eCommerce

PayPal Inc. is continuing its evolution from serving as the digital payment platform for former parent company eBay Inc.

Since its July split from eBay, new PayPal initiatives have included serving as a payment option for a number of new retail partners, reversing a policy that previously excluded U.S.-based online gambling sites from accepting PayPal, and expanding a global free returns service in the U.S.

Image-based e-commerce is becoming more popular on the consumer side, and now Shopify is making the retailer side more visually based.

The new Sello mobile app from e-commerce platform Shopify allows retailers to create a free online store by taking and posting photos of the products they want to sell, and then adding price and a brief description. No coding is involved.
Retailers can also use Sello to promote and sell products via platforms such as social media, email and SMS text. The only charges are fees from payment processors.

Advance Auto Parts announced its CEO is stepping down as the retailer also reported a decline in third quarter profit and nearly flat same-store sales.

The auto parts retailer reported that for the third quarter ended Oct. 10, same-store sales increased .5%. Profit declined 1.4% to $120.5 million, or $1.63 per share. Revenue ticked up slightly to $2.3 billion.

Walmart’s Thanksgiving weekend promotional strategy is taking a more digital, less promotional turn that may hurt sales but should lessen the scenes of customer chaos and conflict that find their way onto YouTube.

Strong back-to-school sales allowed Kohl's to upstage Macy's in the third quarter.

Kohl's reported that for the third quarter ended Oct. 31, same store sales increased 1%. It had net income of $120 million, or 63 cents per share, compared with net income of $142 million, or 70 cents per share, in the same period a year before. Revenue rose 1.2% to $4.43 billion.

Outdoor enthusiasts can now purchase outdoor goods from the indoor comfort of their homes.

While all the major retailers will be offering deals and discounts on Black Friday weekend, Dick's Sporting Goods plans to woo shoppers with an exciting social media promotion.

Amazon.com has expanded its Prime Now restaurant delivery service to Los Angeles in a move seen as a precursor to expansion of the food ordering capability to all 18 market where the one-hour Prime Now delivery service is offered.

Macy’s may be cutting back on the number of department stores in its portfolio, but the company is moving ahead with brick-and-mortar growth in other areas.

Over the next two years, Macy’s plans to open about 50 Macy’s Backstage stores in off-mall locations. The roll out builds on the launch of the off-price format this past September.

Personalized shopping app ShopAdvisor and Elle magazine are turning readers into brick-and-mortar shoppers.

Elle and ShopAdvisor have released results of the August 2015 “Shop Now With Elle” proximity mobile marketing program. The program connected consumers to retailers and provided them with exclusive content and offers using location-based mobile technology, including beacons and geo-fences.