Ecommerce

The European Parliament has officially passed Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation that fundamentally shifts the responsibility for textile waste management to fashion brands and retailers – with far-reaching global implications. This new law requires all producers, including e-commerce platforms, to cover the full cost of collecting, sorting, and recycling textiles, regardless of whether they are based within or outside the EU. The financial burden of Europe's textile waste now falls squarely on the brands that create it. What are the critical business implications? UNIVERSAL SCOPE: The legislation applies to all producers selling in the EU market, including those of clothing, accessories, footwear, home textiles, and curtains. No company is exempt based on location. FAST FASHION PENALTY: Member states must specifically address ultra-fast and fast fashion practices when determining EPR financial contributions, creating cost penalties for unsustainable business models. GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION: As the world's largest textile importer, the EU's new rules will ripple across global supply chains, particularly impacting exporters from Bangladesh, Vietnam, China, and India who supply much of Europe's fast fashion. TIMELINE PRESSURE: Officially adopted September 2025, this creates immediate operational and financial planning requirements. COMPETITIVE RESHAPING: Brands and retailers will inevitably pass increased costs down their supply chains, fundamentally altering supplier relationships and pricing structures globally. What are the implications for various stakeholders? For CEOs and board members: This represents more than regulatory compliance – it's a complete business model transformation. Companies must now integrate end-of-life costs into product pricing, rethink supplier partnerships, and accelerate circular design strategies. For sustainability and decarbonisation executives: This creates unprecedented opportunities for circular economy solutions, sustainable material innovation, and traceability system development across global supply chains. Link: https://lnkd.in/dTyHtHuD #sustainablefashion #circulareconomy #textilwaste #epr #fashionindustry #sustainability #supplychainmanagement #fastfashion #environmentalregulation #businessstrategy #decarbonisation #textilerecycling #fashionceos #boardgovernance #climateaction #wastemanagement #producerresponsibility #fashionsustainability #textileindustry #greenbusiness

Loyalty is failing. Gen Z & long-term commitment. 22% of Gen Z consumers consider themselves loyal to one brand is a clear warning for legacy loyalty strategies. Unlike previous generations, Gen Z doesn’t see brand loyalty as a long-term commitment, they’re loyal to moments, not just names. +43% increase in engagement and sales conversions among Gen Z Beauty brands offering "limited-edition drops" and collaborative experiences. +71% Gen Z say they would rather spend money on an experience than a product. >>Loyalty is FAILING, but why<< +Transactional systems feel outdated: Point-based rewards for repeat purchases don’t excite this audience. They expect more than discounts or free samples. +They’re brand-agnostic but experience-driven: Gen Z freely switches between brands if the experience, aesthetic, or values feel fresher or more aligned with their identity. +They buy into stories, not just products: They want to align with brands that represent something, social causes, cultural movements, or communities they relate to. >>DYNAMIC LOYALTY<< What’s this? as it name indicates its a system that rewards interaction, aligns with their values, and constantly evolves. And that is what your brand needs. → Create experience-driven loyalty programs: Offer early access to limited drops, invite-only events, or backstage content. Think like a fan club, not a punch card. +Example: A loyalty tier that unlocks tickets to a pop-up experience or an exclusive AR filter. →Let them co-create: Invite Gen Z customers to co-develop product ideas, designs, or campaign themes. Give them ownership in your brand’s creative journey. +Example: Voting on packaging designs or joining beta tester groups. →Align with their values: Sustainability, inclusivity, and social good aren’t nice-to-haves. they’re expectations. Use loyalty programs to reward actions too, like recycling, sharing causes, or supporting small creators. +Example: “Earn loyalty points by returning empties or attending a sustainability workshop.” →Deliver constant novelty: Rotate limited editions regularly. Use scarcity and surprise to create FOMO and buzz. +Gen Z doesn’t commit to a single brand, but they’ll keep returning if each visit feels fresh and share-worthy. →Go omnichannel but social-first. Should live across TikTok, Instagram, pop-ups, and web. Let them earn or unlock rewards through social engagement, not just purchases. +Example: A user gets exclusive content or perks for creating UGC with your brand. Bottom Line. Loyalty must be earned over and over through experience, relevance, and emotional connection. Think dynamic loyalty: a system that rewards interaction and go for it. Find my curated search of examples and get ready for your next HIT. Featured Brands: Balmain Benefit Chanel Charlotte tilbury Cerave Fennty L’Oreal OGX YSL #beautypackaging #beautybusiness #beautyprofessionals #experienceretail #luxuryexperiences #genz

