E-Commerce

Much of the discussion about Amazon is focused on its digital side, yet the company is relentlessly expanding into the physical. It's announced five new warehouses since late December, all with more than a million square feet. It's testing out delivery lockers in New York and Seattle for those who can't receive their goods at home.

You know the tide of commerce is turning when a six-year-old can come up with an e-business idea and it's, well, good. Bethany Sawyer was your average five-year-old (now six) who loved to draw, when she came up with an idea for how she could turn her art into a proper business.

Staples will debut a tablet-optimized e-commerce website this week that emphasizes visual navigation and minimizes the need to type on a touchscreen keyboard. Consumer tablet users will be automatically routed to the tablet site at t.staples.com, according to published reports.

Price transparency has been — and continues to be — a disrupting influence in retail. It grants smartphone-wielding and web-based consumers the ability to instantaneously discover the best price available for almost any product at any time. Comparison shopping apps and websites conjure up for consumers the lowest cost available across traditional brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce sites within seconds.

J.Crew decided to go with a very distinct look this season — a Photoshop mishap gave its models checkered hair. And in case you were worried where the missing normal hair had run off to, it's hanging out by itself, as hair so often does.

The latest Empathica Consumer Insights Panel survey found that 28 percent of consumers said they tell others about their luxury purchase through social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook or blogs.

A new clothing website launched by ex-Hugo Boss designer Bruno Pieters offers men's and women's collections that are completely transparent regarding manufacturing costs. Honest by provides a radical disruption in fashion (especially designer fashion), where manufacturing costs are often hazy or hidden, allowing brands to demand considerable premiums for labels.

Amazon has announced the new Sports Collectibles store, offering more than two million unique collectibles from major sports leagues and sporting events. Serious collectors and sports fans alike will discover a broad selection from official licensees of the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and the International Federation of Association Football.

Ask questions and get quick answers on what consumers value more. That's the beauty of tools that help marketers test multiple variables on website pages or in paid search ads.

For marketers, few questions loom as large as the connection between their online and offline efforts. That's why data exchange company eXelate and Nielsen Catalina Solutions are ramping up efforts to help CPG brands connect the dots.