Why Rakuten is leading new round of Pinterest funding

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May 17, 2012 Sign up Forward Archive RSS Feed News about digital retail commerce   Top Story    Macy's Brazil journey sports augmented-reality app Macy's "Brasil: A Magical Journey" campaign includes an augmented-reality application for smartphones that allows shoppers to use Quick Response codes to upload photos of themselves virtually visiting the Amazon and touching other aspects of Brazilian culture. In-store wares in several departments include a variety of Brazilian limited-edition collections. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (5/16)      A Retailer's Tips for Implementing Product Recommendations. Who knows how to successfully implement automated product recommendations better than someone who's already done it? Kevin Ertell, CMO of OnlineShoes, gives tips to leverage and pitfalls to avoid when choosing a provider and implementing the tools. Download the tip sheet at www.igodigital.com/recstips.   Online Retail Trends  Why Rakuten is leading new round of Pinterest funding Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten took the lead on a new $100 million round of funding for social site Pinterest, in a move designed to both drive increased traffic to its retail sites and gain a foothold with U.S. consumers for Buy.com. Pinterest was reportedly valued at $1.5 billion in this funding round. Business Insider (5/17), The Wall Street Journal (5/17)      Mobile devices are most used for directions, purchases Using a GPS or other mapping device to find a retail location is the most prevalent activity of U.S. mobile phone shoppers, according to a Placecast-commissioned study. Twelve percent of standard mobile users and half of smartphone owners used such an application, 27% when combined. A combined 25% of mobile shoppers accessed the website of a place they shop, and a combined 20% made an online purchase. eMarketer (5/16), MediaPost Communications/Mobile Insider blog (5/15)      The Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN Spending power for your business. Premium benefits for you. Access a portfolio of 30+ premium benefits, including: • Membership Rewards® points that pay for flights, hotels, and more • 24/7, 1-on-1 Concierge for help with your life and your Business • Complimentary Airport Club Access Business Platinum Card APPLY NOW   New Media & Technology    Retailers' bold steps into mobile payments are paying off Retailers that have moved ahead of the crowd and introduced their own mobile payments have achieved promising results, writes Matthew Talbot. The Starbucks Mobile application is a notable success, with easy-to-understand functionality and built-in rewards that encourage usage and help Starbucks build a customer database. Mobile Marketer (5/17), CIO Asia/Guest Blog (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    Marc Jacobs spotlights summer fashions in desert video Marc Jacobs has created a two-minute online video using the desert as a backdrop for its spring/summer 2012 line of apparel, bags and sunglasses. "Video adds a coolness factor for the brand and allows it to tell a story," said Freshfluff founder John Casey. Luxury Daily (5/16)      Harrods creates online boutique just for summer Luxury U.K. department store Harrods has launched The Season, an online boutique and style guide aimed at outfitting customers for festivals, garden parties, balls and other summer events. Luxury Daily (5/16)      Online fashion boutique My-wardrobe takes aim at Asia My-wardrobe.com has already found success in the U.K. for its online boutique, and it's now taking aim at the Asia-Pacific region. The company has already gained a presence in Australia and plans to launch in Singapore next, using that market to learn more about Asian consumers' tastes, said founder Sarah Curran. Reuters (5/16)      Top 5 HR Compliance Concerns for Small Business Small and medium sized companies spend a lot of time focusing on core business issues, but they may overlook one of the most potentially serious and costly issues — regulatory compliance. How do you know what issues to look for in order to protect the company? Download this must-read paper that discusses the top 5 HR compliance issues.   Featured Content    Employee Benefits Uncle Sam Won't Tax Mike Periu Creating a Recognition-Based Culture Alexandra Levit Obama Announces Tax Break for Small Businesses Courtney Rubin Chef Keller's Kitchen: A Collaborative Environment Donna Fenn Fostering a Strong Company Culture Anonymous   Legislative & Regulatory    Mich. is 30th state to sue Apple, publishers over e-book prices Michigan signed onto an antitrust movement, becoming the 30th state to file a lawsuit that alleges Apple conspired with publishers to artificially increase e-book prices. "Whether you are selling apples or oranges, price fixing undermines the free market and sticks consumers with the bill," said Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette. The Detroit News (5/16)      MBA@UNC gives ambitious working professionals from anywhere in the world the opportunity to earn an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler, a top-ranked U.S. business school. Through the use of innovative technologies and real world immersive experiences, MBA@UNC blends the flexibility of a global online program with the rigor and quality of an on-campus experience. Learn more.   Shop.org Spotlight  Do you have what it takes to speak at retail's biggest event? The call for speakers is now open for the 2013 NRF Annual Convention & EXPO--Retail's BIG Show. The event has more than 130 education programs and attracts more than 25,500 attendees, and you could be a part of it. Submit your proposal by June 1 to be considered. Learn more.      Shop.org SmartStat: May 17, 2012 Almost eight in 10 consumers said they follow a retailer's Facebook, Twitter or blog. Source: Shop.org 2011 Social Commerce Study.        Creative versus operations: How to free marketers to do marketing Today's CRM and business intelligence platforms are powerful tools for retail marketers, but perhaps it's time to differentiate marketing creative professionals from marketing operations. In a white paper from the Shop.org library, executives from eClerx examine the obstacles that accompany effective CRM and marketing automation system development, and demonstrate how outsourcing parts of the marketing lifecycle helps to remove those obstacles while improving cost savings, agility, operational excellence, risk mitigation, and costs and resources. 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