E-commerce Technology Trends

#payments rails across the globe and the models behind them have evolved in three major (but very different) patterns and yet they are converging in certain ways. Let’s take a look. About half a century ago, magnetic-striped cards triggered a payments revolution. Swiping plastic cards at POS merchant terminals conquered the west, with Visa and Mastercard managing the rails and becoming an almost mighty duopoly. Cards made a smooth transition into the digitized #economy by embedding in smartphones (and even turning them into processors) and becoming the springboard for the rise of the #ecommerce. While the west was transitioning from old cards to chips, China was driving its own local payments revolution that erupted at the beginning of the 2000s and transformed the country from a purely cash economy to a #digital frontrunner. Starting from high smartphone penetration and bank account ownership, China essentially leapfrogged the card-based (western) model moving directly to a digital set-up built on e-wallets and QR codes and driven by two private companies (Alibaba and Tencent) that managed to build vast (2-sided consumer and merchant) ecosystems that transformed them into ubiquitous SuperApps. In parallel, a third pole had been developing in other parts of the world: —     The payments revolution in Africa was led by telecoms (being the only infrastructure available) by means of an e-#money set-up based on mobile phones. Companies such as Kenya’s M-Pesa (launched in 2007) managed to provide long needed basic financial services (saving and transferring funds, making payments or accepting government subsidies) to large swaths of the population. —     Countries like India or Brazil developed over the past few years state-sponsored real-time payments infrastructures, powering multiple bank accounts into a single app under A2A and P2P models. India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has over 300 mn monthly active users recording 60% y-o-y growth, whereas Brazil’s Pix, launched only in late 2020, has managed to become the most popular payments’ method with over 150 mn users. These parallel evolutionary developments could hardly have been more different: a robust decades-old, card-infrastructure in the west (monopolized by two private companies), against a digital, wallet-based closed-loop model in China (powered by 2 giant ecosystems), versus public, state-sponsored, open, real-time rails in India and Brazil. Despite their very different origins and set-up, digitization has been acting as a huge convergence driver lately: digital wallets, super-apps, real-time payments and CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies) are only some of the common underlying elements. As payments evolve to their next phase, a new digital infrastructure is in the making, fast bridging seemingly big structural gaps. Opinions: my own, Graphic sources: Credit Suisse, Alipay, Matthew Brenan, BCB, Bacancy, Alicriti

Netflix and Pill: Is Big Pharma Ready to Go from Prescription to Subscription? A subscription model for healthcare is emerging, but will Big Pharma embrace it? 🔘Noom, hims & hers, and WeightWatchers are already bundling prescription drugs with behavioral coaching, creating holistic subscription packages, primarily for weight loss 🔘 Amazon Pharmacy’s RxPass offers unlimited access to eligible generics for just $5/month, showing how predictable costs can reshape medication access 🔘 Pharma have not embraced this apart from specific use cases, Pfizer and Shionogi Europe partnered with the UK NHS on an antibiotics subscription, ensuring access while limiting overuse due to antimicrobial resistance 🔘 Is it now time for pharma to bundle digital health products with (or without) medicines into a subscription model? This will benefit Pharma in a number of ways: ✔️ Steady revenue from predictable subscriptions ✔️ More value extracted from their drugs (or even competitors’) ✔️ New revenue streams beyond pills And… ✔️ Payers should get predictable costs & better outcomes ✔️ Patients should get holistic care, not just prescriptions ✔️HCPs should have better managed patients ideally with improved outcomes and returning for less non-routine appointments 🔮 Will we see pharma-driven subscriptions? Pfizer & Lilly already pivoted to DTC models, so a subscription model seems the logical next step? ⚖️ There are regulatory roadblocks → Pharma bundling only their own drugs into subscriptions could be a legal nightmare. But if independent clinicians could select from multiple competing medications, this challenge shrinks 💾 My bet is tech and telehealth companies are far more likely to drive this trend. Pharma is too entrenched in the traditional model, risk-averse, and often wary of regulatory gray zones 💬 What do you think? Will subscriptions for medicine take off? And will pharma or tech take the lead? #digitalhealth #pharma

