I’ve been spending the past few months learning about the synthetic biology industry and how it’s poised to disrupt the consumer economy. What is synthetic biology, you ask? Here’s an excellent definition from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI): Synthetic biology is a field of science that involves redesigning organisms for useful purposes by […]

I’m very excited that Foxtrot Market is announcing a big new round of funding today that will allow the company to continue with its rapid expansion plans. Wittington Ventures co-led the previous round with New York-based Imaginary Ventures back in February of 2020. It’s been remarkable to witness Foxtrot’s omni-channel approach to convenience retail being validated […]

I have a confession. Given my interests and background in all things digital commerce, you’d think that I’m an online shopping veteran. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I’ve always enjoyed visiting stores and picking up items in-person. Probably because I welcome any excuse to get out of the house and be active. But […]

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 […]