What could be better for a brand than consumers buzzing about how badly they want their products — and bragging about how awesome it is as soon as they have it in their hands? Luckily for merchants, Pinterest and Instagram pack that one-two product punch.
Target announced this week it will be acquiring independent skin care ecommerce site DermStore Beauty Group. The acquisition will position Target to expand its share of evolving online beauty market and will further differentiate the company’s offerings, according to a press release from Target.
What’s the implication of these developments for merchants? It tells you that online services recognize that users are very excited about both watching videos and creating them. The fact that two of the most popular social communities are welcoming video speaks volumes.
What a difference a year makes. J.C. Penney, which faced customer backlash, slumping sales, and the stepping down of CEO Ron Johnson, has now become one of the top online shopping destinations for back-to-school sales.
As we move closer to the 2013 holiday season, retailers are cautiously optimistic about consumer spending however they are expecting to see an uptick in the November and December months. Not surprisingly, retailers expect mobile to play an increased role in driving sales with minimal contributions from social media.
Even though a majority of merchants already have their back-to-school game plan in place, it’s still not too late to make the most out of the $72.5 billion shopping season.
As smartphones and tablets catch up to the desktop as a popular shopping device for consumers, more and more retailers are revamping their marketing strategies and ecommerce websites to include responsive design. But is that a good thing?
It’s that time of year again, back-to-school, and according to the National Retail Federation families with school-age children will spend less this year.
The connection between social networks and purchasing behavior is becoming increasingly strong. Reports continue to show that social media engagement drives both online and in-store sales, making it more important than ever for retailers to derive actionable insight from social data.
Omnichannel is all the buzz right now among consumers. In a recent one-on-one interview with Multichannel Merchant, Melanie Alavi, retail manager for UPS, explains why it is important more than ever for merchants to embrace the anytime, anywhere shopper.