Grainger’s Ecommerce Sales Pass $3 Billion in 2013

| MCM Staff

Grainger’s online presence faired very well in 2013, earning the B2B merchant $3 billion in ecommerce sales alone, according to its annual financial report. Overall, Grainger saw a 5% increase in total sales, equating to $9.4 billion, however, the merchant said its ecommerce presence represent “the fastest growing and most profitable channel in the business.”

Nordstrom to Open Fulfillment Center in PA

| Erin Lynch

Nordstrom has announced plans to open its third fulfillment center Elizabethtown, Pa. Construction for the 672,000-square-foot building began on Jan. 20 and is scheduled to open in summer 2015.

Paid Search Sees Growth in Q4 2013

| Daniela Forte

The fourth quarter of 2013 saw growth for paid search, according to two separate industry reports. The holiday shopping season saw an increase in retail transactions of 26%, and retail revenue rose 34% on Thanksgiving and 24% on Black Friday.

Shoppers Look for Best Holiday Deals in December

| MCM Staff

With six less shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, 87% of shoppers said in a recent PriceGrabber survey that they will conduct most of their holiday shopping in December. Why? According to the survey, because that is when consumers believe they will find the best deals and discounts.

Aeropostale Sees Online Sales Decline in 3rd Quarter

| MCM Staff

Aeropostale, a specialty retailer of casual apparel for young women and men, released its third quarter results, which showed a 15% decrease in net sales and comparable sales, which include the ecommerce channel. CEO Thomas P. Johnson said in the release that he was “disappointed in the overall performance as customer adoption is occurring more slowly than we would like against the backdrop of a challenging teen retail environment.”

How Ad Extensions Can Spice Up Your Marketing Experience

| Erin Lynch

As much as merchants would like to think that every customer is coming to the ecommerce page organically, more often than not, a search engine or ad are the reasons why they are shopping with you. Which is all the more reason why now, more than ever, it is imperative for merchants to have the perfect ad extension this holiday season.

Boo: AdGooroo Unmasks Halloween Paid Search

| Tim Parry

Digital marketing firm AdGooroo did a post on its blog Monday to highlight the top Halloween paid search advertisers (based on AdWords impressions), as well as the top Halloween keywords (also based on AdWords impressions), between September 2012 and September 2013. The “Miley Cyrus Twerking” costume did not make the cut.

Stritzke Named President and CEO of REI

| Erin Lynch

Outdoor apparel and gear retailer, REI, has named Jerry Stritzke as the company’s president and CEO following an extensive national search. Prior to joining REI, Stritzke was the president and COO at Coach but resigned on September 2.