Most brands spend a lot on media, but treat landing pages as an afterthought If you’re running ads and sending traffic to a homepage or a poorly built landing page, its almost criminal. Specially when gen AI has reduced the cost and time for content creation drastically Here’s how to get landing pages right. Consistently. 1. Match Intent, Not Just Aesthetics The #1 job of a landing page? Continue the conversation you started with your ad •If your ad says “energy efficient fans”, the landing page should show highlight this feature front and center •If your Google ad targets “Mixer Grinders under ₹5000,” don’t show ₹8000 models on the page. Message match > Visual design 2. Keep the Hero Section Clean & Focused Above-the-fold matters. You need to have •Clear headline – Say what the product is and why it’s special. •Key benefits – 3 crisp points max. •Visuals – High-quality product image or demo video. •CTA – One action. Not three. Buy Now,” “Book a Demo,” or “Know More”—but pick ONE 3. Product Benefits, Not Just Features Nobody cares that your mixer uses XYZ motor tech. I mean they do care but only if they care how it helps them They care a lot more that the mixer has a coarse mode which enables silbatta like texture resulting in great taste And that BLDC or intelligent motor tech enables it 4. Solve for Trust People are skeptical by default. Give them reasons to believe •Ratings & Reviews – Show real customer ratings (4.5 stars? Flaunt it). •Media Mentions – “As seen on The Hindu / NDTV” works. •Certifications – BEE 5-Star? BIS approved? Display badges. •Guarantees – Free returns? Warranty? Mention clearly 5. Speed & Mobile Optimization Today at least 80 percent of your traffic is mobile. If your landing page loads in 4 seconds, you’ve lost half. Aim for <2s load time. Avoid fancy animations that slow things down. Test your page on Mobile (3G/4G) and in all browsers Chrome, Safari etc 6. Minimize Distractions A landing page is not your website. •No top nav bars with 7 menu items. •No footer clutter. •No exit doors—except the CTA you want. Keep it focused. Keep them moving toward action 7. Strong CTA (Call to Action) •Make it obvious. One clear button. •Use actionable language: “Get My Free Sample,” “Book a Demo,” “Shop Now.” •Repeat CTA 2-3 times as they scroll, especially after key benefit sections. 8. A/B Test, but with caution: Gen AI makes it very easy to do so. Test •Headlines •CTA text and colors •Images vs Videos •Long-form vs Short-form copy But get the fundamentals of A/B testing right. You need statistically significant sample sizes for each test A good landing page doesn’t sell the product by itself. But It removes friction so the product has a better chance of selling And when done right, your CAC drops, your ROAS climbs, and your ads finally start working to their fullest potential

"Is $20/month too much for our product?" Instead of guessing, we used the Van Westendorp method to find our pricing sweet spot. 4 questions revealed exactly what users would pay (and we haven't touched our pricing since). Here's the framework any founder can steal: 1. Send a survey to actual users, not prospects We surveyed people already using Gamma. They understood the real value of our product, not hypothetical value. Too many founders survey their waitlist or randomly select people who have never used their product. That's like asking someone who's never driven about car prices. 2. Ask these 4 specific questions - At what price would this be too expensive for you to consider it? - At what price is it expensive but still delivering value? - At what price does it feel like a bargain? - At what price is it so cheap you'd question if it's reliable? These create bookends for perceived value. You're mapping the entire spectrum of price psychology, not just asking "what would you pay?" 3. Plot the responses and find where the lines intersect Graph responses from lots of users. Where "too expensive" and "too cheap" lines cross: that's your acceptable range. Where "expensive but fair" meets "bargain": this is your optimal price point. 4. Test within the range, don't just pick the middle The intersection gives you a range, not a number. We ran pricing experiments within that range to see actual conversion rates. A survey shows willingness to pay; testing reveals actual behavior. 5. Lean towards generous (especially for product-led growth) We chose to be more generous with AI usage than our "optimal" price suggested. Word-of-mouth growth matters more than maximizing initial revenue. Not everything shows up in the numbers. 6. Lock it in and stop tinkering Once you find the sweet spot through data, stick with it. We haven't changed pricing in 2 years. Every month debating pricing is a month not improving product. Remember: pricing is a signal, not just a number (Image: First Principles)

