The Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest

Welcome to a Special Edition non-weekly episode of the Watson Weekly!  This is the start of a new series where every few months, we will be doing interviews with a series of interesting people. I get asked from time to time about having guests on the show, as it would allow me to do a deeper dive on topics that perhaps I only have a few minutes to cover in a typical show. This week’s guest is none other than Bill Williams.  Bill is the founder and CEO of BWG Strategy, a firm which connects industry professionals in eCommerce, technology, and other areas and investment analysts who would like to learn more about the industry.  They host thousands of calls per year across all sorts of interesting eCommerce topics such as advertising, payments and supply chain. This episode dives into his background, an overview of the firm, as well as a few key areas of eCommerce related to advertising and payments. For more news from Rick, check out:  https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickwatsonecommerce/ 

It’s March 7th, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show:  Brands may need retailers more than they realize. Amazon continues to make digital investments in its stores with cashierless technology and display advertising. Grocer Albertsons starts a strategic review of its business. Target 2021 Q4 earnings roundup highlights continued focus on employees, stores as hubs, and merchandise And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. For more news from Rick, check out:  https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickwatsonecommerce/ 

It’s February 28th, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show:    Walmart enters an economic environment that plays to the company’s strengths   Postal service launches new next-day local shipping service called USPS Connect Activist investor Daniel Loeb sees $1 trillion dollars of untapped value in Amazon Macy’s not breaking up but still a lot of hard work ahead And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. For more news from Rick, check out:  https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickwatsonecommerce/ 

It’s February 21st, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show:  What if Amazon is the best-positioned company to diversify sellers off Amazon? Shopify Q4 2021 earnings shows growth but there are still strategy concerns Hasbro and Mattel’s opposite economic views of toys’ industry future may have implications for other brands 2021 PitchBook venture capital report raises both optimism and concern And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. For more news from Rick, check out:  https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickwatsonecommerce/ 

It’s February 14th, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show:  Recent earnings calls indicate that Meta’s advertising lead is shrinking quickly, and Google is the biggest beneficiary CMS and eCommerce churn data shows WordPress maintaining market lead, Shopify gaining on WooCommerce Amazon advertising graduates from "Other" and 3P seller units set record Modern retailers must prioritize differentiation and freshness to survive And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. For more news from Rick, check out:  https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickwatsonecommerce/ 

It’s February 7th, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show:  Washington State Attorney General investigation shuts down Amazon price fixing program UPS 2021 Q4 earnings highlights their focus on revenue quality Glossier’s CEO learned a hard lesson in technology decision-making as it lays off 80 employees Recent declines at Bed, Bath and Beyond make you wonder if it can make it And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. For more news from Rick, check out:  https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickwatsonecommerce/ 

It’s January 31st, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show:  Amazon's New "Style" Department Store Concept Kicks Sand In the Face of Investors Who Think Retail Innovation is Dead Gopuff Launches its First Private Label Line How Walmart GoLocal Plans to Stand out Among Delivery Businesses Shopify Fulfillment Seems to be Going Nowhere FasAudiogram And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. For more news from Rick, check out:  https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickwatsonecommerce/ 

It’s January 24th, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show:  Toyota and Amazon launch new Amazon Parts Store in the UK 2022 supply chain issues are looking remarkably similar to 2021 Online grocery sales of alcohol to reach almost $2 Billion this year according to new report Kohl’s investor Macellum Capital wants to burn the company down And the Investor Minute which contains four items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. For more news from Rick, check out:  https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickwatsonecommerce/ 

It’s January 17th, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show:  Shopify’s app store changes have some developers upset, but there’s really nothing to see here Accenture predicts social commerce will grow three times faster than eCommerce. Will you let Walmart into your garage?  Its In-Home Delivery to expand to 30 million US households this year. Pricing moving on up at IKEA, in step with trends from many brands and retailers And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. For more news from Rick, check out:  https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickwatsonecommerce/

It’s January 10th, 2022 and this is the Watson Weekly - Your Essential eCommerce Digest! Today on the show:  Walmart drove 25% of click and collect and curbside orders in 2021 Could Amazon build a new web stores product in the coming years? Fanatics is buying Topps trading card business in a nod to the digital future Mastercard report shows U.S. retail sales grew 8.5% in November and December And the Investor Minute which contains five items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. For more news from Rick, check out:  https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickwatsonecommerce/