E-Commerce

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.

Aeropostale announced that it's expanding its reach to international consumers through a partnership with FiftyOne Global Ecommerce. Consumers in more than 90 countries worldwide can now purchase directly from Aeropostale.com.

Mohan Singh, head of Asian consumer equity research at MF Global, believes that Esprit's growth is likely to come from emerging markets like India and China.

It happens every year, the brief window of time when shoppers emerge in droves and raid the world of retail in search of the latest products and most attractive promotions. It’s the holiday shopping season, and in today’s multichannel environment the lines at brick-and-mortar stores are dwindling as more consumers transition to the digital realm.

Despite the struggling economy and high unemployment rates, consumers plan to stuff their holiday stockings a little fuller this year. According to ShopperTrak, national retail sales when compared to the same period last year, will rise 3.0 percent during November and December, while foot traffic will decrease 2.2 percent.

eBay's new Fashion Outlet is yet another destination for fashion on the auction site, alongside the company's Fashion Vault and Designer Exclusives. This is a "buy it now" kinda thing, so there's no pesky bidding. Instead, eBay tells you how many quantities are in stock for a given item. Meaning, there's more time to shop, and no need to battle it out in a bidding war.

New social commerce fashion website Shop My Label, is letting users curate an online boutique, which can be named after them and promoted via social media sites like Twitter. On every sale that's made, the shop owner gets a commission cut. 

It's no surprise that the majority of cross-channel retailers are focusing their attention online when analyzing the future growth of their companies. Consumers spent $165.4 billion online last year, an increase of 14.8 percent compared to 2009, according to the U.S. Commerce Dept. While certainly eye-catching numbers, that $165.4 billion accounted for less than 5 percent (4.2 percent to be exact) of total retail spending. So you can see why there's such excitement over the future of the e-commerce space — retailers have barely scratched the surface when it comes to the medium.

Online home goods giant Wayfair (formerly CSN Stores) today announced that it's acquired Australian online home goods retailer Buyster.com.au. Wayfair already owned 50 percent of the company, but has now purchased the remaining 50 percent stake from technology investment firm, Netus.