Retail Stores

Startup internet company GroopEase has announced the launch of its group-buying, members-only music website, offering daily deals on digital albums featuring emerging independent bands and solo artists.

Coupons, deals, discounts — however you say it, bargain shopping remains a hot topic. Even with an economy that’s showing signs of recovery, consumers are just too savvy and technologically connected to pay retail prices.

The cross-channel retail industry is at a crossroads. For starters, due to the economic downturn, the past couple of years have been difficult for the retail sector. But that's changing. Retailers are starting to see signs of life and are breathing a sigh of relief. At press time, for example, it was announced that February retail sales increased 0.6 percent over January and 4.2 percent year-over-year, according to the National Retail Federation.

Vogue and Elle have long influenced what image-conscious consumers buy. Now, in a bid to reverse flagging sales and stay relevant, fashion magazines may sell the products they feature in their articles.

Girl Scout cookies are once again selling in one of the hottest retail formats: pop-up stores. Temporary stores designed to drum up buzz for retailers, they appear for a limited time — say, Girl Scout cookie season — and just as suddenly, disappear again.

eBay is launching its deepest integration with Milo on its search platform. Milo’s local availability results will show eBay shoppers which local stores currently have a desired item in stock and how much it costs at each location. Milo currently provides access to millions of products from approximately 50,000 stores across all 50 states.

Although consumers may still be watching discretionary spending closely, Belk reported a strong 2010 fiscal year. The Charlotte, N.C.-based department store chain said sales at stores open more than a year were up 5.1 percent in the year ended Jan. 29, 2011.

Gap has opened an online store on China's biggest e-commerce platform Taobao, in an effort to lure savvy Chinese shoppers outside wealthy cities. Gap opened its store on Taobao Mall, alongside the likes of Adidas, Levi Strauss & Co and Japan's Uniqlo.

After teaming up with Groupon to get daily deals on its websites last summer, McClatchy Co. has decided to get into the business on its own. McClatchy, the third-largest newspaper company, won't be breaking up with Groupon, but will launch its own deals service in April, bringing the two companies head-to-head.

The more active a brand is on Facebook, the better chance consumers will "Like" it. This was the key finding from a recent study on retailers' growth on Facebook and Twitter conducted by marketing agency Media Logic. However, a follow-up study released this month shows that the majority of brands on Facebook saw their growth on the social media site lose steam as the holiday season came and went.