Amazon.com

A day after Amazon announced that it would give shoppers up to $15 for using its Price Check app in a brick-and-mortar store and buying that item from Amazon afterward, prominent retail groups are lashing out at the e-commerce giant.

High-impact customer experiences are the heart and soul of successful multichannel retailing. The development of multiple channels is clearly a priority, but many retailers overlook the value of site redesign strategies and simple modifications that can dramatically improve customer experiences and conversion rates.

Retailers spend billions on customer acquisition, but then spend very little time or money on the next step: getting customers to stick around. Most retailers have become extremely adept at getting their messages and promotions in front of prospects. But even when they succeed in acquiring a new customer, that person usually only makes up to two purchases per year. That equates to billions of dollars spent for very little long-term value.

Amazon has pulled back the curtain on yet another way it will be snagging purchases away from physical retail outlets. Starting Dec. 10, users of Amazon’s Price Check app will be able to score up to $5 off a purchase of any product if they use the app in-store.

For a decade, Target outsourced its website operations to Amazon.com. The retail giant began preparing two years ago to take control of the site when the deal with Amazon expired this August. Three weeks after the switch, the site crashed. It went down again a month later. Then again, and again.

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, online retailers are fixated on the performance of their websites. By now everyone knows that a viewer's first impression of a website counts. This is even more true with an e-commerce site. The landing page is where the rubber meets the road.

Two leading law professors have concluded that Amazon recently opening large “fulfillment” warehouses in South Carolina and Tennessee is a likely violation of the Constitution’s commerce clause.

Google is considering a move into online retail, challenging Amazon by providing low-cost goods. According to The Wall Street Journal, Google is in talks with major retailers and shippers about creating a service to let consumers shop for goods online and receive their orders within a day for a low fee.

Slipcover and home accessories supplier Sure Fit Inc. has acquired the assets of the Patio Armor brand from Trilink Global LLC.Financial terms were not disclosed nor was the size of the acquired company.Patio Armor products include heavyweight fabric covers for patio furniture, grills and other outdoor items. Its major accounts include The Home Depot, Costco, Amazon and Factory Direct. The company is based in Atlanta and will retain its own headquarters.Tom Atchison, who has served as director of sales of the Trilink business since 2008, has joined Sure Fit as VP of sales - outdoor division."The Patio Armor brand

While you’re probably in the middle of the busy holiday season right now, 2012 is closer than you think. As you begin to look forward to the year ahead, I’ve put together a list of predictions for what cross-channel retailers can expect come next year.