Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Garner, North Carolina voted against unionizing in election results announced today. According to Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE), the worker group seeking to form the union, 3,276 ballots were cast in the election, with 25.3% of votes in favor of unionizing and 74.7% against. The results…
Category: Commerce
Commerce, DSA, Europe, Global Security News, Government & Policy, In Brief, Social
EU’s Disinformation Code moves closer to becoming DSA benchmark
Staying on the right side of the European Union’s online rulebook when it comes to the slippery topic of disinformation is set to get easier for platforms that commit to the bloc’s long-standing Code of Practice on Disinformation. You know, the voluntary Code that Elon Musk pulled X (formerly Twitter) out of back in 2023.…
Commerce, fast food, food, food delivery, Global IT News, Global Security News, lanch, Social
Lanch bags $27M for a social media-skewed take on fast food
E-commerce startups built around food continue to gobble up funding as investors look for sticky consumer concepts that can scale without breaking the bank. On Wednesday, Germany’s Lanch — which taps social media and influencers to develop popular food brands alongside retail networks for distributing them — closed funding of €26 million ($27 million) to…
Amazon, Apps, Commerce, E-Commerce, Global IT News, Global Security News, online shopping, Shopping
Amazon tests sending customers directly to brands’ websites when it doesn’t stock their products
Remember that Christmas movie “Miracle on 34th Street,” where Macy’s in-store Santa, Kris Kringle, sends a frazzled shopper to a competitor’s store to find the Christmas present her son wanted because Macy’s was out of stock? Now, Amazon is doing the same thing online. The retailer announced on Tuesday the test of a new Amazon…
Commerce, Global IT News, Global Security News
Shopify took down Kanye’s swastika T-shirt shop, but another antisemitic storefront still operates
Shopify took down Kanye West’s online store after the musician sold T-shirts with the swastika symbol. West, who also goes by Ye, advertised his online store in a Super Bowl commercial on Sunday, directing viewers to his website, where the only item listed was the swastika T-shirt. Though Shopify removed a policy banning sellers from…
BRKZ, Commerce, construction materials, construction tech, Global IT News, Global Security News, MENA, Saudi Arabia
Saudi’s BRKZ closes $17M Series A for its construction tech platform
Construction procurement is highly fragmented, manual, and opaque, forcing contractors to juggle multiple suppliers, endure lengthy negotiations, and deal with delayed payments. In Saudi Arabia, where trillion-dollar infrastructure and real estate projects are underway, these inefficiencies are even more pronounced. To address this, BRKZ, a Riyadh-based construction tech startup, offers a tech-enabled managed marketplace that…
Commerce, de minimis, ecommerce, foreign policy, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government, Government & Policy, imports, online shopping, Politics, retail, Shopping, trade, Trump, Trump Administration
Shopify pushes for ‘open trade’ as Trump delays import exemption
On the same day that President Donald Trump delayed ending a trade exemption targeting certain Chinese imports, ecommerce company Shopify published a blog post making its stance on U.S. trade policy clear. In the post, Shopify endorsed “open trade,” calling for regulators to give online merchants the “freedom to expand without constraints imposed by geopolitical…
Commerce, Global IT News, Global Security News, India, Instamart, Swiggy, Zepto, zomato
Swiggy, 2024’s biggest tech listing, falls below its IPO price and 2022 valuation
Indian food delivery company Swiggy’s stock fell below both its IPO price and its last private valuation as mounting losses and a wavering market position in quick commerce pressured its margins in the last quarter. The food delivery company’s stock fell as low as ₹374.80 ($4.29) on Thursday below its November IPO price of ₹390,…
Commerce, Europe, Global Security News, Government & Policy, shein digital services act, shein dsa, shein dsa rfi
Shein gets more questions from EU about DSA compliance
After consumer protection scrutiny dialled up on fast-fashion giant Shein in the European Union on Wednesday, the bloc’s executive announced Thursday that it’s sent a fresh request for information (RFI) to the ecommerce platform under the Digital Services Act (DSA), a pan-EU online governance framework. The Commission oversees larger platforms’ compliance with a subset of…
Commerce, Global IT News, Global Security News, India, Instamart, zomato
India’s Zomato to rebrand as Eternal
Indian food delivery group Zomato plans to rename itself as Eternal, a strategic shift as its quick commerce unit Blinkit becomes a significant driver of future growth. The Gurugram-based company, which joined India’s benchmark BSE Sensex in December, said on Tuesday the name change would better reflect its expanding business portfolio that includes quick commerce…
