The tech IPO window is apparently still wide open, and the latest name trying to push through it is Poshmark (click here to see the company’s S-1 filing with the SEC). Poshmark is a large social marketplace for fashion where anyone can buy, sell, and share their style with others. It makes money by taking […]

When I first started Fire Ant, it seemed like a good idea to do “Weekly Edits” that served as a summary of commerce related news and analysis from around the world — curated by yours truly. These edits have been very well received by the community and I’m excited to continue producing them. However I’m […]

PayBright — a Toronto-based point-of-sale (PoS) lending company — is set to be acquired by its U.S.-based counterpart Affirm for $340 million, according to a press release issued by the company last week. PayBright was the first business in Canada to launch instant consumer financing for e-commerce purchases. As Affirm plans to go public before […]

If you were paying attention to the North American Black Friday sales figures this weekend, you’ll know that the total volume of e-commerce orders literally exploded on a YoY basis. And these reported figures don’t even include the sales that will be generated today for Cyber Monday.  It’s hard to predict the permanency of the new […]

In a world where brands are increasingly going direct-to-consumer, retailers are being forced to ask themselves how they can differentiate. I believe a big chunk of the answer lies in pursuing a private label strategy, and it’s no surprise that a growing number of retailers are considering launching an in-house brand, or expanding the scope […]

Sustainability is a big theme in the world of retail these days. There’s a lot being written about the impact that some merchants and brands are having on the environment, and how we as consumers have become trained to purchase goods at an insatiable pace. In a capitalist economy that worships growth at all costs, it can […]

I’m glad to be back after a bit of a break from writing. It’s important to take care of ourselves during these unprecedented times. On the topic of self care, lately I’ve been reading up on how to work towards my goals (both personal and professional) in a sustainable way. If this is a question […]

There has been a lot of talk lately about the momentum behind DTC brands as a result of the pandemic. Simultaneously, we’re also starting to hear more discussions around where the fault lines are starting to emerge in the DTC model overall. The discourse in retail media and DTC communities in general would suggest that […]

I’m extremely bullish on consumer brands that are backed by mega influencers. From Rihanna’s Fenty to Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics, we are witnessing a golden era for brands that are founded by celebrities who are rewriting the rules of popular culture. What’s there not to love about the economics? Mega influencers have an insane number […]

Before the pandemic struck, I had been spending a lot of time thinking about the future of retail as a form of media. In other words, is retail space — be it online or in-store — becoming an “ad unit” that a merchant pays for to garner impressions among potential customers? A big implication of […]