83% of consumers want to purchase a product in the metaverse / CCI raids Amazon and Flipkart sellers / UPS' Q1 revenue up 6.4% YoY

Plus, Amazon is named one of the 12 most dangerous workplaces in the U.S.

Inside.com Part of   Network April 28, 2022

Presented by

83% of consumers have expressed an interest in purchasing a product in the metaverse, according to a recent Accenture survey. 64% said they'd bought a product in the metaverse within the past year. More: 42% went to a metaverse retailer in the past year, and 56% expressed an interest in doing so over the next 12 months. 55% of millennials and 29% of baby boomers want to experience travel in the metaverse. 54% want to attend a concert or sporting event in the metaverse. In March, Citi predicted the global metaverse industry would be worth between $8T and $13T by 2030. Citi says it will have 5 billion global users by 2030.

The Competition Committee of India (CCI) conducted a raid on Cloudtail and Appario, two of the biggest merchants on Amazon's Indian platform. The CCI also raided multiple unnamed Flipkart merchants. More: Indian SMBs have repeatedly accused Amazon and Flipkart of giving preferential treatment to a limited number of merchants on their platforms; however, both companies have denied the allegations. The raids were part of an antitrust investigation launched by the CCI in Jan. 2020. An Oct. 2021 Reuters report said Amazon gave preferential treatment to large merchants on its Indian platform. Appario and Cloudtail made up 35% of sales on Amazon's platform in 2019. Reuters spoke to a former CCI official called the event a "significant development," noting the agency rarely conducts raids in "non-cartel cases."

A message from CONNECTEAM See Why 90 Different Industries Use Connecteam to Manage Their Employees Connecteam is an all-in-one employee management software solution designed for deskless teams and remote workers. This simple, easy-to-use business tool boasts a wide range of features, from time tracking and shift scheduling to internal communication and employee training. Its simple user interface makes it super easy for your team to handle virtually every aspect of their day-to-day, regardless of their location. Connecteam supports many useful integrations across its most popular features. Integrate your employees’ schedules with Google Calendar or employee timesheets with payroll software such as Quickbooks Online. Future payroll integrations will include Gusto, Xero, and ADP. Manage your employees efficiently and eliminate paper-based workflows with one solution - Connecteam. Connecteam is 100% free for your first 50 users. Paid plans start from $39/month and come with a 14-day free trial. Start your Free Trial

UPS's revenue in Q1 increased by 6.4% YoY to $24.4B. The company's net income fell from $4.8B in Q1 2021 to $2.7B this year. Domestic package revenue increased by 8% YoY to $15.1B. International package revenue and supply chain solution revenue was up 5.8% YoY and 2% YoY to $4.9B and $4.4B, respectively. More: Its average U.S. daily package volume fell by 3% YoY to 611,000. The company said it will double its share buyback in 2022 to $2B. CEO Carol Tomé warned e-commerce sales will slow down due to inflation. UPS's stock is down 11.3% year-to-date, and it has a market cap of $162.4B. The earnings report is available here.

Amazon was named of the 12 most dangerous workplaces in the U.S. in a new report by advocacy group National COSH. The serious injury rate at Amazon warehouses was 6.8 per 100 workers, more than double the rate of 3.3 per 100 workers at non-Amazon warehouses. More: National COSH said six workers have died at its warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama (which recently held a union vote) since it was opened in 2020. This was the third time Amazon has appeared on National COSH's "dirty dozen" list. Starbucks made the list after National COSH said it fired workers that led unionization efforts. National COSH added Dollar General to the list, noting it has been fined millions by OSHA. The report is available here.

