Cornering Market on Robot Patents, and LuluLemon in Markdown Hell
June 30th, 2025: Klarna CEO Claims They Will Be a Super App, Walmart Investor Event Sheds New Light, Should You Put a Chatbot In Front Of Your Retail Store, and Musings from CommerceNext and Mirakl’s Summit
June 23rd, 2025: Saks Global Still Sounds in Trouble, Facebook Says eCommerce is Great -- For Other People, Jassy’s AI Memo Was a Snoozefest, In a Good Way, and Amazon Extending Prime Day Doesn’t Give me Warm Fuzzies
June 16th, 2025: Palantir Partners with Bolt, Amazon Releases AI Video Generation Tools, Sezzle Sues Shopify For AntiCompetitive Practices, and Walmart Releases New AI Tools
June 9th, 2025: Shopify MCP Server Raises More Questions Than Answers, Could the AI Race Become a Hardware Race, and Temu Half Off - Just In Time For Summer
June 2nd, 2025: Salesforce to acquire Informatica, Social Commerce Panel Reveals Influencer Importance, Lowes Launches Its Marketplace, and Tariff Feud Event with Passport Recap
Special Episode: Scott Eckert on Leading Mirakl and the Marketplace Revolution
May 26th, 2025: Rapid Fire Headline Update and Shopify Releases Its Summer Editions
Special Episode from Shopware Partner Day– Pimcore & the Data Layer Revolution in B2B
May 19th, 2025: Amazon Announces New AI Tool to Enhance Product Listings, Venture Capital Dominated by AI Right Now, FedEx and Amazon Strike Up a Partnership, and Klaviyo Reports Q1 2025 Earnings
Special Episode from Shopware Partner Day– Conscious Commerce & Regulated Realities: The Aysnd Way
May 12th, 2025: Shopify Needs Incentive Alignment to Win in Enterprise, 3 Notables From BigCommerce earnings call, Instacart CEO Departs for OpenAI, and Shopify Reports Solid Earnings Amid Global Uncertainty
Special Episode from Shopware Partner Day– Inside B2B Growth: Smith Commerce on Scaling Smart
May 5th, 2025: Amazon Reports Q1 2025 Earnings, Walmart Releases an Annual Shareholder Letter, UPS Reports Q1 2025 Earnings, and Kohl’s Fires Its CEO
Turning Tariffs into Tactics — Cross-Border Commerce in 2025 with Alex Yancher, CEO of Passport
April 28th, 2025: Composable Conference in Chicago shows MACH progress, ChatGPT and Shopify partnership teased, and Shopify promotes internally for Chief Design Officer: What's going on?
April 21st, 2025: Walmart Investor Day shows strong tariff headwinds, is 2025 the year to eat the entire enchilada, Shop for Brands on Amazon seen in the wild, and Amazon surveys its sellers on tariffs
The Debate: Is Replatforming Worth It?
Redefining Retail: Commercetools, InStore, and the Future of Unified Commerce – A Conversation with Dirk Hoerig
April 7th, 2025: Key takeaways on public and private markets, Shoptalk did not answer my key industry questions, Consumers getting stressed out, and Amazon makes last minute bid to buy TikTok
Watson Weekly: Navigating the Digital Commerce Maze with Bryan House
March 31st, 2025: Shoptalk Recap
March 24th, 2025: Adobe teases new commerce offerings, BigCommerce launches new account functionality, Klarna files IPO paperwork, and welcome to Shoptalk Week!
March 17th, 2025: Paypal in hot water over its Honey application, AllBirds sales plunge in 2024, why did Walmart buy a mall? And upcoming eCommerce debate event at Shoptalk
March 10th, 2025: Target 2024 earnings shows company falling behind, when will merchants stop treating data as a project? Commercetools layoffs throws into question IPO plans, and has Shopify Enterprise turned a corner?