70% of business owners find it hard to boost their conversion rate beyond a certain number. Most have tried: - improving their copy - improving their product images - different offers and FOMO strategies Yet they struggle to move the conversion needle. That's when I suggest looking at something more fundamental. The information hierarchy. It's the order in which you arrange content. The most important, relevant information/sections being shown first. Ignoring information hierarchy can make your users feel confused, uninformed, or even miss crucial steps. Ultimately making them bounce or not convert. In this example, using daily objects product page, I've implemented changes that can increase the conversion rate by improving the information hierarchy. Below are the 6 changes I recommend a/b testing - 1. Adding an announcement bar highlighting a sale, an offer you're running, or your free shipping threshold. 2. Moving the product name, reviews, and price above the image. This way, the space b/w the image and add-to-cart is reduced. Making it appear closer than it is. 3. Adding image thumbnails. This is critical if your images contain information like product features. 4. Showing product benefits before the add-to-cart CTA in an easy-to-consume format (like bullet points). 5. Optimizing the area around the add-to-cart by highlighting the shipping and return policies. 6. Highlighting offers close to add-to-cart as that's when the user is considering taking an action. Other changes I made: 1. Adding the logo bar with hamburger, search, and cart icon. This is important to maintain if you're driving ad traffic directly to product pages. 2. Adding the in-line / within-the-page add to cart. I'm seeing more brands removing the within-the-page add to cart CTA and replacing it with a sticky one. Make sure you a/b test this before implementing. 3. In the options section, adding an action verb like 'Choose' or 'Select' next to 'Color', 'Size'. This prompts the user to take an action. Found this useful? Let me know in the comments! P.S. The best way to identify gaps in your information hierarchy is by using heatmaps and scroll-maps tools like Microsoft Clarity. It's free to use and can help you back your hypothesis with actual user insights. #conversionrateoptimization #uxdesign

In retail, many chase the next big thing—a new style, a new way to reach consumers—triggering a frantic race to adopt. But most trends fade as fast as they appear. The real game-changers are curated habits that prove they can stand the test of time. I’ve championed social commerce as the future of retail for over a decade. In hindsight, that barely scratches the surface. It’s now a deeply ingrained consumer behavior. The imperative isn’t just to adopt it, but to evolve with it—constantly and intentionally. At HSN, social commerce was core to our strategy. We pioneered the blend of shopping and entertainment. That’s the essence: finding the sweet spot where entertainment, connection, and commerce converge. Soon after, platforms like Twitch began enabling users to both game and shop in real time, blending entertainment with commerce. Fanatics has successfully leaned into this model as well, immersing fans in live experiences while showcasing gear in action, often worn by their favorite athletes and community, turning fandom into a powerful trust signal. More recently, TikTok Shop collapsed the purchase funnel into a single scroll. It's no longer discover, then buy. Now, it’s see it, want it, buy it—seamlessly, in-platform. So, as we look ahead, how do I see this "social commerce habit" evolving? Here's what I expect: 🔹 Creator Integration is Non-Negotiable. For Gen Z, in particular, TikTok Shop has become a primary discovery engine. They trust their favorite creators to genuinely try products and offer honest feedback. The more brands lean into authentic partnerships with creators, the more trust they build in this integrated shopping experience. It’s about relationship-driven commerce. 🔹 Embrace a Zero-Click World. Speed and simplicity are paramount. Consumers need to be able to see, buy, and receive as fast as humanly possible. This means minimal clicks, minimal friction, and no moments for reconsideration. It's about instant gratification and removing all barriers between desire and ownership. 🔹 Elevate Live Shopping. This is a powerful return to the personal connection and real-time interaction that defined the best of traditional retail. Shoppable videos and live sessions transform social media into a personalized shopping aisle. Imagine experts demonstrating products, showing how they fit or can be styled, all in real-time, tailored to your interests. It brings humanity back to digital retail. 🔹 Unlock the Power of Virtual Try-Ons. A longstanding hurdle in e-commerce is "try before you buy." AI-enabled virtual try-on features solves that, making online shopping more immersive and convenient. This translates directly into higher conversion rates, deeper engagement, and customers spending more valuable time interacting with your brand digitally. It’s time to stop treating social commerce like a trend. This is commerce, full stop. It’s a fundamental consumer behavior that belongs at the center of every modern retail strategy.

