Last week, PepsiCo used Cannes to introduce a new can.

Officially, it’s the Pepsi Smart Can, which Mark Kirkham, SVP and CMO of international beverages at PepsiCo, described as an “LED engagement platform” presented in the form of the soda giant’s classic beverage container.

The innovation, originating from the company’s Dublin-based team, is intended to be a new storytelling medium for the brand, as the device enables the company to deliver custom messages and offers to each recipient, starting with media and influencers, Kirkham told us. The video content displayed on the can was largely made by creators, and SVP and chief design officer Mauro Porcini said the hope is that it will spur the creation of content by the influencers who receive it.

The move comes a few months after Pepsi’s new visual identity—including a new logo and an updated color palette—began hitting shelves, and builds on its “Thirsty for More” brand platform. The innovation will serve as a unique method to garner brand impressions, Porcini said, and is a result of the soft drink company’s focus on entrepreneurial thinking in design.

Keep reading here.—EC

These days, customers aren’t just looking for high-quality products. They’re looking for seamless shopping experiences, personalized brand engagement, and more.

To drive customer loyalty, retailers need to consistently deliver on these tactics—which means they need a reliable network to support it all. That’s where T-Mobile for Business can help.

T-Mobile’s most-awarded 5G network supports your retail biz with:

• next-level Business Internet that ensures reliable connectivity across all devices and digital tools, empowering employees to deliver premium retail experiences
• precise asset and inventory tracking, from warehouse to store shelves to a customer’s front door
• safety and security tools that protect and encrypt sensitive data moving through a network
• fleet management that optimizes routes to lower fuel costs and speed up delivery times

Modern shopping is a multifaceted experience with physical and digital touchpoints. Make sure to tap a nationwide provider with the consistent connectivity that can power your best shopper journey.

Get started with T-Mobile.

Mass retail and e-commerce are coming together with a new partnership between Target and Shopify. The big box chain is working with the online platform to make trendy products from DTC brands such as True Classic and Caden Lane available on its third-party digital marketplace. The team-up allows Target to expand its assortment and offer more affordable options to an increasingly picky customer base.

Shopify merchants can now apply to sell through Target Plus, a curated selling platform that’s been around since 2019 and currently features more than 1,200 partner brands, including Crocs, Timberland, and Maui Jim.

Keep reading here.—AV

Online shoppers are hungry for deals this summer, and Google has unveiled a series of new features designed to help them find and compare prices in search results.

Here’s a breakdown of the new features:

• A “deals carousel” showcasing major promotions from the last 24 hours;
• The ability to see “member pricing” on items, or the discounted price available to members at stores such as Best Buy and Petco;
• A tool for tracking the typical price range of a given item over the past 90 days;
• And an alert that notifies users when an item goes on sale.

Sean Scott, VP and GM of consumer shopping at Google, wrote in a blog post that summer has “become a major shopping season” and that “in recent years, online searches for ‘deals’ have spiked in mid July, even surpassing search interest in ‘vacation.’”

Keep reading here.—AV

Return rates are soaring. We’re not talking about your portfolio returns. We’re talking about product returns. E-commerce purchases have an average return rate significantly higher than that of brick-and-mortar, which creates a serious dent in profitability. Check out Bloomreach’s e-commerce profitability use cases to learn how you can minimize returns and retain valued customers.