A message from LAIKA If you’re trying to close deals, SOC 2 is probably a thorn in your side. What is it, and who cares? Your business needs SOC 2. But building compliance from scratch is complicated, time-consuming, and the cost can be crippling. Laika has you covered. Uncomplicate SOC 2 with our guide for growth-minded founders. In the guide by Laika you’ll learn: What is SOC 2 compliance and why it matters for your startup How to close more deals faster by becoming SOC 2 compliant How to prepare for SOC 2 compliance What to expect in terms of time and cost What to do after the report is in What makes Laika the authority on SOC 2? They’re the only compliance automation solution that was built by compliance experts. Learn how to turn compliance from a pain point into a secret edge over your competitors. Download Now

39.8% of consumers said they'd stop shopping at a retailer after a bad delivery experience, according to a FarEye survey. 36.8% said their opinion of a brand was altered due to a poor delivery experience. More: 25% said they want real-time tracking information amidst the global supply chain crisis  33% anticipate longer delivery times. 65% of consumers prefer at-home delivery instead of in-store pickup. 30% expect to boost in-person shopping since the U.S. lifted COVID-19 restrictions, while 32% will prioritize online shopping. The full results are available here.

Amazon will host its first Amazon Pet Day on May 2, where it will offer discounts on pet-related products for 24 hours. The company said it will give Prime members discounts on pet-themed movies and donate $100,000 to shelters across the U.S. More: It's unclear if this is a one-time event or if it will become an annual event. The number of U.S. households with a pet increased from 67% in 2019 to a record 70% in 2020. U.S. online sales on Amazon's Prime day rose by 6.1% YoY in 2021 to over $11B, according to Adobe. May is national pet month in the U.S.

QUICK HITS: Over 5,000 global customers trust Outreach as their Sales Execution Platform. Find out why it’s the right solution for your team.* Amazon removed a ban that prohibited workers from having their cell phones with them while working. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company will reduce spending, including on its metaverse project, by an undisclosed amount. French luxury fashion company Lanvin partnered with Shopify to launch an e-commerce platform in North America. PayPal will close its San Francisco office to reduce its carbon footprint. Amazon added 41 new shoes and movies to its movie rental service in India. To deliver real-time analytics on massive datasets, developers must balance latency, throughput, concurrency, and data freshness. Watch Molecula's Webinar.* *This is a sponsored post.

UPCOMING EVENTS AT INSIDE: April 28 - Alternative Investments 2: Crypto Safety Standards (Register Here) May 03 - Venturing in VC - Episode #17 with Ryan Holmes (LOI Venture) (Register Here) May 05 - [Live Webinar] Women in Sales: How to Build Your Personal Brand to Drive More Sales presented by Introhive (Register Here) * May 12 - Making Metaverse Dating a Reality (Register Here) May 18 - Need To Know NoCoder: Jatin Arora (Utilize) (Register Here) May 19 - Understanding Fractionalization (Register Here) May 24 - Meet Our Fund 3 (Register Here) May 31 - Ethereum Merge with Anthony Donofrio (Ethereum) (Register Here) June 01 - Selling Consumer Goods in Web3 (Register Here) June 09 - Empowering Content Creators with No Code (Register Here) June 22 - Security Lessons from the Log4Shell Vulnerability (Register Here) *This is a sponsored post.

Jigney Pathak is a Business Researcher at Inside who loves technology, finance & sports. He has a Bachelor of Business Administration with a finance specialization & has previously worked at Salesforce. Editor Aaron Crutchfield is based in the high desert of California. Over the last two decades, he has spent time writing and editing at various local newspapers and defense contractors in California. When he's not working, he can often be found looking at the latest memes with his kids or working on his 1962 Ford.

Connecteam is the all-In-One Employee Management Software. Time Tracking, Shift Scheduling, Communication, and Much More.

Laika is a unified compliance platform that automates workflows for audits, infosec monitoring, and vendor due diligence in a single, collaborative space.

767 Bryant St. #203, San Francisco, CA 94107 Copyright © 2022 Inside.com

Did someone forward this email to you? Head over to inside.com to get your very own free subscription! You received this email because you subscribed to Inside Ecommerce. Click here to unsubscribe from Inside Ecommerce list or manage your subscriptions.