From the NRF BIG Show: 8 Innovations in E-Commerce, Part 1

Bass’ take: "I give this a thumbs down. When I was at Lands' End, we pioneered using live customer help on our site, and hardly anyone used it. If you want the social experience of shopping with your friends, then you go to stores and shop. I don't think this is the way people shop online."

Myers’ take: "I give this a thumbs down as well, but because of the scalability factor. Even if it works, scaling it and figuring out how to use it on different brands and for multiple generations would be difficult."

3. On-site conversations. The panelists then discussed the conversation page on Nordstrom.com, which brings together a series of stories, blog posts, style lookbooks, Twitter feeds and Facebook links.

Bass’ take: "Customers trust other customers. But in order for this to work, you have to keep people on the site interacting."

Myers’ take: "I also give this a thumbs up. This should increase conversions as well as interactions between highly qualified shoppers."

4. E-commerce everywhere. The concept of e-commerce as a transactional experience within brands’ Facebook pages was then bandied about by the panelists. The Home Depot and J.C. Penney's Facebook stores were cited as examples.

Bass’ take: "I give this a thumbs up. This is the next step in content syndication, and allows shoppers to shop for merchandise when they're online."

Myers’ take: "I also give this a thumbs up, but retailers shouldn't put their entire assortment on the [social media] site. I'd put excluive offers up specifically for fans, such as a deal for a great pair of cowboy boots, for example. But I wouldn't spend more than a couple of hours a week on it."

Check back tomorrow for part two of this series, when the final four trends will be revealed and examined.