Digital Marketing

For vertical medical accessory retailer Cielo Pill Holders, simply getting its products in front of potential customers is a key business challenge. To meet this challenge and also obtain third-party fulfillment support, North Bend, Washington-based Cielo has been leveraging the Amazon Exclusives program of the Amazon Marketplace platform since summer 2015. The Exclusives Program, which provides extra benefits in exchange for agreement not to sell items on any other third-party retail platform.

Walmart offered its own version of the Amazon Prime Day online sales event last summer, and now is directly taking on Amazon Prime. The discount giant is piloting a two-day version of its paid ShippingPass unlimited online delivery program. Normally, customers pay $50 per year for the ability to obtain three-day delivery of more than 1 million items Walmart.com with no additional fees.

Ikea Canada is opening in the heart of downtown Toronto—in the form of a food focused pop-up shop that will be open from May 13 to May 26. More than 50 Ikea products will be available for purchase, including both household accessories and food items.

New York City-based lifestyle apparel retailer, Nautica, a division of VF Corp., has opened a flagship in Manhattan, in the SoHo neighborhood. The 2,000-sq.-ft. store opening embodies the brand's refreshed marketing and design strategy which celebrates the company’s roots as well as its established nautical heritage.

Online consumers appear to be remembering Mom this year.

According to new data from the Adobe Digital Index, online sales in the important Mother’s Day gift categories of flowers/gifts and jewelry are both trending 2%-3% higher than they were in 2015.

Well informed. Well connected. Price sensitive.

Those three terms sum up the modern American female consumer, according to a new study from Blackhawk Engagement Solutions, which reveals that that price holds the most weight (75%) when it comes to influencing a purchase, followed by quality (55%). Other factors affecting women’s purchase decisions include brand (31%), store (26%) and availability (14%).

It may seem a little premature given that school is still in session, but the first back-to-school study has been released.

About 62% of households plan to reduce back-to- school spending compared to 2015, according to a survey by Bizrate Insights, a division of Connexity. Average spend will be $606, or $1,086 for households with college-age children.

Competition in providing the most innovative, unique, and up-to-date services and features to consumers is escalating with the rise and expansion of omnicommerce, a strategy that delivers a seamless customer experience through all available shopping channels. Brands are building in-house development teams or partnering with start-ups and other companies to extend their reach while catering to their customers’ demands of convenience, personalization, and on-trend technology.