By Bob Brodie, SUMO Heavy Co-founder, and CTO

For retailers that want a presence in China, Tmall offers them the opportunity. However, before they make a commitment to the platform, SUMO Heavy CTO Bob Brodie says they should consider the risks.

Target says it “will not accept any new cost increases related to tariffs on goods imported from China.”

Amazon is testing a new “Top Brand” badge for products from established brands. If and how this badge gets rolled out could have a substantial impact on how shoppers decide which products to buy as well as how established brands defend against price-aggressive private label products.

The last machines to invade people’s space at scale were cars; now, it’s Walmart’s robots. How’s that going?

FedEx decided “not to get into bed with Amazon,” which is shaping up to be a shipping rival. Instead, FedEx is joining forces with Walmart.

Many trends will emerge from the 2019 Christmas shopping season, but I believe three will be prominent. First, click-and-collect may encourage shoppers to wait for last-minute deals and convenience. Second, mobile commerce will come into its own. And third, Amazon will account for nearly half of all online holiday sales in 2019.

Enter e-commerce personalization—a way companies can effectively engage with their customers through highly relevant product offers, recommendations, and other valuable content. According to a 2018 e-commerce personalization report, most online retailers offer some form of personalization.

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the iconic 1979 hip hop track “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugar Hill Gang.