E-Commerce

eBay announced yesterday that it has begun carrying gift cards that allows recipients to purchase shares of stock in publicly traded companies. The online retailer has partnered with Stockpile to become one of the first companies to offer this new category of digital gift cards for stock. eBay made it clear that none of its…

It’s a whole new retail game out there. Digital disrupters — i.e., companies and/or people with digital models that disrupt a profitable, even booming, industry such as retail — are the new normal. These companies generally make the same products and offer the same services as the companies they’re disrupting, but make them readily available…

A trend playing out across industries shows that consumers are increasingly forgoing the security and prestige of owning objects for the affordable flexibility of on-demand access and upgrades to the latest and greatest products without up-front investments. And like many things, the trend is driven by changing preferences of new generations. Think of the baby…

E-commerce marketers, here are two hard truths you’re likely familiar with: Out of 100 visitors to your site at any given time, only one or two make a purchase. This corresponds to the average 1.2 percent conversion rate for e-commerce sites. Moreover, if you try to improve conversion by introducing website personalization, you run into a…

Macy’s announced this morning that it will be closing about 100 stores as early as the beginning of 2017. Nearly all the locations are cash-flow positive, but their profitability has been steadily declining. These closures are part of the company's attempt to improve business, following six consecutive quarters of declining sales. Macy's currently has 728…

In an increasingly digital world, online retailers can stand out from the crowd by focusing on the customer experience. One way to do that is by offering superior customer service. CARiD, one of the largest online retailers of aftermarket auto parts, is doing exactly this. Gerald Major, director of client experience for CARiD, says he…

Every e-tailer fears its website going down, however, a website that’s been reduced to a snail’s pace because of a high volume of traffic can almost be more damaging. Today’s always-on consumers expect lightning-fast connections and load times, as if everyone can deliver the same user experience as Netflix. In fact, a study from Kissmetrics…

Every e-commerce merchant should recognize the importance of a high checkout conversion rate. It signifies the final link in a chain that includes product development, marketing and sales. Tools such as embeddable payment forms, sophisticated fraud prevention and advanced analytics can create a frictionless payment journey, but as the final link in the chain, the…

Wal-Mart will acquire e-commerce startup Jet.com in a $3 billion cash deal. The move is expected to help Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer become a powerhouse online shopping destination. The $3.3 billion price tag represents the most ever paid for an e-commerce company. Wal-Mart said it expects to receive regulatory approval for the deal, which…

TV and online retailer HSN Inc. reported a 4 percent drop in net sales and a sharper 36 percent decline in profit for the second quarter, prompting a shuffling of managers and the planned sale of two of the company's apparel lines — TravelSmith and Chasing Fireflies. CEO of HSN, Mindy Grossman, said the company…