News

eBay has introduced a set of new features that make browsing and buying on the site a more personalized experience. The company is also accelerating its efforts in local commerce and plans to extend its eBay Now delivery service to 25 markets by the end of 2014, including Chicago.

Reston, Va. – The start of the annual school year drove U.S. consumer traffic at retail sites in September. According to comScore MediaMetrix data, retail computer software sites were the third-most-visited website category in September 2013 with about 64.3 million unique U.S. visitors, up 12% from 57.3 million the prior month.

RadioShack posted a net loss of $112 million during the third quarter of fiscal 2013, compared to a net loss of $47 million in the year-ago period. It was the retailer’s seventh straight quarter posting a net loss.

The company also named Paul Rutenis, formerly senior VP, general merchandising manager for the home division of J.C. Penney Company, as its new chief merchant.

New York -- Amazon.com has raised its free shipping minimum from $25 to $35. The change, which applies to orders shipped to U.S. addresses, took effect Tuesday, just ahead of the holiday shopping season.

"This is the first time in more than a decade that Amazon has altered the minimum order for free shipping in the U.S.,” the online giant said in a brief post on its website. “During that time, we have expanded free shipping selection by millions of items across all 40 product categories."

Framingham, Mass. – IDC Retail Insights research director Leslie Hand has been named to the 2013 Top 50 Retail Influencers list developed by point-of-sale, inventory and customer loyalty software provider Vend. Hand has spent the last 25-plus years in the retail technology industry, and prior to joining IDC Retail Insights was the director of global RIFD strategy for Ahold.

New York – Saks Inc. has settled lawsuits from investors related to its proposed buyout by Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC). According to Bloomberg, Saks has reached an agreement that reduces the termination fee it would pay HBC in the event the purchase does not happen and reduces the time Saks has to seek alternative offers

Online retailer Rue La La will be leveraging Artisan Mobile’s Artisan Optimize platform to enhance its mobile technology.

"We are excited to be working with Artisan Optimize to directly impact the results of our mobile app," said Gerry McGoldrick, VP, Marketing, Rue La La. "Through their technology we are learning what drives conversions and, more importantly, we are able to make changes quickly and easily to keep consumers engaged."

New York - Despite having more data and insights into consumer desires and preferences, companies in the U.S. have failed to meaningfully improve customer satisfaction or reverse rising switching rates among their customers. As a result, there is a potential $1.3 trillion of revenue at play in the U.S. market represented by the ‘switching economy’, according to new research released by Accenture.