| News about digital retail commerce |  |
- E-commerce in Q1 jumped the $50 billion mark
First quarter U.S. e-commerce sales topped $50 billion for the first time outside a holiday season, according to Commerce Department figures. The $50.27 billion figure represents a year-over-year increase of 15.4%, totaling 7.3% of all U.S. retail sales during the period. The figures exclude items not typically purchased online, such as automobiles. Internet Retailer (5/17)       | Webinar: The Myth of Social Commerce, 5/22 2pm CDT
One more day to register!
Join us for two practical perspectives on community and conversion. Forrester's Sucharita Mulpuru will share research about where retailers are connecting with intent-driven consumers. Then we'll show you how several successful merchant sites use community to drive conversion. | - Retailers reap higher sales with Pinterest
Pinterest is now on a par with Twitter when it comes to referring consumers to retail sites, and Pinterest users spend twice as much on an average online order than Facebook users do, according to new data from Shopify, which supplies e-commerce services to 25,000 online retail sites. Fast Company online (5/18) - Canada's online retailers catch onto social media
Retailers of all sizes are using Facebook and other social sites to drive traffic and sales for their burgeoning online retail outlets in Canada. The trend is fueling rapid growth for some Canadian online retailers, many of which got off to a slow start after initially launching e-commerce efforts, writes social media strategist Mia Pearson. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (5/17) - U.K. online shopping rose 10% in April
 Online shopping in the U.K. was up 10% last month, driven largely by a 45% year-over-year jump in gift purchases, according to IMRG and Capgemini. Health and beauty and consumer electronics sales also booked double-digit growth, while apparel sales rose only 1%. Internet Retailer (5/17)  | Download Forrester Research, Inc.'s April 2012 report: SMB eCommerce Solutions 2012, A Guide To Selecting Your eCommerce Solution written by Brian K. Walker. Learn which SMB eCommerce solution you should consider for your business. For example, Forrester expects to see the advent of full-service offerings such as Amazon's suite of solutions. Download your complimentary copy now. |
 - Coinstar tests PayPal option in Texas
Customers who use certain Coinstar kiosks in Texas can add cash to and withdraw funds from their PayPal account, under a pilot project. Users systemwide already can turn coins into gift cards for retailers including Amazon and Overstock. AuctionBytes (5/17)  | Which do you choose: Customer frustration…or channel integration? Today's consumers expect to shop the way technology lets them work and live: easily, efficiently and seamlessly across channels. Aberdeen's 2012 Analyst Insight on the Omni-Channel Retail Experience explains how your competitors make that happen – and how you can too! This $399 value is now yours free. Download the report now! |
 | Companies in the News |  |  | | - Barneys launches redesigned e-commerce site
Barneys.com quietly launched its revamped online shopping site this week, with a splashier debut scheduled for Monday. The new site boasts a cleaner look and features designed to make it easier for visitors to navigate the site and share their favorite items with friends on Facebook and other social platforms. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (5/17) - Pottermore offers Harry Potter books on Kobo
Harry Potter bookselling website Pottermore made the popular series available for Kobo e-readers. The site has a similar agreement to supply e-books for Amazon's Kindle, Barnes & Noble's Nook, the Sony Reader and Google but has not reached a deal with Apple. PaidContent.org (5/17) - UPS MyChoice hits the 1 million customer mark
UPS has signed its millionth customer for UPS MyChoice, a system launched last October that lets consumers choose the date and time their online purchases will be delivered, the company said this week. Consumers pay a $40 annual fee for the service. Internet Retailer (5/17) - Swarovski wants young people to dance for their sunglasses
Swarovski is using an application on Facebook to run a dance contest for a chance to win sunglasses. Contestants are to submit a short dance-moves video while wearing Swarovski virtual sunglasses. "It seems that Swarovski's strategy is to appeal to a younger demographic," Social Muse Communications CEO Christine Kirk said. Luxury Daily (5/17)  | Earn 2X rewards points on advertising costs with The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN. Designed to earn Membership Rewards® points faster:
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 | Shop.org Spotlight | | | | - Shop.org heads to Barcelona for Global E-Commerce Summit
Online retailers, entrepreneurs, and e-commerce experts will gather for the fourth annual Global E-commerce Summit in Barcelona, Spain June 4-6 to discuss the latest trends impacting digital retail around the world. Shop.org members Kerry Cooper, chief marketing officer at ModCloth, and Rick Watson, general manager of marketplace at Barnes & Noble, will present, and Vicki Cantrell, Shop.org director and NRF SVP, Communities, will serve as the event's Global Retailing Chairwoman and Social Commerce Chairwoman. Learn more. - How Lowe's uses mobile apps to effectively manage store operations
Mobile technology isn't just revolutionizing sales and customer interaction for Lowe's; its award-winning "mobileDART' application is also changing the way store managers run their stores. In a May 31 STORES webinar, Lowe's Director of Enterprise Information Services Steve Cornett and MicroStrategy's VP of Retail Industry Solutions Frank Andryauskas will share seven key attributes for high-return mobile store operations and provide best practices for industry leaders of mobile operations solutions by retailers across the globe. Learn more or register.
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