E-Commerce

eBay is monetizing its loyalty program through a campaign called "Merchant Offers" in which it offers participants rewards for using services from other companies. With the regular eBay Bucks program, participants earn 2 percent on every qualifying item when shopping on eBay, with a cap of $500; eBay Bucks certificates expire if unused.

Costco is moving to a new e-commerce platform that will improve the online visibility of its website. The transition is planned for this summer and "will bring users to costco.com via search engines, which our much older current system does not allow," said Costco CFO Richard Galanti during a recent conference call.

Overstock.com experienced a net loss of $19.4 million in 2011, the company said when it released fourth quarter and full-year earnings for 2011, which was a 240 percent decrease year-over-year. 

The retailer/consumer relationship has changed dramatically in the last decade and it's not only because there are more products and services available than ever before. With social media and smartphones playing an increasingly prominent role in how shoppers form purchasing decisions, today's most competitive merchants are realizing that in order to succeed they need to engage consumers via technology.

Kohl's has joined a handful of other up-and-coming masters of retailing in spreading brick-and-mortar stores nationwide during the suburban building boom. Now, however, Kohl's real estate ambitions are waning as the retailer deals with the effects of online retailing and slower growth overall in its physical stores.

iPerceptions, a provider of online voice-of-customer analytics based on actual visitor feedback, announced the release of its Retail/E-Commerce Industry Report for the fourth quarter of 2011. The report found that while more retail website visitors were ready to make a purchase compared to the previous year, only 58 percent were able to complete their purpose of visit.

Etsy's Handmade category is what gives the site its unique culture and differentiates it from sites such as eBay. But as the site grows, Etsy is forced to struggle with the definition of what exactly makes an item "handmade."

Etsy’s Handmade category is what gives the site its unique culture and differentiates it from sites such as eBay. But as the site grows, Etsy is forced to struggle with the definition of what exactly makes an item “handmade.”

Re-establishing itself as an online retailer several years after shutting down its e-commerce operations is a key element of ambitious growth plans at TJX Companies, the 2,900-store parent company of T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and Home Goods. Executives are aiming to nearly double the company's annual sales to $40 billion by leveraging investments in technology, supply chain and digital commerce initiatives.

In lieu of physical mailers and catalogs, Barneys New York is releasing shoppable digital videos for its Co-Op line, a collection catering to the younger affluent market. Although the brand will continue to offer catalogs for other lines, Co-Op's spring line will be completely digital for the first time.