Retail and eCommerce highlights this week include: Logicbroker, cloud-based eCommerce platform releases B2B offerings. Former President of Expedia Marketplace brings extensive Product Management and technical experience to PayPal. Black Dragon Capital a private equity firm, has launched VEEP, a socially responsible SaaS-based HR and Payments technology platform. The vCommerce retail pioneer joins one of the industry’s premier live TV streaming platforms.
Logicbroker launches B2B supply chain visibility offerings
Logicbroker, a cloud-based curated marketplace and automated drop ship eCommerce platform provider, has launched its business-to-business (B2B) product suite. Logicbroker’s B2B offerings centre around Supply Chain Visibility and B2B marketplace and drop ship capabilities.
Over the last three years, Logicbroker listened closely to its clients, partners, vendors, and industry colleagues on what they’d expect from a comprehensive B2B solution. Logicbroker began piloting new ways to help B2B customers get products to their warehouses or stores quicker than ever before. After a year of successful execution of this new business model, Logicbroker’s B2B offerings are available to the public.
Digital Commerce 360 predicts B2B eCommerce will more than double by next year, and already over 49% of all B2B sales are done online. Logicbroker’s B2B Supply Chain Visibility product allows retailers to have visibility across the entire order lifecycle for wholesale orders. Accommodating orders made by all suppliers, regardless of technical capabilities, Logicbroker takes on the burden of acting as the premier connection broker for retailers looking to not only automate their supply chain but also identify supply disruptions before they impact the customer experience.
To continue providing the ultimate “one-stop-shop” for brands and retailers looking to drop ship, build their own marketplace, or both, Logicbroker’s B2B Marketplace and Drop Ship product focuses on frontend order tracking automation. Insights into inventory availability, price stratification, shipments, vendor performance, and more are handled through Logicbroker’s advanced, cloud-based platform.
PayPal Appoints John Kim as Chief Product Officer
PayPal Holdings announced that John Kim will join the company as Executive Vice President (EVP), Chief Product Officer (CPO), effective September 26, 2022. Kim brings unique skills and experience building foundational consumer products and marketplaces from the ground up. Throughout his career, he has driven innovative product development to compete and win in rapidly evolving and competitive markets. Kim succeeds current CPO, Mark Britto, who will remain with PayPal for a transition period before retiring at the end of this year.
Kim joins PayPal following a decade-long tenure with Expedia Group, where he served most recently as President of Expedia Marketplace. In this role, he oversaw strategy, product, technology and operations for all of Expedia Group’s lines of business – including lodging, air, car, cruise and activities – bringing Expedia’s products to life for its customers and suppliers. Previously, Kim served as President of Platform & Marketplaces where he led the development of artificial intelligence, user experience, research, eCommerce, marketplaces and yield management, and oversaw the data and development platforms that power Expedia Group’s two-sided marketplace platform.
Previously in his career, Kim served as President of HomeAway/Vrbo after it was acquired by Expedia Group, then as President of Vrbo. At Vrbo, Kim led the company’s transformation from a subscription-based advertising model to a modern eCommerce business powered by data science and technology. Before Vrbo, Kim served as Expedia’s Chief Product Officer. He has more than two decades of experience across venture-backed startups, medium-sized companies and globally known brands including Yahoo!, Overture, Accenture, Bank of America and Pelago.
In his role as PayPal’s EVP, CPO, Kim will lead the consumer and merchant product and engineering teams. Together with his product and engineering leadership teams, he will work to advance PayPal’s position as a leader in digital payments and commerce for consumers and merchants around the globe.
Kim’s appointment marks the most recent addition to PayPal’s Executive Leadership Team amongst several key hires this year, including Chief Financial Officer Blake Jorgensen in August and Chief Information Officer Archana (Archie) Deskus in March. Blake joined PayPal from Electronic Arts and has extensive experience driving operational excellence and shareholder value. Previously CIO of Intel, Archie is a highly accomplished technology executive who is working to optimize PayPal’s internal technology processes and systems, ensuring PayPal has the most modern, secure, reliable and scalable technology foundation to drive meaningful innovation and serve customers.
Black Dragon Capital launches VEEP, a cloud native HR retention and advanced pay solution
Black Dragon Capital a private equity firm has launched VEEP, a socially responsible SaaS based HR and Payments technology platform. The solution is designed to allow hourly employees, under-privileged and under-represented wage earners to access earned wages faster. In addition, at a lower cost than other exploitive alternatives, without exposing critical personal information about the employee.
Hourly workers in the US, particularly underprivileged and underrepresented groups, face unique social and economic challenges. This often leads to almost 80 million living paycheck to paycheck. All too often, hourly workers who need access to earned wages in advance of a scheduled payday to meet basic needs such as power, transportation, rent, food and medical needs, often don’t qualify for other forms of lending options and are exploited for short term, low-value lending options. These options are at much higher costs and interest rates than traditional methods, further jeopardizing the financial viability of targeted groups. At the same time, newer digital options not only charge hidden excessive fees, but often exploit the personal information of the person involved.
VEEP has created a proprietary HR retention and payment network that provides employers an advanced technology platform that creates a powerful employee retention tool. VEEP allows hourly employees to access earned wages as they are earned, at a dramatically lower cost, securely through the regulated community banking network, while avoiding any sale of personal information about the employee. This allows all wage earners, particularly underprivileged and underrepresented groups, to better manage their cash needs between traditional pay periods. VEEP’s powerful tool provides incredible benefits to employees while allowing employers to increase retention and lower long-term employee costs resulting in better service to their customers.
HSN launches Livestream Video Shopping Experience on YouTube TV
HSN has debuted on YouTube TV, a leading live TV streaming platform with more than 5 million subscribers and trialers in the U.S.1 HSN is part of Qurate Retail, Inc.
It brings live video commerce (“vCommerce”) programming across a variety of product categories to YouTube TV, which is available across smart TVs, streaming media players, smartphone apps, tablets, computers, game consoles, and smart displays. It joins YouTube TV’s line-up of 100+ channels, which features local and national news, sports, and entertainment, along with movies and TV shows on-demand. HSN joins QVC as the only two retailers currently on YouTube TV.
HSN takes shoppers on a journey that embraces the new, it explores untrodden paths, and offers unique perspectives. It presents a curated assortment of exclusive products and top brand names in health and beauty, jewellery, home/lifestyle, fashion/accessories, and electronics and incorporates entertainment, personalities and industry experts to provide a unique shopping experience. Fashion programming is HSN’s most-watched content. HSN’s top destination programs have included “Gotta See G by Giuliana Rancic,” “Fashion Fridays with Amy,” and “The List with Debbie D” (formerly “The List with Colleen Lopez”), each of which were watched by over 270,000 homes per hour across the U.S.2 Customers are highly engaged with HSN’s linear programming. Giuliana Rancic, who has been an HSN vendor for 10 years, recently sold more than 32,000 units of her G by Giuliana LounGy Knit Set in a single day on HSN.
This launch reflects HSN’s continued strategic expansion of its vCommerce experiences through partnerships and collaborations with new media and digital platforms. HSN engages millions of customers across the U.S. via two linear channels, a website and mobile app, a shoppable streaming service, and social pages. HSN’s linear channels are widely available on cable/satellite TV, free over-the-air TV, and digital livestreaming TV. HSN recently celebrated its 45th birthday in July.
