online sales

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?

Anyone who ever enjoyed a horror film knows the fascination a gruesome death can provoke. But no fictional horror can produce the frisson generated by the items for sale on websites like SerialKillersInk.net and MurderAuction.com: Real artifacts and artwork from the crime scenes and prison cells of the world's most famous serial killers.

Target is getting a head start on the biggest online shopping day of the year. The cheap-chic discounter sent out an email blast on Sept. 26 touting "Cyber Monday in September." "Lucky You. These Cyber Monday deals couldn't wait until November. Better hurry," coos Target.com.

Best Buy is taking its best shot at stealing some online market share from Amazon.com with a completely new service meant to challenge the world's largest e-commerce company. Best Buy Marketplace will substantially increase the number of products available at the Best Buy website.

By the end of 2012, one-third of the world's travel sales will be booked online. But the majority of bookings still happen through the traditional brick-and-mortar travel agents, which is why Expedia's new Travel Agent Affiliate Program is a smart growth move for the OTA.

Gilt Groupe pioneered the private "flash sale" fashion website biz, which is now one of the fastest growing sectors in retail. Kevin Ryan, Gilt Groupe's CEO, spoke with us about growth opportunities, the world of private-sale sites, and competition -- including why it has a leg up on Amazon.

Nike is already the global leader in the athletic footwear, apparel and equipment business, and globally is where its future growth lies. Its online sales have surged, and with increasing Internet penetration in emerging markets, Trefis sees more impressive online sales growth ahead.

Macy's is bullish on e-commerce. Online sales for the department store chain grew more than 30% in 2010, and it's investing heavily in infrastructure upgrades, such as e-commerce product fulfillment centers, to accelerate its transformation into an "omnichannel" retail company.

Over the last few years, Home Depot has expanded its retail stores aggressively, adding more than 200 outlets annually. However, the firm has recently embarked on a $1.1 billion program to improve its Web presence while dramatically reducing the number of new store openings to around 10 in 2011.

U.S. retailers are planning store expansions and increased initiatives to monitor and serve their customers -- with a heavy focus on the Web and social media -- as they work to accelerate their growth in 2011.