  | News about digital retail commerce |  |
- 'Mag-a-log' sites mix catalog, editorial content
So-called digital mag-a-logs, such as Richemont's Net-A-Porter, Best Buy's On, and LVMH's Nowness, are mixing editorial and sales by offering promotional content in a magazine-like format. "The old line separating church and state is not gone, but is definitely a more blurry one," said Adam Lavelle, chief strategy officer of iCrossing, a unit of Hearst. "And brands that are authentic, not shameless or opportunistic, have a chance to create content that people will pay attention to." The New York Times (free registration) (1/16)        | Mobile barcodes make traditional media both interactive and measurable. When consumers scan these barcodes with their mobile devices, they are immediately connected to the web where they can view videos, coupons, and more. Want to learn more about mobile barcodes? Sign up for a FREE webinar today. | - Online sales of household basics heat up
Free shipping, lower prices and overall convenience make the prospect of buying household essentials online more attractive, with sites such as Amazon's Diapers.com and Soap.com leading the way. "The value proposition of our site specifically revolves around convenience, speed of delivery and the customer-service level," said David Zhang, Soap.com's marketing director. Chicago Tribune (1/14) - E-commerce transforms small Chinese village
Qingyanliu Village in the Zhejiang Province of east China is known as the country's No. 1 e-commerce village because it has many of the leading stores on Taobao in terms of transactions. Qingyanliu villagers took in about $121 million from e-commerce in 2009. "E-commerce has changed the lifestyle of our village. Instead of tending to our fields, we now use keyboards and mouse clicks to make money," said Liu Wengao of the local e-commerce association. Xinhuanet.com (China) (1/17)  | 2011 planning for social media made simpler
94.1% of businesses use social media to build brand awareness — does yours? Get insights into business trends and best practices for social media from SmartBrief's State of Social Media for Business. Make your 2011 social-media strategy count with data from 6000+ business execs. Get the report today. |
 - Fashion startups focus on designer DIY
 New fashion sites are using interactive models that allow shoppers to design their own fashions. Aspiring designers can upload their best looks to Garmz and have the community pick the ones that will be produced and sold on the site. Fabricly evaluates sketches submitted by would-be designers and pay to produce and promote the best ones. Mashable (1/16) - Keep m-commerce initiatives simple
When considering mobile-commerce strategies, wise retailers stick with the KISS theory: keep it simple, stupid. For example, Target has a site that is effectively optimized for the mobile platform, said Julie Ask, a Forrester Research analyst who specializes in m-commerce. InternetRetailer.com (1/14)  | Each year U.S businesses spend trillions of dollars on goods and services. Focus Research empowers buyers to spend their budget wisely by offering easily accessible and trustworthy information on vendors that support small and mid-size business operations. Download this free whitepaper that compares leading CRM vendors to ensure you choose what's best for your organization. |
 | 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 | | | | - Startup aims to get customers looking online for eyeglasses
E-commerce startup Warby Parker hopes to persuade more eyeglass wearers to buy their specs online, with a model that combines lower prices on fashionable frames with customer service like that of Zappos and other online retailers. All glasses are returnable, and the company uses face-recognition software to let users try on frames virtually. Warby Parker also will mail as many as five loaner frames to indecisive customers. The New York Times (free registration) (1/16) - Ability to share e-books spawns Kindle Lending Club
Amazon's decision to allow Kindle users to share their e-books led Amazon affiliate Catherine MacDonald to launch the Kindle Lending Club, a startup aimed at matching lenders and borrowers. E-book owners list titles they're willing to lend and readers post lists of e-books they would like to borrow. The service is free. The Examiner (1/16) - Report: Google may be readying Android-based music service
Blogs are buzzing about a report that Google will introduce a music service, along the lines of Apple's iTunes, when the next Android release hits the market. The service reportedly would be cloud-based and might y offer synchronization from desktops to handsets without any software requirement or having to deal with memory cards. Mashable (1/14) | | | Most Popular Headlines from Last Week Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers. |
| Shop.org Spotlight | | | | - Shop.org webinars: 2010's "best of" list
After each of our webinars, we ask attendees for feedback, which we use to guide the content we bring to you in the future. Shop.org's director of content, Artemis Berry, shares Shop.org's 2010 "Best Webinars" list, links to the playbacks, blog recaps, and her favorite statistic or lesson from each. Read more. - Shop.org SmartStat: January 17, 2011
 Three-quarters of adults 55 years and older anticipated using customer reviews on retailer sites as they shopped for the holidays. Source: Shop.org's 2010 eHoliday survey.  | - Shop.org now accepting white paper submissions
Has your company recently published a white paper, case study, benchmarking report, or other original document that serves to educate or support aspects of the e-commerce industry? Shop.org members, can submit original materials for the benefit of others in the industry. Learn more. |
| SmartQuote | | | |  | All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem."
--Martin Luther King Jr.,
U.S. civil rights leader,
quoted for Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the U.S., Jan. 17, 2011  |
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