 | News about digital retail commerce |  |
- Report: Marketers must use social to cultivate brand ambassadors
Marketers should focus their social efforts on encouraging loyal brand fans to talk up their products rather than trying to boost direct sales through Facebook, Twitter and other social channels, according to research from Gallup. "Since marketers are less likely to engage prospects directly through social media, they should encourage or guide their current customers to advocate on their behalf instead," say analysts Jim Asplund and Blaise James. ClickZ (9/9)       | Europe, Asia, Africa and Beyond — Going Global with Ease and Efficiency
Without significant capital expense, Crocs is able to enter dozens of new markets across the globe quickly. Using Demandware as its global commerce platform, the company leverages domestic operational and administrative resources while enabling local merchandising and marketing experts to apply their expertise. Read the case study. | | Shop.org Summit News |  |  | | - Boston prepares to show off city's e-commerce at Shop.org Summit
 Boston's e-commerce companies including ShoeBuy.com, Staples.com and Rue La La are ready to raise their profile as more than 3,000 attendees hit town for Shop.org's Annual Summit and Expo today. "The Boston area has more e-commerce than people think," said James Keller, ShoeBuy.com's marketing chief. The Boston Globe (free registration) (9/12) - Google executive shares simple tip to boost digital marketing
 Marketers can boost their conversion rates simply by applying their direct-mail marketing tactics to their online efforts, Google's Industry Director for Retail Todd Pollak said. In this interview to kick off Shop.org's Annual Summit this week, Pollak also offered insight into the year's hottest digital retail trends and tips for merchants looking to leverage Google's new social platform, Google+. Shop.org Blog (9/12)  | The global leader in e-commerce is unveiling something new: A new way of looking at what we do — and a new way to think about what you’re capable of doing. E-commerce is about being seen — making sure messages show up in the right places, at the right times, in the right ways. Stop by booth 507 at the Summit or visit www.channeladvisor.com. | - Shipping issues lead to most abandoned shopping carts, survey finds
More than half of online shoppers abandon their shopping carts because of shipping issues, whether it's higher fees or poor service, according to research from the U.K.'s Royal Mail service. While more merchants have shifted to free shipping to boost sales, those that raise prices to recoup some of the shipping costs are also putting off customers, who can easily compare prices across multiple retail sites, according to this analysis. TechNewsWorld (9/10)  | Social Commerce IQ™ Ranks Top Retailers — GameStop, Victoria’s Secret, Walmart top The Social Commerce IQ™ Index which ranks the Top 200 retailers and how they use Facebook. Research by 8thBridge. Download your FREE copy today. | - Hotels shift to flash sales to sell empty rooms
Consumers looking for thriftier ways to travel are finding more deals as hotels look to fill empty rooms with deep discounts on flash sale sites such as Jetsetter, Off&Away, Vacationist and fashion site HauteLook, which added vacation packages late last year. One of the newest entries is Spire, which debuted in June with luxury hotel deals of at least 30% off the lowest available price. The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (9/11) - Companies make "serious moves" to more secure credit cards
The U.S. is behind much of the rest of the world when it comes to replacing traditional credit cards with more secure "smart cards" that use embedded chips instead of magnetic strips to contain data. Efforts from Visa and others may prove the incentive banks and merchants need to change. "The card system in this country has been dysfunctional for a long time. We have far, far too much fraud because we have a very antiquated payment system relative to the rest of the world," said NRF's Mallory Duncan. The Register-Guard (Eugene, Ore.)/The Associated Press (9/10)  | As Facebook no longer allows you to hide comments from your brand followers, effective moderation is paramount.
Download Buddy Media’s free guide to Facebook Publishing and Moderation, and learn the best strategies for maintaining positive messaging on your Facebook page. |
 | Hot Topics | | | | Top five news stories selected by Shop.org SmartBrief readers in the past week. - Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.
| Companies in the News | | | | - Waterstone's takes on Amazon with plans for e-reader
Waterstone's, the largest bookseller in the UK, has confirmed that it plans to launch its own electronic reader within the next six months. "We in Waterstone's need to offer you a digital reader which is at least as good, and preferably substantially better, than that of our Internet rival," said James Daunt, managing director at Waterstone's. "And you will have a much better buying experience purchasing your books through us." The Guardian (London) (9/9) - AT&T remodels stores to show off tablet offerings
AT&T launched its emerging-devices group a few years ago to expand its wireless business beyond mobile phones, and today Amazon's Kindle represents the fastest-growing device on its wireless networks. As it adds new tablet and other nonphone offerings, the company is revamping its retail stores to add a wall showcasing tablets and emerging devices. USA TODAY (9/11) | | | Most Popular Headlines from Last Week Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers. |
| Legislative & Regulatory | | | | - Amazon's Calif. compromise could signal national sea change
The agreement Amazon hammered out with California lawmakers to drop a push to test a new online sales tax law with a voter referendum in exchange for a year-long reprieve from collecting sales taxes could signal a shift in the national sales-tax conversation, this story says. Amazon has already joined brick-and-mortar retailer groups including the National Retail Federation in supporting a federal bill that would replace the current patchwork of state laws with a national online sales tax collection system. San Jose Mercury News (Calif.) (free registration) (9/10) | Shop.org Spotlight | | | | - How to navigate 34,000 feet of EXPO Hall space
Retailers visiting the Shop.org Summit EXPO Hall have problems to solve -- but figuring out how to navigate the massive floor itself shouldn't be one of them. In a Q-and-A, FitForCommerce CEO Bernardine Wu, whose company is providing free consultations for retailers on which solution providers may fit their needs, offers advice for retailers on making the most of their time on site -- and tips for exhibitors on how to make their company stand out. Read more.
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