E-Commerce Trends
Rising Marketplace Fees — and Who Really Pays Them
Commissions, fulfilment and ad costs on the big platforms end up inside retail prices. The fee stack explains prices that otherwise make no sense.
📈 E-Commerce Trends
Reporting on the machinery of online retail — dynamic pricing, marketplace fees, delivery economics, social and conversational commerce, and AI in the storefront — explained from the shopper's side of the counter.
7 articles in this category, updated regularly.
E-Commerce Trends
The End of Free Returns
Across major retailers, returns are quietly becoming slower, costlier and more conditional. Here's why — and how to shop under the new rules.
E-Commerce Trends
Voice & Chat Shopping: When the Assistant Picks the Product
Buying through a speaker or an AI chat is moving from demo to habit — and it compresses everything about ranking and sponsorship into one confident answer.
E-Commerce Trends
Dynamic Pricing: Why the Price Changed
Prices move several times a day on the same page. It's mostly automated repricing rather than anything aimed at you — but the effect is real.
E-Commerce Trends
Social Commerce: Buying Inside the Feed
Buying from a video or livestream has moved from novelty to a substantial share of online retail. The mechanics differ in ways worth knowing.
E-Commerce Trends
The Economics of Same-Day Delivery
Fast delivery is the most visible feature in online retail and one of the least profitable. That explains where it's available and how it's priced.
E-Commerce Trends
AI in Online Retail: What It Changes for Buyers
Automated systems decide what you're shown, what it costs and what the reviews say. Most of it is invisible, which is why it's worth knowing about.