ecommerce

Customer data startup Paperbark has signed Unilever brands as clients, in a deal aimed at addressing gaps in ecommerce sales data. The company helps consumer brands understand where online sales drop off or go untracked, and the Unilever agreement gives it a major multinational reference customer. It is a notable win for the Australian-founded startup as it pushes into the enterprise customer data space.

Gumroad has open-sourced its codebase, and developers are digging into the source to understand exactly how its Discover marketplace ranks products. A write-up circulating among developers walks through the ranking logic read directly from the code, replacing speculation about the marketplace algorithm with the actual implementation. The move is being discussed in software, SEO and ecommerce circles as a notable example of transparency in platform algorithms.

The cruise retail sector is embracing recommerce, the resale and reuse of goods, as a new commercial opportunity. Travel retail publication DFNI reports that operators are exploring second-hand and circular retail models onboard cruise ships, joining a wider industry shift toward resale as consumers seek sustainable and value-driven shopping options.