Despite some customer complaints and competing discount events offered by rivals, Amazon says yesterday’s Prime Day was “the biggest day ever for Amazon.” Even bigger than the day it first learned to ride a bike. [More]
online shopping
As More Shoppers Go Online, Retailers Cut Back On In-Store Inventory
By 6.28.16
When you envision a Home Depot store, you probably picture rows of huge shelves packed to the rafters with boxes and pallets of products waiting to be unpacked. But with more shoppers buying things online, these shelves could start looking a lot different as the Depot and others rethink how much stuff they need to keep on hand.
[More]
Vulnerability In Acer Store Exposed More Than 34,000 Credit Card Numbers
By 6.20.16
If you found yourself in the market for a new computer or other electronic device and made a purchase through Acer’s online store in the last year, you might want to watch your credit card statement. The technology company says it was the victim of a data breach for nearly a year, exposing the credit card information of more than 34,000 customers. [More]
UPS Survey: Online Shopping Has Surpassed In-Store Buying For The First Time
By 6.8.16
While there are no doubt innumerable studies, surveys, and reports on the habits of modern shoppers, at least one survey says that consumers are buying stuff online more than they are in stores, for the first time ever. [More]
The Short Rise (And Possible Fall) Of Online Teen Clothing Retailer Shop Jeen
By 5.20.16
Yet another teen retailer appears poised to join the likes of Aeropostale, DEB, Wet Seal, and Delia’s on the list of clothing stores that have fallen from their glory days of outfitting youngsters in fashionable duds. The website of quick-rising online retailer Shop Jeen has been down for several days. [More]
Walmart Expands Grocery Pickup Option To Eight Additional Cities, Doubles Effort In Others
By 4.13.16
Consumers in eight additional cities will soon be able to order their groceries online and head to their local Walmart to pick them up later. Walmart announced Wednesday that it would expand its free online grocery pickup option — which officially launched in October — to Kansas City; Boise, ID; Richmond and Virginia Beach, VA; Austin; Provo, UT; Daphne, AL; and Charleston, SC, as well as double the number of stores that take part in the service in Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta. To use the service, customers simply place their orders online, pick a time to pick up their items, drive to the store, park in a designated spot, and call a special phone number. An associate then brings the goods straight to their trunk. [Walmart] [More]
Sorry, Gilt Is All Sold Out Of These Marijuana-Print Dresses For Kids
By 3.28.16
Marijuana-themed clothing is nothing new. All over the world, folks sport hats, shirts, leggings, and other apparel showing their affection for the plant. It’s less usual to see pre-teens and toddlers wearing weed-themed clothing, but Gilt shoppers seemed hungry to snap up this leafy dress for kids as young as two. [More]
With High Shipping Costs, Online Shopping Is Not Big Business For Chocolate Makers
By 3.25.16
Sure, shopping from the comfort of your couch can be an easy, convenient alternative to schlepping to the mall or grocery store. But there are just some things that might not be worth the trouble to have shipped. Case in point: chocolate. The sweet treat can be a real pain to transport, for both the company and customer. [More]
Report: Holiday Shoppers Saved So Much On Gas, They Spent 8% More This Year
By 12.28.15
If you felt like you reached into your wallet a few more times this holiday season than last year, or that you were forking over bigger chunks of change, you’re not alone: a new report says retail sales were up 7.9% over 2014’s numbers. [More]
UPS Having Trouble Handling Holiday Avalanche Of Online Orders
By 12.11.15
We already know UPS is renting additional vehicles to help with the onslaught of holiday deliveries, but it seems that’s not enough to help the company stay ahead of the avalanche of online orders this time of year. [More]
Target Confirms Free Shipping For All Online Orders During The Holiday Season
By 10.30.15
As predicted, Target has gone ahead and confirmed an that it retailer would offer free shipping for all online orders during the holiday season, announcing on Thursday that it’d drop all shipping fees for the second year in a row. [More]
FedEx Expects To Handle A Record 317 Million Packages Between Black Friday And Christmas
By 10.26.15
As consumers continue to rely on online retailers to fill their holiday shopping needs, FedEx says this year will be busier than ever before: between Black Friday and Christmas, the company says it expects to handle 317 million packages. Which is a pretty impressive number — but what’s FedEx going to do to make sure those packages actually reach their destinations in time? [More]
MasterCard Rolling Out Payment Verification Technology That Uses Facial Recognition, Fingerprint Scans
By 10.6.15
With consumers’ shopping habits continually evolving – making more purchases online through smartphones and tablets – more retailers have revamped the way in which they allow such transactions to be made (“Buy” buttons, anyone?). So it should come as no surprise then that the businesses handling such transactions – your credit card company and bank – would also seek to evolve their methods to make payment verification simple and secure. That’s apparently the idea behind MasterCard Identity Check. [More]
Amazon Chops $32 Off Amazon Prime Membership Price In One-Day Sale For New Subscribers
By 9.22.15
Amazon is in a pretty good mood after snagging five Emmys for its original series, Transparent, and to celebrate, it’s giving new subscribers to its Prime service $32 off the usual price. [More]
Macy’s Hopes Tablets & Dressing Room Deliveries Will Speed Up Your Shopping Time
By 8.19.15
Looking for a new outfit? You’ve got two options: Quickly buy online and hope what you purchase fits (and looks good on you), or go to the store and spend time scouring racks before trying things on to see if they fit and flatter. In an attempt to mesh the convenience of online shopping with the confidence of buying after trying, Macy’s is revamping its dressing rooms for the current generation of shopper.
[More]
Amazon’s New Seattle Facility Reportedly Set To Test “Amazon Flex” Package Pickup Service
By 8.19.15
When making a purchase through Amazon there are several options for delivery, depending on where you live: free-two day shipping with a Prime membership, Sunday delivery via USPS, Prime Now one-hour delivery, drop-offs at an Amazon Locker, and, of course, traditional several-day delivery. Now, it appears the e-commerce giant is working on another, secret, service at a soon-to-open facility near Seattle. [More]
Apple Eliminates Its Online Store, Moves “Buy” Buttons To Product Pages
By 8.7.15
Before you start to panic at the headline, no, you will not have to physically go to an Apple store to get whatever gadgets your heart desires. Although Apple did remove its online store directory from its previous home of “store.apple.com,” you can still purchase products from the company on the web. It just looks a bit different now. [More]
In 1998, Kmart Invited Customers To Come To Kmart And Shop Online
By 7.27.15
Back in 1998, home broadband connections were rare, Amazon was only four years old, and shopping online was kind of a novel and weird concept to most Americans. Kmart was out to change that, encouraging their customers to purchase an amazing array of merchandise from the comfort of their own… local Kmart. [More]
