eCommerce Minute

In a blog post earlier this week, Instagram announced Checkout, a new feature that allows users to buy items they find in their feeds without having to click out of the app. Checkout offers a secure shopping environment and doesn’t require members to log in because it stores members’ payment information.

MailChimp states that Shopify had released updated terms that would negatively impact their business and put users at risk.

In this super-sized episode, co-hosts John Suder and Bart Mroz break down the announcements made at Apple's "It's Show Time" event on March 25, 2019.

For  $36  a year - plus about $11.29 per order, depending on the blend, Bottomless will keep you stocked with your favorite beans before you even run out.

Bottomless sends its members an internet-connected scale free of charge, which members place under their bag of coffee grounds. The scale weighs the beans and when it sees you running low, it sends a fresh bag o' beans to your doorstep.

Attempting to make your next trip to Walmart a more pleasant one, Walmart will allow shoppers to return purchases and get a refund without having to walk more than a few steps into a store. 

Employees called “customer hosts” will personally process shopper returns by the front doors of select Walmart locations. 

Greg Foran, President, and CEO of Walmart US, announced this new service at the UBS Global Consumer and Retail Conference on March 6. 

Amazon recently announced a new feature that could help stop the porch pirates. 

The new feature is called Amazon Day, and it allows Prime members to pick the day on which all their orders from the week will be delivered all  – at once.

Calling it “a new level of delivery convenience and predictability,” Amazon says Amazon Day will be available immediately for U.S.-based Amazon Prime members.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is teaming with the New York City Department of Sanitation and NYC Economic Development Corp. for a citywide social media campaign titled #WearNext in order to reduce the amount of clothing being dumped in landfills.

The NYC Department of Sanitation has created a map that will guide people to more than 1,100 locations across the city where they can take clothes they no longer wear. Participating stores and other locations across the city will act as drop-off points.

The campaign also encourages consumers to find ways to repair, reuse, resell or swap old clothing.

A recent report by Bloomberg says the retailer will be releasing a tablet device in the near future. The tablet will be marketed under Walmart's ONN brand. 

The report states that the tablet is being manufactured by a supplier in China and will run on Android. The target audience for the device is children.

The Wally Shop is a Brooklyn, New York-based startup that bills itself as a zero-waste grocery store.

It is an eco-friendly way to get your groceries.  When you order, a bike courier will head to a farmer’s market or food co-op and deliver it to you.  This cuts down on carbon emissions.  All of the packaging that is used is recyclable, which cuts down on trash.

The first store is set for Los Angeles in the fall of 2019 and the company has reportedly signed at least two additional locations for 2020 openings.  It is negotiating to open stores in San Francisco, Seattle, and Philadelphia.  The Journal also reports Amazon is exploring buying regional grocery chains to accelerate its growth.

Unlike Whole Foods, the new grocery chain is expected to be more like a traditional supermarket.  \Whole Foods targets higher-end shoppers and good typically cost more.  A new grocery chain may target more price-sensitive shoppers.