E-COMMERCE

Dr. Squatch

A new offering, AfterShip Intelligence, is a suite of AI tools that AfterShip claims can better predict which orders are likely to have problems, recommend resolutions, and even—subject to its clients’ approval—draft messages to customers that keep them apprised.

Such proactive communications can soothe consumers before they amp up into WISMO mode.

“If we know something’s going to be late, we should tell you ahead of time versus you monitoring and chasing down the information,” Loh said.

Ship shape: Mecklenborg brought in AfterShip in 2024, shortly after he took over Dr. Squatch’s customer-experience team. The platform helped Dr. Squatch consolidate tracking information from its expanding list of carriers on one branded page, update delivery estimates, and send customers updates at each stage of an order’s journey.

When it comes to WISMO, the results were dramatic for Dr. Squatch: From early 2024 to early 2025, the brand’s WISMO rate fell 25%, from roughly 4% of orders to 3%.

“I’m not saying we’re perfect today, but we have taken very large strides,” Mecklenborg said.

Keep reading here.—AAN

      

Sponsored By Paradox, a Workday Company

PepsiCo is a $90 billion organization with 230,000 front-line workers. On a recent episode of the podcast Try Harder Is Not A Strategy, PepsiCo SVP of TA Blair Bennett shared how her team transformed hiring at scale.

The first step Bennett took? Interviewing over 100 stakeholders to identify bottlenecks in the existing process. From there, front-line roles were segmented based on priorities and job requirements (e.g., entry-level talent vs. specialized positions).

Then came the automation. Repetitive tasks such as interview scheduling were automated so recruiters could regain time for high-value work like sourcing for scarce skills and persuading candidates.

Bennett said her overall approach on TA transformation was to treat it like a continuous, connected ecosystem. Tune in to the episode for more details.

STORES

Francis Scialabba

Berkeley, California, began enforcing a law in 2022 that keeps high-sugar foods out of checkout lanes at large stores. Sales of small-package candy, including candy bars, subsequently fell.

A study estimated 43% lower small-package candy sales at Berkeley supermarkets after the restrictions began. Researchers arrived at that figure by comparing sales before and after the enforcement of the law in Berkeley with sales over the same period in three other California cities.

The study, by researchers at Boston University and the University of California, Davis, was published in The Lancet Public Health.

The law does not restrict candy sales elsewhere in stores. The study found lower sales of small-package candy, such as bars and packets often sold at checkout, but no significant decline in candy sales overall.

Keep reading here.—AAN

      

Sponsored By WooCommerce

Talk to us, talk to us…about all things agentic commerce. How are you getting set up to deal with agents shopping for humans? What are you nervous about, and where do you think agents might have a positive impact on your biz? Share your takes in our short survey and enter to win a $500 gift card.

DELIVERY

Scott Olson/Getty Images

A new partnership between Dollar General and Instacart is giving customers at 7,000 locations access to same-day deliveries without a mark-up, with plans to expand across its entire footprint of 20,000 stores this fall.

That means what customers pay in store is what they pay for having the same item delivered.

CEO Chris Rogers recently said the cost is well worth the competitive advantage.

“The data is very clear,” Rogers said at Groceryshop in Las Vegas. “Customers are gravitating towards value, and online, that often means retailers that don’t mark up.

Retailers offering deliveries without a markup on Instacart are growing 10% faster than those that don’t, he added, and while this comes with a cost for retailers, the price of losing market share to rivals may be greater.

Keep reading here.—AV

      

Sponsored By ACI Worldwide

Get those carts across the finish line. 4 in 10 fashion shoppers abandon their online carts at checkout, according to new ACI Worldwide research. Merchants, want to save your customers from this fate? Get ACI Worldwide’s report on the full payments journey for fashion and sportswear retailers, backed by a survey of 3k+ shoppers.

swapping skus

Today’s top retail reads.

Holiday holding pattern: Adobe Analytics predicts holiday sales will likely grow 6.7%, which is nearly the same rate as last year. (Reuters)

Pricing promises: Walmart CEO John Furner sent a letter to customers promising not to engage in personal or dynamic pricing amid electronic shelf label rollout. (Progressive Grocer)

Funflation: The price of hobbies and recreational activities is on the rise, but consumers are upping their spending anyway. (CNBC)

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Jobs

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