Here is a list of product releases and updates for late-September from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on social commerce, AI marketing, live streaming, personalization, conversational commerce, and installment payments.
Got an ecommerce product release? Email releases@practicalecommerce.com.
Ecommerce Product Releases
Mailchimp launches AI tools for small businesses. Mailchimp released a set of AI-based tools for small businesses that include personalized product recommendations and forecasting tools for behavioral targeting. There’s also an AI tool to help design visual assets, write better email subject lines, and choose the next best action to improve email campaign performance.
Mailchimp
Instagram and Facebook selling come to GoDaddy ecommerce. GoDaddy announced that customers can now sell their products on Instagram and Facebook through “Websites + Marketing Ecommerce.” Customers can create shoppable posts and set up shops on both Instagram and Facebook. Products added to customers’ online stores will sync to their Instagram and Facebook accounts. Updates to product information (description, photos, price, quantity) also sync automatically.
Sana launches Commerce Cloud. Sana’s new Commerce Cloud is a flexible ecommerce platform that features decoupled front- and back-ends for a robust user experience, user-friendly and intuitive content management, support for search engine optimization and online marketing, and more.
Amazon introduces Explore. Amazon has launched Explore, an interactive live-streaming service that allows users to learn, shop, and discover new places from a computer. Take consumers on a virtual tour of your shop, or share your skills in a virtual lesson. Amazon Explore is now accepting applications for anyone interested in hosting virtual experiences.
Amazon Explore
Walmart Marketplace introduces Shipping Templates. Walmart has released new shipping templates for its marketplace. The all-new “Shipping Templates for Marketplace” simplifies the setup of shipping settings and makes customized delivery options easy for both Seller Center and API users. The 15-plus easy-to-use templates include custom configurations, flexible transit times, granular delivery regions, and reports.
ReadyCloud Suite joins WooCommerce Marketplace. ReadyCloud Suite — a shipping, returns, and customer-management suite for ecommerce — has been added to WooCommerce Marketplace. Using ReadyCloud, sellers receive insight across sales channels such as WooCommerce, Amazon, eBay, and Walmart accounts. Sellers can also create contacts from orders to track purchase and return history.
Button adds Drop. Button, a mobile commerce technology company, has announced that Drop, a rewards app for millennials, has launched on Button’s Personalization API that is part of Button Evolution, a suite of personalization and intelligence products for the affiliate industry. Through Drop’s integration with Button’s Personalization API, brands in Drop’s rewards program can target unique audiences to offer them more tailored rewards and optimize these offers in real-time.
xSellco secures Google partnership. Ecommerce platform xSellco has been named a verified Google partner. The partnership will open opportunities to xSellco’s global client base of ecommerce sellers. Through the partnership, xSellco has integrated its suite of ecommerce products with Google’s retail program. The integration will empower more than 9,000 ecommerce sellers worldwide using xSellco products to show their products on Google.
xSellco
Amazon announces “Luxury Stores.” Amazon has announced the launch of Luxury Stores, a new shopping experience featuring established and emerging luxury fashion and beauty brands. Luxury Stores utilizes innovative technology such as “View in 360,” which allows shoppers to explore styles in 360-degree detail to visualize fit. With collections sold directly from the participating brands as a store-within-a-store experience, brands independently decide inventory, selection, and pricing. Amazon offers the merchandising tools for brands to create and personalize content through immersive storytelling, such as enhanced, auto-play imagery and in-motion graphics.
Airship acquires conversational commerce company ReplyBuy. Customer engagement company Airship has announced that it has acquired ReplyBuy, a company that pioneered integrated services for payments over SMS. This move extends Airship’s platform beyond customer engagement to enable commerce and power one-to-one customer conversations via two-way SMS. Also, Airship plans to expand ReplyBuy’s technology to provide turnkey commerce and payment services across marketing channels, messaging platforms, and industry verticals.
Amazon announces Prime Day dates and small business promotion. Amazon’s annual Prime Day kicks off at midnight Pacific Time on Tuesday, October 13, and runs through Wednesday, October 14. Amazon is increasing its commitment to small business sellers. Through October 12, Amazon will offer Prime members a $10 credit to use on Prime Day when members spend $10 on items sold by select small businesses in Amazon’s store.
Sezzle partners with Ally Lending. Installment payments platform Sezzle has announced a partnership with Ally Lending, a division of Ally Bank. Ally Lending enables monthly fixed-rate installment loans that extend to 60 months and $40,000 through a fully digital application process. The partnership between Ally Lending and Sezzle will give Sezzle merchants and shoppers access to long-term financing, complementing Sezzle’s existing short-term, interest-free offering.
Sezzle
