Back-to-School Shopping Expected to Reach $83.6 Billion

| Daniela Forte

According to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey, total spending including college and school combined is expected to reach $83.6 billion, more than a 10% increase from 2016’s $75.8 billion. See what other results this survey revealed for back-to-school and what it could mean for the holiday shopping season.

Amazon Wins Big Again on Prime Day

| Mike O'Brien

Faux holiday Prime Day 2017 was another huge win for Amazon as its biggest sales day ever, especially of its own devices, while it saw the biggest one-day gain in Prime membership, already at an estimated 85 million U.S. members.

JC Penney Getting Back Into the Toy Business

| Mike O'Brien

Looking for another avenue to boost flat store sales, JC Penney is opening 500-square-foot toy shops in all of its brick-and-mortar locations, the company announced, pitting it against the likes of Toys R Us and Amazon as well as discount retailers like Walmart and Target in the $20 billion market.

Customer Experience Remains Top Priority for Retailers

| Daniela Forte

Some of the top ecommerce initiatives retailers are tackling in the second quarter are centered on the customer experience. This study by SLI Systems highlights what retailers are focusing on as their top initiatives before the peak holiday season.

Amazon Prime Day Top Selling Items Globally

| Daniela Forte

Amazon touted a successful Prime Day this week and some of the top selling items both in the U.S. and abroad were safe to say, interesting and odd at the same time. Take a look at the list and see what customers were purchasing in their country.

Retailers Didn’t Let Amazon Have All of the Fun on Prime Day

| Daniela Forte

Several retailers wouldn’t let Amazon have all the fun on Prime Day. Whether they were offering free shipping or major discounts on several products, these retailers aimed to steal Amazon’s thunder. Here is a list of what other major retailers did on Prime Day and days after.