E-Commerce

Microsoft search engine Bing announced that it’s dipping its toe into the daily-deals space as well — as an aggregator. Appealing to savvy shoppers who may have overstuffed their inboxes with too many deals, the search engine is taking a “decision engine” approach to the coupon world. Bing Deals pulls together coupons from Groupon and LivingSocial, as well as retailers including Nordstrom and Target.

Overstock.com, which is in the process of rebranding its marketplace to O.co, announced the acquisition of the domain name O.info for a new consumer information website. The O.info site is scheduled to launch in March 2012.

While many people know that live chat can cut support costs and boost online conversions, estimates of live chat penetration are still woefully low. Bold Software's research with online shoppers suggests that one in five choose live chat as their preferred method of communication with a retailer. If you’re interested in adding this communication and conversion tool to your site, you’ll be faced with many choices. How can you select the right solution for your needs?

Pigskin, nachos, beer and cupcake decorating? With a newly launched site, Party Collection, and expanded women's fashion line, the NFL is hoping to make "homegating" as popular as tailgating and team-name purses as widespread as jerseys. The party collection, branded with NFL team logos of choice, runs the gamut from cheese boards to coasters to side tables.

People are changing their shopping behavior and will spend less overall this holiday season, according to a new survey from SteelHouse. More than four out of five (82 percent) survey respondents said their shopping behavior will change this holiday season. 

Target is a victim of its own success. The discounter drummed up so much hype around its exclusive, limited-time line by upscale Italian designer Missoni that its website crashed and was down most of the day on Sept. 13 when the collection was launched, angering customers. More than a week later, some shoppers who bought the Missoni for Target line are posting on social media websites Facebook and Twitter that they won't shop at Target again because their online orders are being delayed — or worse, canceled — by the retailer.

Is a Groupon model the next big thing for B-to-B? Apparently not. Or at least not now. Chicago-based consulting firm Ajilitee used Groupon to offer $25,000 worth of consulting services at half price. It was the biggest deal Groupon had ever offered.

Routines are easy to fall into. Whether it’s getting ready for work and out the door each morning or tackling customer acquisition and conversion strategies, you’ll never discover a better way to approach these tasks if you stay inside your comfort zone. Similarly, it’s easy to recycle tried-and-true approaches to your retail strategies, especially for the upcoming holiday shopping season.

Retail Online Integration is pleased to present the Retail Marketing Virtual Conference & Expo - Fall 2011 on Sept. 27. Don't miss this free, informative one-day virtual event with leading retailers discussing a wide variety of retail marketing topics.

Wal-Mart plans to launch a dedicated page on Walmart.com that will feature an assortment of products created by women in nearly two dozen countries, including women who work in cooperatives and own small businesses.