| News about digital retail commerce |  |
 | Always wanted people to “Like” you?
Venda can help you engage your customers through multiple social media outlets, such as Facebook and Twitter, maintain a strong following through personalized loyalty programs, and gain fan feedback via product reviews. Visit or call to learn about incentives for upgrading to Venda for social commerce advancements. | - Counterfeit goods sellers add new categories
Most online shoppers are savvy enough by now to avoid buying fake prescription medications and knockoff bags, but there's a new crop of counterfeits. Fake perfumes range from harmless scents to rash-causing chemical concoctions, batteries and extension cords can be dangerous, and knockoff toys that haven't been tested can contain lead and pose choking hazards. The Wall Street Journal (12/4)       | Retailer’s Pluck community paid for itself in 30 days
As more than 500 leading brands have learned, adding Pluck community features – including product reviews, topical forums, expert blogs, media galleries, polls, and reward systems – to the shopping experience can dramatically accelerate conversions. Our Community Results Blueprint shows you how. | - Transparency is the watchword in data collection
Consumers are growing increasingly worried about a loss of privacy associated with the dissemination of personal data online, but they remain willing to share such information with trusted entities so long as there is a benefit, according to a global consumer survey conducted by KPMG. However, the report emphasizes that this trust is contingent on brands being highly explicit about their plans for customer data as well as giving customers a heads-up that their buying habits are being tracked. The Wall Street Journal/Tech Europe blog (12/5) - What's in a website name?
SpaceBound Inc. didn't know when it launched its premier e-commerce website, NothingButSoftware.com, that software sales would shrink from 60% to 25% of the business as other product lines grew, says CEO Patricia Miller. She advises companies to always ask all the "what if?" questions before choosing a website name. The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (12/4) | 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 | | | | - Amazon's Kindle Fire outpaces other iPad competitors
Amazon is on track to ship 3.9 million units this quarter of the Kindle Fire, making the tablet second only to Apple's iPad in sales, according to researcher IHS. "Nearly two years after Apple Inc. rolled out the iPad, a competitor has finally developed an alternative which looks like it might have enough of Apple's secret sauce to succeed," said Rhoda Alexander, IHS' senior manager for tablet and monitor research. MediaPost Communications/Online Media Daily (12/2) - Rise of e-commerce in China comes with growing pains
 Online retail in China is set to rise to $314 billion by 2015 and the number of online shoppers is on track to double to 329 million, according to Boston Consulting Group. The rapid rise comes with growing pains for big players, including Alibaba's Taobao, which has seen market share drop as more sophisticated consumers shift focus from price to quality and grow increasingly concerned about counterfeit products. The National (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) (12/5)  | Earn 2X rewards points on advertising costs with The New Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN. Designed to earn Membership Rewards® points faster:
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  | | | Most Popular Headlines from Last Week Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers. |
| Interactive Advertising | | | | | Shop.org Spotlight | | | | - Why Internet domain expansion could cost more than brand identity
This January, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers will begin accepting applications for new extensions of generic top-level domains from the familiar .com, .org, and .edu and will allow brands to turn their names into Internet extensions. If you're part of a retail organization that conducts business online, now is the time to learn exactly how these changes will impact your brand. Shop.org's Artemis Berry shares the top five things you need to know to prepare your legal, e-commerce, and branding teams for the switch. Read more. Shop.org Blog (11/1)
| SmartQuote | | | |  | It is better to use fair means and fail, than foul and conquer."
--Sallust,
Roman historian  |
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The total U.S. GDP impact of retail is $2.5 trillion annually. Source: 
