Retailers are spicing up their brick-and-mortar stores to keep you walking through the door. Their game plan? To design environments that are equal parts high-tech and homespun. But will the changes be enough to keep physical stores from being reduced to showrooms for e-commerce sites?
U.S. shoppers spent 15 percent more in online holiday buying compared to last year, after what may have been the busiest week of the season, said research firm comScore on Sunday. Shoppers have spent $30.9 billion online from Nov. 1 through Dec. 16, up from $26.9 billion at the same point last year, said the Reston, Va., company, which tracks Web use.
Watch out, Cyber Monday: Green Monday is gaining traction with shoppers. Consumers flexed their thumb-shopping muscles on Dec. 12, Green Monday -- the second Monday in December that's become another big day for online holiday shopping.
Google and Amazon.com have to stop meeting like this. The two tech darlings are growing into fierce competitors with every new chapter in their quests for consumer domination. The latest page of this low-key yet high-stakes saga finds Google potentially going after Amazon's Prime loyalty shopping program.
Amazon's holidays are off to a great start, but with its stock trading north of 100 times earnings, AMZN shares could be the one thing you don't want to buy from the online retailer. Instead, consider these companies that are riding on the coattails of the online shopping boom.
Millions of holiday shoppers aiming to avoid the crowds are headed online. But not all retailers do e-commerce with ease -- especially if you have questions and need help from a customer service representative. Which chains respond fast -- and which don't? We have the answers.
If you shop online, chances are you've left a few full shopping carts at the checkout altar. To combat that, some e-commerce sites are starting to follow up on those almost-sales with emails -- and offers of better deals.
Amazon Prime is a bargain for active online shoppers: For $79, they get unlimited two-day shipping of Amazon merchandise, and a host of other digital goodies. But as Amazon keeps tacking on freebies, can it stick to that price?
That's what retailers anxious to lure holiday shoppers are hoping to find out with their latest innovation: Walmart, Kmart, Sears and eBay are all testing versions of the "real" online store.
Amazon plays by its own rules -- and the online retail giant usually wins. Check out this infographic by blogger FrugalDad that gives you a peek at who you're paying when you opt for the Free SuperSaver Shipping.
Ah, Facebook: It's where you banter with "friends," share vacation photos and "like" everything from candy bars to political parties -- so why not shop there, too? Now, retailers are making it easier to do just that.
Anyone who lined up outside their local Target early one Tuesday morning this past September to score some Missoni -- and witnessed the retail carnage that ensued -- will be well prepared for Black Friday. Target, on the other hand, may not be as ready -- especially when it comes to its website.
Shoppers looking for advice from their fellow consumers have a tough enough time sifting out the false reviews posted on legitimate product-review sites. But there's a worse problem out there online: "Nefarious" websites entirely devoted to promoting merchandise with fake reviews.
Procter & Gamble recently added "Shop Now" buttons to the Facebook fan pages for its of several brands such as Gillette, Olay and Tide. Even if this latest plunge into e-commerce succeeds, though, there's some question about whether it could boost P&G's bottom line.
Alibaba Group CEO Jack Ma told the the AllThingsD D9 conference that Yahoo should be broken into pieces. Ma may be in the midst of a beef with the search company, which holds a major stake in his firm, but despite the idea's source, a break-up could make sense financially.