E-Commerce
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Hey v Apple Follow-Up, Shopify and Walmart, Three Follow-Ups
Apple’s likely next steps, encouraging moves from Shopify, and quick thoughts on the EU versus Apple, Section 230, and Zoom and encryption
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Platforms in an Aggregator World
Facebook Shops are good for Shopify merchants, but bad for Shopify; the answer is to push more into the real world.
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Apple Earnings, Amazon Earnings
Apple’s Earnings show the stabilizing factor of services and the upside of China; Amazon’s earnings show that supply constraints make forecasts easy.
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Shopify Shop, Shopify’s Reason to Exist, Google’s Earnings
Shopify launched the Shop.app, which is not only a poor experience but also makes no sense strategically. Then, Google’s earnings show how big tech is going to get even stronger.
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The Anti-Amazon Alliance
Google Shopping is changing its model, suggesting Google is joining the Anti-Amazon Alliance; 3rd-party merchants should do the same.
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Brandless Closes, The DTC Facebook Challenge, DTC Versus Softbank
Brandless is closing down, which is being spun into a commentary on Softbank. This is fair, but the bigger takeaway is about DTC broadly.
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Casper Files for IPO, Casper’s Business, Spotify Ad Targeting
Casper is a tech-enabled company, but so are its many competitors. Trying to win with brand is difficult in a market defined by infrequent purchases. Spotify, meanwhile, is seeking to expand the podcasting market beyond companies like Casper.