E-Commerce

Adding to a six-month-long drumbeat of rumors, Google is reportedly preparing the launch of a same-day delivery service, Google Shopping Express, TechCrunch reports. Google has many of the pieces for such a service already. Its shopping search can tell when a given item is in stock in stores nearby. Its Wallet service processes payments. And through the on-the-ground work it does to create Google Maps, the company has far more experience with real-world logistics than one might suspect.

Online retail giant Amazon.com was asked to make a "substantial donation" to a woman's refuge on Saturday night after its U.K. website offered T-shirts for sale promoting rape and violence against women. The T-shirts, which were also manufactured and sold in the U.S., included slogans that were spun off the phrase, "Keep Calm and Carry On," a famous British propaganda slogan and included shirts that read: "Keep Calm and Hit Her," "Keep Calm and Rape a Lot" and "Keep Calm and Rape Them" for $23 to $26.

Wal-Mart is "anxious" to take on Amazon.com's Marketplace, where independent merchants sell millions of products. According to minutes from a Feb. 1 officers meeting led by U.S. Chief Executive Officer Bill Simon, Wal-Mart considers Marketplace Amazon's "number one weapon." "This is an area" Wal-Mart is "anxious to compete in," according to the minutes, which were obtained by Bloomberg News. Participants at the meeting also focused on the savings Amazon has captured by offloading shipping costs to its army of independent sellers.

After several delays, rumors are circulating that Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M finally has a launch date for a U.S. e-commerce site. SheFinds is reporting that an employee in a New York retail store leaked the news that a launch date of June 2013 was announced internally at a recent staff meeting. That's in line with H&M's official statement that a shoppable website would be ready by "the middle of 2013." We've reached out to H&M for confirmation, but haven't heard back at the time of publication.

Focusing on the omnichannel customer, mobile apps vs. mobile sites, and the real return on investment of social media were just a few of the many topics discussed at eTail West, which took place in Palm Desert, Calif. this week. Here's a look at a few key takeaways — and fun perspectives — via tweets sent during the conference:

MyBuys, Inc. and the e-tailing group today announced results of primary research across more than 1,100 consumers that examined how personalized marketing across channels impacts shopper attitudes and buying behavior. Survey results reveal that customer-centric marketing — the ability for retailers to engage consumers in one-to-one conversations across the customer lifecycle and all touchpoints — increases buyer readiness, engagement and sales activity, with a record 40 percent of respondents now stating that they buy more from retailers who comprehensively personalize the shopping experience across channels.

Move over flash sales and online fashion discount sites, one of the biggest off-price retailers in America is about to launch e-commerce. According to reports this morning, T.J.Maxx and Marshalls are set to announce plans to enter the world of online shopping. Currently a brick-and-mortar operation, T.J.Maxx and Marshalls sold $25.9 billion worth of merchandise last year alone. With a designer roster that spans mass market household names to high-end Italian luxury labels, this is one new e-commerce player to watch.

Google's recent purchase of Channel Intelligence underscores its unstated goal of gobbling up every industry. This particular move is a not so subtle signal to the marketplace that Google intends to become the dominant player in global e-commerce, which in the U.S. alone is a $186 billion industry. Yes, for Google this isn't just about owning the entire retail ad marketplace. It intends to eat up all of retail, starting with e-commerce.  

On the heels of a strong performance in 2012 that included a 7.3 percent same-store sales increase, Nordstrom is investing heavily in its future. Two big areas of investment: online and expansion of the Nordstrom Rack outlet division, both in the United States and Canada. Some 24 new Rack locations are planned for this year, with more than 30 expected in 2014. The company is looking to double its Rack portfolio, from its current 119 locations to more than 230 stores over the next four years.

A report from CPC Strategy says Google Shopping was on average 32.77 percent more cost effective for merchants during last year's third and fourth quarters than Amazon Product Ads. The 2012 Ecommerce Industry Report analyzed the sales data of over 200 online retailers with ad-buying power of over $2.4 million, analyzing over 6 million clicks and $14.6 million in revenue. The study compared the effectiveness of Google Shopping against rival shopping engine Amazon Product Ads.