Every time a card payment is processed, 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 main types of fees are involved. Here’s a simple breakdown of the Three Core Fees: 1️⃣ Interchange Fee This is paid by your acquiring bank (or payment processor) to the cardholder’s bank (the issuer). It’s set by the card networks (like Visa and Mastercard; sometimes regulated), and is designed to cover things like fraud, credit losses, and infrastructure costs. 2️⃣ Scheme Fee Charged by the card networks themselves, this fee covers the operation of the payment system (“rails” that process the transaction). 3️⃣ Acquirer Markup This is the fee your acquirer or payment service provider (PSP) charges you, the merchant. It includes their costs, risk management, and profit margin for processing and settling the payment. The total cost a merchant pays is called the Merchant Service Charge, which is the sum of these three components. The Main Pricing Models: ► Bundled Pricing All fees are grouped into one flat rate. This is very common with small businesses. It’s easy to understand but doesn’t provide insight into what you’re actually paying for. ► Interchange+ The interchange fee and the acquirer’s fee are shown separately, but the scheme fee is typically bundled with the markup. This model offers some transparency. ► Interchange++ Each fee—the interchange, scheme, and acquirer markup—is itemized separately. This is the most transparent model and is favored by larger or multi-country merchants who want to track costs precisely. Who Chooses the Pricing Model? Most acquirers and PSPs decide what pricing model you’re offered. Unless you negotiate or have significant transaction volume, you’re likely to get bundled pricing by default. Larger or more experienced merchants who understand payments often push for Interchange++ for its clarity and fairness. Smaller merchants often aren’t aware that alternatives exist or find it difficult to compare offers. How Interchange Fees Vary Globally: Some regions (like the EU, UK, China, and Brazil) cap interchange fees to lower costs for merchants and stimulate competition. The US regulates only part of the system—such as capping debit card fees for large banks (the Durbin Amendment)—while credit card interchange remains uncapped and usually higher. Other countries, like India and Brazil, regulate interchange as part of broader financial inclusion goals. In markets with stricter regulation, merchants often benefit from lower, more predictable fees, making it easier to accept cards. Where fees are higher and less regulated, issuers can offer consumers more rewards (like cashback), but those costs are passed back to merchants—and sometimes their customers. Every model shifts the balance of costs and benefits between banks, merchants, and consumers in different ways. More info below👇, and I highly recommend reading my complete deep dive article about Interchange Fee and what factors impact the rate: https://bit.ly/44T4VJA

🗺️ AirBnB Customer Journey Blueprint, a wonderful practical example of how to visualize the entire customer experience for 2 personas, across 8 touch points, with user policies, UI screens and all interactions with the customer service — all on one single page. AirBnB Customer Journey (Google Drive): https://lnkd.in/eKsTjrp4 Spotify Customer Journey (High-res): https://lnkd.in/eX3NBWbJ Now, unlike AirBnB, your product might not need a mapping against user policies. However, it might need other lanes that would be more relevant for your team. E.g. include relevant findings and recommendations from UX research. List key actions needed for next stage. Add relevant UX metrics and unsuccessful touchpoints. That last bit is often missing. Yet customer journeys are often non-linear, with unpredictable entry points, and integrations way beyond the final stage of a customer journey map. It’s in those moments when things leave a perfect path that a product’s UX is actually stress tested. So consider mapping unsuccessful touchpoints as well — failures, error messages, conflicts, incompatibilities, warnings, connectivity issues, eventual lock-outs and frequent log-outs, authentication issues, outages and urgent support inquiries. Even further than that: each team could be able to zoom into specific touch points and attach links to quotes, photos, videos, prototypes, design system docs and Figma files. Perhaps even highlight the desired future state. Technical challenges and pain points. Those unsuccessful states. Now, that would be a remarkable reference to use in the beginning of every design sprint. Such mappings are often overlooked, but they can be very impactful. Not only is it a very tangible way to visualize UX, but it’s also easy to understand, remember and relate to daily — potentially for all teams in the entire organization. And that's something only few artefacts can do. Useful resources: Free Template: Customer Journey Mapping, by Taras Bakusevych https://lnkd.in/e-emkh5A Free Template: End-To-End User Experience Map (Figma), by Justin Tan https://lnkd.in/eir9jg7J Customer Journey Map Template (Figma), by Ed Biden https://lnkd.in/evaUP4kz Free Figma/Miro User Journey Maps Templates https://lnkd.in/etSB7VqB User Journey Maps vs. Service Blueprints (+ Templates) https://lnkd.in/e-JSYtwW UX Mapping Methods (+ Miro/Figma Templates) https://lnkd.in/en3Vje4t #ux #design

