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- What Best Buy learned about negativity
When Best Buy asked its Facebook fans about offering a Web site in Spanish, it attracted negative, prejudiced comments, a company executive said at Shop.org's Annual Summit in Las Vegas this week. The company removed the question from its Web site and learned a lesson about responding to negativity. Next time, the executive said, Best Buy will ask the question in a different way. Multichannel Merchant
(9/23)
    
 | Watch It Now: "New" Rules of Engagement Webinar — Featuring Patti Freeman Evans, Forrester Research — Consumers are spending less and relying more on online shopping resources to do research before making informed purchases. Download the white paper and view the webinar that also features an informative panel discussion by leading e-commerce experts. |
- How have shopping habits of moms, teens changed?
 Resource Interactive's Kelly Mooney talked at the Shop.org Annual Summit about how the recession has changed the habits of mothers and teens. Even people who can afford to keep shopping are cutting back on spending and are going online to make their consumption less conspicuous. Shop.org Blog
(9/23)
- Luxury brands late to online retail
Two-thirds of luxury brands are online now -- compared with just a third a year ago. However, luxury brands typically do not have the most sophisticated e-commerce sites. Apple, Sony, Ralph Lauren and Estee Lauder are among the savviest. Advertising Age
(9/22)
- Business booms for China's online retailers
 Chinese consumers are known for keeping quite a bit of cash in their savings and have been called upon to boost spending to help the global economy. However, Chinese online retailers are enjoying increased sales as younger, more affluent consumers find online shopping suits their lifestyles. The New York Times/Reuters
(9/23)
 | Live Chat Research Report: 58% of shoppers say they are more likely to purchase from websites that include live chat. Of those who've used live chat before, 72% say it influences them to buy. Packed with statistics like these, this new report includes 6 sections, 15 pages, 20 figures, and 5 critical conclusions every online business needs to know. Download now. |
- A mobile app that knows how you like your coffee
Starbucks is releasing a pair of iPhone applications that allow coffee drinkers to store their favorite drink recipes, and pay using a bar-code display that can be scanned. The Starbucks card mobile application, usable at select locations, acts like a physical payment card -- customers store value on the app and redeem it at checkout. The New York Times/Gadgetwise blog
(9/23)
 | FREE Whitepaper Download: Lessons for Loyalty Online
See how online retailing is different from the physical realm of brick and mortar stores and discover why customers don't always complete a purchase. Also learn about the role of Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) in creating engaging online experiences, and discover how to align your site with shoppers' ever-growing expectations. |
| Companies in the News |  | |
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- Columbia customers choose used boxes
 Columbia Sportswear offers shoppers the option of having their purchases shipped in used boxes. Customers are going with that option for about two-thirds of the boxes the company uses, and shoppers can track boxes' reuse after they're done with them. StorefrontBacktalk
(9/21)
- Zappos strives for long-term customer relationships
Zappos has added features, according to one of the company's marketing strategists, to allow the shoe retailer to focus more on developing its relationships with customers. "Historically, Zappos.com was a very transactional site, and it wasn't as emotionally driven as we wanted it to be," said Brian Kalma, Zappos.com's director of user experience and Web strategy. "If we can speak to customers personally, we will develop deeper relationships." The features include personalized product recommendations and social-networking abilities. DMNews
(9/23)
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- Marketers share iPhone application strategies
At an Apps for Brands event in New York, marketers discussed how they are using iPhone applications to support their brands. Lessons include the importance of content that updates in real time and the insight that people will pay for something of value. Advertising Age
(9/23)
- Report: Mobile marketers playing catch-up with users
Although marketers have failed to keep pace with consumer use of mobile devices, they are likely to close the ad gap by 2013, eMarketer has found. Mobile ad spending is projected to grow from this year's $416 million, or 2.2% of display-ad budgets, to $1.56 billion, or 9.9% of display-ad totals, by 2013, eMarketer is reporting. ClickZ
(9/24)
| Shop.org Spotlight | | |
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- Retailers: How are you preparing for the holidays?
Shop.org's 2009 eHoliday Study, which evaluates retailers' plans and expectations for the upcoming holiday season, is under way. All retailers who complete the eHoliday study will receive the aggregated results of this survey when they are released in October and a copy of the Shop.org 2010 Holiday Strategy & Planning Guide, which will be published next summer. Learn more.
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