Social Media

Risk averse retailers were quick to shun Paula Deen after she displayed racial insensitivities last year, but now she is back with a new approach that appeals directly to fans of her brand.

Paula Deen Ventures plans to create an interactive digital experience called the Paula Deen Network that allows viewers to engage and access Deen and her Southern home cooking on a variety of digital platforms. The network will be a paid subscription model and is scheduled to launch this September.

A new app from Seattle-based Shoppost bills itself as the first in-stream e-commerce app that lets online retailers sell via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+.

Shoppost is a free app that gathers product information and pulls it into an interactive post that can be shared via social channels in a few clicks. The app is available for free to sellers who use BigCommerce and Shopify with additional e-commerce platform support rolling out in the near future, according to the company.

Craftsman is looking to make the most of this year’s Father's Day with a "Dad" anthem, bacon-inspired wrapping paper and a "MAKEcation" weekend.

The brand describes a MAKEcation as a vacation where dads get to make things with their hands — and, well, Craftsman power tools. “It's like a fantasy camp for tool enthusiasts, hosted by actor and comedian Rob Riggle, with expert instructors from across the U.S.,” the brand said in a statement.

By Eric Larson, Chief Revenue Officer, HelloWorld

The retail industry has experienced a massive shift in recent years, with mobile and social technology bringing both change and opportunity in how consumers research, browse and buy. With today’s new level of price transparency, and the competition always just a tap away, retailers are feeling the pressure.

Las Vegas -- The Hershey Company has opened a retail flagship, Hershey’s Chocolate World at New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The store, which occupies two floors and has an eye-catching 74-ft. high Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar that visitors can walk through, is designed to provide shoppers with an experiential concept that immerses them in more than 800 candy and chocolate offerings.

Skechers Performance Division has signed seven-time PGA Tour champion Matt Kuchar — currently ranked fifth in the world — as the first brand ambassador for the Skechers GOgolf line.

The multiyear partnership will feature Kuchar in a global advertising campaign that covers TV, print, digital and outdoor mediums. The company will also collaborate with Kuchar on a namesake signature shoe line.
 

Pittsburgh - Field & Stream is celebrating the opening of its new store in Erie, Pennsylvania on June 13 with an omnichannel promotion. The promotion centers around the first-ever Field & Stream Camp 1871, an overnight camping event June 12-13.

Coinstar is closing in on its one billionth transaction and using the occasion as the basis for a contest to drive engagement on Facebook.