Omnichannel

By now, it's old hat for brand-name designers to team up with discount retailers (Stella McCartney for H&M, Isaac Mizrahi for Target, Vera Wang for Kohl's, to name just a few). Target now plans to dip into a new pool of talent by partnering with three of Pinterest's top influencers. Joy Cho of Oh Joy, Jan Halvarson of Poppytalk and Kate Arends of Wit & Delight, who, in addition to being Pinterest darlings also write fashion blogs or work in design in some capacity, will collaborate with the retailer on limited-edition collections of party items. 

No industry has been more transfigured in the past year than retail. Stores now behave like websites, tracking consumers as they browse. American malls have pretty much died (but may be on their way back to life). And in some parts of the country you can have your milk and eggs delivered to your home, along with your new iPod, on the same day. Those who lead the field strike the right balance between physical and digital, experience and affordability, and convenience and quality. 

Retailers are generally doing a pretty good job of maximizing the desktop user experience. They also seem to understand the importance of the mobile user experience. For many, however, mobile is synonymous with smartphones, not tablets. Slow load times are the biggest point of frustration for mobile web users; consequently, the next step in the evolution of mobile retail is the recognition and adoption of best practices that deliver a faster, more reliable and consistent user experience. 

To shore up loyalty, Sears has the "Shop Your Way" membership program. It's also enhanced customer service by implementing a faster delivery service. Delivery is now within one day to two days. That's what the chairman feels is the answer, despite the fact that the company continues to lose sales momentum, customer loyalty and customer awareness. The recent fourth quarter will report an estimated sales decrease of 7.5 percent, which attests to the consumer's shift away from this once powerhouse retailer. It also decries the loss of customer loyalty. Sears reputation was built on service, value and quality.

Hometalk, a home and garden social network, has announced that its members will co-host Pinterest parties in 100 Michaels stores nationwide on Feb. 16. According to the companies, these parties will provide live access to Hometalk's expansive network of do-it-yourself (DIY) experts. Hometalk has selected 100 of its members to lead a series of DIY craft demos for consumers to learn from as they shop for supplies in Michaels stores. Handpicked for their DIY expertise, Hometalk members will put their own twist on one of five Pinterest-inspired projects, offering consumers hands-on help and tutorials, ideas and advice. 

When it was first announced that pioneering fashion retailer Net-a-Porter was planning to launch a glossy print magazine called "Porter," there was no shortage of skeptics. Though Net-a-Porter was one of the first luxury retailers to elegantly integrate content and commerce — shortening the path between inspiration and transaction, and allowing the brand to more effectively engage and expand its audience and generate additional revenue by selling advertising — many wondered why an internet-based company would launch a print product at a time when competition for readers and advertising dollars remains fierce.

Amazon.com has acquired a video gaming studio called Double Helix, fueling speculation that it's developing a gaming console. Amazon has been leveraging its strength in media (books, DVDs, CDs) in the digital space, and just as it's producing e-books, streaming video, original "TV series," and mobile games and apps, it's now working on console games as well. The Washington Post wonders if it really is a gaming console that's in the works, or perhaps something different.

E-commerce is on the rise, but so is consumers’ interest in making purchases from physical stores this year, a new study by Accenture has revealed. According to the Seamless Retailing study by Accenture, 21 percent of shoppers have expressed plans to increase in-store purchasing, an impressive jump from just 9 percent last year. However, just because the interest exists already doesn't mean retailers are off the hook; they should still be doing everything they can to improve the in-store shopping experience. 

Take a look at key omni-channel retail trends emerging worldwide and hear about IBM’s retail integration solutions.

Luring young shoppers into traditional teenage clothing stores has become a tough sell. When 19-year-old Tsarina Merrin thinks of a typical shopper at some of the national chains, she doesn't think of herself, her friends or even contemporaries. "When I think of who is shopping at Abercrombie," she said, "I think it's more of people's parents shopping for them." Sales are down across the shelves of