Target

Millions of Target customers whose credit card data and identifying information was stolen by hackers face the prospect the retailer owes them nothing for their ensuing troubles, and they may have the government to thank for it. The retailer is counting on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling from last year grounded in the principle of no harm-no foul to win dismissal of about six dozen lawsuits that piled up after it disclosed a massive data breach six days before Christmas. 

Black Friday is a tough day for all involved, from the folks who wait outside for bargains to the employees inside who face frantic consumers rushing after those great deals. But perhaps the day after Thanksgiving this year was a little easier for Target employees in Westminster, Maryland, thanks to one electronics department worker who got up on a checkout counter and delivered what had to be the most rousing pre-Black Friday speech ever. 

Making sure that your affiliate program is prepared for the holiday season is critical to making the most of this high-traffic time. Follow these 12 rules to make sure your affiliates are taking part in the happiest time of the year for e-commerce:

After what most would consider a brutal holiday shopping season last year thanks to a well-publicized data breach, Target is rebounding with a slew of mobile and digital investments aimed at driving foot traffic. Target is the latest brand to partner with Google's Art Copy & Code program, which aims to reinvent digital advertising for iconic brands such as Nike. For Target's holiday campaign, Google helped create a mobile website with six mini-games. The campaign was created by creative agency 72andSunny with Psyop and Stinkdigital as the production partners. 

The online retail industry is booming. E-commerce generated $231 billion in sales for U.S. retailers last year and is expected to increase 13 percent to $262 billion this year, according to Forrester Research. The growth of e-commerce, which already accounts for about 8 percent of total retail sales in the U.S., is expected to outpace sales growth at brick-and-mortar stores over the next five years, reaching $370 billion in sales by 2017. Retail companies are investing in

It's hard to say what shopping will look like in 10 years, or even 10 months, but it's probably safe to say that we'll still do the majority of it in brick-and-mortar stores. Which stores we choose for that shopping trip will vary by day of week, occasion and myriad other factors. The bottom line is that the utilitarian ideal of the "best for the most" is irrelevant in a world awash in individualism. It's been a wild time since that first iPhone, and there's no sign of stability yet. Product assortment is more important than store size, and someone who can actually help with advice and ideas is better than free shipping.

One Kings Lane, a flash-sales site for high-end home goods, has taken a different approach to building a high-quality affiliate program. Its solution is to block coupon, loyalty or any other nonbrand relevant sites from its affiliate program. This puts all affiliates on a level playing field, making the program very attractive to those affiliates who

Even with the e-commerce boom, shopping at brick-and-mortar stores will continue to rule this holiday season. But with more shoppers using smartphones to compare prices, Target is one of several major retailers tackling this trend of "showrooming" head-on with a new, souped-up mobile app. Today, the Minneapolis-based chain unveils an app that uses location-based technology, powered by Point Inside, to link products with store maps. The user builds a shopping list or uses a search bar to find products, then the aisle where a product is located is revealed. 

Target has acquired a Pittsburgh-based company that says its software platform brings "an Amazon-like shopping experience" to in-store customers. Powered Analytics Co-Founder Collin Otis and a spokesman for Minneapolis-based Target confirmed the deal Wednesday. Terms weren't disclosed. Otis says the firm, founded in 2012, will remain headquartered in Pittsburgh. Powered Analytics’ Fabric product uses mobile technology, location data and machine learning to connect a retailer's app to the in-store shopping experience.

Brick-and-mortar retailers have become the first U.S. business group to be disappointed by Republicans since their midterm election gains, as party leaders indicated that a bill to end tax-free internet shopping was doomed. Retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy have long railed against a perceived loophole that they say gives e-commerce rivals an unfair advantage by enabling many online shoppers to avoid sales tax. But on Monday, a spokesman for John Boehner, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, said a bill to tax online shopping wouldn't move forward in the final weeks of the current Congress.