Commerce, eu ecommerce product safety, eu ecommerce toolbox, Europe, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Shein
Shein hit with consumer protection action in EU as bloc unboxes strategy to tackle low-cost ecommerce risks
Chinese ecommerce and fast fashion giant Shein is facing fresh scrutiny in the European Union in relation to consumer protection rules following the launch of a coordinated action by the bloc’s Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPCN). The action is being conducted with reference to the EU’s Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, Consumer Rights Directive, Unfair Contracts…
Commerce, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, saas startups, sotira, Startups
Sotira lands $2M to help brands offload and monetize their surplus inventory
An estimated 20% to 30% of all inventory in the U.S. is surplus, with much of it ending up in landfills. A startup called Sotira wants to help address this problem: It leverages AI to help companies offload and monetize their surplus inventory. Sotira partners with brands to offload millions of pounds of surplus grocery,…
Apps, Commerce, Global IT News, Global Security News, India, Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Retail, Shein, TC
Shein app returns to India via Reliance deal
Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein has relaunched in India through a partnership with Reliance Retail, nearly five years after it was banned amid diplomatic tensions between New Delhi and Beijing. The new Shein India Fast Fashion app, developed and launched by billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Retail, marks the firm’s significant return to one of Asia’s largest…
Amazon, Commerce, Global IT News, Global Security News, Layoffs
Amazon cuts jobs in Sustainability department
Amazon is eliminating roles in its Communications and Sustainability departments, per an internal memo seen by TechCrunch. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Commerce, corporate travel, Global IT News, Global Security News, marketplace, Naboo, Startups
Naboo secures $21M for its concierge-style corporate event booking platform
If you’ve ever tried to book a venue for a company event, you’ll know how onerous a task it can be. You have to contact multiple vendors, wait for quotes, evaluate them, see if you can get a good deal, and then get all that approved. So it makes sense that depending on the size…
Amazon, CMA, Commerce, fake reviews, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Government & Policy
Google commits to combatting fake reviews in the UK after 5-year probe
The U.K.’s antitrust regulator has reached an agreement with Google to counter the scourge of fake online reviews. The internet giant has committed to several remedies. Bogus endorsements have blighted the web since the creation of user reviews, which is why regulators around the world have been upping the ante on tech companies to put…
Commerce, Fintech, Global IT News, Global Security News, In Brief, Layoffs, stripe
Stripe is laying off 300 people, but says it still plans to hire in 2025
Fintech giant Stripe is laying off 300 people, according to a leaked memo reported on Tuesday by Business Insider. The affected employees are “largely in product, engineering, and operations roles,” the memo said. Despite the layoffs, Chief People Officer Rob McIntosh said that Stripe intends to still grow its headcount by 17% “to land at…
Commerce, Fintech, Global IT News, Global Security News
Qomodo raises $13.9M to expand BNPL for Italy’s main-street retailers
Payments and financial solutions are two-a-penny at this point, but mostly for online e-commerce. What about physical stores? In 2023 Qomodo, a Milan-based “all-in-one” payment methods aggregator for physical merchants, came out with a €34.5 million ($36.9 million) pre-seed round (mostly debt), which we covered, to expand the BNPL model into other categories. It’s now…
Blinkit, Commerce, Global IT News, Global Security News, India, Quick commerce, Zepto, zomato
Blinkit signals costly battle ahead in Indian quick commerce market
Zomato’s quick commerce unit Blinkit is accelerating its expansion and expects continued losses as competition intensifies in India’s instant delivery market. Blinkit now aims to reach 2,000 dark stores – small warehouses in residential areas that exclusively service online orders – by December 2025, a year ahead of its previous guidance, after exceeding 1,000 stores…
Breach, Commerce, consumer, Cybersecurity, Global Security News, insider threat, Security Awareness, Security Boulevard (Original), Social - Facebook, Social - LinkedIn, Social - X, Vercara
Cybersecurity Breaches Degrade Consumer Trust, but Apathy Rises
Most consumers are still unaware of their own role in cybersecurity incidents and continue to place primary blame on external bad actors. The post Cybersecurity Breaches Degrade Consumer Trust, but Apathy Rises appeared first on Security Boulevard.