Payments have evolved from paper and plastic to APIs and orchestration - giving rise to a new breed of players that simplify the complexity and connect the dots behind the scenes. Here's how we got here. 𝟭. 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟬𝘀 𝗲𝗿𝗮, banks owned the entire payments value chain -acquiring, processing, settlement. Merchant onboarding was complex, and domestic clearing systems ruled. 𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗲-𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲 in the late 1990s changed everything. Players like PayPal and Authorize made online payments possible, while banks began exiting the acquiring space or partnering with processors to keep up with demand. 𝟯. 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟬, specialized gateways and regional wallets began to scale, offering merchants greater flexibility and control. The launch of SEPA in Europe marked a push toward payment harmonization, while non-bank players started building infrastructure that bypassed traditional acquiring models altogether. 𝟰. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗣𝗜-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 transformed payments from siloed systems into modular, developer-friendly tools. Merchant onboarding became faster, integrations simpler, and innovation more scalable. Open Banking regulations enabled direct access to bank data, while new credit models redefined consumer behavior. Payments evolved into a flexible, programmable layer of the digital economy. 𝟱. 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, we’re in the age of seamless integration. Payments are embedded in everything - from ride-hailing apps to SuperApps. Real-time rails like SEPA Instant, UPI and PIX are live. CBDCs are in pilot. However, as payment ecosystems grow more fragmented - with new methods, regional schemes, compliance layers, and fraud risks -complexity has become a major bottleneck for merchants, fintechs, and even banks. Integrating multiple providers, maintaining uptime across systems, and ensuring regulatory compliance isn't just costly - it's unsustainable without the right foundation. This is where a new breed of infrastructure players like 𝗔𝗸𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗼 fit in - offering the tools to simplify complexity and still retain control. • 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲-𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 let banks, PSPs, and fintechs launch their own branded platforms fast - without building from scratch. • 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 enables merchants to route transactions dynamically across multiple acquirers, reducing costs and failed payments while improving UX. • 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 can embed API-driven acquiring services into their offerings without the burden of a full-scale tech overhaul. In a world where growth brings fragmentation, the real challenge isn’t enabling payments - it’s managing them. The advantage will lie with infrastructure that can unify complexity, adapt in real time, and scale across borders without adding friction. Opinions: my own, Graphic source: Akurateco Payment Hub Subscribe to my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dkqhnxdg

Lowe's is quadrupling down on creators but with a unique spin. The home improvement giant just launched a Creator Program that’s already attracted 17,000+ creators—from DIY niche stars like Chris Loves Julia to the king of YouTube himself, MrBeast Now the MrBeast partnership is a big time paid collaboration, where Lowe’s is becoming the exclusive building partner for Beast Games, providing all of the materials and labor to build BeastCity. But their broader creator program is not built around fixed fee paid partnerships, but rather a tiered system where creators can earn based on performance. Here are the deets… 👉 It’s an open invite system and doesn’t require creators to produce a certain amount of content or number of posts  👉 There’s no guarantee creators get paid; the program operates on a tier system 👉 Creators have the ability to make custom storefronts with recommended products, and receive a 20% cut of any sales generated 👉 All creators who are part of the program also get product samples, training resources and a range of opportunities to help grow their businesses.   👉 Creators who performs best will receive additional perks and incentives, like project funding, long-term sponsorships and exclusive access to events like the annual Lowe’s Creator Summit Lowe’s is just one of many brands exploring a performance based system, where creators can earn either through direct sales (affiliate) or for hitting benchmarks. The sales side of that equation is fairly straightforward, you sell product, you make money. The problem for many brands is that this requires creators to actually be able to make meaningful income to stay in it. And for many brands, that is not a realistic outcome, given most sales don’t happen with direct attribution (creators get no commission). Which is where the tiered system comes into play - it’s not just about sales, creators can earn by hitting benchmarks. That could be engagements, views, clicks, number of posts, etc. I anticipate a large number of brands will try to implement this tiered structure in the coming years. And my advice for them is this… 1️⃣ Spend real time stress testing what type of incentives make any sense for the creators, because just like affiliates if they can’t make real money they will abandon ship.  2️⃣ Don’t expect significant gains in year 1. You are investing for the future and year 1 is more about learnings than outcomes 3️⃣ If you are going to do it, really do it. One foot in and one foot out is a guarantee of failure. If this is something you are just adding on to your next influencer campaign with little thought then just don’t bother. I’m happy Lowe’s is going down this path, and the fact that they are spending huge dollars with big creators in tandem with the incentive programs shows that it’s not just about efficiencies in affiliate. They believe in building a long lasting community where the relationship is beneficial for them and the creators.

