Homegoods e-retailer Wayfair may go public

Growing some 50% and outpacing competitors like top-performing Williams-Sonoma, the e-retailer is seeing robust business.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 29, 2014

Videogame retailers playing hardball with online competition

To keep gamers coming to their stores, GameStop and other retailers are fighting digital distribution of games, and fighting hard.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 29, 2014

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

Zappos, Sunglass Hut, L.L. Bean winners in customer service

A recent study found that fewer clicks to order, fast shipping, and ease of communication are customer priorities.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 29, 2014

Customers expect more in exchange for their data

Research shows that consumers will trade access to their social media, location, and mobile information only for favorable pricing, shipping, and return policies.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 28, 2014

Banks report data breach at Michaels stores

The crafts-store chain is the latest to disclose that customers’ credit and debit card information was possibly compromised.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 27, 2014

Enhanced e-commerce site search technology pays off

Gallery Furniture says implementing Nextopia’s e-commerce site search, navigation, and merchandising system has improved conversion rates by 35%.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 27, 2014

Could iTunes be your next mobile payment option for everything?

Apple is exploring expansion of its iTunes payment system to allow users to pay for things at other retailers and more, unnamed sources told the Wall Street Journal.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 27, 2014

TigerDirect the latest to take bitcoin

The electronics e-retailer says it wants to give customers an alternative way to shop and pay, and will sell hardware to mint more.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 24, 2014

More and more customers open email on their phones

Retailers, be ready: The trend is growing, with some 65% of email opened on smartphones or tablets, two studies show.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 24, 2014

iBeacon is here, but where is it going?

As the customer location tech is further developed and in more stores, how well it works for retailers and consumers alike remains to be seen.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 23, 2014

Amazon enjoys consumer trust despite its massive data trove

McCann Worldgroup’s most recent study shows the online retailer attains a level of trust not shared by the government, Facebook, or Google.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 23, 2014

Brink's to begin e-retail payment processing

The company’s trustworthy name may give it a boost in a crowded and confusing field.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 23, 2014

EBay reports a strong Q4 2013, rebuffs Paypal spinoff notion

Stock surged after it was disclosed that activist investor Carl C. Icahn has almost 1% of shares and wants to split the company.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 23, 2014

Nordstrom opening third fulfillment center

The Pennsylvania facility will expand the retailer’s ability to meet the demands of its growing e-commerce business.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 22, 2014

Thule drastically improves its e-commerce site

The Swedish bike and ski gear company saw sales rise after making it easier for retailers to order online.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 21, 2014

American Eagle Outfitters taps customers’ shoulders with shopBeacon

Apple's iBeacon technology is helping the chain greet customers with offers that gel with their preferences.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 21, 2014

Amazon.com patents 'anticipatory shipping'

It's yet another technology the e-retailer won’t be using any time soon, but will customers embrace ship-before-you-buy?

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 21, 2014

IBM to invest $1.2B on cloud infrastructure

The company’s Softlayer infrastructure is the linchpin of its cloud services.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 17, 2014

Digital coupon clipping grew 141% in 2013

Consumers redeemed 66 million digital coupons in 2013.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 17, 2014

eBay announces new ship-to-store cloud service

The system would allow major retailers to move inventory and save on shipping, and could be an alternative to Amazon’s fulfillment options.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 16, 2014

Target credit-card theft caused by cheap, foreign malware: Sources

Many, if not most, American retailers are probably similarly vulnerable.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 16, 2014

H&M ends monthly same-store sales reports

Citing rapid expansion including online sales, Europe’s second-largest clothing retailer says monthly total sales is a more "relevant number."

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 15, 2014

Direct retail sales outpaced total retail sales in 2013

Web, catalog and TV sales were 15.9% of total retail sales in the last two months of last year, the National Retail Federation reported Wednesday.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 15, 2014

Commerce Dept. says December retail sales rose

Low temps spur heavy online shopping for the strongest quarter of consumer spending in 3 years, but the good news is tempered by pressure for bargain prices.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 15, 2014

Report shows Free People winning at social media

The bohemian women’s clothing outlet shines on social media and its customers upload tens of thousands of images on its own website.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 15, 2014