Africa, clothing resale, Commerce, FARO, Fashion, Global Security News, recommerce, secondhand
Fast-growing South African venture FARO raises $6M to source, refurbish and sell surplus clothing
Global fashion brands grapple with excess inventory. ASOS, for instance, had over £1.2 billion of unsold products in 2022. Mostly, these brands avoid reselling in core markets like the UK and the U.S. to prevent market cannibalization. Meanwhile, emerging markets like Africa heavily rely on secondhand clothing imports, but 30% to 40% of these items…
Caramel, Commerce, eBay, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, Transportation
eBay acquires Caramel to reduce risk and complexity of online car sales
E-commerce giant eBay has announced plans to acquire Caramel, a startup that helps car sellers and buyers complete the final steps of the transaction — including verification, financing, paperwork, ownership transfer, insurance, and more. Founded out of Los Angeles in 2021, Caramel formally launched last year with some $19 million in funding behind it, from…
Commerce, gifting, Global IT News, Global Security News
Snappy aquires swag-gifting startup Covver as it seks to roll-up players
It’s now broadly accepted that customers and employees who receive corporate gifts end up appreciating the brand much more, and for not a lot of outlay. The market for this has thus exploded. One market player, the New York-based Snappy, which has raised over $125 million to date, is now acquiring Covver, a corporate merchandise…
Asia Pacific, Commerce, Global Security News, IPO, Shein
Shein is still looking to IPO
Shein is still looking to IPO, Reuters reports. The company is looking to list on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and could complete its IPO as early as April. The push for London comes after the company stopped trying to list in the U.S. as lawmakers raised concerns over the company’s connections to China and…
Automattic, Commerce, Global IT News, Global Security News, wordpress, wp engine
Automattic says it will reduce its contribution to WordPress core project to match WP Engine
It’s a new year, but drama in the WordPress community keeps going. Automattic, the company that runs WordPress.com, said that it would reduce its contribution to WordPress core, the open-source project that acts as the backbone of most of Automattic’s products and ensures the longevity of WordPress as a technology and community. Automattic CEO and…
Commerce, E-Commerce, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, online shopping, pdq, prettydamnquick
PrettyDamnQuick snaps up $25M to speed up online checkout
A startup hoping to provide a credible alternative to Amazon has picked up funding to double down on the gap in the market. PrettyDamnQuick (PDQ) provides tech to retailers to let them customize and test different shipping and checkout flows, and now it has picked up a deal of its own: a $25 million Series…
Commerce, Dunzo, Flipkart, Global IT News, Global Security News, India
Flipkart taps Dunzo founder to lead quick commerce push
Flipkart has hired Kabeer Biswas, co-founder of Indian delivery startup Dunzo, as the Walmart-owned e-commerce group expands its quick commerce business in the world’s most populous nation. Biswas will lead Flipkart’s quick commerce business, called Flipkart Minutes, a source familiar with the situation told TechCrunch. The move follows Flipkart engaging with Biswas over a potential…
Commerce, eBay, Europe, Facebook, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Meta
Facebook Marketplace to display eBay listings to appease EU regulators
Meta is set to start displaying eBay listings in its own Facebook Marketplace classifieds platform, in an effort to appease European regulators. Back in November, Meta was hit with a €798 million fine by the European Commission (EC) in Europe for breaching antitrust rules. The EC contended that Meta created “unfair trading conditions” by connecting…
Apps, Commerce, E-Commerce, funding rounds, Global IT News, Global Security News, livestream shopping, series E funding, Whatnot
Livestream shopping app Whatnot raises $265M, pinning valuation at nearly $5B
Whatnot, the platform that allows users to sell items such as trading cards, comics, and sneakers through live videos, announced on Wednesday that it has secured $265 million in a Series E funding round, a significant investment for a livestream shopping platform. This round puts Whatnot’s valuation at $4.97 billion. The investment marks an important…
Commerce, Global IT News, Global Security News, grubhub, In Brief, just eat takeaway, wonder
Just Eat Takeaway completes Grubhub sale to Wonder for a modest $650M
