Social Media

Menlo Park, Calif. – Facebook is preparing a move from Instagram advertising to actual Instagram commerce.

In a call with investors, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said that the social media giant would roll out the ability to purchase items directly from Instagram ads as part of an expansion of Instagram ad formats.

Las Vegas - American consumers are increasingly comfortable with shopping through their smartphones, and many are using digital channels like social media and email marketing to engage with apparel brands.

According to a survey by advertising/marketing technology provider Fluent Inc., roughly 30% of respondents said that they have bought clothing using their smartphones.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Social media and search engines are two of the most popular online destinations, but are heading in different directions when it comes to customer satisfaction. According to new data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), social media’s index score climbed 4% to a score of 74 on a 100-point scale.
    

New York -- A mannequin storm has been playing out on Facebook.

British fast-fashion giant Topshop said it will make a change in mannequins a customer complained on her Facebook page about the chain's "ridiculously tiny" mannequin.

In the post, which went viral, the customer appealed to the merchant to take responsibility "for the impression you have on women and young girls."

Customer expectations of the store have changed dramatically in the last few years as constant connectivity has changed the way consumers live their lives. Johann Wrede, senior director of solution marketing for SAP, recently discussed the evolution of the in-store experience with Chain Store Age.

1. How have customer expectations for the in-store experience changed in the last few years?

TigerDirect is giving business owners a chance to have their most pressing business growth questions answered by an expert.

The retailer is sponsoring a contest featuring Kevin O'Leary, an entrepreneur, investor, journalist, and financial commentator who is most famous for being a "Shark" investor on the ABC reality television series Shark Tank.

Toys"R"Us is supporting the Special Olympics in Los Angeles this year in a new and innovative way.

The retailer is deploying employee volunteers to encourage and cheer on the littlest athletes, as they reach personal victories in a variety of sporting activities. Toys"R"Us has a longstanding commitment to the Special Olympics, and as a Games Level sponsor of the 2015 World Games, is able to help the organization's efforts to bring the benefit of sports to children and adults of all abilities.