I screwed over one of my top engineers when I was a Senior Manager at Amazon. He felt betrayed, found another job, and resigned. This is a dark spot on my career, so learn from my mistake. Here’s the story: I joined Amazon in April 2005. This engineer was a new graduate assigned to my team, which was a new team for a new project. Everyone on this new team was smart and talented, but this engineer was a top performer. Our project had a tight deadline, and he came to me and offered me a deal: he would do whatever was needed to ship the project if I made sure he was promoted as a result. Side note: This is a great piece of negotiation, and I encourage you to strike similar deals with your managers when you can. This engineer trusted me to follow through on the deal, but there was a problem. I had just come to Amazon from the startup world, where there was no formal promotion process. When we wanted to promote someone, we just gave them a new title and a raise. I had no understanding of Amazon's process, so I figured that when the project was over I would talk to my boss and get the engineer promoted. I never gave it another thought because in my mind it was as easy as that. The engineer kept his end of the deal, and the product shipped right around the time of Amazon's fall promotion cycle. The cycle came and went, and I could not get the engineer promoted. So, he left and told me straight up that it was because I did not follow through on his promotion. I am the bad guy in the story, and if I could change the past I would. But, for future managers and employees, here is what I learned. For Employees: 1) At large companies, it is common for new managers to not understand the promotion process. If you have a new manager, odds are it will slow your career progress. You can fight this by making sure they understand the complex process so that they can navigate it on your behalf. 2) Remember that your manager is a lot less focused on your career than you are. I meant no harm to my team member, but I was busy with the project and I was not a mature leader. His promotion was not top of mind for me because I thought my job was to ship software, not to grow the careers of my team members. I was incompetent but not malicious. 3) Make sure your manager really understands your expectations in a deal. This engineer expected to be promoted on a certain schedule. I was on board with promoting him, but I didn’t understand the specific timing he was looking for. For Managers: 1) Knowing the process matters! 2) Your employees cannot move up without your feedback and engagement. 3) Getting distracted from this element of your job has a direct, negative impact on your reports My mistakes cost my engineer his promotion and cost me a star team member. Fortunately, he has done very well at another large, famous company. I am glad my mistake did not get in the way of him having a successful career. Don't make my mistake! Comments on what else to do?

This week's obsession: What happens to email marketing when AI manages the inbox? Does that mean email marketing as we know it is dead? 💀 Email has been the GOAT for years. I've probably told all of you at least once: Email has been the only place where people—not algorithms—are in charge. It’s been the only place where people *choose* to hear from you, instead of standing in the center of the Marketing Square, shaking a tin cup at the Fickle Algo Gods for a few puny shillings of attention. Email lets you show up in an inbox like, hey, 'sup. I’ve loved that for us. I’ve loved the high bar it has created for serious marketers. But now that’s all changing. The robots are in the inbox now, too. Or they will be. Soon—if not already—email messages are filtered, summarized, collapsed, prioritized, pasteurized, pulverized, purified, processed, and (I'm out of P words) before a human ever sees them. A human is summoned only according to certain set parameters. (Another P word! There it is!) For marketing, that means the holy grail of permission no longer guarantees visibility. Deliverability doesn’t guarantee it, either. It’s not enough to make sure all your T’s are crossed & I’s are dotted so you land in the primary inbox, high-fiving all the other emails that dropped in alongside you. YOU MADE IT is no longer the goal. The new goal is neither access nor deliverability. It’s being *chosen*. >>> The old way: deliverability was king. >>> The new way: selection is king. It means a person plucking your fresh email, new & telling AI: "Yo. Save those for just me, bestie." Your relationship with the recipient is the difference between being seen… and being skipped. For years, we optimized for deliverability—how to get in. Now we need to optimize for selection—how to be chosen. That changes the work, right? 👉 From messaging → making meaning Not just delivering info, but helping your reader make sense of it. 👉 From broadcasting messages → corresponding with people Pillow over the face of “dear audience.” More “hey this is for you” energy. 👉 From scale-first → story-first Less sending for the sake of sending; more personality and point of view. The only email strategy that actually works from here on out is being someone your reader would genuinely miss if you stopped showing up. That’s a relationship problem, a writing challenge, and—if you’re willing to invest the time—an opportunity. When speed becomes cheap, judgment carries a premium. That’s true in marketing strategy. It’s true in content. And now…it’s especially true in email. We need to show up differently when AI is triaging the inbox. Do this: Pull up your last 3 email sends. Look yourself squarely in the eye and answer with unflinching honesty: Would an AI assistant surface this for my reader? Would my reader save it for their own human eyes? Is this genuinely worth their time? That, my friends, is the new bar. And actually… I kind of love this new bar for us, too. You?