Target

Economists aren't the only ones watching improving home sales closely. Emboldened by recent numbers, retail giants J.C. Penney and Target are bolstering their home furnishing offerings in hopes that new buyers will need to decorate. The decision to invest in the home section could be a smart one if recent retail sales trends hold steady. In March, sales at e first quarter while appliance sales were about 0.7 percent higher.

Picture this anxiety-provoking scenario: you're at an all-day conference, sweating bullets as you prep for a presentation in an hour's time. But you packed in haste and left your laptop charger at home. Your battery capacity is perilously close to zero. You don't have time to dash to Best Buy and you wouldn't dare ask a fellow presenter for a favor lest you show your hand. eBay knows its customers (including you, the disheveled executive) and has been quietly working on a solution for this thoroughly modern conundrum. The eBay Now app allows

A listing for a bloody mannequin has disappeared from Amazon after feminists complained it was promoting violence against women. The activist group UltraViolet collected 63,000 signatures on a petition to get rid of the shooting target designed by Zombie Industries that bled when shot and was chillingly called "The Ex." The first 10,000 signatures appeared within the first 30 minutes of the campaign, the organizers said. "It's obvious why that struck a nerve with people," UltraViolet co-founder Nita Chaudhary told SocialTimes.

Michael Kors 553,161 956,368 73% CVS 7,273,276 10,877,674 50% American Apparel 380,814 534,573

Social media has forced brands to be transparent because consumers now want to know more about the companies they patronize. That means the pressure is on for brands to develop a robust content strategy that tells their story. Eighteen months ago, Target quietly began "A Bullseye View," its "online magazine." The site is meant to tell the stories behind Target's products, events, partnerships and other happenings at the company. One thing it doesn't do: pitch products. 

Last week, Target came under fire for describing the color of one maxi dress as "dark heather gray" while calling the plus-size version "manatee gray." Now it's caught with another product-naming problem: its Mossimo brand "Orina" sandals. While the retailer initially believed the word "Orina" to mean "peace" or "peaceful" in Russian, about a week ago it found out that it actually means "urine" in Spanish.

As more technologies are being developed to supplement and enhance existing POS systems, it's becoming more important than ever for retailers to determine which types of software and applications are integral to reaching their end goals. While Google's recent emphasis on ecommerce

Shoppers at a Target store in Brooklyn say a label that listed the color of a plus-size dress as "manatee gray" was insulting. The label for the same dress in smaller sizes described it as "dark heather gray." Target apologized for the label. Michelle Ho, shopping at the store at Atlantic Terminal Mall, told the New York Post that Target was "putting down one set of people over another" with the different labels.

Google is finally opening up its Google Shopping Express service to the public today, with the same day delivery service being made available as a test to select users in San Francisco and the Peninsula from San Mateo to San Jose. Participating retailers include, as we've previously reported: Target, Walgreens, Staples, American Eagle, Toys"R"Us/Babies"R"Us, Office Depot, San Francisco's Blue Bottle Coffee, Raley's Nob Hill Foods, and Palo Alto Toy & Sport.

Welcome to Retail Online Integration's third annual list of the best and brightest women in the cross-channel retail industry. The women highlighted on this list are marketing and merchandising professionals, e-commerce experts, and chief executive officers at cross-channel retail companies of all sizes. They've all helped to position their companies to succeed in today's fast-paced cross-channel retail environment.