Digital Marketing

The holidays are becoming an increasingly social event, as evidenced by the promotional campaigns of two major department store chains this season.

According to Adweek, both Target and Macy’s are heavily leveraging a variety of social media platforms to engage consumers for the 2015 holiday season. Target has increased the percentage of its overall paid media spend represented by social to 12%, up 30% from about 9% in 2014.

Click and collect, or customers ordering goods online for retailers to assemble for in-store pickup, is a practice retailers should consider this holiday season.

According to a new survey from order management solutions provider Shopatron, 31% of U.S. shoppers plan on using click-and-collect this year for holiday shopping.

Just in time for Black Friday, Structube, a leading Canadian retailer of modern furniture, has launched its e-commerce site in the United States.

In addition to its online platform, Structube, which operates 47 stores in Canada, plans to open stores across the United States, starting in 2016.

Structube specializes in contemporary style furniture, and offers “high style/low priced” pre-assembled and easy-to-assemble products. The company says it caters to young professionals, condo dwellers and small businesses.

A department store and a beauty specialty retailer have the best momentum in social media going into the holiday season. Meanwhile, an online giant is losing steam.

Online spending this holiday season is shaping up to be downright joyful for retailers.

According to comScore, total online retail spending for the November–December period will reach $70.1 billion, representing a 14% gain from $61.3 billion a year earlier. Total desktop spending is expected to reach $58.3 billion, up 9% from $53.3 million.

Alibaba generated a record $14.3 billion in sales in a 24-hour period on Singles Day (Nov. 11) this year. That is roughly five times what Cyber Monday is expected to generate.

Clearly, Alibaba is doing something right and is setting a precedent for what other retailers worldwide hope to achieve. It’s worth looking at why Alibaba was so successful. So what can retailers take away from the Singles’ Day experience to maximize sales and give customers a great experience this holiday season, and throughout 2016?

Retailers looking to maximize online revenues should utilize one specific digital promotional solution to create a sense of pleasure.

A new day, every day. That’s what an unusual new retail concept in Manhattan promises shoppers.

It’s called The New Stand, and it’s located underground in the Union Square subway station, near the entrance to the L train. A second location is set to open, this one above ground, at Brookfield Place, a shopping center in lower Manhattan.