autone has raised $17M in a Series A funding led by General Catalyst. The platform uses AI to optimize inventory management, helping retailers reduce inventory by 55% and increase sales by 30%. The funding will accelerate its US and European expansion, aiming to make inventory decisions more accurate and sustainable. Existing investors like Speedinvest, YCombinator, and business angels from LVMH and Moncler reinvested. autone works with 50 global brands and is positioning itself to tackle mid-market retail complexities by integrating data-driven insights and predictive analytics.

Uber is in early discussions to acquire Expedia for $20B, marking a strategic shift beyond car travel and food delivery. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who led Expedia from 2005 to 2017, may return to his travel roots. Expedia’s stock surged 5% on the news.

General Motors is converting OnStar into an e-commerce platform. It will offer Super Cruise plans, auto insurance, SiriusXM, and accessories. This shift aims to streamline shopping for services with a responsive, flexible system.

Starting soon, canceling subscriptions like Amazon Prime or streaming services will be as simple as signing up. The FTC's new "click-to-cancel" rule is designed to eliminate obstacles, going into effect 180 days after publication.

Square introduced a new Orders Platform in Q3 2024 to help U.S. sellers. The platform offers flexible options like pre-authorization, bar tabs, and subscriptions. This shift aims to improve business operations and customer experiences.

Apple Pay celebrates 10 years with new features in iOS 18. Users can redeem rewards from Discover cards and use Klarna's flexible payments. Installment loans are available with Affirm in the US and Monzo in the UK, expanding payment flexibility.

WP Engine files for an injunction to restore access to WordPress.org after being banned by co-creator Matt Mullenweg following a lawsuit. The company seeks to return to its pre-September 20, 2024, status to update its plugins.

Serve Robotics has introduced its third-gen robots for Uber Eats. These bots are faster, carry 15% more, and run for six more hours daily. The company plans to roll out 250 units in L.A. by Q1 2025, aiming for $60M–$80M in revenue.

Uber Eats users can now create shareable lists of their favorite meals. Food influencers like Sam Roby are joining the fun, curating lists for Uber Eats. This is the latest in a series of changes, including fresh produce delivery and driverless cars.

Amazon is joining the nuclear energy race alongside Google and Microsoft. The tech giant has signed deals to develop several small modular reactors (SMRs), aiming to meet its carbon-neutral target by 2040 while supporting the growing energy demands of AI. The company’s agreements include partnerships with Energy Northwest and Dominion Energy. This shift reflects Big Tech’s response to rising carbon footprints from AI-driven data centers, which could account for 9% of U.S. electricity by 2030.

Amazon extends its returns window for items bought between Nov 1 and Dec 31, 2024. Shoppers can return these items until Jan 31, 2025. Apple products have a shorter window, eligible for returns until Jan 15, 2025.

Amazon Ads unveiled AI Creative Studio and Audio Generator at unBoxed 2024. These tools simplify ad creation by using AI to generate content, from images to audio, in minutes. Early users saw a 5% sales increase from AI-powered ads.

OroCommerce launched AI SmartAgent and SmartOrder to revolutionize B2B sales. These tools enhance the customer experience by automating catalog navigation and offline purchase orders, improving speed and accuracy.

Dave Clark, ex-Amazon CEO, raised $100M to start Auger, an AI-driven supply chain platform. Auger promises real-time insights and improved efficiency for businesses. Clark aims to fix inefficiencies he calls "human problems," like delays and high prices.

Pinterest unveils its new Performance+ Suite, blending AI and automation to supercharge ad campaigns. Prada saw a 64% CPA reduction, and Walgreens achieved 55% more clicks. The tools are available globally for advertisers in multiple markets.

TikTok is facing lawsuits from 13 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. They accuse it of causing harm to young users, citing mental health impacts and addiction to its app. The lawsuits aim to increase financial penalties on the platform.

