News

Adobe – Top 25 retailers drive strong Cyber Monday sales
San Jose, Calif. - Total online sales for Cyber Monday came in at $2.65 billion, up 16% compared to 2013. According to data from Adobe Systems, the top 25 retailers, who each generated $30 million or more on Cyber Monday, saw online sales increase by 25%, capturing nearly $1.8 billion.
Smaller retailers, those generating $2 million or less, grew sales by 5%. Consumers saw the highest discounts of 23% in the early morning hours and more than half (54%) of online sales occurred outside of normal working hours.
Food industry finds new friend in high place
Few people in the food industry know the name Denzel McGuire, but that’s about to change as she just became the industry’s best friend in the nation’s capital.

McGuire has been named EVP of government relations at the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which is a big deal considering the food industry is under relentless pressure and regulatory scrutiny. GMA needs a strong voice and a connected presence in the nation’s capital to represent the interests of its members and McGuire fits the bill on both fronts, according to GMA President and CEO Pam Bailey.

IBM: Mobile consumers boost Cyber Monday performance

Armonk, N.Y. – Mobile traffic and sales trends indicate that Cyber Monday is increasingly becoming an event consumers take with them wherever they go. According to IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark data, Cyber Monday mobile traffic accounted for 41.2% of all online traffic, up 30.1% from 2013.
Loehmann’s adds e-commerce veteran

In an effort to bolster its online presence, Loehmann’s has appointed a digital retail expert to join its advisory board. Tony D'Annibale, president of Jessica's Brands, will work with the board and the management team during the Loehmann’s re-launch as an online retailer.
Study: Who you gonna call? For customer service, L.L. Bean

New York – If you were looking for quality call center service from an online retailer during Black Friday or Cyber Monday, then you wanted to shop at L.L. Bean. According to data from analysis firm StellaService, L.L. Bean led in customer service call response time on Black Friday (10 seconds), Cyber Monday (six seconds) and Cyber Weekend (nine seconds).

L.L. Bean actually improved its call center response time compared to its month-to-date average. Other notable findings included:
Online orders set record at Walmart.com

Walmart’s efforts to better integrate physical and digital appear to be gaining traction judging from key disclosures the company made regarding online activity.

Cyber Monday transaction volume set a new record at Walmart.com and throughout the five day period running from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday the company said it experienced more than 1.5 billion page views. During the same period, mobile accounted for approximately 70 percent of traffic to Walmart.com.
Hammacher Schlemmer unveils “first augmented reality catalog"

NEW YORK - New York City retailer Hammacher Schlemmer is pioneering what may well be the next evolution of catalog shopping with the launch of what it describes as the “first augmented reality catolog.”

"It's the next best thing to visiting our landmark Manhattan store in person," said Rich Tinberg, Hammacher Schlemmer's CEO.
BDO: Retailers’ marketing mix includes shift to mobile and social

Chicago - Overall marketing and advertising budgets at leading U.S. retailers will rise by 1.% this year, compared to a decline of .98% in 2013, with 72% of retailers expecting to spend about the same amount on marketing and advertising compared to last year, according to the BDO Retail Compass Survey of CMOs, by BDO USA.
Simon and eBay ‘connect’ for new mall experience

Shopping at the local mall may soon get a lot more interactive for consumers, if retail property owner Simon and eBay have their way.

The companies unveiled this week the “Connected Mall” experience in Palo Alto, Calif. The installation features a “smart” directory developed by eBay for the Simon Innovation Group that elevates the shopping experience by providing consumers with a suite of services, including point-to-point navigation and personalized offers and deals.
Net income dips at Shoe Carnival in Q3

Evansville, Ind. – Net income dipped to $10.8 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2014 from $10.9 million the same period the prior fiscal year. Net sales fared better, climbing 7% to $254.69 million from $235.77 million, ahead of previously issued guidance.