This content was created by Vinny O Brien. This content was uploaded by Vinny O Brien. This is a YouTube video titled "The V Spot Retail and eCommerce Weekly News Friday Week 32" (published 2023-09-20). It’s a solo-host weekly news/newsletter-style segment covering e‑commerce and retail updates: TikTok launching a UK e‑commerce delivery service called FBT, a shopper survey about willingness to pay more for sustainable items, Amazon’s new “Prime Deal Days,” eBay’s muted response, a planned multi‑month investigation into whether influencer marketing is dead (with a note that Victoria’s Secret is launching an influencer campaign), and the return of the eCommerce Happy Hour networking event. The tone is informal and opinionated; the presenter signs off inviting viewers to DM for invites.
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Now we come, don't move, to the beat of just one drum. What might be right for you may not be right for some. Amazon, they have the means, and along comes you, you got nothing but the dreams. We got ecom dreams it takes, ecom dreams it takes, ecom dreams to rule the world. Welcome to the VSpot, your weekly news spot for all things ecom and retail. It's week 32, and after a holiday where I learned how to wing foil, I am back. First story this week is TikTok. In the UK this week, TikTok launched their first e-commerce delivery service. Proving yet again they're taking e-commerce really seriously. They call the service FBT. Not sure how they come up with these names, but hat tip to whoever did. The service promises to be better than anything on the market. Parcels are going to be left by pranking delivery drivers to unwitting recipients who will be doused in petrol as soon as they walk outside the door, where the delivery drivers will then run in, ransack their house, all the while getting ready to post this on entertainment platform TikTok. Next up, a recent e-commerce shopper survey claimed that we're willing to pay more for sustainably sourced items. In the survey, it said that 51% of us were willing to pay up to 10% more for the privilege. Yeah, fucking right. In that same week, City AM published an article saying that 51% of UK fashion shoppers are cutting down on their clothing spending. This seems like the real sustainable truth. Next up, Amazon. Amazon has a healthy tradition of screwing with retail calendars year on year, and this year was no exception. Amazon have just launched Amazon Prime Deal Days. Try saying that 3 times fast. We're not angry, we're just really, really disappointed. In a response to this extended holiday shopping period, eBay said, well, nothing. Who is eBay? Oh, that's harsh. In a debate that's nearly months long, we're going to ask the question this week: is influencer marketing dead? We're going to take an in-depth study over the next few months and take one case study and see, can we prove this case once and for all? So if you want to know more about it, listen up. If you're a struggling brand, turn to influencer marketing. That's what Victoria's Secret have done. This week they announced the launch of a new campaign featuring models such as Emily Ratajkowski, Naomi Campbell, Hailey Bieber, amongst others, to try and revive the struggling brand. We will be watching this with interest to see, does influencer marketing in fact work? More on this story as it unfolds. Final story this week. Have you ever gone on LinkedIn and wondered, "I wonder what books Rick Watson has on his shelf?" Or, "What's Hendrik Laubscher's favorite sport?" And, "Do you enjoy a Friday tipple?" If all of this sounds like you, you're going to be in luck. We're bringing back the eCommerce Happy Hour after a hiatus over the summer. We are coming back bigger and better than ever for the winter. We get together, we talk about everything but work, which is absolutely great. You get to know people like me, hang out, have a beer, albeit it's over Zoom or some equivalent, but it's a lot of fun and we want to invite you along. So watch this space for invites, DM me if you're interested. And once again, thanks for watching the VSpot.