March 3rd, 2025: Is Beyond.com doomed? Klaviyo reports 2024 earnings, Klaviyo coming for Salesforce Service Cloud, and Paypal Investor Day offers problematic vision
February 24th, 2025: Walmart reports fiscal year 2025 earnings, Saks stopped paying vendors on time, TikTok subscriptions could help creators, and BigCommerce reports 2024 earnings
February 17th, 2025: Shopify Q4 2024 earnings: The age of efficiency comes to Shopify, it’s not just you - age of efficiency accelerating, Amazon Q4 earnings wins the Grammy for free cash flow, and Amazon ad engine getting hungry: look out Google Shopping
February 10th, 2025: Trump eliminates the de minimis for China, AI won't solve all the problems, but we don't realize it yet, UPS Q4 2024 earnings, AI is not the new SEO. Brands could be in a marketplace without realizing it
Special Episode: Global eCommerce Leaders Forum, Cross-Border Trends, & Honoring Kent Allen
February 3rd, 2025: Risks to Amazon in the AI Wars, private equity outlook in 2025, Artificial Intelligence moving from creating to doing with OpenAI Operator, how to grow faster is an elusive question
Shaping the Future: Social Commerce, AI, and Predictions for 2025 with Kelly Goetsch
January 20th, 2025: Our 2025 NRF event analysis, recapping the first ever RMW Commerce Five Forces event in New York City
Modernizing B2B Commerce: Overcoming the Bob Problem with Kelly Goetsch
January 13th, 2025: Shopify 2025: The Entrepreneur, the Rulemaker and the Bridge-Builder, Mastercard Holiday numbers show roses for eCommerce, Is 2025 the year of the niche down? And Amazon still the king of warehouse growth
Breaking Barriers in E-commerce and Healthcare with Kelly Goetsch
December 23rd, 2024: Amazon building 25% of all warehouses, UPS hiking SurePost rates by 10%, Lowes develops a new marketplace, and Quickbooks partners with Amazon Marketplace Seller Central
December 16th, 2024: Shopify releases a boring update, was Amazon haul launched sooner as political strategy? What is the potential impact of tariffs on eCommerce? And why use an outside consultant to help you solve a problem?
December 9th, 2024: 3 observations from Cyber Week, the 3 coming wars in the next 5 years, and 5 reasons Klaviyo is growing faster than most anyone right now
We'll be back next week!
November 25th, 2024: How you should read the Gartner Quadrant, Wordpress is the Craigslist of website builders, Target reports terrible earnings, and Walmart reports great earnings
November 18th, 2024: Shopify reported Q3 2024 earnings, Klaviyo reports even better Q3 earnings, new RMW Commerce event being held in January, and BigCommerce trying to escape the Alabama mud like My Cousin Vinny
November 11th, 2024: Amazon reports great Q3 2024 earnings, Children's Place partnership with Shein could be genius, the state of SaaS venture capital valuations, and AI platforms looking to challenge every software category
November 4th, 2024: CEO merry-go-round continues, Paypal earnings report show progress and challenges, UPS releases Q3 earnings, and everyone in retail copying everyone else
October 28th, 2024: Is 2024 the Generative AI holiday? Amazon's new low cost store concept might as well be called "Off-Prime", is 2025 the year bad eCommerce content officially dies? And BigCommerce expands its leadership team
October 21st, 2024: Optimization will be the watchword in 2025, OpenStore pivoting into Helpdesk Software, Walmart appoints Seth Dellaire as Chief Growth Officer, and new report shows Unicorns lack exit options
October 14th, 2024: Holiday season preview, what’s happening with Shop Promise? Former Amazon leader Dave Clark raises $100M for Auger and marketplaces like eBay are dropping their fees
October 7th, 2024: Lightspeed exploring strategic alternatives, Loop creates offset return feature, CVS conducting a strategic review, and Travis Hess named new BigCommerce CEO
September 30th, 2024: John Donahoe steps down from Nike, Amazon introduces new supply chain service, what’s going on with the retail job market? And the fight over de minimis and how this will end
September 23rd, 2024: Shopify’s progress in the enterprise market, Biden White House makes de minimis announcement, Amazon’s return to office memo code for layoffs, and Salesforce makes several release announcements at Dreamforce - or does it?