The US government is considering dismantling Google after it was found guilty of violating antitrust laws. The Department of Justice may recommend separating its search engine from Android, Chrome, and Play Store.

Google updates AI-powered tools in Search, making it easier to find information visually, by video, and voice. Lens now handles 20B visual searches monthly. AI Overviews and voice search boost satisfaction and engagement.

Allbirds, known for sustainability, will offer shoe deliveries through Uber Eats. Starting near stores in San Francisco, LA, Chicago, and New York, Uber Eats will use bikes and EVs for eco-friendly last-mile delivery. This expands Allbirds’ distribution efforts after launching on Amazon in 2023.

DoorDash has expanded its partnership with Wegmans across six states and added four new local grocers to its marketplace, including Kowalski’s, Mar-Val, Geissler’s, and Milam’s. This is part of DoorDash's continued effort to grow its grocery delivery services and diversify beyond restaurants.

Sam’s Club will open its first-ever checkout-free store in Grapevine, Texas on Oct. 17, 2024. Shoppers will use the Scan & Go app for purchases, marking a shift in the retailer’s tech-driven strategy. CEO Chris Nicholas highlighted the move to eliminate friction for customers.

Instacart is adding interactive games, location-based coupons, and aisle-aware ads to its Caper Carts. These innovations, aimed at enhancing the in-store experience, increase customer engagement while offering new ad opportunities for brands.

Amazon will let Prime members in Phoenix get same-day deliveries for both groceries and Amazon products. The company is expanding this service and adding micro-fulfillment centers and low-cost grocery items to compete with rivals like Walmart.

Kroger's Boost members now get a Disney+, Hulu, or ESPN+ subscription. Members paying $99 annually can enjoy a full year, while $59 members get 6 months free. This follows similar moves by Walmart and Amazon to boost subscriptions with entertainment perks.

eBay Foundation awards nearly $3M to 31 global nonprofits, including Defy Ventures, Hatch Enterprise, and Global Sisters. These organizations support entrepreneurship for historically excluded groups across the U.S., U.K., and Australia.

Amazon has introduced AI Shopping Guides on its mobile app and website, offering customers tailored product recommendations. The guides cover 100+ categories like TVs and headphones, using reviews and price data to help buyers find the best fit for their needs.

Walmart is enhancing its AI strategy, aiming to create personalized shopping experiences. By late 2025, every shopper will see a unique homepage, powered by Walmart’s Wallaby AI and content prediction tools. This plan includes augmented reality and AI search assistants to make the customer journey faster and more immersive, both online and in-store.

Vizit has raised $25M in Series B funding led by Industry Ventures to boost its patented Visual AI platform. The AI-driven solution helps brands like Mars and Ghirardelli optimize visual content, increasing conversion rates by up to 30%.

Henry Schein Inc. launched a dental supply marketplace, offering over 8,000 products. Partnering with TDSC and powered by Mirakl, the platform aims to enhance digital shopping for dental offices. Full rollout planned for 2025.

Shein and Temu may see minimal impact from the White House's proposed de minimis changes, thanks to their diversified supply chains. Smaller businesses, however, could face higher costs and complicated customs processes.

WP Engine filed a lawsuit against Automattic and Matt Mullenweg, accusing them of extortion and abuse. The conflict stems from trademark disputes and contributions to the WordPress project. WP Engine claims Mullenweg's actions could harm the WordPress community and its business.

Chipotle, Sweetgreen, and BJ’s Restaurant are first to use DoorDash's new Ads Manager. The platform offers advanced targeting, offsite ads, and sponsored placements to connect with 37M users. DoorDash's ad business grew alongside a 23% revenue jump in Q2 to $2.6B.

Gopuff unveiled new ad tools to help brands engage Gen Z and millennial consumers. With features like Brand Shops and AdAdapted’s Add-It, brands can now increase average cart values by 20% and boost sales conversions by 24%.

