Online Shopping
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Hero Is a Virtual Shopping Platform That ‘Humanizes’ Online Shopping

Kristen S. Sykes

Founded in 2015 by Adam Levene, the Hero platform allows shoppers to go “inside the store” online to “interact with real experts at their favorite brands through video shopping, messaging and real-time chat,” the company said.

The aim is to create a more human connection between online merchants and brands, and their customers. Here, Levene discusses how the platform works and how humanizing the online shopping experience is relevant — especially since the outbreak of COVID-19.

WWD: What was the impetus behind founding Hero? And how does the virtual shopping platform work?

Adam Levene: Shoppers don’t have the same confidence to buy online as they do when browsing in-store — we launched Hero in early 2017 to solve this, believing that human interaction is what’s missing from e-commerce.

Grapple, my last business, was the largest app-commerce company in Europe, launching digital platforms for Adidas, P&G and Fiat, among others.

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Online Shopping
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Ordering flowers online? Use a shopping portal to earn more rewards

Kristen S. Sykes


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Editor’s note: This article has been updated with the latest information.

When an occasion calls for flowers, you can order from a local florist or order online. If you make your purchase with one of the best rewards credit cards, you’ll get points, miles or cash back from the transaction regardless of how you order the flowers.

There are various reasons to order from a local florist. For example, it’s a great way to support a small business. Plus, you’ll generally get more control over the final product. But you may be leaving rewards on the table if you don’t order your flowers online through a shopping portal.

Online shopping portals can

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Online Shopping
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Retail spending dives as lockdown drives more shopping online

Kristen S. Sykes

Bloomberg

EV Company With Almost No Revenue Posts 3,000% Gain in 8 Months

(Bloomberg) — There is nothing about the finances of Blink Charging Co. that would suggest it’s one of the hottest stocks in America.It’s never posted an annual profit in its 11-year history; it warned last year it could go bankrupt; it’s losing market share, pulls in anemic revenue and has churned through management in recent years.And yet a hot stock it is. Investors have bid Blink’s share price up 3,000% over the past eight months. Only seven stocks — out of about 2,700 that are worth at least $1 billion — have risen more over that time. The reason: Blink is a green-energy company, an owner and operator of charging stations that power up electric vehicles. And if investors are certain of one thing in the mania that is sweeping through financial markets, it is that green

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Online Shopping
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How To Get Your Online Shopping Habit Under Control

Kristen S. Sykes


a man using a cell phone: Cropped shot of a handsome young man using a smartphone and a credit card to shop online while sitting on his couch at home.

© PeopleImages / Getty Images
Cropped shot of a handsome young man using a smartphone and a credit card to shop online while sitting on his couch at home.

Being confined at home during the pandemic limits your choices, so it’s no surprise that many people have turned to online shopping. After all, a smartphone, tablet or PC are a mere reach away for many.

According to a Slickdeals study of 2,000 Americans, impulse spending jumped 18% from January 2020 — before the pandemic hit — to April 2020. More specifically, consumers’ monthly spending in this category increased from $155.03 to $182.98 per month.

Related: 6 Tips To Cut Back on Your Online Spending This Year

If you’re wondering why, nearly 3 out of 4 of those surveyed said that buying something on impulse during the pandemic had a positive effect on their mood — a welcome change during a

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