Who is making major moves into ecommerce? What report just came out? Let’s get down to what happened in commerce and tech news in the last week. This post is curated to help tune-out some of that noise and turn it into information that matters.

WHAT'S GOING ON IN COMMERCE THIS WEEK?
Facebook Inc. Making Major Moves into Ecommerce?
Perhaps it isn't the Facebook app (thankfully) that's being talked about, but the corporation is in talks about making a new standalone ecommerce app, developed by Instagram. Will it be an app that actually connects with Instagram? Will people use it? Will they be forced to use it?
What Does the New Salesforce Report Say About Ecommerce?
Salesforce conducted a retailer study called The Salesforce Shopper-First Retailing. In here, it explains what's happening in the retail space for both brick and mortar and online shopping experiences. Some of the stats that came from this report includes 69% of consumers expect to see new merchandise each time they visit a store or commerce website and how 59% of the top 5% of the best-selling products change monthly.
eBay expanding authentication Program to Watches.
This program already existed for luxary handbags and wallets, but now they're expanding it to include watches. This is to help with the issue of fake items on eBay. With the use of third-party experts, people can be sure that the watch (or other luxury item) that they're buying is authentic in every way that the seller is suggesting them to be. It's another step to keep eBay in the eyes of people who are looking to buy actual vintage and luxury goods at a decent price.
More Amazon Go Stores?
In less than a year, Amazon Go has not only officially opened in Seattle, but has gotten its third location (all three, still in Seattle). This time, it's the biggest one yet. This is inline with their plan to open at least six stores in 2018. With the year soon coming to a close, it's not a surprise that two stores opened within a month of each other. This is the biggest one yet, but it doesn't give much information on future stores except for the fact that Amazon believes in the idea and the technology.
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT SMITH THIS WEEK
Meet Us at B2B Next
B2B organizations have a new conference they can attend in Chicago. Join us at the Sheraton Grand from September 24-26 where there will be networking events, workshops, and more. Find Out More Here
Watch Our Webinar on Endless Transformation
You care deeply about your customers and are dedicated to delivering the best products and services. But in today’s disruptive B2B landscape that’s not enough. Endless Transformation is an interactive video webinar that focuses on three core pillars: Transformation, Technology, and ROI. Watch it here
SMITH'S GUIDE TO: COMMERCE FOR MANUFACTURERS
If you’re one of the 60% of US manufacturers without an ecommerce platform, you’re missing your share of nearly $1 trillion in B2B ecommerce transactions this year. Take the next step in your transformation today. Read it here
WHAT’S NEXT?
If you’d like to discuss these topics further, SMITH can help.
Whether you’re exploring an evolution in your approach to selling by moving to pure ecommerce or a hybrid approach, looking for an edge in operations optimization with augmented reality, or ready to deploy intelligent replenishment for your customers, we can help.