September 16th, 2024: What is going on with Bolt, Walmart and StockX partner up, Bankrate holiday consumer survey results, creating the perfect board presentation
September 9th, 2024: Walmart Marketplace expands services for sellers, a few notes on planning, Paul Graham’s “Founder Mode” essay, and Temu starting to recruit US brands
September 2nd, 2024: BigCommerce looks like it’s not selling, Shopify hires a new Chief Technology Officer, why technology is not a business differentiator for brands, and are layoffs the order of the day in eCommerce?
We'll be back next week!
August 19th, 2024: Salesforce acquires POS platform PredictSpring, Amazon announces new peak season fulfillment policies, Ace Hardware plots a new stores strategy and TikTok, and Temu founder shopping like a billionaire
August 12th, 2024: Amazon reports Q2 earnings, Allbirds reports financial results, Amazon signs deal with Pinterest and TikTok, and Shopify crushes its earnings
August 5th, 2024: Companies are trading down talent, top items from Paypal’s Q2 2024 earnings call, designer brand Prada posts revenue gains, and Temu announcements signal a company shift
July 29th, 2024: UPS reports Q2 earnings, Google not ending cookies after all, Amazon Prime Day roundup, and new marketplace whitepaper released
July 22nd, 2024: Amazon Prime Day expected to hit records in 2024, Commercetools announces CEO transition, the importance of reputation in eCommerce, and eCommerce sales will hit $1T this year
July 15th, 2024: Saks acquires Neiman Marcus Group, speaking about personalization at The Lead Event in NYC, Nike is struggling trying to be a tech company, and Amazon previews direct from China program
We'll be back next week!
July 1st, 2024: Target reshuffles its leadership team and Shopify releases summer editions
June 24th, 2024: CMACH 3 event in New York City recap, May retail sales data released, Beyond loses a CEO, and Instacart expands retail media into Youtube
June 17th, 2024: Could Amazon deliver the mail? Costco expanding its ad network, McKinsey state of the consumer 2024 report, and Loop and Happy Returns partner up
June 10th, 2024: Amazon Buy with Prime off to a slow start, Shein launches Shein Exchange Resale Program in UK and Europe, eBay expands its consignment service, and a call to action for brands
June 3rd, 2024: Paypal is building an ads platform, TJMaxx not afraid of Temu and Shein, BigCommerce getting serious about its partner ecosystem, and Amazon growing its share of retail
May 27th, 2024: Target earnings indicate big trouble, Macy’s provides preview into restructuring, Salesforce unveils new Einstein features, and Walmart earnings stand out
May 20th, 2024: Amazon AWS CEO to step down, Home Depot earnings disappoint, Shein rejected from NRF membership, and Shopify acquires Peel Analytics founders
May 13th, 2024: The Fall and Fall of Peloton, Forrester's Wave Report, and Digital Evolution
May 6th, 2024: Amazon reports terrific Q1 2024 earnings, Nordstrom launches its marketplace, Paypal earnings reflects life in the slow lane, and UPS to power Shein returns in Forever 21 stores
April 29th, 2024: Paypal’s coming battle with Shopify, Nike’s failures highlight leadership issues, UPS Q1 2024 earnings shows continued decline, and SaaS growth down from 2022 highs
April 22nd, 2024: Confusing economic signals in 2024, Shein faces new class action lawsuit, GoPuff partners with Shopify to help CPG brands, and Macy’s kicks off its store closings
April 15th, 2024: AllBirds gets Nasdaq delisting warning, Revenue and profit at TikTok’s ownership growing, Andy Jassy releases annual shareholder letter, and Inventory and cashflow key to the future of retail
April 8th, 2024: UPS wins US Postal contract from FedEx, Beyond.com has a new vision, Home Depot acquires SRS distribution, and Amazon removes Just Walk Out From its Amazon Fresh stores
April 1st, 2024: UPS announces new initiatives in Analyst Day, Canada Goose announces shakeup, Shein's supply chain as a service initiative a "Pearl Harbor" moment for retailers, and Commercetools releases a company update
March 25th, 2024: Shoptalk 2024 recap, Nordstrom could be taken private, Temu’s owner PDD doubles annual profit, and Google launches retail media beta
March 18th, 2024: The end of the free shipping era is greatly exaggerated, software as a service keeps getting harder, American Eagle’s logistics capitulation ends the pandemic logistics fever dream, and Shopify at Morgan Stanley tech conference 2024 takeaways
March 11th, 2024: Key learnings on Temu from recent report, Klaviyo launches a professional services offering, Amazon launching mini Whole Foods in New York City, and Target reports Q4 earnings
March 4th, 2024: Shopify GMV closing in on Amazon, Macy’s announces a new vision, Amazon aggregator Thrasio declares bankruptcy, and Klaviyo reports 2023 Q4 earnings
February 26th, 2024: Walmart’s Q4 earnings release, Bed Bath and Beyond and Overstock name new CEOs, Macy’s in a battle with investors, and what are UPS and FedEx telling us about the economy?
