Content about Electronic commerce

Franklin, Tenn. -- Almost three in 10 (28%) of North American retailers plan to adopt mobile POS technology by the end of the year, according to a new study from IHL Group.

Results of “Mobile POS: Hype to Reality” also indicate that 45% of all tablet POS shipments go to specialty retailers, mobile POS solutions will cannibalize about 12% of traditional retail POS shipments by 2016 and more than 85% of larger retailers say that in the next three years mobile POS systems will complement, rather than replace, traditional POS systems.

ARMONK, N.Y. -- Consumers shopping online for Mother’s Day gifts was up 15%, spurred by mobile commerce growth of 23% over 2012, according to IBM’s Digital Analytics Benchmark, a cloud-based analysis of the online retail market.

New York -- Checkout remains the number one in-store pain point for 73% of U.S. consumers, according to a survey by Synqera, a global technology startup that uses big data to bring personalized digital experiences to the physical retail store.    

The survey found that more than two-thirds of Americans prefer to shop in traditional, brick and mortar stores than online commerce sites, and that shoppers gravitate towards retail locations that offer customized shopping experiences but that

Westborough, Mass. -- Sporting goods retailer Modell’s is launching Micros-Retail’s Xstore Point-of-Service, Relate Customer Relationship Management and miStore mobile POS solutions. Modell’s says it intends to transform the customer experience, modernize IT for the stores, reduce training time for IT staff, and streamline day-to-day functions, as well as use miStore to provide quicker customer service with more detailed product information.

Go offline, young man: That appears to be the mantra of e-commerce merchants these days.

As competition in the world of online retailing heats up — with Amazon's ever-burgeoning dominance posing the biggest threat — more pure-players are taking the brick-and-mortar plunge. It's a reminder, many experts say, of the strong appeal of the in-store experience — even when stacked up against the convenience of online shopping.

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples announced that Faisal Masud has been appointed executive VP, global e-commerce, effective May 20, 2013. In this newly created role, Masud will be responsible for leading online and digital growth. He will report to Demos Parneros, president of North American stores and online for Staples.

It's no secret that consumers are adopting mobile technology at a breakneck pace and integrating it into every part of their lives, including shopping. But while the retail industry generally understands that mobile technology CAN add significant value to both the customer experience and their own bottom line, it may not exactly know HOW or WHY this is the case.

Los Angeles – Online fashion magazine Who What Wear is launching a new home décor e-commerce site, DomaineHome.com.

The site functions as an online magazine focused on home décor and decorating with shoppable content.

It is with great pleasure that I introduce myself to you as the new senior editor of Chain Store Age, focused on covering all the news, trends and happenings in the constantly changing world of retail IT. Technology is evolving at a breakneck pace with major implications for retail. Emerging technology areas such as mobile, social and cloud are changing the very nature of customer experience, while the explosion of Big Data offers both a major challenge and opportunity for retailers that can successfully harness the immense of volume of information that is now available.

New York -- The National Retail Federation applauded a Senate vote to proceed with debate on S.743, an act to level the sales tax field for online and brick-and-mortar stores.

NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay issued the following statement: “NRF applauds today’s Senate vote on the Marketplace Fairness Act and we commend Senators Enzi, Durbin, Alexander and Heitkamp for their skilled leadership in moving this legislation ahead.”


Boston -- Research findings released Thursday by mobile-retail marketer Swirl found that a full 76% of women prefer shopping in stores over shopping via their smartphones.

“What Women Want When Apparel Shopping,” which polled 1,000 women shoppers, also revealed that 53% of women have between one and five shopping apps on their smartphones. Yet, still, they opt for the store experience.

New York -- Retailers that deliver on their customers’ expectations and provide them with a seamless shopping experience – whether they are shopping in a store, online or through a mobile device – will win their loyalty and gain a competitive advantage that drives sales, according to new research by Accenture.