Overstock testing order now, pay later checkout

With help from Swedish payments processor Klarna, Overstock reported an increase in mobile sales conversions after using the system. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Sept. 4, 2015

E-book sales fall after prices rise

In the absence of the tight-fisted control Amazon once had, the market will need time and experimentation to find the sweet spot in pricing.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 4, 2015

Explore the Trendline➔

What's shaping the e-commerce landscape?

From pivots in digital strategies to challenges retailers must overcome with reverse logistics, here are some of the forces shaping online retail.

By Retail Dive staff

Sole Society latest e-retailer to open physical store

The footwear and accessories retailer says sales through Nordstrom are growing and that it may expand its brick-and-mortar footprint, so to speak.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 4, 2015

Gilt to launch appointment-based brick-and-mortar

The New York "showroom," open only to Gilt members, will feature a stylist and a limited assortment of its on-site offerings.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 4, 2015

Fashion start-ups pass on big retailers to rally demand

Thanks to crowdfunding platforms, smaller apparel makers are using on-demand strategies to sell limited-run items, foregoing the need for some retail partnerships. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Sept. 3, 2015

Interior design site Laurel & Wolf wins additional funding

The startup delivers users personalized room makeovers from multiple designers, with the opportunity to buy from their favorite look. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Sept. 3, 2015

Amazon's Dash button getting a push, adding more brands

The retailer isn’t saying how many Dash buttons have been ordered so far, but is making them available to all Prime members, essentially for free.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 3, 2015

Going local: How local search information is crucial to retailers' success

With 92% of sales completed in person, retailers need to ensure that correct local information can be accessed when consumers search for them — no matter the device. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Sept. 2, 2015

10 trends shaping the future of retail

The biggest challenges for retailers in 2015: New technologies, changing shopping habits, and the threat of disruptive competitors. 

By Kelsey Lindsey • Sept. 2, 2015

Apple exec move shows that luxury is getting serious about e-commerce

A recent report predicted that web sales could make up to 18% of luxury sales by 2025. 

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 2, 2015

Jet CEO admits: It's hard for shoppers to figure out Jet's prices

The site doesn’t spell out its prices very clearly, confusing some shoppers. But that may not be its worst problem.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 31, 2015

Consumers using e-commerce to shop the world

International e-commerce is set to balloon, UPS says, and U.S. sites will benefit. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Aug. 31, 2015

Rural China next growth target for Alibaba

Although e-commerce giants dominate in cities, rural China is poised for growth.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 31, 2015

Amazon testing Prime Now restaurant delivery in Seattle

The experiment, available only to Amazon employees for now, brings Amazon into a very crowded food-delivery space.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 27, 2015

Retail crowdfunding platform Celery launches Kickstarter competitor

The company can help retailers launch new products, gauge consumer interest, or keep an efficient flow of inventory.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 27, 2015

Facebook's 'M' could bring voice-activated shopping to Messenger

The personal assistant, currently being tested in Facebook's Messenger app, could help accomplish tasks using human-trained AI. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Aug. 27, 2015

Former Google Shopping exec launches mobile shopping platform

With PredictSpring, Nitin Mangtani aims to smooth the current tension between web and app shopping on smartphones.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 26, 2015

Women prefer to buy in-store, but digital gaining ground

74% of women surveyed said they use digital technologies to identify and research items before visiting a brick-and-mortar location to buy.

By Ian P. Murphy • Aug. 26, 2015

In-store pickup adds to Kirkland's online growth

More than 70% of the home decor retailer's customers choose pickup over delivery when shopping online. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Aug. 26, 2015

Amazon launches one-hour alcohol delivery in Seattle

While this is the first U.S. city to get the service from Amazon, a few startups have beat the online retail giant to the space in several other territories. 

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 26, 2015

Style.com ready to merge magazine content, shopping

Condé Nast’s e-commerce initiative promises to merchandise experiences straight from magazine pages. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Aug. 25, 2015

Apparel shoppers still gravitate to physical stores

Bricks-and-mortar stores use technology to capture data. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Aug. 21, 2015

Retail analytics startup IntelligenceNODE raises $4M in funding

The analytics platform promises to streamline merchandising across channels. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Aug. 20, 2015

Study: Amazon fails to offer some top brands

Amazon may have some room to grow when it comes to stocking the most popular, heavily trending items that many customers are seeking. 

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 20, 2015

Mobile makes up 30% of US e-commerce sales

And according to Internet Retailer, that number is expected to grow twice as fast as general e-commerce sales. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Aug. 19, 2015