E-Commerce

Gardening123.com, an online gardening community, has launched a store with home and garden products and gifts. Visitors can purchase a number of items, from heirloom seeds to garden tools and accessories. For gardeners of all skill levels, Gardening123 is a single source for information on the growth and annual management of plants.

A tipster sent Jezebel a photo of the Ralph Lauren boutique on private-sale site Ruelala.com, where the model seems to have a strangely small right arm. It's subtle, and the use of a normal-sized hand is artful. 

In 1949 the average grocery store stocked 3,700 products. Today, the average supermarket has 45,000 products, while stores like Wal-Mart stock 100,000 products. When it comes to options, consumers have every size, shape, color and price for every product imaginable. On top of that, you can go online to find millions more. Combine this new shopping environment, dubbed “consumer hyperchoice,” with busier schedules and the demise of the educated sales force and it makes for a stressful purchasing process for consumers.

Abercrombie & Fitch has had plenty of scandals on its hands, but luckily this isn't one of them. Yesterday, the retailer and plenty of internet users endured a brief freakout when a screenshot of a racist description of a pair of pants appeared on the web, ostensibly being sold on Abercrombie.com.

CVS pharmacy is closing all of its Beauty360 locations and ceasing operation of the Beauty360 e-commerce business to focus on the growth of its core beauty business. 

J.Crew has announced that it will expand its international distribution from 29 countries to 107 countries, reaching consumers throughout Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and South America. 

It takes only a few seconds for an unsatisfied online customer to switch to a competitor's website. Studies have shown that poor performance of e-commerce websites can directly result in loss of revenue, poor customer satisfaction and damaged reputation.

The U.S. Postal Service is rolling out new shipping and marketing offerings for small businesses, a key growth segment that the money losing organization is targeting as part of its long-term plan to return to profitability.

The initial response to firearm maker Glock's "Glock Perform" apparel collection suggests the brand extension is lacking performance. The Glock online store already offers a number of apparel choices, including sweatshirts, hats, jackets and T-shirts. But the new Glock Perform line is facing two major problems. The first was pure execution. While the items themselves were not a bargain priced between $20 and $45, it was the shipping that got Glock consumers fired up.

State of the Social Universe: What Marketers Should Keep in Mind, from 4 Experts Who Can Help You Reach for the Stars

They shared their insights on where things are now, what trends are emerging, what marketers need to emphasize, and how they can make the most of it all. Sections include:

1) Drive the Mobile Vehicle Smartly, and Honor Your Email Opt-In Relationships
- Sara Meaney President, Strategy & Growth, Hanson Dodge Creative

2) It's About Location, Location, Location: Know Where Your Customer Is
- Asif Khan Founder and president of the Location Based Marketing Association

3) On the Rise: Social Intelligence
- Doug Camplejohn CEO of Fliptop

4) Start - and End - with Your Content
- Ann Handley Chief content officer for MarketingProfs