After looking for a buyer for more than two years, Just Eat Takeaway.com has finally closed the menu on Grubhub. On Tuesday, the Dutch food delivery giant said it completed the sale of the U.S. business to Wonder, the food startup founded and led by e-commerce veteran Marc Lore. The deal has an enterprise value…
AI, Commerce, Global Security News, holiday spending, Salesforce
Online spending grew 3% to a record $1.2T over holiday period, says Salesforce
Online spending rose 3% to a record $1.2 trillion globally over the holiday period, with U.S.-sales, specifically, growing 4% to $282 billion. That’s according to a new report from Salesforce, which aggregated data from across its various cloud services, including Agentforce, Commerce Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and Service Cloud, to garner insights into spending activity spanning…
AI, Amazon, Commerce, generative AI videos, Global IT News, Global Security News, Peak XV Partners, tiger global
Avataar releases new tool to create AI-generated videos for products
Generative AI models have reached a baseline capability of producing at least a passable video from a single image or short sentence. Companies building products around these models are claiming that anyone can make a snazzy promo video if they have some images or recordings — and videos usually perform better than static images or…
Commerce, Devin Stone, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, honey, PayPal
YouTuber LegalEagle sues PayPal over ‘sleeping leech’ Honey extension
A new lawsuit alleges that the PayPal-owned browser extension Honey is cheating creators out of money. Honey, which PayPal acquired for $4 billion in 2019, works by automatically presenting users with relevant coupon codes as they shop. However, in a video posted last month, YouTuber MegaLag described Honey as a “scam” that’s “stealing money from…
Commerce, consumer goods, Global IT News, Global Security News, Hindustan Unilever, India, minimalist, Startups, Unilever Ventures
Hindustan Unilever in talks to acquire Peak XV-backed Minimalist for up to $350M
Consumer goods giant Hindustan Unilever is in advanced talks to acquire four-year-old direct-to-consumer startup Minimalist for up to $350 million, according to two people familiar with the matter. An acquisition would add to the Unilever subsidiary’s buying spree in India, where it expanded into the health and wellbeing category by acquiring Oziva and Wellbeing Nutrition…
Automattic, Commerce, Global IT News, Global Security News, matt mullenweg, wordpress, wp engine
Yoast CEO calls for a ‘federated’ approach to WordPress repository
Days after web hosting provider WP Engine won a preliminary injunction against WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg and rival hosting provider Automattic, Mullenweg announced that WordPress.org is taking a holiday break. WordPress.com — a site that provides access to WordPress plug-ins, themes, and other artifacts to the community — will take a break from providing free…
Commerce, consolidation, despegar, Global IT News, Global Security News, Prosus, tourism, travel
Prosus buys Despegar for $1.7B, taking a bite out of Latin America’s travel sector
Yet another major investment is going down in the travel sector, underscoring its ongoing rebound after the Covid-19 pandemic. Prosus, the tech conglomerate controlled by Naspers, is paying $1.7 billion to acquire Despegar, one of the biggest online travel agencies in Latin America, to scale up its operations in the region. Despegar’s board of directors…
Commerce, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, India, reliance industries, Reliance Retail, Shein, Startups
Shein must cede Indians’ data, control of local ops to re-enter India
Shein must surrender all data of Indian customers and control of its local operations to its partner, Reliance Retail, and keep operations fully local to re-enter the Indian market, according to new government disclosures that reveal how the apparel and accessories retailer secured a rare exception to India’s ban on Chinese-linked apps. In a parliamentary…
Airbnb, Commerce, Fundraising, general atlantic, Global Security News, hostaway, Real estate, tourism, travel, Vacation Rentals
Travel is back: Hostaway raises $365M at a $925M valuation
The tourism and travel industries — after several tough years that included not just a global health pandemic but economic and geopolitical upheaval — are finally back on track, expected to make a “full recovery” to pre-pandemic levels of activity, the UN said earlier this month. As an indicator of that, Hostaway, one of the…