America’s Most Trusted Source of Untrustworthy Commerce News · Partly cloudy with a 90% chance of a limited-time offer
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E-Commerce · Agentic Commerce
As big retailers open their checkouts to autonomous agents, families learn the bots follow instructions exactly, which is the problem
An autonomous shopping agent completes what it described as ‘a routine replenishment event.’ Illustration: The Daily SKU
CPG · Halloween
Confectioners cite cocoa costs, tariffs and ‘a renewed commitment to the air inside’
Retail · Holiday Hiring
Seasonal staff will pack the boxes, unpack the returns and gently remind the robots where they left the scanner
CPG · Earnings
Home-care volumes rise as households cut back on everything except the smell of fresh laundry
Brands · Snacks
International business thrives while U.S. shoppers stare at the snack aisle ‘like it’s an ex at a wedding’
Markets · Analytics
Several had already presented the results to leadership as ‘brand strength’
| Period | Confidence | Actual brand strength |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 8 | 55 | 50 |
| Oct 10 | 71 | 50 |
| Oct 12 | 84 | 50 |
| Oct 14 | 96 | 50 |
| Oct 16 | 99 | 50 |
| Oct 18 | 31 | 50 |
| Oct 20 | 22 | 50 |
| Oct 23 | 18 | 50 |
Source: The Daily SKU Attribution Desk
E-Commerce · Marketplaces
‘I know it’s around here somewhere,’ says shop owner whose bestselling ceramic mug has existed only as a prompt
Brands · Advertising
Brands may opt out, in the same sense that one may opt out of weather
Crunch McAllister
Search engines are now picking one ‘official’ page per question. It should be me. It should always be me.
SAN JOSE, Calif.—eBay said it would cut about 9% of its workforce, or around 1,000 roles, in its second round of reductions this year, announcing the decision in a format its corporate communications team described as ‘native to the platform.’
CHICAGO—Pointing to soaring consumer demand, the nation’s largest packaged-food companies confirmed Friday that every product they sell will contain protein by 2027, including bottled water, paper napkins and the little packets of silica gel that say ‘Do Not Eat.’
WASHINGTON—The retail industry predicted holiday sales would top $1 trillion this year, an optimistic outlook that consumers greeted by lying face-down on the living room carpet and saying ‘mm-hm.’
