E-Commerce

Etsy's Handmade category is what gives the site its unique culture and differentiates it from sites such as eBay. But as the site grows, Etsy is forced to struggle with the definition of what exactly makes an item "handmade."

Etsy’s Handmade category is what gives the site its unique culture and differentiates it from sites such as eBay. But as the site grows, Etsy is forced to struggle with the definition of what exactly makes an item “handmade.”

Re-establishing itself as an online retailer several years after shutting down its e-commerce operations is a key element of ambitious growth plans at TJX Companies, the 2,900-store parent company of T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and Home Goods. Executives are aiming to nearly double the company's annual sales to $40 billion by leveraging investments in technology, supply chain and digital commerce initiatives.

The retailer/consumer relationship has changed dramatically in the last decade and it's not only because there are more products and services available than ever before. With social media and smartphones playing an increasingly prominent role in how shoppers form purchasing decisions, today's most competitive merchants are realizing that in order to succeed they need to engage consumers via technology.

Kohl's has joined a handful of other up-and-coming masters of retailing in spreading brick-and-mortar stores nationwide during the suburban building boom. Now, however, Kohl's real estate ambitions are waning as the retailer deals with the effects of online retailing and slower growth overall in its physical stores.

In lieu of physical mailers and catalogs, Barneys New York is releasing shoppable digital videos for its Co-Op line, a collection catering to the younger affluent market. Although the brand will continue to offer catalogs for other lines, Co-Op's spring line will be completely digital for the first time.

Women’s apparel retailer Cache said that it's partnered with e-commerce solution provider FiftyOne Global Ecommerce to facilitate international sales and shipments to more than 100 countries, beginning in fall 2012. Cache said it also plans to further enhance its web offering with a spring 2012 launch of its mobile website. The site will feature the brand image and product offering of Cache.com and is optimized for web-enabled mobile devices to ease navigation and transactions.

Retailers are coming to the realization that video helps sell product. That’s why Camo Trading made the decision to add product videos to its e-commerce site. As a small brand with limited resources, however, Camo Trading couldn’t produce videos in-house quickly enough or at a high enough quality to justify the expense.

Armed with the knowledge that consumers are more comfortable and willing to make purchases online than ever before, retailers must take the next step and take advantage of this trend. Here are seven tips to help you get on the right track:

Apple may be a big dog in music and movies, but it's definitely not one in e-books. In a post on PaidContent, Seth Godin writes that Apple has refused to sell his new book because it contains links to Amazon in the bibliography.