Meta has introduced a new function that enables Amazon customers to make purchases on Facebook and Instagram without exiting these apps. No brainer, that this integration will boost seamless Integration and user experience. But on a deeper level, why do I find this matching the ongoing global trends (watch out for the Social Commerce boom in China!)? This partnership is a benchmark in creating a seamless shopping experience, bridging the gap between social engagement and eCommerce. Users staying within the social media ecosystem for their entire shopping journey will lead to higher conversion rates for #brands. I also believe this is a response to disastrous 2021 iOS privacy changes, impacting the ROI for brands everywhere. Meta is looking for new ways to bolster ad revenue after Apple’s iOS privacy changes in 2021 made it more difficult for social media companies to target users. The update was a major blow to Meta’s business and, alongside a brutal digital ad market; does anybody remember the ROAS being slashed by 60% two years ago? 😎 And my favorite part of this collaboration? Data-driven targeting and personalization! This new feature will underscore the value of leveraging data for personalized advertising. With Meta enhancing its ad system through #AI and Amazon's rich consumer purchasing data, the potential for highly targeted and effective campaigns increases significantly. I can see CMOs and brand manager smiling before their budget meetings.. ++ 🔭 Looking Ahead ++ 📍 This partnership could pave the way for a broader #socialcommerce landscape where other platforms may follow suit, integrating eCommerce capabilities directly into their user interface. 📍 As the checkout process becomes more streamlined, the content that leads to that checkout will become even more critical. Brands will likely invest more in creative strategies that tell compelling stories within the social media context, engaging users and driving them toward instant purchases. 📍 Looking further ahead, this partnership will evolve to include immersive shopping experiences using augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), especially on platforms like Instagram, where visual presentation is key. I am hopeful, that the Meta-Amazon partnership is not just an immediate enhancement to the shopping experience; it's a signpost for the future of digital advertising and eCommerce convergence, indicating a world where impulse buys are just a natural part of social media consumption. #ecommert for #ecommerce, #digitalshelf and #retailmedia

Innovation isn’t about making what you sell better; it’s about selling something better. Most often when people think of the objectives of digital transformation, they focus on production optimization or cost reduction. But I would argue the real value comes from transforming the way you provide and capture value to customers. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬: 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 Manufacturers have traditionally sold physical products; however, with the increasing popularity of digital services such as software or cloud-based solutions, many manufacturers are now offering digital services as well. These digital services can be anything from providing access to a web portal for customers to tracking performance data for their equipment. By selling digital services, manufacturers can not only increase their profits but also gain a better understanding of customer needs which they can use to refine their products and services accordingly. 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐀𝐬-𝐀-𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 The subscription business model has become increasingly popular among manufacturers as it allows them to offer customers more flexibility when purchasing their products or services. Instead of customers buying a one-time product or service, they can subscribe on an ongoing basis instead which means they get access to the latest updates and features without having to purchase a new product each time. 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 This type of contract typically involves setting an agreed upon outcome that both parties agree on before signing any agreements. For example, if a manufacturer agrees to provide hardware maintenance for its customers for a certain number of years then it will receive payment once those conditions have been met instead of upfront payments like in traditional contracts. In such arrangements, manufacturers assume more responsibility for delivering results; thus increasing their risk but also allowing them to capture more value from customers if successful. ******************************************* • Visit www.jeffwinterinsights.com for access to all my content and to stay current on Industry 4.0 and other cool tech trends • Ring the 🔔 for notifications!