February 19th, 2024: Shopify reports Q4 2023 earnings, Target has a new strategy: Become Tar-Mu, Walmart may be Looking to buy TV maker Vizio, and celebrating the 5th Anniversary of RMW Commerce
February 12th, 2024: Our recap of January 2024 eCommerce news, Amazon releases their Q4 2023 earnings report, footwear brand New Balance adds a resale marketplace and RMW Commerce’s 2024 Outlook
December 25th, 2023: Special Announcement
December 18th, 2023: Macy’s gets a buyout offer, recap from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy on CNBC, CommerceHub makes an acquisition and rebrands as Rithum, and Zulily files lawsuit against Amazon
December 11th, 2023: Shopify Investor Day recap, replatforming has slowed down significantly, Amazon restructures its seller fees, and Neiman Marcus rejects Saks takeover bid
December 4th, 2023: Our Black Friday Cyber Monday wrap up, Shein files for IPO, Amazon becomes the biggest delivery business in the US, and Kohl’s decides eCommerce is not for them
November 27th, 2023: Walmart earning updates, OpenAI explodes, Thrasio’s bankruptcy, and what I’m thankful for!
November 20th, 2023: Target Q3 2023 earnings surprise, Shopify’s recent outage, Update on Amazon Fresh, and my 2024 outlook
November 13th, 2023: Interview with Dhruv Saxena, CEO of ShipBob: Fulfillment Accelerator
November 6th, 2023: UPS reports bad Q3 2023 earnings, Amazon smashes their Q3 2023 earnings, what everyone gets wrong about platform decisions, and Omnicom Group acquires Flywheel Digital
October 30th, 2023: HomeGoods shuts down their eCommerce platform, Overstock changes its name to Beyond, can we tap the brakes on the TikTok and Amazon comparisons? And update on retail inventory heading into the holidays
October 23rd, 2023: The growing battle between TikTok, Shopify, and Amazon, VF Corp gets a new activist investor, Flexport CEO says it’s not going public, and what should brands do about TikTok shop?
October 16th, 2023: Holiday deals kick off with Amazon, Walmart and Target, are people and processes keeping up with eCommerce technology? eBay sued in a DOJ environmental lawsuit, and private equity exits declining
October 9th, 2023: The Great Profitability Correction seems to be affecting everyone, TikTok Shop feeds dominated by Schlock, Toys “R” Us To open 24 new stores, and Holiday season retail predictions
October 2nd, 2023: FTC files suit against Amazon, Amazon to rollout Prime Video ads, Is the IPO market healthy? And Shopify takes a stake in B2B marketplace Faire
September 25th, 2023: TikTok Shop in the US, Shopify’s Company Operating Principles, Klaviyo and Instacart IPOs, and the Holidays Kick Off in October
September 18th, 2023: Flexport CEO Dave Clark forced out as company releases an update, Shopify CFO chat at Goldman Sachs event, the Klaviyo and Instacart IPO valuation, and Amazon releases Supply Chain by Amazon
September 11th, 2023: Our discussion about Holiday season preparation, Gap develops exclusive sleepwear line with Macy’s, Google’s CEO releases 25-year update, and Amazon’s Buy with Prime partners with Shopify
September 4th, 2023: Gartner releases its digital commerce Magic Quadrant, Shein and Forever21 build a partnership, learning from Instacart’s IPO filing, and Klaviyo IPO sets the bar for profitable software companies
August 28th, 2023: How can Artificial Intelligence help eCommerce? Walmart reports Q2 2024 earnings, Amazon launches a new US shipping program, and TikTok takes another firm step towards a marketplace
August 21st, 2023: Amazon crushes its Q2 2023 earnings, Target Q2 earnings disappoint, Amazon announces the return of Seller-Fulfilled Prime, and how I reached 50,000 LinkedIn followers
August 14th, 2023: TikTok launches Fulfillment by TikTok in the United Kingdom, WalMart expands its in-store advertising network, UPS Q2 2023 earnings disappoint, and BigCommerce reports Q2 2023 earnings
August 7th, 2023: TikTok Shop aspires to become fourth most important channel, Etsy marketplace boycott, Amazon resets its grocery strategy, and Shopify reports Q2 2023 earnings
July 31st, 2023: Shopify releases its Summer editions, UPS agrees to terms with Teamsters, Boston Consulting Group’s latest supply chain benchmarking report, and what’s with all the rebranding lately?
