  | News about digital retail commerce |  | | |  | - Betabrand boosts online sales with a hearty helping of whimsy
Betabrand, an online seller of quirky designer duds, has crafted a business model aimed at overcoming the difficulties Web-only merchants face when selling apparel without a place for people to touch and try on. A hearty helping of wit and whimsy went into creating the company's horizontal corduroy pants and sweaters made from the wool of black sheep, and the fact that products are made in small batches appeals to consumers crazy for limited-edition goods. The New York Times (free registration) (10/30)       | What makes a great mobile website or app?
Download this free whitepaper to learn must-haves of the mobile user experience to engage visitors, convert more sales, and keep customers coming back. | - Private-sale sites extend warehouse concept to the online world
Private-sale sites such as Ideeli and Gilt Groupe use a membership model that began with warehouse stores such as Costco and Sam's Club, combining low overhead and bulk-buying power to offer deep discounts. Mostly focused on fashion, the new sites appeal to consumers drawn to the lower price tags and the air of exclusivity that membership confers. Mashable (10/31) - China's online sales are slated to grow threefold by 2015
Online retail in the Asia-Pacific region is growing fast, with China poised to overtake Japan soon and triple online retail sales in the next five years, according to a new report from Forrester Research. The online retail market in China is dominated by Chinese company Taobao.com, but large international players such as Amazon are gaining a larger presence, the report says. InternetRetailer.com (10/29) - When everyone aims to imitate Groupon
Merchants from Wal-Mart to small indie shops are adopting the daily-deal models launched by Groupon, spurring one Advertising Age writer to wonder what will become of the original when everyone else starts doing the same thing. One way the fast-growing Groupon has begun adding value is by branching out beyond its core local deals to offer some high-profile national promotions with large merchants, beginning with a highly successful partnership with Gap earlier this year. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (11/1)  | Adobe Mobile Experience Survey: What Users Want from Media, Finance, Travel & Shopping. With more than 4.5 billion cell phone subscribers worldwide, it's no wonder businesses are betting big on mobile. Get a first-of-its-kind, bird's eye view of what consumers are doing on their mobile devices and what most engages them across 4 key industries. Download the whitepaper. | - Social media proves game-changing for traditional retail
 Daily-deal sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial are offering consumers deeper-than-ever discounts, and social media players including Facebook and Twitter allow brands and manufacturers more direct connections with consumers than ever before. Traditional retailers can compete successfully with these changes, but only by creating their own strong social media presences, writes CustomerThink blogger Harish Kotadia. CustomerThink (10/30)  | 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! |
 | 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 | | | | - New search engine takes on Google
Startup search engine Blekko launches officially today, with a focus on narrowing searches to more relevant results and limiting low-quality sites. The company's goal to overtake Google may be overly ambitious, but some analysts applaud the effort to streamline searches, and the startup has attracted $24 million in venture capital. The Wall Street Journal (10/31) - EBay redesigns home page for the holidays
With the holiday shopping season kicking off, eBay is trotting out a new look designed to declutter its home page while making products easier to find. Instead of sorting through vendor pages, eBay shoppers will be able to see consolidated product pages. This design has already been introduced for users shopping for DVDs, GPS devices and digital music players. The Wall Street Journal (10/31) - Sears.com personalizes Web pages
Sears.com has personalized its Web pages with a feature called AdYourWay. Users log in to find custom offers based on previous purchases and site searches; the feature, soon to be available to Kmart's online shoppers as well, also allows users to create e-mail alerts to let them know when prices drop on specific items. InternetRetailer.com (10/29)
| Interactive Advertising | | | | - How social media is changing guerrilla marketing
Some guerrilla marketers are skipping the real "street" entirely and building their promotions around social media. This article looks at the good, bad and otherwise of Web 2.0 guerrilla efforts from eight top marketers, including McDonald's, Dr Pepper and Panasonic. Brandweek (10/31) | Shop.org Spotlight | | | | - 5 tips to improve SEO, mobile marketing and paid search efforts
Last week, Shop.org's webinar on 40+ things you can do to make more money next week featured retail execs from Vintage Tub & Bath, Proclivity Systems, Cat5 Commerce, Mobile Fusion and ChannelAdvisor. Shop.org's Artemis Berry outlines her five favorite tips from the event -- and shares how Shop.org members can hear all 40+. Read more.
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British-Indian writer  |
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Six out of 10 adults over age 55 expect to consult customer reviews on a retailer site this holiday season. Source: 