Gartner has just released its 2024 Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce Platforms—a must-have resource for evaluating the top solutions in the market. This report categorizes vendors into Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries, and Niche Players, based on their ability to execute and their strategic vision. Why is it worth considering? The Magic Quadrant helps businesses identify innovative and reliable platforms, reducing risks and maximizing ROI in digital commerce strategies. Here are five platforms from the report that caught my attention: Salesforce: A leader known for its global reach and native integrations, perfect for large B2C and B2B enterprises. Robust capabilities, but its monolithic architecture can be a challenge. Shopify: Great for quick launches with easy setup and omnichannel support. However, its advanced features and pricing may limit scalability for large companies. commercetools: A modular and scalable option, ideal for mature, high-volume businesses. While highly innovative, its implementation can be complex. VTEX: A strong choice for businesses combining B2B and B2C. Its composable, modular architecture enables flexibility, though native customization is limited. BigCommerce: Perfect for mid-market companies needing flexibility. Its cloud-native architecture is modern and composable, but its global reach is still developing. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution in digital commerce. Digital leaders need to conduct a thorough analysis to select the platform that best aligns with their unique business needs.

Wiseasy and the Thunderbird School of Global Management introduce a compelling concept—Fourth Generation Payment Networks (4GPN)—as the next frontier in digital payments. The whitepaper frames 4GPN as a convergence point across four layers: 1. Universal Interoperability Beyond traditional card networks, 4GPN integrates real-time account-to-account payments, EMV, QR, CBDCs, stablecoins, and mobile wallets—designed to work seamlessly across channels, devices, and jurisdictions. 2. Embedded Intelligence and Compliance Risk mitigation is no longer limited to firewalls or fraud checks. 4GPN incorporates biometric authentication, AI-led fraud detection, and regulatory logic into its operational core—shifting compliance from reactive to real-time and contextual. 3. Inclusion as Infrastructure The report highlights that while 1.7 billion adults remain unbanked, 1.1 billion own mobile phones. 4GPN aims to bridge this gap by embedding mobile-first rails and digital identity into the network design—not as an overlay, but as native functions. 4. Modular Global Design From super-app ecosystems in APAC to mobile-led bancarization in LATAM, 4GPNs are meant to adapt. Their architecture supports plug-and-play modules tailored to local regulatory, linguistic, and operational conditions. The projected growth of the digital payments market—from $10.18 trillion in 2024 to over $32 trillion by 2033—is not just about volume. It’s about the need for systems that are resilient, open, and purpose-built for a multipolar, multi-asset future. This evolution will test existing networks, challenge siloed platforms, and redefine how we think about payment processing, compliance, and financial access. The whitepaper raises a few important questions: • Can real-time payments scale without shared trust frameworks? • Are central bank digital currencies being designed for interoperability from day one? • What role should private infrastructure providers play in bridging regulatory and technical standards globally? As we enter a decade of accelerated change, frameworks like 4GPN offer a useful lens—not just to imagine what’s possible, but to assess what’s necessary. https://lnkd.in/gt_7XMAW Industry insights Wiseasy #payments #banking #instantpayments #centralbanks #cbdc #stablecoins