July 24th, 2023: Google kills Buy on Google, 2023 halfway update on venture capital and markets, Rumors of Shopify investing in Faire, and Amazon Prime Day recap
July 17th, 2023: Federal Trade Commission sues Amazon, TikTok plans new US eCommerce venture, my digital transformation talk at The Lead event in New York City, and Amazon Prime Day roundup
July 10th, 2023: 100th Episode: Venture Capital and Fundraising, Amazon and Shopify: featuring Victor Castro and Hendrik Laubscher
July 3rd, 2023: Amazon gets open letter from activist investor, Amazon announces Prime Day, Google Domains sells to Squarespace, and Google launches virtual AI try-on feature
June 26th, 2023: Shop Pay launches for enterprise retailers, FedEx reports its quarterly earnings, new retail sales data from the Commerce Department, and Amazon seller-fulfilled Prime coming back
June 19th, 2023: Update from Retail Innovation Conference 2023, Update on grocery eCommerce, Walmart launches startup accelerator, Payment provider Stripe joins MACH Alliance
June 12th, 2023: Stripe’s new charge card program can help Shopify, Amazon may be considering mobile phone service, Apple Vision Pro thoughts, and Buy Buy Baby could get bought
June 5th, 2023: Amazon’s Small Business Empowerment Report, Shopify’s upcoming shareholder meeting, McKinsey report on the beauty market, and economists wondering where’s the recession?
May 29th, 2023: Walmart releases its Q1 2023 earnings, TJ Maxx earnings indicate acceleration, Takeaways from Paypal’s recent investor event, and Shopify’s road ahead
May 22nd, 2023: Google’s AI and retail announcements, Klaviyo’s IPO filing, Target Q1 2023 earnings, and Shein’s marketplace expansion
May 15th, 2023: BigCommerce reports earnings, eBay prepares launch of international shipping program, Flexport is missing the infrastructure to compete with large players, and Amazon gives shoppers incentives to pick up their orders
May 8th, 2023: Big commerce doubles down on B2B, Pinterest ties with Amazon advertising, PitchBook report whines about the demise of unicorns, and Shopify reports earnings
May 1st, 2023: Bed Bath & Beyond, UPS Q1 earnings, Amazon’s anti-counterfeit exchange, and Shopify’s bill-pay service
April 24th, 2023: Amazon’s shareholder letter, the recent retail sales report, the Shopify collaboration, and David’s Bridal enters bankruptcy
April 17th, 2023: Amazon adds fees, Dollar General’s new partner, Inventory glut and supply chain costs, and changes in consumer shipping preferences
April 10th, 2023: Macy’s CEO steps aside, FedEx’s new announcement, American Eagle Outfitters’ logistics leader, and Walmart’s investor community meeting
April 3rd, 2023: A recap of Shoptalk 2023, venture startup outcomes, Fanatics and NHL, Recapping the headless eCommerce presentation
March 27th, 2023: Walmart launches Clean Beauty, FedEx’s earnings, Foot Locker retrenching, and Amazon layoffs
March 20th, 2023: Silicon Valley Bank, AllBirds’ Stock, Shopify’s investor meeting, and Amazon Buy with Prime
March 13th, 2023: Amazon closing more retail, Dick’s Sporting Goods success story, Target and the next-generation mall, Cloud software spend holding up
March 6th, 2023: Target’s cautious earnings, ThredUp’s apparel resale store, BigCommerce releases earnings, and Amazon closes more warehouses
