Omnichannel

Forget looking under the tree Christmas morning. Grab the smartphone and check the inbox for an e-gift card. Walmart this week promoted an offering of 19 customizable e-gift cards as a gift-giving solution that is sure to have appeal to those who wait until Santa is halfway down the chimney. The entire transaction is handled online, from the ordering of the card, to delivery in the recipient’s inbox through redemption, which is only valid for online purchases. 

Salisbury, N.C. -- Food Lion has unveiled a new mobile app that puts its stores right at customers' fingertips.

The new app, developed in partnership with Mercatus USA, gives customers the capability to create shopping lists, access weekly specials, download new recipes and locate stores. Also giving customers more bang for their buck is the opportunity to sign up for the Food Lion MVP loyalty program through the app.

The app can be accessed by visiting the iTunes library, and is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod devices.

As holiday promotions heated up in November and shoppers hit the Internet, there was a 44% surge in traffic to Walmart.com when compared with October, according to the online measurement firm comScore. The growth propelled Walmart to the 20th spot on comScore’ November ranking of the top 50 U.S. Web properties. The nearly 52 million unique visitors Walmart.com attracted in November 2010 was 5% more than in November 2009, according to comScore’s data.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.  - HSN announced that it has launched a new app for the Apple iPad. With the launch, HSN said it will be the only retailer offering a video-centric iPad experience that allows consumers to watch both live streaming video and 15 channels of archived video, as well as the ability to program their own channels based on their preferences.

Walmart, Target and Best Buy attracted record levels of customers to their websites during November, according to data released this week by the online measurement firm comScore. Retailers have come to expect a surge in traffic to their sites as the holiday approach and during November that proved to be the case and then some.

PITTSBURGH - American Eagle Outfitters announced its plans for American Eagle Outfitters and Aerie by American Eagle stores in Japan, in partnership with Sumikin Bussan Corporation. The first store is slated to open in Tokyo’s Harajuku shopping district in the first half of 2012.

AEO said it has signed an exclusive franchise agreement with Sumikin, a leading marketer, importer and exporter with extensive experience in the fashion industry, among other lines of business. 

Pittsburgh - American Eagle Outfitters on Tuesday detailed its plans to open Eagle Outfitters and Aerie by American Eagle stores in Japan, in partnership with Sumikin Bussan Corporation. The first store is slated to open in Tokyo’s legendary Harajuku shopping district in the first half of 2012.

AEO has signed an exclusive franchise agreement with Sumikin, a leading marketer, importer and exporter with extensive experience in the fashion industry.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Ebay has announced the availability of Giftsnearby the first integration of its newly-acquired Milo shopping engine. 

According to the company, Giftsnearby shows shoppers a selection of popular holiday gift options ranging from electronics and other gadgets to home appliances and toys that are available at local retailers in or near their zip code. Only items that are in stock at a selection of more than 25 trusted retailers are offered as gift options.