E-Commerce

Not only is layaway again being embraced by brick-and-mortar retailers, online merchants are also getting into the act, and everything from computers to cruises are now only a mouse click away.

GameStop reported record sales and earnings for the first quarter ended April 30. Total sales for the first quarter of 2011 increased 9.5 percent to $2.28 billion, in comparison to $2.08 billion in the prior year quarter. 

Brick-and-mortar retailers have been able to tap the power of collective buying through startups like Groupon and LivingSocial for some time. Now online retailers are moving to start leveraging the power of social commerce as well, with the help of group gift-buying startups that are integrating gift widgets into their sites.

Rue La La is poised to launch a deals site called Rue Local that caters to well-heeled shoppers in New York City. The site will launch this week in New York, which has become a lucrative battleground in the daily-deals space.

Gaming platform SCVNGR has teamed up with American Express and Levi's to create the first paperless daily-deal redemption system. SCVNGR's daily-deal platform LevelUp now features an option to sync your LevelUp account to your AmEx card. 

Vente-privee.com, a French company that created the online private-sales model later adopted by sites like Rue La La and Gilt.com, is entering the U.S. through a joint venture with American Express.

The digital and mobile payments pool is getting murkier with another big name competitor jumping in. Visa has announced it will be launching a viable e-commerce solution through its new “digital wallet,” which will enable consumers to pay for goods and services through their smartphones.

Bold Software and the e-tailing group's third annual release of comprehensive research on the effectiveness of live chat technology found that one in five shoppers prefers live chat more than any other communication method.

Castle Megastore Group launched a newly revised CastleMegastore.com and entered into a new channel of e-commerce sales. The newly launched site is a softer side to online adult retail and offers a targeted selection of top-selling products for online consumers.

Love Gant but don't live near a Gant store? Well, now you can get your fix from the comfort of your own couch because Gant has launched U.S. e-commerce on its website.