Ecommerce News: Industry & Opinion

Links to Mcommerce & Ecommerce news sources and columnists. Focusing on the top daily articles from sources all across the world.

Will Software Eliminate Physical Retail? Not Quite. (LinkedIn)
“Software will not replace all offline retail, but will be used instead to transform certain offline retail experiences. Software can bring more customers to the stores, increase conversion in the store, reduce overall costs for the retailer via better analytics on supply and demand, and — for the customer — create a radically better real life shopping experience.”

Selling on Facebook Easier for Smaller Merchants (Practical ECommerce)
“But according to Sucharita Mulpuru, retail analyst at Forrester, small businesses are achieving sales success on Facebook. She told The New York Times that companies that do well on Facebook usually have less than $100,000 in annual revenue and fewer than 10 employees. Some use Facebook to supplement sales at physical local outlets, while others are strictly ecommerce merchants and use Facebook to augment sales from their websites and eBay. According to a survey conducted by solution provider Payvment in March 2012, Facebook is the sole sales channel for 37 percent of sellers — 63 percent also have their own website. Merchants also use other channels with 29 percent selling on eBay, 21 percent selling on Etsy, and 15 percent using Amazon.”

Google Fortifies Ecommerce Chops With $125 Million Acquisition (Forbes)
“Google will buy Channel Intelligence Inc. for $125 million to add marketing tools for retailers. The company focuses on helping consumers find and buy products online. CI tracks nearly 15 percent of US transactions online and drives $2B in sales annually in referred sales online in computing, home improvement, appliances, consumer electronics, toys and a variety of other consumer packaged goods.”