ECOMMERCE

Taking a page out of Birchbox's play book, The Vitamin Shoppe is going to be sending out personalized sample boxes of new products.    

Amazon is making great strides in the home and kitchen space with its Amazon Home store, which curates home and kitchen wares, furniture and appliances.   Housewares account for 15% of Amazon's growth in 2016, according to a report from One Click Retail. During the first two quarters of 2017, the growth of the home & kitchen product group has continued on an upward trajectory.   

Target is getting more pet-friendly as it extends its partnering initiatives with popular online retail brands.   The discounter announced it will sell toys and treats from Bark, the company that operates subscription-based online pet supplies retailer BarkBox. It's the first time Bark products will be available in retail stores.    Based in New York City, Bark launched in 2012 and now counts over 500,000 subscribers. It is known for its fun and quirky toy and natural treat lines.

Retailers are eager to combat the force of Amazon, but they lack the strategy, marketing dollars and digital resources to do so.   Specifically, 44% of retailers do not know how to respond to the power of Amazon, according to “A New Path for Retail: Co-Existing with the Force of Amazon.” The report is from Bluecore, a commerce decision platform provider.  

Despite posting a loss for the second quarter, Wayfair’s brand continues to gain traction and square off against competitors.   For the second quarter ended June 30, the home decor and furnishings e-retailer narrowed its net loss to $38.9 million from $48.3 million in the same period a year ago. It also posted a smaller-than-expected second quarter loss of 26 cents per share, beating analyst expectations of 46 cents per share, according to FactSet.  

Move over Amazon — China's largest online player is looking to take on the world.    Now the largest e-commerce company in the world with $430 billion in gross merchandise volume, Alibaba is seeking to become a global company as well with a goal of serving more than 2 billion shoppers, according to a new report by global think tank FGRT (Fung Global Retail & Technology).  

Shopping for groceries online has a long way to go before it catches on with the vast majority of U.S. consumers.   Nine percent of U.S. adults report that their household shop online for groceries at least once a month, including 4% who do it at least weekly, according to Gallup's annual Consumption Habits survey. By contrast, almost all Americans say someone in their family shops for groceries in person at least once a month, with 83% going at least once a week.  

Amazon has a stronger foothold in the private-label market than some may realize.   Besides its AmazonBasics house line, which includes small items from iPhone chargers, to batteries, power strips, the online giant is selling products across a wide array of categories. Specifically, Amazon features approximately 19 company-owned brands that are exclusively available on Amazon, reported Quartz.