Marketplaces are still a big growth engine for e-commerce.

However, as the pace of retail media growth slows, a consolidation among marketplace agencies that offer professional services to optimize seller listings and manage ads is underway.

The latest acquisition comes from Podean, which services brands that sell on Amazon. Podean has acquired Amerge, an international firm that manages Amazon advertising for brands across the EU, Ryan Craver, co-founder and chief strategy and AI officer at Podean, told Retail Brew.

The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Private equity firm Mountaingate Capital poured money to finance the deal. Amerge, headquartered in London, is Podean’s third acquisition after it acquired rival Commerce Canal and Ad Advance, another marketplace agency which specializes in advertising. Amerge will bring some additional technology to Podean’s current platform.

“It’s all about strength in numbers,” Craver said. “There’s a consolidation of agencies, and the larger agencies generally will have better placement, better opportunities for better programs, better pricing, and better overall tech.”

Keep reading here.—VC

One foolproof way to avoid high gas prices? Shop from your couch.

According to a new report by e-commerce marketing company Omnisend, online spending surged 20% month-over-month in March as consumers avoid the $4+ price at the pump amid the Middle East conflict. Online spending typically shifts about 1%–5% on a monthly basis outside holiday periods, per Omnisend.

Consumers shopped more often and placed larger orders in March: Online orders jumped 12%, and average order value was up 8%. A consumer survey Ominsend conducted also found that 83% of consumers cite gas prices as their largest cost concern, with 30% saying they’d shift their shopping online to steer clear of driving.

Even if the higher gas prices could be ultimately baked into product or shipping costs, consumers still see online shopping as a workaround to spending on gas, Marty Bauer, e-commerce expert at Omnisend, said in a statement.

Keep reading here.—EC

Uber Eats is expanding, and its newest partner uses more tool belts than takeout containers.

Ace Hardware is joining the growing roster of non-food companies that offer delivery through the ride-sharing-app-turned-logistics company. Other partners include retailers such as Sephora, Dollar General, and Spirit Halloween, and grocery stores such as Save A Lot.

The partnership with the hardware chain “demonstrates Uber Eats’s continued commitment to expanding selection beyond food delivery into everyday retail categories,” according to the company.

In 2025, Uber Eats added more than a thousand new retailers to create a network of 50,000 locations, and with Ace Hardware comes more than 3,700 stores across 50 states.

Keep reading here.—AV