Economy
12 June 2022
The Week Ahead: Father's Day, Retail sales data, Fed decision
Here's what we're following in ecommerce and consumer goods for the week of June 13-21.

Here's what we're following in ecommerce and consumer goods for the week of June 13-21.
Welcome to a new week. As we get ready to celebrate dads, the federal government is gearing up to make key economic announcements. Here’s what we’re watching in ecommerce and consumer goods for the week of June 13-21.
Americans are gearing up to celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday, June 21. According to the National Retail Federation, consumer spending is expected to total $20 billion for this year's event. It’s increasingly becoming an ecommerce-centered holiday, as 40% of consumers plan to shop online, NRF reports. There’s still time for brands and retailers to roll out deals and campaigns. In fact, 30% of consumers say they look to retailers for gift inspiration, so it’s an opportunity to influence decisions.
On the conference circuit, The Digital Grocery Summit USA is set to bring leading CPG brands and retailers together in Chicago on June 15. Leaders from Coca-Cola, Kroger and Colgate Palmolive will be participating in the interactive vent.
Following Friday’s double data whammy showing that inflation’s rise reached a new 40-year high and consumer sentiment reached an all-time low, a few key metrics will further fill in this month’s economic picture:
Applications are open for startups interested in the 12-week Store Nº8 dCommerce Base Camp.
Walmart incubation arm Store Nº8 and Web3 accelerator Outlier Ventures are teaming up to support retail startups.
The organizations opened applications this week for the Store Nº8 dCommerce Base Camp accelerator. The virtual program will offer education, funding and mentorship to startups building solutions in Web3 that are designed for the retail and commerce experience.
Focus areas for selected startups will include decentralized infrastructure, data and growth solutions, immersive experiences and the metaverse and the intersection of AI and blockchain technology.
“We think dCommerce represents a huge opportunity to unbundle ecommerce into its constituent parts, and into a more decentralized and composable stack of protocols to create a more efficient, equitable and improved experience for retailers and consumers from CRM to last-mile delivery," said Outlier Ventures CEO Jamie Burke, in a statement. "There is clearly no better partner than Store Nº8, as Walmart's incubation arm, so we are thrilled to launch this accelerator program together.”
Beginning in mid-August, founders will take part in a 12-week program. The cohort members will receive funding and access to subject matter experts from Store Nº8 and Outlier Ventures. They will also receive support from industry mentors in areas such as product roadmap development, the token economy and fundraising.
“Decentralized commerce has the potential to unlock new value in the global commerce ecosystem, so we are excited to partner with Outlier Ventures to support and engage with entrepreneurs building at the forefront of this technology on their path to scale," said Store Nº8 VP Thomas Kang, in a statement.
The new program arrives in the year after Web3 and the metaverse saw a spike in interest from brands and retailers, as the arrival of immersive platforms opened up new digital environments where consumers gathered. Walmart entered the metaverse through an activation on Roblox, and also introduced a platform for digital collectibles. But it remains a nascent space, so there’s room for startups bringing fresh ideas to help larger enterprises develop capabilities. Alongside connections that help startups move forward, such learning is one potential outcome of the accelerator could last beyond the 12 weeks.
Applications for the accelerator are available here.