Online fraud will cost e-tailers more than $20 billion in losses globally this year, up from an estimated $17.5 billion in 2020, reported Juniper Research Monday. Bad actors are “exposing insecure fraud mitigation processes from merchants who are unfamiliar and unprepared for the continuing fraud challenges,” it said: Merchants should “do more to implement fraud prevention strategies” across e-commerce channels, or risk continuously bigger losses, it said. Though merchants “will be keen to reduce fraud rates from their current levels, they will be hesitant to introduce extra friction into the checkout process,” the research firm said. "Merchants will need to ensure that extra security checks are justified to the user, or they risk higher cart abandonment,” said analyst Susan Morrow. Juniper forecasts China will generate 40% of e-commerce fraud losses by 2025, due to “a relative lack of fraud detection and prevention.”

Conn’s same-store sales improved quarter to quarter in fiscal 2021 ended Jan. 31, despite “industry-wide disruptions in the global supply chain,” said CEO Norm Miller on a Q4 call Wednesday. “We are well positioned for same-store sales growth going forward, as our products and our financing options resonate with consumers.” Same-store sales, “positive” since January, rose more than 3% in the first two months of fiscal Q1 ending April 30, said Miller. “Recent retail trends are especially encouraging, as we have offset the significant challenges” that February’s winter storm “had in many of our markets,” he said. Conn’s lost more than 170 “store selling days” to the storm and its aftermath, compared with 100 days lost to Hurricane Harvey, he said. E-commerce sales increased to more than $26 million in fiscal 2021 from $3 million two years ago, he said. “We believe we can double e-commerce sales again this year to over $50 million, as we remain focused on serving our customers where and how they choose to shop.” The stock soared 24.3% Wednesday, closing at $19.45.

With the shift to online shopping and banking “here to stay,” more than three-quarters of U.S. consumers find their online consumer experience (CX) interactions “better than pre-pandemic, though brands often lack empathy,” reported Telus International Tuesday. The CX company hired Pollfish to canvass 1,500 working Americans this quarter, finding that 97% plan to continue shopping online in a “post-pandemic world,” it said. The proportions were somewhat lower for those who would continue online banking (92%), health and wellness activities (77%) and gaming (71%) “because of their positive digital experiences in 2020,” said Telus.

Walmart is investing $153 million for 0.9% of Rakuten, the Japanese e-commerce company announced Friday. It's “in line with other recent strategic equity investments the company has made that enable Walmart to benefit from future growth in a rapidly changing global retail environment,” said Walmart. Also planning to invest are Tencent (a 3.6% stake) and Japan Post Holdings (8.3%), it said. Citing evolving “new lifestyles,” Rakuten said businesses that operate retail stores such as supermarkets are now “required to provide services that are more convenient for users, not only providing services online, but also transcending the boundaries between online and offline (real stores) and driving a retail revolution in which consumption and marketing are changing dramatically.” Having stable logistics services has become a “pressing issue,” due to higher delivery volumes and labor shortages that have resulted in “multiple redeliveries,” it said. Rakuten is further collaborating with Japan Post. In 2018, the two companies launched a pickup service through post offices and via Japan Post’s home delivery lockers. They announced a plan to form a strategic logistics partnership for data sharing in December.

Younger metropolitan men seeking to buy economy vehicles are the “most receptive” to virtual car buying, and 80% of the public overall is "open" to an online vehicle purchase, a 50% increase from pre-pandemic acceptance, reported Acertus Thursday. The automotive analytics firm canvassed 1,000 actual and likely car buyers in December, finding consumers' inability to test drive the biggest hurdle to online adoption.

Alibaba emailed customers Tuesday an offer for special access to guaranteed shipping container space through March 31, with the first 100 full container load orders receiving a $500 freight price. “Shipping rates are higher than ever right now, up 140% to the US alone,” said the e-commerce company, saying disruptions led to cargo space scarcity. It partnered with ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, saying the carrier’s services are “customizable.”

After teaming up with TikTok for a livestream shopping experience in December (see 2012170038), Walmart is taking a second shopping event to the social media platform on March 31, blogged Chief Marketing Officer William White Tuesday. The retailer will host “Spring Shop-Along: Beauty Edition” on the Walmart TikTok channel on Thursday at 9 p.m. in a 60-minute interactive tutorial, it said. Viewers will be able to tap on a product pin to add items to their virtual shopping cart and can check out during or after the event, said White.

Though surveys show U.S. consumers overwhelmingly think it’s important to support small businesses during COVID-19, shoppers are relying on Amazon “more than ever,” reported Convey Tuesday. The delivery experience management company canvassed 1,100 shoppers online, finding 42% say they buy most goods on Amazon, up 83% since the start of the crisis. Nearly half shop frequently at Amazon because they trust their packages will be delivered when promised. Fifty-two percent say Amazon “has a positive impact on the retail industry,” up 14 points. Thirty-six percent say Amazon has a positive impact on the environment.

A bill modifying Maryland’s digital ad tax law cleared the Senate unanimously Friday. Senators amended SB-787 earlier last week to delay the tax by one year so it would apply to tax years beginning after Dec. 31. The bill still would exempt news media and ban tech companies from passing costs from the tax to small businesses. The House’s cross-filed HB-1200 awaits vote by the Ways and Means Committee (see 2102260048).

BJ’s Wholesale Club’s “digitally enabled sales” grew 168% in fiscal Q4 ended Jan. 30, “surpassing our high expectations,” said CEO Lee Delaney on a Thursday investor call. Its recently upgraded app is the “centerpiece” of its digital strategy, he said. Total app downloads exceeded 5 million for the year, compared with 2 million a year earlier, he said. Strong sales of TVs and other consumer tech products helped drive 9% same-store growth in BJ’s general merchandise categories, said Chief Financial Officer Bob Eddy.