February 27th, 2023: Walmart’s Q4 earnings, the decline of corporate deal activity, Instagram killing live shopping, and Amazon cuts ties with European distributors
Shopify’s new features, Stripe plans to go public, David’s Bridal launches wedding vendor marketplace, and Shopify’s Q4 earnings
Amazon’s Q4 Earnings, Maersk sees global trade contracting, Fanatics and Livestream shopping, and Warehouse construction in North America
February 6th, 2023: Shopify’s engineering shakeup, Foot Locker is sued, the lawsuit against Google, and UPS’s latest earnings
January 30th, 2023: The fall of U.S. retail sales, Shopify raises its prices, Walmart’s small business program, and AmazonSmile charity program
January 23rd, 2023: NRF, Walmart’s new offer, Lacoste’s brand turnaround, and Amazon’s capacity system
January 16th, 2023: Target’s stock, Bed Bath and Beyond, Fanatics and Candy Digital, and Amazon launches Buy with Prime
January 9th, 2023: Shopify releases commerce components, Nike’s earnings, Meta acquires smart lensmaker, and Chewy plans expansion.
January 2nd, 2023: Happy New Year!
December 26th, 2022: VF Corp CEO departs, Coupa to be taken private, Shein explores online marketplace, Amazon’s lawsuit with European Union
December 12th, 2022: Dollar General Grows, Walgreens’ Same Day, Etsy’s Holiday Sales, and Shopify Refreshes its App Store
December 5th, 2022: eBay opens store in NYC, live shopping comes to holiday windows, Microsoft and AWS, and our Black Friday Cyber Monday review
November 28th, 2022: Macy’s and Kohl’s Earnings, Gap looks to Amazon, Amazon releases new FBA pricing, and new Salesforce data
It’s November 21st, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest!
November 14th, 2022: Stripe’s layoffs, BigCommerce Q3 Results, UPS and Overstock launch pilot program, Google launches shopping updates
November 7th, 2022: Shopify’s earnings, Disney+ expands, CB Insights valuations report, and Amazon Q3 earnings
October 31st, 2022: Amazon’s New Ad Capabilities, Google’s New Shopping Experience for Search, Instacart Pushing Off IPO, and UPS Q2 Earnings
October 24th, 2022: Kroger and Albertsons Merge, Shein launches resale, Toys "R" Us joins forces with Macy's, mixed holiday predictions
October 17th, 2022: Shopify API enhancements, Walmart’s new acquisition, TikTok hiring to build global fulfillment network, and Amazon’s cost-cutting
October 10th, 2022: Google’s new shopping tools, Walmart’s GoLocal, Poshmark acquired by Naver, and Macy in the inventory race
October 3rd, 2022: Prime Early Access event, Gucci and Burberry join second hand trend, Amazon Air grows, and Macy’s new marketplace
September 26th, 2022: Andy Jassy reveals innovation questions, the state of apparel retailers, sustainability and diversity at supply chain management event, and what the results of back-to-school tell us
September 19th, 2022: Shopify changes COO and CFO, Instagram scaling back, Shopify's new cross-border features, and Amazon's Accelerate Conference
September 12th, 2022: CommerceHub acquires ChannelAdvisor, Instacart acquires Rosie, Church & Dwight will acquire Hero Cosmetics, and updates at Target
September 5th, 2022: eBay’s acquisitions of auto parts and trading cards, Locus Robotics scores with Geodis deal, Walmart’s new cash rewards, and Amazon launches new warehousing and distribution service.
