Voicelabs, a company that has been experimenting in the voice computing market for some time with initiatives in advertising and analytics, is now pivoting its business again – this time, to voice-enabled commerce. The company is today launching its latest product out of stealth: Alpine.AI, a solution that builds voice shopping apps for retailers by importing their catalog, then layering… Read More
Category: e-commerce
Walmart and Rakuten partner on grocery delivery in Japan, Kobo e-books and audiobooks in U.S.
Walmart today announced a major expansion in terms of its global e-commerce presence: the retailer is entering a strategic partnership with Tokyo-based Rakuten, which will see the companies collaborating on the launch of a new online grocery serv…
View More Walmart and Rakuten partner on grocery delivery in Japan, Kobo e-books and audiobooks in U.S.Amazon takes on Wish with an “Under $10” selection of products that ship for free
Amazon has quietly launched a new feature that’s seemingly aimed at helping the retailer better compete with discount shopping apps such as Wish and others. In the Amazon iOS app and on the web, Amazon recently added a new section offering products under $10 that ship for free. Some of the products are also available on Prime, but the feature doesn’t appear to be limited to… Read More
Delivery logistics platform Bringg raises $12M from strategic investors, including Salesforce Ventures
Delivery logistics platform Bringg announced today it has raised another $12 million in Series B funding, bringing the total round to $22 million. The round, which follows the initial Series B from last spring includes new, strategic investment from automotive leader Dr. Shmuel Harlap, shipping and real estate magnate Eyal Ofer, and Salesforce Ventures. Previously, Bringg had raised $10… Read More
PSA: No, you can’t order a Batman toy by yelling ‘Batman’ at your Echo
There are a number of reasons why one may take issue with White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders using the official @PressSec Twitter to register a personal complaint about a consumer product in her household, as she recently did with a tweet about Amazon Alexa and Echo speakers. But the one issue we’re going to mention here on TechCrunch is that she’s incorrectly characterizing… Read More
Alibaba blames politics as Taobao retains place on US government naughty list
It hasn’t been a great couple of weeks for Alibaba in the U.S.. First affiliate Ant Financial’s proposed acquisition of MoneyGram collapsed due to objections from the U.S. government, now its Taobao service has the dubious honor of again featuring on the USTR (United States Trade Representative) naughty list. Taobao, Alibaba’s hugely popular marketplace, is among 25… Read More
E-commerce traffic spiked on New Year’s, too
The record-breaking e-commerce activity seen over Black Friday and the 2017 holiday shopping season led to a busier New Year’s online, as well. According to new data from Verizon’s* Holiday Retail Index, which tracks daily traffic to the top 25 online retailers in the U.S., both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day saw sizable percentage increases in online visits, over… Read More
Amazon shipped over 5 billion items with Prime in 2017
Amazon still won’t officially reveal how many consumers worldwide participate in its Amazon Prime membership program, but it did today offer a few new stats related to that program’s adoption and growth. The company on Tuesday announced that more new, paid members joined Prime worldwide in 2017 than any other year. It also noted that over 5 billion items worldwide shipped with Prime… Read More
FabFitFun expands its empire with a new app for Apple TV and Amazon Fire
FabFitFun, the women’s lifestyle subscription service and media company that’s become a household name among influencers of a certain generation, is expanding its empire with the launch of a new video app for Apple TV and Amazon Fire. The Los Angeles company founded by Daniel and Michael Broukhim has become one of the darlings of the tech scene in Southern California. Read More
Giving online retailers a physical returns location nets HappyReturns $8 million
As online retailers continue to seek out ways to bridge the digital divide between themselves and their customers, Happy Returns, which provides physical locations for online shoppers to return and refund unwanted purchases, has raised $8 million to help. The Santa Monica, Calif.-based company, raised its new money from U.S. Venture Partners along with previous investors Upfront Ventures… Read More
Giving online retailers a physical returns location nets HappyReturns $8 million
As online retailers continue to seek out ways to bridge the digital divide between themselves and their customers, Happy Returns, which provides physical locations for online shoppers to return and refund unwanted purchases, has raised $8 million to help. The Santa Monica, Calif.-based company, raised its new money from U.S. Venture Partners along with previous investors Upfront Ventures… Read More
Overstock’s CEO launches new trading platform and token, tZero
Few mainstream business leaders have taken to the blockchain quite like Patrick Byrne. The founder of Overstock.com has been accepting Bitcoin since 2014 and has been talking about disrupting the payments world with transparent, low-cost, and san…
View More Overstock’s CEO launches new trading platform and token, tZero