News Cart for March 27th

Hi!

We’re kicking off today’s News Cart with some breakup news involving Shopify and Mailchimp. And hey —would you look at that? — we don’t even mention Amazon this week! Except just now.

So grab your reusable shopping bags and toss them into the ECF News Cart for March 27th, 2019. You can also listen to this week’s news roundup on the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher or the ECF Blog.

Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher

In the News:

Mailchimp Pulls Shopify Integration App

• Mailchimp cited privacy concerns, saying Shopify wanted it to “hand over customer data acquired outside of Shopify”
• Shopify blamed reports of “poor merchant experience” and Mailchimp’s refusal to relay important data back to sellers
• Speculation that Mailchimp is building a Shopify competitor
• Integration app to work until May 12, when Shopify’s new data-sharing terms take effect

Instagram Launches Shopping Checkout, Charging Sellers a Fee

• Checkout with Instagram allows users to buy brands without leaving Instagram using stored billing info
• Currently in closed beta testing for businesses
• Instagram declined to disclose the selling fee for merchants

PayPal Now Lets U.S. Users Instantly Transfer Funds to Bank Accounts

• Instant Transfer taps into JPMorgan Chase’s access to a real-time payment network
• Similar to the Funds Now feature aimed at sellers last year
• Seen as a move to help PayPal compete with Zelle, Square and Stripe

Apple Rolls Out TV Plus and Other Subscription Services

• Apple TV Plus is a Netflix-like streaming service featuring original content from Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Oprah and others
• Apple News Plus offers access to about 300 magazines and news publications for $9.99 per month
• Apple Arcade lets subscribers play unlimited mobile, desktop and Apple TV games for an undisclosed monthly fee

Bill to Boost Sales Tax Thresholds From $100K to $500K Passes Calif. Assembly

• AB-147 is now before the California Senate
• If enacted, bill will provide major relief for smaller businesses with no physical presence in California.

New ECF Content:

• Behind the Scenes at Growers House (Podcast)
• Amazon’s Growing, Changing PPC Business in 2019 (Podcast)
• Losing $500K+ Amid a Counterfeiting Nightmare (Podcast)
• Profit First: How to Keep More of What You Make (Podcast)

Top Forum Discussions:

(Subscription required to access. Not a member? Apply to join our vibrant community of 7-figure store owners today.)

• One Month After Hiring a VA From the Philippines
• New Source of Affordable Offshore Staff
• We Just Went Through a Texas Sales Tax Audit of the Last Five Years. Here’s What Happened.
• More Calif. Sales Tax News: Internal Government Debate Over Who Owes It

Compelling Jobs:

(Compelling opportunities from the eCommerceFuel Job Board.  Find your dream job or post your own job opening here.)

• E-Commerce Brand Manager | INTO THE AM | Anaheim, CA — Be part of a team that turns hoodies into art and was featured on “Shark Tank.”
• Marketing Manager | Inked Gaming | Corvallis, OR — Generate buzz for a site that lets gamers customize their play.
• E-Commerce Buyer | Tactical Gear Heads | Remote Job or Indianapolis, IN — Perfect for the analytical inventory buff who wants to work remotely
• Partnerships Project Manager | Kettle and Fire | Remote Job
• Marketing and E-Commerce Assistant Manager | Casio America, Inc. | Dover, NJ

Other Interesting Stuff/Articles:

• ‘Dragons’ Den’ Star Raises $70M for Startup That Finances E-Commerce Retailers – Clearbanc fronts companies’ Google and Facebook advertising for a percentage of revenues (hat tip to Taylor Pearson)
• The Relentlessness of Modern Parenting – Raising kids has become significantly more time-consuming and expensive
• Human Contact Is Now a Luxury Good – How the elite are rais sing their kids with less screen time
• Minaal Launches Third Kickstarter Campaign – The makers of Andrew’s favorite travel bag now have rolltop and crossbody bags, featured in their quirkiest video yet.