 | News about digital retail commerce |  |
- Google's digital bookstore makes its debut
Google unveiled its long-awaited e-bookstore on Monday, offering hundreds of thousands of digital titles for sale and millions more free of charge as it gears up to compete head-on with Amazon and Apple for a piece of the $1 billion e-books market. Consumers can read digital titles from Google eBooks on computers, iPads and other devices and switch from one gadget to another without losing their place. The Wall Street Journal (12/6)       - Amazon responds to Google with Kindle for Web browsers: Amazon expects to demonstrate this week a version of Kindle for the Web that will let users read full books on their browsers, a move that comes on the heels of the launch of Google's eBookstore. Amazon's product, which likely won't be ready for sale until next year, also will allow online booksellers to offer Kindle e-books. Computerworld (12/6)
 | A Win for Consumers and Retailers
ShopRunner is a members-only program offering unlimited free 2-day shipping and many other exclusive benefits from a network of leading online stores. With ShopRunner's collaborative approach, retailers are able to present consumers with a far more attractive program than they can as standalone merchants. "Click here to contact us now" | - Top 25 online merchants account for most of the growth
The largest 25 online retailers saw sales rise 20% in November and accounted for almost all of the overall increase in online holiday sales so far, according to a new report. E-commerce sales rose 12% from Nov. 1 through Dec. 3, compared with the same period last year, and online shoppers spent $1 billion on Cyber Monday. InternetRetailer.com (12/6) - Online fashion sites create new modeling niche
The rapid expansion of online apparel and accessories sales has spurred a new type of modeling that's a cross between catalog and catwalk. Models showing off the merchandise on sites including Gilt Groupe and Rue La La must be able to relate to women shopping online at 3 a.m., and combine the catalog model's ability to display the product for still cameras with the runway model's movement skills that play on video. The Seattle Times (12/3)  | Using Social Data: Does Your Business Know the Rules?
Learn what it takes to create a positive experience for both your users and your business.
Download a free whitepaper now. | - Survey: Shoppers prefer to consult gadgets instead of store staff
The vast majority of shoppers surveyed recently by Accenture said they would rather use their smartphones than ask a store associate when checking product availability and seeking other store and product information. "Ultimately, this trend will lead to a new definition of the store; purpose, place and size are all up for debate. Already we are seeing some shoppers treating stores more like a showroom to test products and then making their purchase online," said Janet Hoffman, managing director of Accenture's retail practice. InternetRetailer.com (12/6) - How to set up your brand's Facebook page
Many small merchants haven't yet discovered the benefits of putting some time into creating a Facebook page for their brands, writes tech blogger Mark O'Neill. O'Neill offers tips for establishing a Facebook presence designed to drive more consumers to your e-commerce site. AuctionBytes (12/5) - 5 steps for an effective social media presence
Social media's importance as a marketing tool is growing fast, but the area isn't without its pitfalls, writes branding expert Dennis Franczak. Franczak's five tips for avoiding those pitfalls include focusing on quality over quantity, taking time to think before you post and keeping marketing goals in mind when formulating strategy. iMedia Connection (12/7)  | Supercharging the Online Channel
Getting to the right shoppers and then converting them to buyers in your online store is every retailer's key objective. Short purchase windows, impatient buyers, and new mandates around security are creating unprecedented demands on commerce sites. Learn how to attract customers to your site, optimize their online shopping experience and drive more transactions. Watch the webinar NOW! |
 - LivingSocial to use Amazon cash for Groupon showdown
Daily-deal site LivingSocial expects to use a $175 million investment from Amazon to overtake rival Groupon, said CEO Tim O'Shaughnessy. The company plans to more than triple its workforce to 1,800 and expand the number of markets it services to about 300, he said. Bloomberg (12/7) - Fortunoff makes online comeback
Fortunoff is making a comeback with an online luxury jewelry site. The chain, which was known for its fine jewelry, home furnishings and outdoor furniture, closed its brick-and-mortar stores after filing for bankruptcy. Luxist (12/4)  | Sell smart and boost revenue. Find out how better sales intelligence can help put your sales organization on top. LexisNexis® can help you gather the business intelligence you need to support your selling process, find better leads, close more deals, and grow your business. Click here to learn more. |
| Shop.org Spotlight |  | | | - Bipartisan announcement of tax cuts, unemployment benefit extensions welcomed by NRF
NRF welcomed yesterday's bipartisan announcement to extend Bush-era tax cuts for all taxpayers regardless of income as well as extend unemployment benefit. "Keeping current tax rates in place will allow retailers and other sectors of the economy to push forward with job creation," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. "Adding a payroll tax cut to the mix will help with that effort while boosting consumer spending as well." Read more. - Looking for historical data on U.S. online retail sales?
Look no further. NRF's Retail Industry Indicators report on online retail sales pulls from government data and NRF research to provide statistics on online retail sales as a share of total retail sales, online sales by household income, and key shopping metrics for heavy, medium and light buyers. View the report.
| SmartQuote | | | |  | The most erroneous stories are those we think we know best -- and therefore never scrutinize or question."
--Stephen Jay Gould,
American scientist  |
| | This SmartBrief was created for cpgbrokers.data@blogger.com | | | | Advertise | Sales Account Director:
Dena Malouf 202.737.5500 ext. 282 | | | | | | | | | | Recent Shop.org SmartBrief Issues: - Monday, December 06, 2010
- Friday, December 03, 2010
- Thursday, December 02, 2010
- Wednesday, December 01, 2010
- Tuesday, November 30, 2010
| | | Lead Editor: Megan Conniff
Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005 | | | | | | © 1999-2010 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information |
|
For online holiday shopping, consumers rank gift wrap 2.5 out of 5 in importance. Source: 
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please comment thoughtfully CPG Brokers, your best resource to optimize your in store self exposure and maximize sku distribution.