Invesco raised the valuation of Swiggy to $13.3B. The investment firm owns shares worth $237.24M. Swiggy is aiming for a $1.4B IPO with a valuation range of $13B-$15B. This comes amid market cuts for other Indian startups.

Amazon shut down three Go stores in New York, leaving 17 Go locations in the U.S. The company has cut its Go stores nearly by half since 2023. Despite this, Amazon continues licensing its Just Walk Out tech to third-party shops.

Nike’s sales fell 10% to $11.6B this summer, its biggest drop in 4 years. Gross margin rose, but earnings fell. With new competition and weak China sales, CEO Elliott Hill needs to rebuild key partnerships.

Poshmark lowers seller fees from 20% to 5.99%, adding a fixed fee from $1 to $3. This helps sellers earn more and provides buyers with clear price transparency while continuing buyer protection.

eBay’s AI-powered Magical Bulk Listing Tool speeds up product listings by auto-filling titles and categories using images. Starting with sports trading cards, eBay plans to expand to other categories soon.

Amazon Prime's new show, "Buy It Now," lets contestants pitch products to an audience and celebrity panel. Winning products will be sold on Amazon's special storefront. One winner per episode also takes home a $20K prize. The show premieres October 30th.

Amazon introduced 5 new visual tools for faster and more precise product searches. The company now allows text and image integration, showcases similar items, and highlights product videos, making searches 70% faster globally.

ShipTop, an eCommerce fulfillment platform, secured $500K in seed funding from DV Trading co-founders Dino Verbrugge and Jared Vegosen. The funds will enhance ShipTop's technology, expand services, and support eco-friendly shipping. Founded in 2021, the company aims to revolutionize logistics for online merchants.

HubSpot unveils its new AI, Breeze, at INBOUND 2024, featuring Copilot, four Breeze Agents, and over 200 product updates. HubSpot also introduces agent.ai, a professional network for AI agents, with 47K users and 1,700 builders signed up.

Checkout.com and Slope partner to boost US enterprise payments. Slope’s $252M-funded platform offers "Pay Later" and "Pay Now" options, while Checkout.com provides global processing capabilities. Their collaboration aims to optimize payment performance and improve cash flow management, helping merchants thrive in the digital economy.

ShipStation's new Google Merchant Center integration leverages Google’s Content API to offer accurate, location-based delivery predictions. This boosts online shopping experiences by increasing visibility, ranking, and customer satisfaction for ShipStation users.

FedEx launched its fdx platform, now available to U.S. businesses. fdx leverages FedEx’s vast data network to optimize customer journeys and boost conversion rates. Since its initial announcement in January 2024, brands like Z Supply have already seen revenue increases by 6.33% and a 1.34% lift in mobile conversions.

Meta now lets businesses use AI chatbots on WhatsApp and Messenger for ad-embedded customer interactions, helping to increase sales. Despite Meta’s claim of improved engagement, many customers prefer human agents over AI chatbots.

RedKangaroo, an e-commerce platform, rewards customers for promoting its brands on social media by offering discounts, cashback, and brand-specific vouchers. Shoppers can earn rewards by sharing posts on Instagram, TikTok, and X. Founded in 2022, RedKangaroo sells beauty, pet care, and home goods at discounted prices.

DoorDash partners with local companies in Austin and Fresno to pilot a new model where delivery workers are W2 employees, earning hourly wages, benefits, and reimbursements. This experiment contrasts with DoorDash's traditional gig-worker approach, representing a significant shift in the delivery service industry.

Mondelēz introduces a new AI-powered platform to boost global marketing and tap into consumer trends. The platform, developed with Accenture and Publicis Groupe, aims to speed up content creation, personalize messages, and drive innovation.

Nike CEO John Donahoe will step down on Oct. 13, to be succeeded by company veteran Elliott Hill. Hill, who retired in 2020, brings 32 years of Nike experience back to the role. Nike’s shares surged 8% in after-hours trading following the announcement.