Loyalty Programs

For omnichannel retailer QVC, social shopping isn't so much about the platform consumers are using (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.), it's about consumers talking with each other about shopping via word-of-mouth. For example, "I like that shirt, where did you get it?" That's social shopping, according to Alex Miller, the vice president of e-commerce at QVC. Miller was a keynote speaker yesterday at the eTail East conference in Philadelphia.

With the onset of internet shopping and the subsequent pressure on physical stores to compete, the retail industry has seen a number of long-term trends emerge from this dichotomy. One trend that's more hotly contested and trailblazing than others is the power of brands, and the pressure these brands are putting on retail developers to ensure that their interests are being represented.