Multi-media retailer QVC will use a data warehouse appliance to analyze user-generated content from its web forums, as a way to improve its understanding of customer needs and preferences.
aggregatedcontent
Amazon.com will add a new fulfillment center in Scotland at Dunfermline, to be its biggest in the UK and creating over 750 new jobs. The new facility will offer 1 million square feet of space, built to Amazon's specifications. It is expected work will begin on-site immediately and will be operational by the end of the year. In July, the company announced it would be adding 13 new fulfillment centers worldwide. Amazon will also add an additional 200 posts at its existing fulfillment facility in Gourock, Scotland, and is expected to create a further 1,500 temporary jobs during peak
Alibaba.com added Facebook "like" buttons to product listings on its AliExpress wholesale marketplace in the fall. The company surveyed users and found that 60% of buyers are also Facebook users who network and share business information online. Alibaba saw a steady increase over the holiday season in buyers using the like button to show their friends and colleagues what they are finding on the site. Online marketplaces vary widely in their adoption of social networking features. AliExpress competitor Liquidation.com does not display Facebook buttons. eBay product listings have Facebook "share" buttons and Twitter "tweet" buttons, but not "like" buttons.
(Updates with further details) SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones)--U.S. video game market sales fell in December, marking an end to a rough year for the industry hard hit by quickly changing business models and cash-strapped consumers looking for new, cheaper
In a survey of 9,200 shoppers, Zappos.com took top honors in the sixth annual NRF Foundation/American Express Customers’ Choice survey, conducted by BIGresearch. The results were announced at the Annual Retail Industry Luncheon during the National Retail Federation’s BIG Show in New York City.
Do you remember when your favorite retailer didn’t have a website? Can you imagine not being able to find your favorite store online today? Unthinkable, right?
SAN FRANCISCO -(Dow Jones)- Google Inc. (GOOG) has acquired eBook Technologies Inc. in a move the Internet search giant said was aimed at delivering richer reading experiences on tablets, electronic readers and other portable devices. It was not immediately clear how Google intends to use eBook's technologies, which include an end-to-end electronic book platform offering a full range of ebook products and services. These include electronic reading devices, an online bookstore where readers can buy ebooks, an online "bookshelf" that lets users store their purchased content, and software that converts content to the company's ebook format.
Apparel retailer Anchor Blue has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in less than two years. Although the filing is a repeat for the retailer, it's a first for the industry: it's the first bankruptcy filing of 2011.
Minneapolis-based Target Corp. plans to open 21 new stores in 2011. The 21 new locations will cover 13 states, including five stores in California, one in Hawaii and a SuperTarget in Minnesota. Six new Target stores are slated to open on Mar. 6, nine more on July 24, and the final six stores are scheduled to open on Oct. 9. The general merchandise stores, which will be approximately 135,000 sq. ft., will include an expanded fresh food assortment and will offer basic fresh produce, fresh packaged meat and baked goods. Currently, Target operates approximately 1,752 stores in 49 states
Williams-Sonoma Inc. (WSM) raised predictions for its fiscal fourth quarter on strong holiday results.