Loyalty Marketing

Philadelphia -- Eighty-one percent of online shoppers say they are not likely to make additional purchases from websites that charge shipping on returns and 69% feeling that returning items purchased online is a complicated process, according to a survey by ShopRunner that was conducted online by Harris Interactive.

Dallas -- Alliance Data Systems Corp. said Wednesday that women’s apparel and accessories retailer Dots has signed an agreement for private-label credit card services.

"The benefits of the new dots card are multifaceted,” said Lisa Rhodes, CEO, Dots. “In addition to providing a finance option and exclusive offers, it's an opportunity for us to bond with our shoppers as they become advocates of our brand.”

Growth in sales and membership income at Costco helped the company produce earnings per share of 95 cents and beat analysts’ estimates by two cents.

San Jose, Calif. -- Nearly half (40%) of retailers will add a mobile version of their website in 2013, with 20% planning to create a mobile app, according to the "2012 ECommerce Trends Survey,” a survey of nearly 500 global retailers conducted by SLI Systems. Retailers’ biggest challenges in e-commerce continue to be improving conversions (63%) and attracting more customers to their websites (61%), the survey revealed.

Denver -- Office Depot will celebrate the ‘Office Depot Grand Opening Street Party” on Dec. 15 in downtown Denver. The one-day action sports exhibition was created to showcase Office Depot’s new store concept and kick off the company’s commitment to being one of the sponsors of X Games Aspen 2013.

Armonk, N.Y. -- The consumer of the future will be more mobile, social and self-sufficient, willing to share details on themselves and their preferences in exchange for highly personalized relationships with their favorite stores, according to a new IBM consumer survey. The study also found that consumers’ willingness to advocate for a particular retailer is becoming multi-faceted, with consumers looking for a flawless experience, whether it’s when they’re researching, purchasing, or receiving delivery.

BOSTON — Wayfair.com, an online retailer of home goods and furnishings, has raised $36.3 million in new equity financing to fuel the growth of its private sale site for the home, Joss & Main.

Joss & Main has fared extremely well for Wayfair.com, having acquired nearly three million members and operating at a $100 million annual revenue run-rate. Investors include Battery Ventures, Great Hill Partners, HarbourVest Partners and Spark Capital.

By Derek Bonney, [email protected]

Technology has shifted everything, especially the retail experience. Not only has it changed how we locate, evaluate and purchase products or services, it has created a treasure trove of data for both retailers and marketers. So let’s examine something I call the “Retail Shift.”