News

The social shopping experiment continues
Social media has evolved into a powerful marketing tool for retailers. But so far, social commerce is not yet a major transactional channel.

Twitter is the latest social platform to attempt to take advantage of social media’s immediacy to offer direct purchase functionality aimed at impulse shoppers.
Study: Holidays may be merry, but not mobile
Consumers may make merry during the upcoming holiday season, but mobile devices may be less a part of the action than retailers like.

According to a new survey from marketing automation platform provider Bronto Software, only 19% of holiday shoppers plan to purchase from a tablet, and 22% from a smartphone.

Consumers will use mobile devices to search for the best deal: 65% will look for promotions and coupons, 63% will check prices on that store's website and 61% will search for lower prices at another store or site.

The Politics of Overtime

In the two months since the Department of Labor announced its proposed new overtime standards, much has been written about what it may mean for employers big and small.
YouTube shows new sales potential

Videos just became more valuable to retailers. YouTube is releasing Shopping ads, a new advertising format that lets viewers click and buy products directly from videos.
SPECS Profile

The first in a series of interviews with retail executives who attend SPECS, Chain Store Age’s annual store planning conference.
Report: Amazon finds affordable tech help—in Detroit

Detroit’s fledging reputation as a Midwest Silicon Valley took took a big step forward with the news that Amazon is creating a tech hub in the Motor City.

“Michigan is a rapidly growing technology corridor and we’re eager to bring the incredible local Detroit talent to Amazon,” Peter Faricy, VP for Amazon Marketplace, told the Detroit. Free Press.
A Little Bit of Everything

It’s no secret that today’s consumers have busy lives. And, while online retailers may have the convenience edge, e-commerce simply cannot offer the experience found in physical spaces. Smart mixed-use developers are capitalizing by filling the gap — plugging in a wide range of components, such as entertainment, new-to-market stores, hospitality, residences and offices to make brick-and-mortar far more compelling than a computer experience.
Connecting the Dots

It’s only October, but the holiday forecasts are starting to pour in. At this point out, it looks like it will be a “modest” season, with Deloitte (whose forecast, unlike some others, includes the month of January) predicting a 3.5% to 4% increase in sales over last year.
Tech Guest Viewpoint: Adaption Critical to Retailers in Digital Age

In this ever-changing, fast-paced world, it is no wonder that retail businesses must adapt to how consumers shop. With smartphones, online shopping and detailed comparison sites, shoppers are now more informed than ever about what they want. This evolution has impacted the role that retailers play in assisting consumers in their shopping experiences.
2015 Holiday Preview

October will be over in a flash, and with it, all eyes will be on the holiday season, which is measured from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31.

The 2015 retail calendar has several distinctions, as we saw Memorial Day fall on the earliest possible date and Labor Day on the latest possible date. This holiday season, there are 28 days between Thanksgiving (not counting the actual day) and Christmas, which is an average amount for the period separating the two holidays.