August 29th, 2022: Google SEO content update, Amazon’s TikTok-like feed, Walmart eyes new payment opportunities, and Shopify launches Collabs
August 22nd, 2022: Amazon reorganizes grocery business, ThredUp and Tommy Hilfiger, DoorDash and Facebook Marketplace, and Walmart and Target earnings
August 15th, 2022: Instacart’s 2022 IPO, Amazon acquires Roomba, the latest on American Eagle Outfitters, and Avalara going private with Vista Equity
August 8th, 2022: Amazon Q2 earnings, PayPal targeted by Elliot Management, Shopify invests in Klaviyo, and Amazon Today offers same-day shipping
August 1st, 2022: Early reviews of Amazon’s Style Store, Bed Bath and Beyond, UPS innovating through downturn, and Shopify’s Q2 earnings call
July 25th, 2022: The One Year Anniversary of The Watson Weekly!
July 18th, 2022: Coatue’s view of the market, glut of goods at Target and Walmart, Victoria’s Secret restructures its management team, and an Amazon Prime Day recap
July 11th, 2022: FedEx’s new strategy, Instacart and Walmart Canada’s new launch, TikTok cancels eCommerce plans, Shopify invests in content management system
July 4th, 2022: Nike’s Direct-to-Consumer growth, Bed Bath and Beyond looks for a new CEO, Bill Ready joins Pinterest, and is Amazon planning a second Prime Day?
June 27th, 2022: Global-e acquires Borderfree, eBay acquires KnownOrigin, Walmart and Roku team up, and Amazon appoints Doug Herrington
June 20th, 2022: Amazon’s Consumer CEO departs, Jokr is leaving the US market, The RealReal Founder is out, and Amazon announces Prime Day
June 13th, 2022: Special Edition! Rick speaks with Hamaad Akmal
June 6th, 2022: Special Edition! Rick speaks to John Lawson, CEO of ColderICE Media
May 30th, 2022: Stripe’s new app marketplace, the state of the consumer, Ulta’s announcement, and the secondhand US market.
May 23rd, 2022: Walmart’s profitability miss, REI’s circular commerce efforts, Klarna’s virtual shopping feature, and Target’s Q1 earnings
May 16th, 2022: Instacart’s confidential IPO, Amazon’s Selz acquisition, the launch of Shopify Audiences, and Amazon’s last mile rural delivery
May 9th, 2022: Shopify’s Deliverr Acquisition, The Warehouse Market in Flux, Walmart’s New Activewear Line, Thrasio’s Layoffs and New CEO, and the State of the Economy
The Watson Weekly: A Quick Break!
April 25th, 2022: USPS’ New Mail Plan, the Buy Now, Pay Later Industry, Walmart Adds PayPal’s CFO, and Andy Jassy’s First Shareholder Letter
April 18th, 2022: Etsy Strike Fizzles, the New eCommerce Site, Target and ThredUp, Shopify’s Succession Plan
April 11th, 2022: Farfetch invests in Neiman Marcus, the new CEO of FedEx, Macy’s expands supply chain operations, and Staten Island Amazon workers unionize
April 4th, 2022: Recent Retail Earnings Call, The Digital Markets Act, SHEIN Solidifying Fast-Fashion Lead, and Target’s Transformation
March 28th, 2022: Guggenheim Partners’ Research, Amazon Roll Up Companies, FedEx’s Recent Earnings Call, and Google’s Last Mile Fleet Solution
March 21st, 2022: Marc Andreessen thoughts on retail stores, Walmart’s linchpin, Macy’s staying ahead of “The Reaper”, and Amazon’s gain in eCommerce
March 14th, 2022: Kohl’s Transformation, Nordstrom’s Ad Expansion, Shopify’s Shipping Platform, and Amazon’s Investment in eCommerce Software
Special Edition with Bill Williams
Brands’ dependency on retailers, Amazon’s investments in cashierless stores, Albertsons review of its business, and Target’s 2021 Q4 earnings
February 28th, 2022: Walmart enters new economic environment, USPS Connect, what Daniel Loeb sees in Amazon, and Macy’s isn’t breaking up.
February 21st, 2022: Amazon and diversifying sellers, Shopify’s Q4 earnings, Hasbro and Mattel, and the 2021 PitchBook venture capital report.
