E-Commerce

Shopping for video games this holiday season just got a whole lot easier and faster with the launch of GameStop’s new PickUp@Store service. This new program is free to use and allows customers to pick out the games they want online, place a hold on the game and pick it up as soon as that same day.

Google has announced the launch of local availability results in Google Product Search on desktop. Search for a product and click on the “nearby stores” label, and you can easily find a list of stores to call to check availability, and in many cases, information about whether the product is in stock nearby.

In the face of difficult market conditions, including a sluggish lift in consumer spend, retailers are under pressure to streamline their e-commerce site's navigational ease of use and relevancy of products offered.

Market researcher comScore reports that e-commerce retail sales grew 9 percent to $32.13 billion last quarter, led by books and magazine purchases.

Recent trends around social media as a platform for gift card sales suggest that Facebook will likely become a huge trafficker of gift cards in the coming years.

Savvy apparel retailers are having no trouble wrapping their heads (and dollars) around mobile-friendly sites and apps as a way to boost revenue and connect with consumers.

Tesco has rolled out a mobile optimized version of its highly successful Tesco Direct online, non-grocery website to meet the demand of 1.5 million hits its online website has been receiving each month from mobiles.

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, Toys"R"Us has announced major upgrades to its mobile web experience. Thanks to a newly implemented mobile coupon barcode system, Toys"R"Us shoppers can use virtual coupons in-store via their phones, receive exclusive text message offers and redeem eGift cards.

Most mobile websites deliver an experience consistent with their brands, which enables an adequate shopping experience — even if it isn't ideal.

The Mobile Marketing Association released the October 2010 U.S. Mobile Consumer Briefing, and found that 59 percent of mobile consumers plan to use their mobile phone for holiday shopping and planning holiday celebrations.