Pricing

With the 2011 holiday shopping season in high gear, online retailers are facing the greatest opportunities and challenges they've ever seen. With the state of the global economy still uncertain, consumers are continuing to shop with their heads rather than their hearts. For online retailers to succeed, they must stay competitive and remain flexible with pricing and other options on a daily basis. Understanding exactly what your customers see as they shop and make decisions online is critical.

Wal-Mart has lower online prices on a selection of toys this month than Target’s website and Amazon, according to a Bloomberg Industries analysis. Prices for a group of about 80 toys are 1.8 percent higher at Target and 0.7 percent more expensive at Amazon.

It wasn't that long ago that retail industry experts were saying Target needed to do something to stem the numbers of shoppers heading to Wal-Mart to buy everyday staples. Today, the company is being criticized for the low margins associated with getting greater numbers of people to buy food products in its stores. For a little history, a 2008 report by Citi Investment Research found that 87 percent of consumers perceived Wal-Mart to have lower prices than Target. Many consumers were flocking to supercenters that offered food items not available at locations with the bull's-eye logo.

Newegg Inc., the largest tech-focused pure-play online retailer, announced the official opening of its first-ever "Will-Call" pickup location. Customers of Newegg.com and NeweggBusiness in the Los Angeles area now have the opportunity to save time and money by ordering online and then picking up their orders directly from the Newegg warehouse.

Just in time for Mother's Day, Gucci is selling a limited-edition tote — of which 25 percent of the retail price from each bag sold will be donated to UNICEF HIV/AIDS programs.

Office Depot will recognize educators with a Teacher Appreciation Week that will take place from May 1 through May 7 at nationwide retail store locations.

With the recent economic uncertainty, consumers’ purchasing strategies have dramatically changed over the years. Many are turning to e-coupons not only to save money, but to avoid looking for print coupons and the hassle that comes along with them — i.e., getting in your car, driving across town to find what you're looking for, then standing in line to purchase it.

Following recent research demonstrating coupon distribution in the U.S. increased 6.8 percent in 2010 and that more coupons were distributed during the year than ever before, Coupons.com Incorporated issued its Digital Coupons Trends Report for 2010, releasing data about consumer use of digital coupons.

Offline retailers are knocking on eBay's door and asking its PayPal unit to provide an in-store payment alternative to credit cards and debit cards, the company’s chief executive said.

In a move that's about as subtle as a sledge hammer, Groupon sent out a "Super Coupon" offering $20 of merchandise from Barnes & Noble for $10. This appears to be in direct response to LivingSocial and Amazon teaming up and offering gift cards for $10 following the retail giant’s $175 million investment in the number two daily deals site. That offer sold 1.3 million vouchers for a total of $13 million.