E-commerce
Ongoing coverage on E-commerce.
Latest coverage
Merch and entertainment store Zavvi goes into administration, urges customers to check if they are "entitled to…
Entertainment and pop-culture collectible store Zavvi has gone into administration and ceased trading immediately. Customers are advised to contact their bank or payment provider to seek refunds for unreceived orders, as Zavvi can no longer fulfill them. The news came as a surprise, with the store recently being mentioned in a guide for purchasing The Legend of Zelda merchandise.
Valve is updating Steam's Discount & Events section to become more "dynamic and personalised"
Valve is overhauling Steam's Discount & Events section, transitioning to a dynamic and personalized system expected in early 2027. This change aims to significantly improve game discoverability by allowing ten times more games to be featured daily, benefiting both players with more relevant recommendations and developers, especially smaller indies, with increased visibility.
Valve is changing Steam's homepage discounts and events section to go the way of the algorithm to get you to look at, and buy, obviously, more games
Valve is transitioning Steam's 'Discounts & Events' section from manual curation to a dynamic, algorithm-driven system. The company claims this change will personalize recommendations, leading to a 10x increase in games shown and meaningful growth in store page visits, wishlists, and cart additions. While Valve believes this will benefit customers and developers, the article expresses hesitation about the increased reliance on algorithms and potential negative impacts on smaller developers.
Why Specialist Online Shops Still Deliver Better | Invision Game Community
Specialist online shops offer a superior customer experience for niche products compared to large marketplaces, particularly in logistics. They excel by focusing on predictability, control, and detailed handling of cross-border complexities, which marketplaces often overlook due to their broad approach.
Redditor sent empty box instead of Ryzen 5 9600X from Amazon... twice
A Reddit user reported receiving an empty box twice after ordering an AMD Ryzen 5 9600X CPU from a third-party seller on Amazon. The user, who records unboxing videos, provided evidence of the empty packages, highlighting risks associated with online shopping and third-party sellers.
Why Local Payment Methods Matter for Global Gaming Companies
Global gaming companies must prioritize local payment methods beyond credit cards to succeed in international markets. Methods like Brazil's Pix and India's UPI are crucial for reaching a significant portion of the population, especially those without credit cards, and ignoring them leads to higher acquisition costs and lost market share. Supporting local currencies and payment preferences is essential for improving conversion rates and achieving true market access.
The physical media selection at Sony's Crunchyroll is even worse than fans feared after store update: all books…
Crunchyroll, owned by Sony's Funimation, has launched a new subscriber-only store that has removed all manga, light novels, and most Blu-rays, significantly reducing its physical media offerings. The store now primarily focuses on figures, apparel, and collectibles, with a very limited selection in home entertainment and music categories.
Portal opens Shop, letting Shards buy game top-ups and gift cards
Portal has launched the Portal Shop, a new storefront where users can spend 'Shards,' the platform's reward currency, on game top-ups and gift cards. The shop aims to incentivize creation within Portal's ecosystem of AI-native game development tools. Purchases can be made using Shards or a payment card, with Shards offering better value, and the shop supports a wide range of regions including the U.S., U.K., Europe, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
After eBay’s Resounding Rejection, GameStop Reconsiders Its $56 Billion Acquisition Bid
GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen is reportedly reconsidering his $56 billion acquisition bid for eBay after the latter rejected the offer. Cohen is now exploring a partnership between the two companies to sell collectible items and digital gaming assets. GameStop currently holds a 9.8% stake in eBay.
Perplexity has successfully overturned Amazon's injunction on its AI shopping bot
Perplexity has successfully overturned Amazon's injunction against its AI shopping bot. The legal dispute began in November 2025, concerning Perplexity's use of online shopping data.
Website Translation Tools: A Practical Buyer’s Guide
This guide explores website translation tools, emphasizing their importance for businesses expanding internationally. It contrasts traditional file-based translation with modern solutions like CMS plugins and full localization platforms, highlighting benefits for SEO and user experience. The article advises businesses to audit their content and pilot tools before full implementation, stressing the need for human oversight even with AI.
Meta launches a storefront platform through Facebook Marketplace
Meta has launched a new platform called Seller through Facebook Marketplace, aiming to professionalize the existing e-commerce service. This initiative seeks to enhance the user experience for both buyers and sellers on the platform.
The Crunchyroll Store change is even worse than it sounded: a $10 subscription lets you "browse" but you…
Crunchyroll is implementing changes to its online store, requiring a $10 monthly subscription for Fan tier members to simply browse items, while only Mega and Ultimate tier subscribers can purchase. This shift, effective August 14, has raised concerns about the future availability of physical media like manga and Blu-rays, especially following the absorption of Right Stuf and Sony's broader push away from physical game discs.
Minecraft promo codes for Jul 2026 | 10% OFF
This guide details how to use promotional codes for Minecraft merchandise purchased through the official Minecraft Shop. It clarifies that these codes are not valid for digital products or console store purchases. The article also outlines shipping options, the returns policy, and various saving tips, including sales, volume discounts, newsletter sign-ups, and how PC Gamer sources and tests coupon codes.
Sony's attack on physical goods spreads to Crunchyroll as it adds a $14 subscription requirement just to access its…
Crunchyroll, owned by Sony's Funimation, is implementing a significant change to its online store, requiring Mega or Ultimate tier subscriptions to make purchases starting in August. This move, which follows the absorption of Right Stuf, means only subscribers paying $13.99 or $17.99 per month will be able to access the store, impacting the availability of physical anime and manga merchandise.
Phoebe Gates' AI shopping app Phia reportedly claimed unearned affiliate sales through fake clicks
Phoebe Gates, daughter of Bill Gates, co-founded the AI shopping app Phia with Sophia Kianni. Reports indicate that the app allegedly generated unearned affiliate sales through the use of fake clicks.
Evening Metaverse
SpaceX plans to launch 100,000 additional Starlink satellites to significantly increase bandwidth. Separately, a new browser extension has been developed to block fake brands on Amazon.
This Chrome extension hides 'knockoff' brands on Amazon: 'Sorry to brands like WNPETHOME, EHEYCIGA,…
A new Google Chrome extension called Knockoff.shopping aims to help users avoid purchasing counterfeit products on Amazon. Developed by Josh Pigford, the extension identifies and greys out brands known for making knock-offs, allowing users to verify brand names directly on the listing page. It features a curated list of over 5,000 brands that is updated daily and allows for user customization.
Europe: Nintendo Store standard delivery now free for Nintendo Switch Online members
Nintendo is offering free standard delivery on orders over £1 from the European Nintendo Store to members with an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription. This perk is in addition to the existing benefits of online play and access to classic games.
Creator-distributed discount codes drive massive uptake of game storefronts, according to new Tebex data
New data from Tebex reveals that creator-distributed discount codes significantly boost game storefronts, with over 80% of players using these codes being new to the platform. While these codes increase average basket value, their impact is heavily concentrated among a small percentage of top-tier creators, who drive the vast majority of gross merchandise value.
