News Cart for July 10th

Below is your eCommerce News Cart for July 10th, 2018

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In the News:

Amazon Jumps into the Pharmacy Business with $1 Billion Pillpack Acquisition

• The purchase includes licenses allowing Amazon to sell drugs in all 50 U.S. states
• Shares of Walgreens, Rite Aid and CVS immediately dropped 6-9% on the news
• 90% of all pharmacy orders are fulfilled in-store, an industry ripe for online disruption

Facebook Begins Disclosing Who is Behind Ads

• You can now see all the ads a Page is actively running on Facebook, Instagram and FB Messenger
• Worry about potential competitive intelligence issues from store owners
• Ads can also be flagged by users, opening up the doors for abuse alongside legitimate flagging use

Shopify Acquires Return Magic

• The app streamlines Shopify product return process via a clean UX and pre-printed shipping labels for customers
• Hopefully Shopify works the functionality into their core offering, upgrading returns for everyone

A Bigger Amazon Prime Day 2018 Arrives July 16

• Prime Day 2017 was Amazon’s largest sales day ever, even bigger than Black Friday
• Lasting 36 hours, Amazon will offer deep discounts on their hardware like Echo and at Whole Foods
• Includes a sweepstake for all Prime shoppers, with a shot at winning a Lexus and other prizes

PayPal Checkout Can Now be Personalized to Each Shopper

• PayPal Checkout’s new “smart payment buttons” will update to display the right set of options for different geographies
• Example:  Show iDEAL in the Netherlands; Bancontact in Belgium; MyBank in Italy; Giropay in Germany.

Google Is Retiring AdWords

• …at least the name!  Google AdWords is being re-branded as Google Ads.
• DoubleClick advertiser products and Google Analytics 360 Suite are now under the brand Google Marketing Platform.
• Functionality will largely remain the same

Top Forum Discussions:

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• Call for Speakers – ECF Live 2019
• Facebook Is Showing Everybody’s Ads Now
• Branding Question: Should We Change Our Name?
• Amazon Is Selling our Product Against Us
• How Much do you pay your VAs?

Interesting Reads:

A Lost Secret:  How to Get Kids to Pay Attention – There’s a surprising link between autonomy and ability to focus in children.  This article explores the connection and how to help your own kids develop deeper levels of focus.

What Self-Awareness Really Is (and How to Cultivate It) – Dives into the different types of self-awareness, and the specific ways you can become a more self-aware (and successful) person.

Malcolm Gladwell’s 12 Rules for Life (Podcast Episode) – Gladwell explores why social norms and our fear of looking bad frequently keep us from making decisions in our best interest.

Top Jobs:

(Compelling opportunities from the eCommerceFuel Job Board.  Find your dream job or post your own job opening right here.)

eCommerce Marketing Associate | Elements Brands– If you get excited about analytics, campaign creation, conversion rates and landing pages, this job is for you.  For this role you’ll need:

• Experience building and managing AdWords and Facebook campaigns from top to bottom.
• Experience working with and reporting to multiple clients (agency experience is a plus).
• Location: Charlotte, NC

Other interesting positions:

• Director of Marketing | The Goulet Pen Company | Richmond, VA
• Art Director | Beardbrand | Austin, TX
• eCommerce Marketing Manager | Spirited Gifts | Miami, FL
• Programs & Digital Marketing Manager |  West Paw | Bozeman, MT

Andrew’s Musings

This week Andrew talks about an impressive habit his Father develops.  To listen, click the play button on the audio player above.

Post by Andrew Youderian

Andrew is the founder of eCommerceFuel and has been building eCommerce businesses ever since gleefully leaving the corporate world in 2008.  Join him and 1,000+ vetted 7- and 8-figure store owners inside the eCommerceFuel Community.