  | News about digital retail commerce |  |
- Groupon CEO: On growing up and going public
 Groupon's role as the daily deal pioneer set the Chicago-based company on a path to high-speed growth that has boosted staffing levels from 1,500 to 8,000 in the past year and resulted in last week's announcement that the company plans to go public. In this interview, founder, CEO and former music major Andrew Mason shares details on the company's growth and the reasons for the IPO, and comments on the slew of clones his company has spawned. "I used to be a music major. In that world, they call it plagiarism. In business, they call it competition." The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (6/7)        | Improve on-site conversion with Google Commerce Search.
Google Commerce Search (GCS) leverages innovations made on Google.com to power product search and discovery on your e-commerce website. Among other things, GCS provides a rich shopping experience found only on the top retail websites, as well as a powerful merchandising suite that helps you integrate business goals and adapt to market dynamics. | - Online directory aims to help shoppers avoid knockoffs
Brand Information Limited is a new Web-based directory that promises to protect consumers from buying fraudulent versions of branded goods by directing them to sites that sell the real thing. In addition to the directory, the site will offer online shoppers tips for spotting frauds on their own. ShopSafe.co.uk (U.K.) (6/7) - Groupon founders back online pawn shop
Lightbank, the investment group run by Groupon founders Eric Leftkosky and Brad Keywell, has invested $2.3 million in an online pawn shop recently renamed Pawngo. The site's typical customers are people looking for short-term loans of between $1,500 and $15,000, who send in information about the property they want to pawn and receive a valuation from the company before deciding whether to go ahead. All Things D (6/7)  | Ad Compliance Best Practices Kit — Stay ahead of consumer concern and government regulation with TRUSTe. Gain an overview of what Behavioral Advertising (OBA) is, why it is important, and what your options are. Insights from the FTC, DAA, TRUSTe, Forbes, Publisher's Clearing House and more. Register Now. |
 - Forrester report: Being "customer-centric" doesn't cut it anymore
Companies that are merely "customer-centric" could be at a major competitive disadvantage these days, according to a report from Forrester Research, which asserts that retailers must be "customer-obsessed" to build an evolving relationship with shoppers. "A customer-obsessed company focuses its strategy, its energy, and its budget on processes that enhance knowledge of engagement with customers, and prioritizes these over maintaining traditional competitive barriers," according to Josh Bernoff, senior vice president of idea development for Forrester. "Previous sources of competitive dominance -- manufacturing, distribution, even information mastery -- are now just table stakes." MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (6/6)  | How do you stay ahead of the curve and remain in the black while consumers continue to be frugal in these difficult times? Find out how product lifecycle management solutions are helping manufacturers maximize production efficiencies, reduce time to market, and solve design and production problems before they reach the prototype stage. |
 - J.C. Penney launches designer competition on YouTube
J.C. Penney has turned over its YouTube channel to a design competition in partnership with apparel line Bisou Bisou and the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. The Runway Your Way Design Challenge lets YouTube viewers vote on their favorite entries from fashion students charged with designing runway styles for "today's modern woman," the company says. ClickZ (6/6) - EBay agrees to buy e-commerce platform Magento
EBay said it will acquire Magento, a maker of an open-source e-commerce platform, for an undisclosed amount. Magento's products will complement eBay's recently formed X.Commerce group and increase its technology offerings for retailers, the auction website said. Reuters (6/6) - Amazon's Quidsi will debut pet-supply site Wag.com
Quidsi, an Amazon unit that owns Diapers.com, plans to roll out e-commerce site Wag.com to sell pet food and supplies. The company, which was founded in 2005 and acquired by Amazon last year for $545 million, also operates Soap.com and BeautyBar.com. Bloomberg (6/6)  | 2 Banners That Used Gaming to Drive Engagement
Make your online ads more engaging and they'll become more effective. This report will show you how to:
• Leverage in-banner rewards, competition and more
• Dramatically increase your banner's quantifiable impact
• Take advantage of new ad unit formats and technologies
• Deliver on ever-increasing consumer expectations |
| Legislative & Regulatory |  | | | | Shop.org Spotlight | | | | - Learn best practices for mobile retail with NRF's Mobile Retailing Blueprint
NRF has released the second version of its Mobile Retailing Blueprint, a free resource that educates retailers on best practices for leveraging mobile to enhance customer marketing, e-commerce and store operations. The blueprint features a special section on implementation planning and technology and also explains multiple secure mobile payment processes that can provide customer convenience and lower processing costs. Download the Blueprint.  | - 10 steps to a true multichannel organization
Building an organization able to provide the truly seamless, cost-effective multichannel experiences that consumers expect starts with leaders that have a true "multichannel mindset." In a recent addition to the Shop.org white paper library, executive search consulting firm Spencer Stuart shares ten key questions to ask prior to launching a search for a new leader and the tactics to build a true multichannel organization over time. Read more. |
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Well over a third of consumers who have made a group buying purchase report already having spent up to $100. Source: 
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