Digital Marketing

Nordstrom Inc. has become the first retailer to launch the Like2Buy platform, which allows Nordstrom.com customers to directly purchase items featured on the retailer’s Instagram page. The commerce-enablement of visually oriented social platforms, such as Instagram, Pinterest and Vine, is an inevitable development as social media becomes more focused on photos and videos and less on text. The preference most Millennials have for visually oriented social media reinforces the value that commerce enabling these platforms has for retailers.

RetailMeNot, a provider of digital offers, has unveiled an upgraded, redesigned app for iPhone and Android phones.

Plug and Play helps bring together retailers and startups who offer specific technology and expertise that can relieve their pain points. In each issue of our Customer Disruption e-newsletter, we will provide you a brief Q&A with the CEO of a Plug and Play startup, explaining how their company assists retailers in succeeding in today’s disruptive customer environment.

This week’s CEO Corner features three questions with Saurin Shah, CEO of Sift.

What does your company do?

Plano, Texas – J.C. Penney Company is launching a new online sports store on its e-commerce site that will be powered by Fanatics, an online retailer of officially licensed sports merchandise. Fanatics, which operates the e-commerce platform for hundreds of collegiate and professional sports teams, leagues and media sites, will provide fans with a selection of team sports apparel and merchandise at JCPenney.com, offering more than 300,000 licensed products spanning all the major sports leagues.

New York -- Gap is returning to television. The brand debuted four commercials that will air on TV, in cinema, in stores and online. Created by Academy Award-nominated director David Fincher, the films were created with Wieden+Kennedy New York as part of Gap's new marketing campaign, Dress Normal. The TV campaign launches in the United States and United Kingdom in the week of Sept. 1.

Consumer packaged goods companies need to plan for a “1-5-10” market in the United States during the next five years, in which digital’s current 1% penetration will likely expand to 5% and could accelerate to as much as 10% in short order, according to a new report, The Digital Future: A Game Plan for Consumer Packaged Goods, prepared for the Grocery Manufacturers Association by The Boston Consulting Group, Googl

Solid comparable sales gains and a strong topline performance in Genesco’s direct businesses were not enough to offset a sales and gross margin shortfall versus plan at the company’s Lids Sports Group, prompting the company to lower its guidance for the full fiscal year.

The company reported earnings from continuing operations for the second quarter ended Aug. 2 of $4.8 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, compared to earnings from continuing operations of $8.5 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, for the second quarter ended August 3, 2013.

Soft traffic and promotional activity have continued to put Guess’ North American stores under pressure, but the retailer said it is encouraged by its North American online business, which soared 50% in the second quarter.

The company reported net earnings of $22 million, a 50.5% decrease compared to adjusted net earnings of $44.3 million for the year ago period, which prompted the retailer to cut its fiscal year outlook.

Sales for the quarter decreased 4.8% to $608.6 million, from $639 million a year ago. Same-store sales decreased 5.4%.