Payments evolve in cycles. If we look back at the story of payments, every year or so, new concepts are reshaping the industry. In 2000, e-commerce payments took off. By 2010, contactless cards and mobile wallets gained traction. Over the last decade, open banking, real-time payments, and embedded finance have dominated. Today, tokenisation, digital wallets, and biometrics are driving innovation, enhancing security and user experience. A key feature of cards, the Primary Account Number (PAN), has long been central to payments, routing transactions, identifying issuers, and processing payments globally. Initially, PANs were transmitted directly for transactions, but as fraud grew, tokenisation emerged as a safer alternative, replacing the card PANs with encrypted tokens to prevent misuse. While PANs have served payments well, security concerns led to Device PANs (DPANs) and Merchant PANs (MPANs), improving stability for stored and recurring payments. ◾A DPAN (Device Primary Account Number) is a tokenised card number used in Apple Pay, Google Pay, and digital wallets. It’s device-specific, meaning if a customer gets a new phone, their DPAN changes, which can cause issues for recurring payments and stored credentials. ◾An MPAN (Merchant Primary Account Number) is a stable token tied to a merchant instead of a device. This means that even if a customer switches devices, their stored payments remain uninterrupted. #DidYouKnow While most payment cards today have a 16-digit PAN, this wasn’t always the case: ◾Diners Club International (1950) issued cards with 10-digit account numbers. ◾American Express (1958) introduced a 15-digit numbering system, which it still uses today. ◾China UnionPay (CUP) introduced 19-digit PANs to accommodate its growing network of issued cards. 𝐒𝐨 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠? From July 30, 2025, Visa will require MPANs instead of DPANs for recurring payments on Apple Pay. This shift prevents failed transactions when customers switch phones and ensures a seamless experience for businesses and consumers. Essentially, the PAN itself is not disappearing, it’s evolving, adapting to a digital-first world where security and seamless transactions go hand in hand. #PaymentExperts – Any thoughts on the PAN’s evolution? 🎤 #Payments #Tokenization #MPAN --- 𝑾𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆? 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘢𝘺𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺, 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴. ➡️ 𝑳𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒂𝒚𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒆? ⚪ Check out our unique payment assets library: https://lnkd.in/dVXjGkzB ⚪ Follow Paypr.work [ˈpeɪpəwəːk] for more #paymentinsights ⚪ Inquiries: Intro@paypr.work

In the emerging business of ‘social shopping,’ TikTok dominates the "social" and is spending big to improve the "shopping." Amazon dominates #ecommerce "shopping," and is working on the "social." TikTok made a name for itself in the U.S. as a viral video-sharing sensation. Now it’s trying to get its 150 million U.S. users to think of it as a shopping destination. Amazon, meanwhile, is trying new tactics to maintain its dominance in e-commerce. It has added social elements to its app to entice younger shoppers, and it is building up a network of influencers who hawk items on and off its website. As a result, the two companies are on a collision course as they vie for position in a huge market. Researchers at Insider Intelligence estimate social e-commerce will grow into a $100 billion market by 2025, from $67 billion this year. To succeed, each company will need to copy elements of the other’s success. TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, wants customers to trust it as a safe and reliable place to buy products, the way many already trust Amazon. And Amazon is trying to persuade users to hang out on its app like they do on #socialmedia services. TikTok launched its #shopping feature, called TikTok Shop, last month and is currently selling about $7 million worth of products like hairbrushes, teeth-whitening tools and fall-themed sweatshirts with leaves and pumpkins every day in the U.S., with a goal of reaching $10 million a day by the end of the year. Amazon’s global online store sales—a measure of the products Amazon sells directly—was roughly $603 million a day last year. TikTok is spending heavily to build a logistics operation, poaching Amazon employees and trying to lure third-party sellers by offering them a bigger cut of sales than Amazon. More than 60% of Amazon’s retail sales come from third-party sellers. Amazon has spent years building up trust among consumers, thanks to a relentless focus on customer experience, including increasingly speedy deliveries and a lenient return policy. TikTok still has to earn that kind of trust. TikTok’s biggest advantage is its ubiquity in the U.S. The roughly two hours a day on average that U.S. users spend on TikTok leaves other companies jealous. On Amazon, U.S. customers spend an average of about 9.7 minutes a day. In a bid to keep users engaged for longer and to create shopping experiences that would appeal to younger users, Amazon has been integrating more social features into its app. One, called Inspire, shows users a TikTok-style feed of photos and videos featuring products customers can purchase. Amazon recently began to allow shoppers to upload content themselves on the Inspire tab and also added a “share” button that allows users to share the content and products they see. Customers have viewed over one billion Inspire posts since the feature launched last year. https://lnkd.in/eDc-6Jtm