E-Commerce
July 1, 2012
Home Depot prides itself in being an innovative company that's always at the forefront of new technologies. The brand's use of digital gift cards speaks to that culture of innovation.
July 1, 2012
A best practices guide to transitioning to a new e-commerce platform.
July 1, 2012
The intersection of content and commerce isn't a surprising development. Retailers have known for years the benefit that having relevant content (e.g., blog posts, product and how-to videos, customer reviews) on their site can have for their business, from improving organic search rankings to creating a better overall shopping experience. Retailers shouldn't worry about editorial integrity holding them back. Their job is to sell things and consumers know it. Magazine publishers dabbling in some form of e-commerce aren't as fortunate, however.
June 29, 2012
You know Facebook's getting big with marketers when it shows up in specific job titles. At online retailer Zappos.com, Nate Lurman is the Facebook marketing lead. That means he's in charge of devising strategies for the brand to take advantage of the huge audience on the social media site — and deliver the kind of return on investment that some marketers claim is missing from the social behemoth. The key, Lurman said, is constant testing.
June 28, 2012
Pier 1 Imports announced it will soft launch its e-commerce operation July 28 with a new website on a new platform. The e-commerce business will initially feature the same merchandise assortment as its brick-and-mortar locations, then add unique merchandise categories not carried in its stores, said Alex Smith, president and CEO, Pier 1 Imports, during a quarterly conference call. The company will begin actively promoting its e-commerce operation in the fall, Smith added.
June 26, 2012
China may have the largest online population in the world, but a much smaller country south of the equator could also offer an interesting opportunity to expand online.
June 25, 2012
Large emerging markets with an active online user base and solid infrastructure offer retailers the greatest e-commerce potential in the near term, according to a new study by A.T. Kearney’s Global Consumer Institute. The study ranks the 10 countries with the greatest potential for e-commerce growth, and China tops the list, followed by Brazil, Russia, Chile and Mexico.
June 22, 2012
Von Maur has begun construction on an expansion of its e-commerce fulfillment center to support continued growth in its web business. Projected for completion in October 2012, the expansion will add an additional 73,000 square feet to the company's current 46,000-square-foot center and create more than 50 new jobs in Davenport, Iowa over the next three years. The expansion reflects the Von Maur's successful online business, which has seen triple-digit percentage sales increases every year since 2008.
June 21, 2012
Amazon.com announced that developers can now submit apps for distribution this summer in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, with plans for further global expansion in the near future. Developers can get started by visiting the Amazon Mobile App Distribution Portal. The Amazon Appstore in the U.S. has grown to tens of thousands of apps and games in just one year.
June 21, 2012
Hallmark has announced a strategic alliance with Shutterfly, an internet-based social expression and personal publishing service. The alliance, which will roll out in phases, includes co-branded online and retail-based product offerings. Initially, the agreement calls for more than 1,000 exclusive Hallmark-designed customizable cards to be featured on Shutterfly's new personalized greeting card site, Treat.com.
