Beyond the Basket - 06/08/25

Pandora and Chanel have issued alerts after cyberattacks exposed customer data through a compromised Salesforce platform used by both brands.

Exposed info includes names, emails, and contact details, but no passwords or payment data. Pandora says its systems remain secure; Chanel flagged phishing risks.

The breaches are part of a broader wave hitting retailers via OAuth and third-party tools. Other affected brands include M&S, Adidas, Dior, and Louis Vuitton.

BigCommerce Holdings is now Commerce.com, signaling a shift toward AI-driven “agentic shopping” but the BigCommerce platform name stays.

Commerce says SEO and paid ads are losing steam as AI “answer engines” like ChatGPT and Gemini reshape how people shop online.

The company will unify BigCommerce, Feedonomics, and Makeswift to help brands stay visible and competitive in this AI-first ecommerce era.

eBay wrongly charged sellers insertion fees for simply revising listings, despite having free listings left, something that shouldn’t trigger a fee.

A moderator confirmed the glitch via ALERT16099, but confusion remains as the alert wording suggests fees should apply, raising red flags.

Sellers aren’t sure if eBay will auto-credit overcharges or require manual reports, an unsettling repeat of past billing issues dating back to 2017.

Newegg unveiled a gamer-focused community hub on its site, offering polls, advice, news, and a space for users to share custom setups.

The platform aims to deepen ties with gamers, DIY PC builders, and tech creators, emphasizing connection over commerce.

With $1.31B in projected 2025 sales, Newegg is betting big on community-led engagement to drive loyalty and brand visibility.

Membership is down in the UK and US, but Australia shows signs of revival after two years of decline, thanks to renewed subscription growth.

The drop is blamed on post-pandemic retention math, with customer acquisition during FY21–22 running 2.7x above normal levels.

Despite a 14% revenue dip, losses narrowed; core members remain profitable, and £3M will go toward boosting engagement and retention.

Sunglass Hut saw a 6X traffic lift and 76% drop in cost-per-visit after last year’s CTV campaign across Hulu, HBO Max, and more.

This year’s ads added 3D try-on filters and location-based QR codes, blending digital engagement with in-store shopping intent.

With in-person sales still key, CTV is now central to Sunglass Hut’s video strategy, targeted, measurable, and built to drive real-world results.