E-Commerce

Technology companies are largely considered resilient in natural disasters. When one server goes down, a redundant one across the country lights up to pick up the slack. And when employees can't make it to the office, they work remotely with a laptop and a broadband connection. But last week, superstorm Sandy proved that even virtual organizations have their kryptonite.

E-commerce's growth has been well documented. With competition over pricing and public awareness, having excellent customer service can set your e-commerce site apart from your competition. While online retailers may get customer service questions via email, consumers still prefer to pick up the phone to ask questions. Whether you choose to keep your customer service team in-house, use call-center software or outsource, make sure those on the phone understand service is the top priority.

How did Sandy treat you? Did it have a positive effect on your business? A negative effect? Did you have to close stores or hold off on deliveries? Let us know by going to Retail Online Integration's Facebook page to comment.

Do residents of blue states shop more online than consumers from more conservative red states? Does more iPad traffic come from New Mexico or California? How do the candidates’ states of Illinois and Massachusetts compare? Find out all of this and more in this informative — and timely — infographic.

Online retailer and auction site eBay has decided to make a renewed foray into China, says a report by Financial Times. The retailer has decided to team with a Chinese partner in order to keep costs at a minimum and avoid domestic competition in the crowded Chinese market. The report says that eBay is signing a deal with xiu.com, a local retailer of luxury goods. eBay will import high-end luxury items to China, which is already a booming market for Western luxury goods. It's rumored that the partnership will be announced somewhere around Nov. 12. 

Many startups are able to work remotely with just a laptop and working internet connection — though good luck finding one right now. For online retailers focused on pushing products out into the real world, "just ship it" is taking on a whole new meaning. Between extensive power outages and three days without a functional subway, the disruption is likely to last through the week.

Fancy parties, presents, home-cooked meals … there's a lot to look forward to as the holiday season approaches. But the American public has a message for retailers: not so fast with the Christmas decor; focus on preparing for Cyber Monday instead. According to a new survey of 2,346 American adults, 75 percent think stores shouldn't put up Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving. That same number of people think stores should focus on Cyber Monday preparations and dedicate a website to Cyber Monday shopping only just in case the immense traffic causes a popular online shopping destination to crash.

From Fab.com to Amazon.com to eBay, e-commerce retailers scrambled on Tuesday to get goods to buyers on time after Hurricane Sandy tore a swathe of destruction across the U.S. northeast. The storm, which severed power to warehouses and offices, ripped up rails and roads, and shuttered airports, challenged the notion that internet retailers might benefit from problems at store chains exposed to the elements. Fab.com, a fast-growing design e-commerce startup based in New York City, handled unusually strong volumes on Monday as people hunkered down at home. Then the problems began.

Amazon.com built all sorts of buzz and intrigue during Advertising Week last month by touting its third-party ad platform. What the e-commerce giant is doing isn't actually all that new, however. Brands repackaging their own audiences for display ads "is very much an emerging space," said Jay Habegger, co-founder and CEO of ad network OwnerIQ, a retargeting firm that's in talks to work with the majority of the top 25 retailers.

As e-commerce grows in popularity, brick-and-mortar retailers are finding themselves losing more and more sales to online outlets like Amazon.com. But how are some of the most successful brick-and-mortar retailers holding their own against online retail?