| News about digital retail commerce |  |
- Should your firm build its own social network?
Forget Facebook and Twitter -- a growing number of companies, including Amazon, Disney, IKEA, Kraft Foods and Procter & Gamble, are building their own online communities to reach out to customers. A new study suggests customers spend an average of 19% more after joining brand-based digital communities, comfortably offsetting the cost of establishing and maintaining the networks. Strategy+Business online (free registration) (4/6)       | Leveraging Cloud Security to Weather Threatening Storms
Web attacks and retribution campaigns are on the rise, and they have become more frequent, more random and more extreme. This paper assesses the current cyber threat environment and discusses the use of distributed cloud services as an effective means to protect against evolving, modern-day IT threats. |
 - Tips to turn customers into advocates
Startup 500Friends is determined to help retailers move beyond making the sale to building a larger base of loyal advocates with programs that reward customers each time they post, tweet or blog about the brand, says vice president Kristine Jacobs. "Maybe if the business knows [the user] is such an influencer, they would treat them differently." Fast Company online (4/5) - Fashion-forward men opt for online shopping
Public relations intern and style blogger Jordon Stone prides himself on wearing fashion-forward looks, and he shops for all of them online at sites including SuitSupply.com and Gentlemint.com. Stone is one of a growing number of stylish 18-to-35-year-old males who eschew the mall in favor of shopping online. The Tampa Tribune (Fla.) (4/8)  | The Business Case for Mobile and Tablet Shopping
Is mobility an out-of-reach luxury or could it really improve your business? Get the facts! Aberdeen’s Analyst Insight examines the impact of mobile solutions on retail transactions, customer expectations, and important profit opportunities. This research – a $399 value- is yours free! Download your copy here! |
 - Isis sets a slow but steady path toward mobile payments
Isis, the mobile-wallet system backed by several carriers, has chosen a more deliberate strategy toward launching commercial service, chief marketing officer Ryan Hughes explained in a recent interview. Even though Isis has not officially rolled out yet -- it has a pair of pilot tests planned for summer -- the company has spent most of its time building a platform that appeals to a broad base of consumers, banks, merchants, credit card companies and carriers. Hughes drew a contrast between Isis' strategy and that of the competing Google Wallet service. GigaOm (4/6) - Tracking mobile data in the physical store
Online retailers have access to reams of data that's key to their customer-targeting strategies, but brick-and-mortar retailers haven't yet figured out how to harness similar data to boost sales. A company called Qubulus is focused on creating web analytics for stores based on the fingerprints of mobile devices that customers use inside the store. Forbes (4/8)  | Create a Shopping Cart that Converts Browsers to Buyers
When a shopper starts the checkout process, retailers typically need to get out of the way. Find out how to create a clear path to checkout and get tips on how to reduce cart abandonment during a free webinar on Thursday, April 12, at 2 p.m. EDT, featuring Cam Jensen from Lands' End. Space is limited. Register today. |
 | 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.
- Gilt Groupe dresses up for its public debut
Flash-sale website Gilt Groupe has grown into the second-largest e-commerce company, behind Amazon, with 900 employees and market capitalization of more than $1 billion. The company is on track to go public next year under CEO Susan Lyne, who took the helm in 2008. The Daily Beast (4/9) - Sourcebooks launches romance bookstore online
Independent publisher Sourcebooks launched a website to sell a curated selection of its digital romance novels for a monthly membership fee. The site, which operates much like a book club, also allows members to interact with popular authors through comment pages and Web chats. The Wall Street Journal (4/8)  | Small-business owners can seize opportunities to help reduce their taxes, lower their expenses and reinvest in their businesses this tax season. This free white paper brought to you by American Express OPEN, will help you learn how to navigate changes in tax legislation, leverage often overlooked deductions and strategize for the coming years. SmartBrief readers: Download your 2012 Small Business Tax Strategy white paper now. |
 | | | Most Popular Headlines from Last Week Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers. |
| Interactive Advertising | | | | - Click prices concern Google watchers
Google will be facing hard questions about cost-per-click in its earning calls later this week, analysts say. The rise of lower cost-per-click mobile advertising is good for advertisers but bad for the Internet giant, with Marin Software predicting a 25% increase in mobile paid search for Google this year, meaning it has to make up for the lower revenue via higher volume. The Wall Street Journal (4/9) | Shop.org Spotlight | | | | - Just announced: "This is Retail" Top 10 finalists revealed
During the first week of public voting, more than 245,000 votes were cast in NRF's "This is Retail" contest for the Top 20 finalists. The Top 20, who received support from their local communities and public officials, have now been pared down to the Top 10, who now have one day to breathe before the voting madness begins again at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, April 10. See which videos made the Top 10. - Shop.org's regional dinners head to Dallas
There are still a few days remaining to sign up and enjoy dinner on us Thursday, April 12, in the Lone Star State. This next stop on Shop.org's regional dinner spring schedule is one of a handful of dinners across the United States and Canada this year that are the perfect networking opportunity for multichannel retailers interested in talking about all things e-commerce. Space is limited for this popular series so reserve your seat at the table today. Register or view the complete schedule.
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Eight in 10 of all health and beauty merchants offered gift packaging as an option in the fourth quarter last year. Source: 
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