E-Commerce

Amazon Health & Beauty Turns Ugly for Sellers
June 20, 2014

Amazon.com's Health & Beauty category has turned ugly for third-party sellers, and some say it's risky to sell in the category. In October, we wrote about the challenges sellers faced in selling cosmetics and certain beauty products, with Amazon banning sellers from listing many name brands. This month, some sellers say Amazon is again cracking down in Health & Beauty. In one discussion thread, a seller said Amazon had recently been removing many, many products in the health section for being "prescription," including Visine, Nyquil, Afrin, generic Benadryl and Gyne-Lotrimin. 

Will Google Shopping Express Help Retailers Fend Off Challenge From Amazon?
June 18, 2014

The field of players offering same-day delivery of orders placed online is getting increasingly crowded. But only a handful are likely to succeed in wringing a profit from this high-cost service. Many of the biggest names in e-commerce have already launched some form of same-day or expedited delivery, including Amazon Fresh, eBay Now, Uber Rush and Google Shopping Express. In addition, a number of smaller entities are trying to squeeze into service niches that will allow them to survive among the giants. 

Big Retailers Agree to List Unit Prices on Websites
June 17, 2014

Is that television-size box of graham crackers at Costco really a better deal than a standard box at Wal-Mart? Soon, online consumers won't have to do the math to figure it out. Some of the country's largest supermarkets and drugstores have agreed to display prices by unit of measurement, as well as by item, on their websites and mobile apps, to help shoppers slice though the confusion that sometimes arises from different packaging and discounts. Major retailers including Wal-Mart, CVS and Costco have agreed to the deal.

Why Alibaba's 11 Main Threatens the Status Quo of U.S. E-Commerce
June 13, 2014

With immodest pride, Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce powerhouse, announced it would launch 11Main.com. This will be the first time American customers will be able to buy merchandise from an Alibaba affiliate. The site is now in a beta stage and will soon open its doors to customers. The offerings will be strong competition to Amazon.com and eBay. According to reports the site will offer "hundreds of thousands of products" from 1,000 to 2,000 upscale specialty fashion shops for women, men and children. 

3 Video Lessons From Startup Joyus
June 13, 2014

How has Joyus, the San Francisco-based video shopping platform startup that's raised more than $19 million in funding, been able to realize success from its use of online video? Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, chairman and founder of Joyus, explained how via three lessons during her keynote presentation at the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition in Chicago yesterday.

Amazon Chases Local Services, the New E-Commerce Battleground
June 12, 2014

Amazon.com has found a new place to sell and it doesn't have anything to do with books, DVDs or physical products. Later this year, the Seattle company will dive into local services, launching a marketplace that will connect regional professionals and businesses to consumers who could need anything from vocal lessons to a kitchen remodel. The company will unveil the new development, which was first reported by Reuters, on a city-by-city basis, similar to what's being done for its grocery delivery service, Amazon Fresh. An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment.

Alibaba Launches US-Based Online Marketplace
June 11, 2014

China's largest e-commerce company is making its first appearance in the U.S. with the debut of 11Main.com, an invite-only online marketplace that showcases small business retailers. Industry watchers will be paying close attention since 11 Main is owned by Alibaba, the e-commerce giant in China that filed for an initial public offering in the U.S. in May. Bigger than Amazon and eBay combined, Alibaba had

How Online Retailers Can Make Physical Locations More Than Vanity Plates
June 10, 2014

A mere five years ago, the idea of an online retailer opening a physical location would have seemed to be strategic lunacy. The rationale has been pretty straightforward: Why would an online retailer forgo its primary differentiators (i.e., the ability to be nimble and cost conscious without the burden of a physical store, employees and suboptimal inventory management)? While that question may not be so surprising anymore, the response from historically online-only retailers has raised eyebrows.

Free Webinar: How to Talk With Your CFO About the ROI of Omnichannel
June 2, 2014

By 2017, 50 percent of all U.S. retail sales will be omnichannel. Enabling agile commerce is table stakes for your business. But who will drive these initiatives? Research shows that retailers expect the CFO to spearhead e-commerce. So, how will you demonstrate the return on investment of omnichannel fulfillment to your CFO? Sign up for this informative webinar and learn how to gain your CFO's endorsement on implementing industry-leading omnichannel initiatives that blend the best of online technology with offline fulfillment. You'll learn how to:

  • leverage intelligent order routing logic;
  • optimize your return policies and procedures; and
  • prioritize financial sales attribution.
Don't miss this opportunity to position your company for e-commerce success.

Click here to view this webinar.

Nordstrom Looks to Be Latest to Leave Credit Business
May 29, 2014

Upscale department store Nordstrom is reportedly looking for potential buyers for its private-label credit card portfolio. Joining fellow retailers Macy's and Target in unloading namesake store credit cards to banks, Nordstrom announced May 15 it will work with Goldman Sachs and Guggenheim Securities to search for a financial partner for its $2 billion credit card receivables, according to a Bloomberg News report. Macy's (under its then-parent Federated Department Stores) sold its credit card portfolio to Citigroup in 2005, and Target closed its credit card portfolio sale with TD Bank Group last year.