  | News about digital retail commerce |  |
- New apps turn tablets into digital catalogs
Retailers from traditional brick-and-mortar players such as Sears to online players including Amazon and Gilt Groupe are creating new applications aimed at making shopping on iPads and other tablets more like paging through a magazine or catalog. Touchscreens make it more fun, offering shoppers the option of moving things around on the page and sliding them into shopping carts. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (5/29)       - Can text marketing work for online merchants?
Brick-and-mortar stores and restaurants are driving more traffic with location-based text messaging promotions, and there's evidence that similar strategies can help boost sales for online merchants. E-commerce companies can build SMS lists similar to customer e-mail lists and text special offers to mobile users who click through to their sites. Practical eCommerce (5/26)  | Ad Compliance Best Practices Kit — Stay ahead of consumer concern and government regulation with TRUSTe. Gain an overview of what Behavioral Advertising (OBA) is, why it is important, and what your options are. Insights from the FTC, DAA, TRUSTe, Forbes, Publisher's Clearing House and more. Register Now. |
 | New Media & Technology |  | | | - Proactive customer-service approach boosts online sales
Specialty apparel maker and online retailer ScotteVest says taking a more proactive approach with its online chat customer service features has boosted sales. When users linger on a certain section of the site for a while, a live-chat box pops up offering to help the customer find the items they seek. The new feature has resulted in about 160 live chats per week, about 25% of which turn into sales, the company says. InternetRetailer.com (5/27)  | The Plum Card®
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  - HSN opens online arcade
HSN this week is introducing HSN Arcade, an online gaming section of the network's website that features games such as Sodoku and Mahjongg. According to Jill Braff, HSN's executive vice president of digital commerce, there's "a ton of overlap" between online games and HSN with middle-aged women. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (5/31) - Shoes.com parent moves president to CEO post
Brown Shoe, the parent of online footwear retailer Shoes.com, has promoted Diane Sullivan to the CEO seat. Sullivan, who previously served as president and COO, joined the company in 2004 and is credited with developing its brand strategy and leading the company's $145 million acquisition of American Sporting Goods. InternetRetailer.com (5/27) - Amazon promotes online groceries with free milk for a year
Amazon Fresh is promoting its online grocery service in Seattle by giving away milk for a year to anyone who places an order of $75 or more. Amazon launched the grocery service in 2007 and has been expanding it in Seattle, although it hasn't yet grown to new cities. GeekWire (5/29) 
| Legislative & Regulatory | | | | - RepairClinic.com prevails in "typosquatting" case
The World Intellectual Property Organization awarded ownership of a slightly misspelled domain name to RepairClinic.com. The online seller of appliance parts complained to WIPO in January about a site operated by California-based Spoofy, which used the repairclinc.com to house a pay-per-click ad site for RepairClinic.com's rivals. InternetRetailer.com (5/27) | Shop.org Spotlight | | | | - Online shoppers spending slightly more on Dad this year
Not only are online shoppers spending more on average for Father's Day this year, they're also spending 63% more than their offline-only counterparts. Shop.org's Head of Research Fiona Swerdlow shares the statistics for Father's Day online shoppers and makes the case for creative marketing when it comes to the question of what to get Dear Old Dad. Read more.
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Half of consumers surveyed have accessed customer reviews in-store using their mobile device. Source: 
