TECHNOLOGY

Study: User-generated content influences most purchase decisions
Not only is user-generated content (UCG) the go-to source for 90% of shoppers making a purchase — it outranks all other forms of marketing. This is according to “Hearing the Voice of the Consumer: UCG and the Commerce Experience,” a report from TurnTo and executed by Ipsos. the report represents responses from more than 1,000 U.S. shoppers who made an online purchase in the past 12 months.
Campus bookstore operator relies on cloud to service its loyal ‘Ducks’
No visit to the University of Oregon is complete without a stop at The Duck Store. The Duck Store opened its doors on the University of Oregon campus in 1920. (The Oregon Duck is the mascot of the University of Oregon's Ducks athletic program). It has since grown into a 13-store fleet, with outposts at sporting venues and malls. It also operates an online store that can be accessed via laptop or mobile devices. In fact, half of its Web traf-fic comes from smartphones and tablets.

Online fashion retailer launches limited-edition beauty collections

Rue La La is bolstering its beauty sales by jumping into the beauty box category. The online apparel retailer is partnering with Conde Nast's Allure magazine to get the hottest beauty merchandise into shoppers’ hands. The team collaborated to create a series of one-of-a-kind boxes filled with products hand-selected by Allure's beauty experts and Rue La La's beauty buyers.
Don’t Blame Email: Retailers need to provide an adaptive customer experience

Reading business news and talking to retailers, I often hear about marketers’ disappointment in not reaching their email marketing goals. It’s become a real issue that they try to solve by sending more appealing emails with better offers more often. But still, it’s an uphill battle. Why? Because retailers aren’t really missing goals with email; the truth is that you can’t look at email as a stand-alone agent any longer. Today’s Elusive Shopper
Target extends its investment in online retail disruptor

Fast-growing mattress retailer Casper has closed on a new round of funding — with help from Target Corp.
CBRE: E-commerce still lacks traction in some retail categories

E-commerce has generated significant volumes of sales in the electronics and clothing industries, but has yet to gain traction in other retail sectors.
Amazon granted anti-showrooming patent

Despite the many sales that showrooming has afforded Amazon over the years, the retailer surely doesn't want to become a victim going forward.
New company preps to relaunch the Bebe brand

The Bebe brand is undergoing a transformation — thanks to a new parent company. Global Brands Group Holding Limited, a leading branded apparel, footwear, and fashion accessories company — and a spin-off of global exporter Li & Fung Ltd., is partnering with the Bebe brand to relaunch a new e-commerce platform. In addition, the company will redesign the brand’s international brick-and-mortar stores to better meet the heightened shopping expectations of Bebe’s consumers.
Judge rules supermarket chain must make web site accessible

Website accessibility is shaping up as the next big challenge for retailers with regards to ADA compliance. A Miami federal judge has ruled that Winn-Dixie violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not making its website, which was recently updated, accessible to blind and visually impaired users, the Miami Herald reported. The Jacksonville, Florida-based supermarket chain has set aside $250,000 to revamp its online site and was ordered to pay the plaintiff’s legal fees, according to the report.
Who is cheaper: Costco or Amazon?

A new market study finds that Costco Wholesale Club's online prices are lower than Amazon's -- and not by an insignificant amount.