News Briefs

Tariffs implemented in the past year have had a major impact on U.S.-based e-commerce brands.

That’s according to a new survey from logistics startup Portless, which found that brands have been forced to raise prices (92%), absorb margin losses (79%) and rethink their global strategy (71%) in response to ongoing tariff uncertainty.

Of the vast majority that raised prices due to tariffs, almost a third (31.6%) raised prices by 1-5%, while an even greater percentage (42.1%) have raised prices by 6-10%. Just over one-in-10 (12.8%) brands have raised prices by 11-20%, while 5% have raised prices by more than 20%.

[READ MORE: Survey: Nearly half of U.S. consumers support tariffs]

Nearly eight-in-10 (79%) of brands surveyed said they’ve seen gross margins decrease due to tariffs, while 71% of respondents said they are looking to expand to new markets due to tariffs. Forty percent of respondents listed price volatility and unpredictable costs as their biggest supply chain challenge right now.

Tariff uncertainty is once again in the news. In a six-to-three ruling issued Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court said that the Trump Administration does not have the authority to unilaterally impose tariffs on imported products under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. 

On Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, a group of Democratic senators led by Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Ed Markey of Massachusetts brought a bill forward to require repayment of tariffs collected since Trump began issuing tariffs in February 2026.

Portless surveyed 133 U.S.-based e-commerce professionals whose brands have annual revenues ranging from $5 million to $50 million for its report.

Walgreens is rolling out a new 'hybrid pharmacist' role in an effort to combat burnout and workforce gaps among its employees.

The program, which allows pharmacists to work both in-store and in centralized settings such as regional support sites, micro-fulfillment centers, and approved work‑at‑home environments, is a “first of its kind” role, according to the pharmacy retailer.

In a blog post on Walgreens’ website, content development manager Mike Huffman noted that the hybrid role offers predictable schedules, varied pharmacy practice settings, and can expand pharmacy career pathways without leaving direct patient care behind.

So far, the hybrid pharmacist position has been rolled out in six states: Arkansas, Missouri, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Walgreens says that early feedback and interest in the role have been strong, with participating pharmacists noting the “increased flexibility” and “differentiated work experience” as key benefits.

[READ MORE: Walgreens expands automated pharmacy fulfillment network]

Founded in 1901, Walgreens operates approximately 8,500 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

[READ MORE: Oakberry supports U.S. rollout with unified commerce]

The prices of key construction materials rose in January. 

Overall construction input (includes energy, materials and equipment) increased 0.7% in January compared to the previous month and are 2.3% higher than a year ago, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index data released on Feb.27.

Commercial construction input prices increased 0.4% for the month, and are 4.3% higher than a year ago. Prices are 46.7% higher than February 2020.

Prices increased in two of three energy categories last month. Crude petroleum and unprocessed energy materials prices were up 1.8% and 0.4%, respectively, while natural gas prices were down 2.9% in January.

Iron and steel prices rose 2.2%; copper wire and cable prices rose 5%; and softwood lumber prices rose 3.9%.

“Trade policy may continue to put upward pressure on certain input prices, especially those subject to the large Section 232 tariffs,” said said ABC chief economist Anirban Basu. “Even so, input escalation is unlikely to rise too sharply as long as energy prices remain tame and demand remains subdued. Contractor sentiment seems to reflect this; optimism regarding profit margins improved in January, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, although it remains lower than one year ago.”

Associated Builders and Contractors is a national construction industry trade association established in 1950 with 67 chapters and more than 23,000 members.

The nation’s largest home improvement retailers continue to dominate the category.

Home Depot and Lowe’s maintained their positions as category leaders throughout 2025, capturing an average of 28% and 17% share in tracked home improvement categories, according to the Numerator Home Improvement Tracker. Amazon rose to the No. 2 spot in select months, especially around holidays or key sales events.

The report, which provides quarterly insight into omnichannel consumer buying behavior in select home improvement categories, noted that when it comes to buying home improvement products, consumers prioritize price and location. Consumer reasons for purchasing from a specific retailer included best prices (45%), convenient location (44%) and product options/availability (35%).

[READ MORE: Home Depot Q4 tops estimates; opening 15 stores in 2026]

Other insights from Numerator are below:

•With penetration and purchase frequency largely steady, share gains came primarily from competitive switching rather than category expansion. 

•Most home improvement categories are still dominated by name brand products, and private label brands show steady share across categories. Hand tools have the largest private label share (43%) followed by lawn and garden supplies (22%).

•Consumers that purchased home improvement items in the fourth quarter said they purchased items because they needed supplies for a small DIY project (28%), needed supplies for a major DIY project (15%) or were replacing a damaged or broken item (12%).

An e-commerce giant is reportedly trimming headcount.

eBay is reducing its workforce by roughly 800 roles, or 6% of its approximately 12,300 total employees, according to CNBC reporting following up on an original article from Bloomberg. The retailer told CNBC it is cutting staff in departments across the organization and determining what jobs to eliminate based on “operating model needs, areas of duplication and alignment to future priorities.”

“We are taking steps to reinvest across our business and align our structure with our strategic priorities, which will affect certain roles across our workforce,” an eBay spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC. “We are grateful for the contributions of the employees impacted and are committed to supporting them with care and respect.”

eBay is undertaking this staff reduction initiative about a week after it acquired Depop, a U.K.-based fashion resell marketplace popular with younger consumers around the globe, for approximately $1.2 billion in cash from Etsy. 

At the time it announced the acquisition, eBay said it intends the addition of Depop to accelerate its consumer-to-consumer strategy by deepening its reach with younger, fashion-forward consumers and expanding its presence in resale.

In addition, CNBC reported eBay recently settled a lawsuit filed by a married Massachusetts couple who were harassed by several eBay executives after posting negative commentary about eBay in an online blog they published in 2019.

[Read more: Former eBay employees charged with harassing bloggers]

Terms of the settlement were not released. eBay agreed to pay a $3 million criminal penalty to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2024, and two eBay executives were sentenced to prison in 2022 for their roles in the harassment.

Chief eBay rival Amazon recently eliminated roughly 16,000 positions across the company, following 14,000 layoffs in October 2025.