February 14th, 2022: Meta’s shrinking advertising lead, new CMS and eCommerce churn data, Amazon’s advertising, and what modern retailers must do to survive
February 7th, 2022: The Washington State Attorney General investigation and Amazon, UPS 2021 Q4 earnings, Glossier’s recent layoffs, and declines at Bed, Bath, and Beyond
January 31st, 2022: Amazon’s New ‘Style” Department Store Concept, Gopuff’s First Private Label Line, Walmart’s Plans for GoLocal, and the Latest on Shopify
January 24th, 2022: Toyota and Amazon launch Amazon Parts Store, 2022 Supply Chain Issues, Online Grocery Sales of Alcohol, and Kohl’s Investor Macellum Capital
January 17th, 2022: Reactions to Shopify’s App Store Changes, Accenture’s Predictions About Social Commerce, Walmart Expands In-Home Delivery, and IKEA’s Price Changes
January 10th, 2022: Walmart leads in click and collect and curbside orders, Amazon’s potential web stores product, Fanatics buys Topps trading card business, and the U.S. retail sales growth
January 3rd, 2021: Top 5 stories of 2021!
December 27th, 2021: A New Consumer Probe, Nordstrom's Off-Price Rack Business, McDonald's Sells Software to Mastercard, and Shopify's New Board Member
December 20th, 2021: Meta and Shopify, Carolyn Everson’s early departure, new marketplaces, and buy now, pay later in 2022
December 13th, 2021: Amazon’s profitability, activist investors and Kohl’s, Allbirds Q3 losses, and the state of the supply chain issue
December 6th, 2021: PopSugar partners with Target, Amazon’s sales soar, the Metaverse, and Amazon’s third-party logistics market.
December 1st, 2021: Commercetools’ New Acquisition, Cyber Week, UPS and FedEx Holiday Crunch, and Nike Invests in the Metaverse
November 22nd, 2021: Shopify’s Hydrogen Custom Storefront Framework, Walmart’s Q3 Earnings, Amazon’s New Payment Options, and Target Continues Great Operational Execution
November 15th, 2021: Saks eCommerce split, Square and the future of currency and payment, the status of livestreaming in the U.S., and American Eagle Outfitters acquires logistics capabilities
November 8th, 2021: Supply Constraints Slow Down Advertising, Bed Bath & Beyond Signs With Kroger, Amazon’s Challenging Earnings, and Shopify’s Fulfillment Strategy
November 1st, 2021: Poshmark’s Brand Closet Program, Mailchimp and Shopify, UPS Earnings, and Amazon Launches an In-Store Pickup Option
October 25th, 2021: J.B. Hunt’s shipping costs, instant delivery startups, Instacart acquires Caper, and shoppers may spend more this holiday season.
October 18th, 2021: Macy’s eCommerce business, Michael’s eCommerce marketplace, Thrasio delays SPAC deal, and the port delays prompt big-company workarounds.
October 11th, 2021: Amazon and Target get a head start on the holidays, Google updates its eCommerce strategy, Home Depot signs up with Walmart GoLocal, and Rent the Runway files for IPO
October 4th, 2021: Amazon’s fall showcase, Bloomingdale’s new Bloomie stores, Content Play from Pinterest and Albertsons, and an IOU Christmas?
September 27th, 2021: Chewy’s new marketplace for veterinarians, Kroger doubles down on Instacart, Shopify expands its cross-border services, and FedEx’s first quarter 2022
September 20th, 2021: Shopify, Big Boxes, Malls, and Mailchimp
September 13th, 2021: Disney’s Retail Locations, Companies on a Potential Collision Course, Amazon’s Growing Interest in Planes, and the Future of Instacart
September 7th, 2021: The Buy Now, Pay Later Space, CPG Brands are Testing eCommerce, The State of the Global Supply Chain, and The Investor Minute!
August 30th, 2021: Macy's Turnaround Strategy, Walmart’s Delivery Service, Urban Outfitters, Amazon’s Investment in Department Stores, and the Investor Minute!
August 23rd, 2021: Wish.com, Walmart and Target’s Q2 Earnings, Instacart, and introducing The Investor Minute!
August 9th, 2021: Amazon’s Drone Program and Advertising Business, Walmart Sells Software, Square’s $29B Acquisition of AfterPay, Shopify’s Recent Earnings
July 26th, 2021: Grocery Giants, The Future of Malls, a Confidential IPO, eCommerce Meets Construction
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