⭐ May 13 – Retail Disruption Ends? | Shopify B2B Skyrockets | 145% China Tariffs

Happy Tuesday — Claus here with your Ecommerce Coffee Break.

Retail’s disruption era may be winding down, but the headlines are anything but quiet: U.S.–China tariff chess continues, Shopify’s B2B numbers jump 109%, and TikTok Shop doubles down on Europe. It’s a week of strategy shifts, fast pivots, and big plays in global commerce.

Grab your coffee and read on. Today's newsletter is 653 words—a 3-minute, 15-second read.

In Today’s Edition:

• What's Happening: The Latest Ecommerce News (Handpicked for you!)

• 🎧 On the pod: What To Do With Open Box Returns On Shopify

• Amazon Launches “Haul” Shopping Feature in the U.K.

And, as always, send us feedback at hello@ecommercecoffeebreak.com

⭐ TOGETHER* WITH Portless

The biggest hidden cost on your P&L?

Being out of stock.

It’s a silent profit killer most brands ignore—until it’s too late:

• Lost sales (obvious)

• Higher costs per unit (hidden)

• Operational chaos (painful)

• Customers shop at a competitor instead (long-term damage)

Portless fixes this.

Your inventory is available for sale the moment it’s made—shipping direct from China. No guesswork. Always in stock.

Schedule a risk assessment and leverage tariff deferment today. 

📰 WHAT'S HAPPENING: THE LATEST ECOMMERCE NEWS (Handpicked for you!)

General Ecommerce News

• Why the e-commerce disruption era in retail is ending [read more]

• Trump floats 80% tariff on Chinese goods ahead of fresh talks [read more]

• Tariff pause lets Shein and Temu refill U.S. inventories [read more]

• U.S. signs its first post-tariff trade pact with the U.K. [read more]

• First China shipments reach U.S. ports under 145% tariffs [read more]

• How Hiyo raised $1 million before its product was finished [read more]

Platforms & Marketplaces

• Walmart widens its support for goods made in America [read more]

• Shopify’s B2B sales soar 109% in Q1 [read more]

• Amazon says Sponsored Products data may be skewed [read more]

• Amazon unveils AI-powered “Enhance My Listing” tool for sellers [read more]

• Chinese e-commerce giants race to cut delivery times [read more]

• Shopify forecasts solid revenue growth despite tariff concerns [read more]

Social Media & Advertising

• Speed up your Shopify store management: upload, resize, and optimize images in minutes, not days. Save 100+ hours — enjoy 6 months free on us!*

• TikTok Shop rolls out pre-owned goods across continental Europe [read more]

• 10 standout AI productivity tools to streamline workflows [read more]

• Meta launches AI-powered ad tools for e-commerce growth [read more]

• Server-side rendering: how SSR powers e-commerce sites [read more]

• Meta says China retailers are reducing digital ad spend [read more]

⭐ TOGETHER* WITH Vandra

🧠 How OLLY Boosted First-Time Conversions by 82% 

Facing rising acquisition costs and low-intent traffic, OLLY needed a smarter way to convert first-time visitors.

Discover how they leveraged AI-powered nudges to achieve a sustained 82% increase in conversion rates—without over-relying on discounts. Learn how this approach transformed their customer acquisition strategy.

👉 Read the case study

🤝 Supported by Vandra AI

🎙️ ECOMMERCE COFFEE BREAK PODCAST

What To Do With Open Box Returns On Shopify

In this episode, we dive into a genius solution for handling open box returns.

Brad Sorock, e-commerce veteran and creator of the Shopify app "Returns for Sale," shares how his app helps merchants easily sell returned items at discounted prices.

Learn how his unique tool transforms a common e-commerce headache into a revenue opportunity while supporting sustainability by keeping returned products out of landfills.

🎧 Play Episode: [Website] [Apple Podcasts] [Spotify] [YouTube]

💡 AMAZON LAUNCHES “HAUL” SHOPPING FEATURE IN THE U.K.

Amazon’s new Haul feature has landed in the U.K., unveiling a dedicated ultra-low-price marketplace packed with £1–£20 deals—Amazon’s bid to keep budget-minded shoppers from drifting to Temu’s rapidly growing bargain empire.

The gist

• Beta live in the Amazon app (search “Haul”).

• Thousands of fashion, home & lifestyle picks, all < £20 (most < £10, some £1).

• Search, cart, checkout keep deals tidy.

• All items clear Amazon safety checks.

Why it matters

• Value-hungry Brits are flocking to Temu and Shein.

• Haul keeps those wallets inside Amazon without cutting core prices.

Need-to-knows

• Shipping: free over £15, £2.99 below.

• Delivery: within 14 days.

• UK GM John Boumphrey: Haul “meets the moment.”

What’s next

Full U.K. rollout, then Europe.

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