Target

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.

H&M's websites experienced early disruptions amid high demand from shoppers for its latest guest collection by designer Alexander Wang. "It's been extremely popular among our customers, with many people queuing in all our markets," H&M spokesman Hacan Andersson said, adding 500 people had been waiting outside the retailer's store in Sydney. Earlier, the company's websites gave a message saying shoppers should try again later to gain access amid high demand for the collection. H&M, usually known for fast fashion at inexpensive prices, has used celebrity collections as a marketing tool to stoke sales each November since 2004.

Was it Election Day? There was plenty else happening at Target. On Tuesday, the Minneapolis-based retailer announced it would close 11 stores. It also swatted away an investment firm trying to buy shares on the cheap and started selling tchotchkes made by 3-D printers, latching on to one of the hottest things in high-tech. The store-closing step is one that Target takes at least once a year after a financial review of its 1,800 U.S. outlets. 

Should Target put "Alex," the Frisco, Texas, kid getting a lot of Twitter love because of his Bieberish mug and the pure randomness of the internet, in an actual ad campaign? "Why not?" answered Will McInnes, chief marketing officer of Brandwatch. "Social media is a powerful and direct avenue to consumers. Given the velocity and reach of the #AlexFromTarget hashtag, there are a number of marketing and ad campaigns that Target could execute. For example: store appearances by Alex or Alex's picks for clothing and seasonal items. Target could even use Alex to showcase its corporate culture."

Wal-Mart is doing whatever it takes to rope in holiday shoppers however they want to buy. For the first time, Wal-Mart is offering free shipping on what it considers the season's top 100 hottest gifts, from board games to items related to Disney's hit film "Frozen," starting Saturday. The move comes as rival Target began offering free shipping on all items, a program that started in late October and will last through Dec. 20. Wal-Mart is also planning to offer discounts on more than 20,000 items on a broad range of products, starting Saturday.

Retailers push for ever-earlier shopping on Thanksgiving Day continues. Joining the still-swelling wave, Kohl's said Thursday that its stores will open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, two hours earlier than last year. That puts the Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based chain on even footing with Macy's, which already announced a 6 p.m. start to the pre-Black Friday shopping extravaganza. Macy's opened at 8 p.m. last year. Other big retailers such as Target and Sears have yet to disclose their plans, but Anne Brouwer, senior partner with Chicago retail consultant McMillanDoolittle, said she expects more announcements of openings at 6, or earlier.

Buying products from inside a video isn't a new concept — YouTube introduced a click-to-buy feature in January 2009 — but more online retailers are experimenting with interactive video sales as the interfaces improve and touchscreens become ubiquitous. Shoppable video is growing up. But without compelling statistics to back up its efficacy, it still has a ways to go. In the past year, 39 department stores produced and released at least one shoppable video, including Sears, Kohl's and Mr. Porter, according to business intelligence service L2. 

It's hard to believe we're less than a month away from Thanksgiving. Over the last few years, retailers have opened their stores earlier and earlier on Black Friday in order to cash in on the holiday shopping frenzy. So much so that Black Friday doorbuster sales have crept — uninvited — into our Thanksgiving dinners. Big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart and Toys"R"Us have gone on record as to how opening on Thanksgiving has increased their sales drastically. But honestly, how in the world did 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving turn into the new midnight for Black Friday sales?

Staples is the latest in a long line of retailers to suffer a data breach. Many retailers are wondering if they're next. Some companies are looking to implement technology to hopefully avoid an attack on their customers’ data. Near-field communication (NFC) technology is at the top of the list, bringing real-time engagement to customers with smartphones and other enabled devices within a short range. When used for payments, no personal information is "handed over" through the system, making NFC technology a very secure method of wireless communication.

I believe that merchants are very important to a retail organization. They shape the future of their company with innovative and creative ideas. They're always on the lookout for new fashion trends. They visit stores and designers to learn and see the future. Fashion leadership starts at the top and then permeates the whole store organization. Whether it's a color, new look or new allocation of space, it's the merchant who will decide. Some of retail's top merchants I admire include Mike Gould, Roger Farah, Mickey Drexler and Karen Katz.