Ecommerce Product Releases: September 18, 2022

Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-September from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on live shopping, email marketing, warehousing and distribution, sustainable last-mile logistics, e-commerce platforms and cryptocurrency payment options.

Do you have an eCommerce product release? Email [email protected]

E-commerce product releases

Bluehost introduces new commerce capabilities for WordPress. Bluehost, a WordPress hosting provider, has introduced new capabilities for starting an online store. The brand new offering will simplify the use of WordPress for e-commerce by integrating YITH WooCommerce plugins. Merchants can then accept payments, sell across markets, schedule calendar appointments, send customer orders, print labels and add advanced features such as gift cards, wish lists, customer account pages and more.

Amazon announces a new service for supply chain challenges. Continuing its multi-year investment in warehousing and distribution, Amazon has introduced a feature that allows sellers to use new, purpose-built facilities for bulk inventory storage and automated distribution. Amazon Warehousing & Distribution is a pay-as-you-go service, designed for inventory management, supply chain challenges and operational efficiency.

BigCommerce expands the crypto ecosystem with BitPay and CoinPayments. BigCommerce has announced strategic partnerships with cryptocurrency players BitPay and CoinPayments. BitPay allows sellers to accept a variety of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Shiba Inu, Wrapped Bitcoin, Litecoin, XRP and five US dollar-pegged stablecoins. CoinPayments enables merchants to accept real-time global payments from over 100 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin, with a low processing fee of 0.5%.

GoBolt introduces same-day and next-day sustainable package delivery. GoBolt, an eco-conscious, first-party supply chain network, has launched a small package delivery service in Canada and the US – powered by an electric vehicle fleet in partnership with EcoCart, a sustainability technology company. With its expansion into small package delivery, GoBolt will now pick up, consolidate, sort and deliver smaller packages from e-brands’ smaller packages. Additionally, GoBolt will offer same-day and next-day shipping in metro service areas, optional contactless delivery and delivery tracking via SMS and a truck tracking app.

Amazon is launching free email marketing capabilities for sellers. Amazon has introduced new capabilities in its Customer Engagement tool to help sellers increase email marketing reach at no cost. Sellers can now expand beyond brand followers when sending marketing emails to their most loyal buyers. Amazon Tailored Audiences allows sellers to monitor the impact of their email marketing campaigns with performance and reporting metrics, such as open rate, click-through rates, emails delivered, opt-out rates, sales and conversion. Custom Audiences is currently in beta. Amazon plans to make it available to all US sellers in early 2023.

Threedium and SharpEnd collaborate to get consumer brands metaverse ready. UK-based Threedium and SharpEnd have joined forces to enable brands to offer “metaverse ready” connected experiences. Among these experiences will be the ability to unlock digital twins of physical products with a simple tap or scan of integrated QR codes or NFC tags as well as the ability to draw products and enable storytelling in 3D or augmented reality.

Bambuser introduces global live shopping. Bambuser, a live streaming provider, has launched Bambuser Plus, a unit dedicated to supporting retailers in all aspects of live shopping. Bambuser Plus includes integrated retail strategy, creative and production, influencer marketing, education and training services.

Amazon is introducing marketing features to help sellers use Buy with Prime. Amazon announced new marketing features that enable direct-to-consumer sellers to reach engaged buyers and help drive sales on their own sites. Amazon is launching the capabilities as part of Shop with Prime, a new program that allows sellers to offer Prime shopping benefits to buyers outside of Amazon. Participating sellers can showcase their DTC products with a new Buy with Prime page on their own store or a customizable storefront on Amazon. Sellers can then direct buyers to those DTC products using customizable ads called Sponsored Brands. Sellers receive a Buy with Prime badge to appear in their marketing.

Wix introduces tools to manage creator portfolios. The new Wix Portfolio is a product for designers, artists, photographers and other creators to showcase their work. With multiple customizable layouts tailored to various industries and professions, creators can match the look and feel of their brand in a simple and structured way, so they can get their work online quickly. The feature also accommodates project collections, allowing easy navigation for more extensive portfolios.

Clear data introduces ‘Insights’ tool with acquisition of Market Beyond. Bright Data has acquired e-commerce insights provider Market Beyond, which has added digital rack analytics to its data offerings via a new division, Bright Insights. This tool will provide retail brands, marketplaces and manufacturers with the ability to obtain quality, reliable web data and critical business insights in one place. Brands can then create strategies based on those data insights to improve performance.

E-commerce platform Logicbroker releases B2B offers. Logicbroker, an aggregated marketplace and drop-ship e-commerce platform, has announced the release of its B2B product line. Logicbroker’s B2B offerings center around supply chain visibility and marketplace and dropship capabilities. The company’s B2B marketplace and delivery product focuses on automation for front-end order tracking. Logicbroker’s cloud-based platform handles insights into inventory availability, price stratification, shipments, supplier performance, and more.