IAC

Shoebuy, a Boston-based e-commerce shoe retailer owned by IAC, has acquired a minority stake in e-commerce boot maker startup Boston Boot Co., marking the company's first foray into the footwear manufacturing business. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. "Acquiring a minority stake in a shoe company presents us with a unique opportunity to both expand our business into a different side of the footwear industry and to provide a unique value for our customers," said Shoebuy CEO Mike Sorabella in an email. "This provides us with a chance to be innovative and play in the direct-to-consumer space."

Welcome to Retail Online Integration's fourth annual list of the leading female executives in the omnichannel retail industry. The women chosen for this list hold top-level positions within omnichannel retail organizations, and are being recognized for their position and scope of responsibility, achievements within their own company, and their involvement within the retail industry. In addition to learning about the career paths of these top retail executives, each woman has provided her top tip for omnichannel retail success in 2014.

As more consumers migrate to the Internet as more of them gain broadband access, merchants will have the ability to communicate more deeply with their customers, predicted Jay Heratti, senior vice president of strategic planning for multichannel retail and media giant IAC/InterActiveCorp (IAC) in his keynote address at the eTail conference held last week in Philadelphia. Following are several trends that he identified as being the keys to sales success on the Web in the near future. * Video that sells: “Although the Web is feature rich, it lacks the touch and feel of a retail store, or the demonstrable aspects of a television program,”