Coffee & Commerce Newsletter: Edition #27 ?

Good afternoon,

Here are the headlines for this week: 10 January 2025

ECOMMERCE

?? Holiday e-commerce hits record as shoppers choose phones over stores

Online holiday sales hit $241.4 billion (+8.7% YoY), with 54.5% of transactions via mobile.

?? 25 years of retail trends: Amazon, customer data and AI

Amazon now holds 41.1% of U.S. retail e-commerce, while AI drives personalised shopping.

?? USPS resumes mail to Canada

Mail services to Canada restarted after a Canada Post strike caused holiday delays.

?? New EU regulations for the fashion industry

New rules mandate textile waste collection and prove materials don’t contribute to deforestation.

CONSUMERS

?? Over a third of U.S. consumers took on holiday debt

Holiday debt averaged $1,181 per person, with Millennials most impacted (42%).

?? U.S. credit card defaults at highest level since 2010

Banks wrote off $45.7 billion in bad credit card debt in 2024 (+46% YoY).

RETAILERS

?? Recap: Retailers that filed for bankruptcy in 2024

Big Lots, The Body Shop and Party City struggled amid economic pressures.

?? How Walmart is gearing up to challenge Amazon

Walmart is expanding its online marketplace and ad business while enhancing stores.

?? Amazon's AWS to invest $11B in Georgia for AI infrastructure

The project will create 550 high-skilled jobs and support AI development.

?? Zulily’s antitrust suit against Amazon moves forward

Zulily alleges Amazon limits competition through price-fixing practices.

?? Shopify faces $60M lawsuit over technical failures

Redline Steel claims platform issues caused operational collapse, raising merchant concerns.

?? UK lawmakers summon Shein and Temu over labour practices

The inquiry scrutinises worker rights as Shein prepares for a London IPO.

ADVERTISING

?? Have we reached peak ad network?

Experts predict more specialised ad networks while dominant players like Amazon lead.

?? What RFK Jr.’s dislike for drug TV ads could mean

Kennedy’s push to ban drug ads faces legal hurdles but may influence ad practices.

MARKETING

???? Influencers are suing PayPal over its Honey browser extension

Lawsuits claim Honey’s attribution practices harm influencers’ affiliate earnings.

See you next week,

The ChannelSight Team

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