News

Study: Biggest barriers for consumers in global online shopping are…
High shipping costs are the major barrier to adoption of global online shopping.

That is according to the 2015 Pitney Bowes Online Shopping study. High shipping costs (64%) were ranked as the biggest barrier in the survey, followed by additional fees owed at time of delivery (48%) and product delivery taking too long (39%).

Product returns are also a major concern, as 33% of global shoppers cited online return policies and processes as deterrents.
Survey: Millennials prefer supportive, fun loyalty programs
A new survey from Colloquy is highlighting some of the differences between millennial consumers and other demographics when it comes to loyalty programs. Some 34% of millennials say the word “fun” is the one that best describes their participation, compared to 26% of the general population.

How to prepare for an omnichannel holiday season

Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel recently interviewed people who had already finished their 2015 Christmas shopping. And while they might seem like “very, very sick people,” as Kimmel put it, in the e-commerce world they would be behind schedule. If you haven’t started prepping your online store for the holidays, it’s beyond time to get rolling.
Watch this: Walmart CEO McMillon on 'Mad Money'
Rooms to Go to open massive furniture complex in N.C.

Rooms to Go is cutting the ribbon this weekend on the largest retail furniture store in the Southeastern United States.

The Florida-based retailer will open a Rooms to Go Super Center and Distribution Center on Oct. 17 in Dunn, N.C. The newly built facility comprises approximately 1,450,000 square feet on 120 acres and houses a state of the art Rooms to Go showroom, a Rooms to Go Kids/Teens showroom, a Rooms to Go Outlet Center and a huge distribution center housing tens of thousands of pieces of furniture.
Report: Step inside American Eagle Outfitters cool headquarters

American Eagle Outfitters’ new home office, in the South-Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh, boasts a riverfront location, city views and a walking trail along the Monongahela River, reports the Pittsburgh Business Times.
Walmart outlines three year growth plan

The world’s largest retailer plans to grow sales by $45 billion to $60 billion in the next three years and spend $20 billion buying back its own shares.

The growth targets, stock buyback program and an $11 billion capital expenditure program, down from $12.4 billion this year, were announced Wednesday morning in New York at the retailer’s annual fall investor conference.
Hackers hit southeastern thrift store chain

The latest retail data breach demonstrates that hackers will victimize whoever is vulnerable.

America’s Thrift Stores, an Alabama-based, 18-store for-profit chain that sells donated items and then contributes a significant portion of the profit to local charities, has been breached, Hackers used malware to compromise the systems of a third-party service provider, which gave them access to the America’s Thrift Stores network.
New player joins mobile payment ranks

Another company is offering in-app mobile purchase functionality, but this time it’s not a retailer or a technology provider.

U.S. bank Capital One is partnering with MasterCard and Visa to offer contactless mobile payment capability in its Capital One Wallet app. Leveraging the MasterCard Digital Enablement Service (MDES) and Visa Token Service (VTS) platforms, Capital One will use NFC-enabled Android phones to transmit a secure payment token to the point-of-sale.
ICSC predicts a longer holiday shopping season

More Americans are planning holiday-related purchases this year than in 2014, and those who plan to shop will spend more over a longer period of time, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers.