Content about Electronic commerce

BRISBANE, Calif. — Walmart announced that it has acquired the services of Kosmix, a Mountain View, Calif.-based company, to grow its multichannel strategy.

MIAMI BEACH — While fewer consumers are seeking out private-label options this year, preplanning activities continue to be a priority, according to a new survey conducted by SymphonyIRI Group.

In SymphonyIRI's inaugural MarketPulse survey, the group found that 2-out-of-3 shoppers today are making shopping lists prior to visiting the store, while 56% are reading store fliers either before or at the store — statistics that are in line with trends noted in 2010.

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Personalization of the in-store customer experience will be a key objective for retailers over the next two years, according to two new Aberdeen Group reports sponsored by HP.

According to the 100 senior retail executives surveyed from such industries as apparel, grocery and department stores, 76% do not possess the technology tools or the business processes for executing Web, catalog or special orders from stores. This challenge is being fueled by rising consumer expectations of rich, multimedia in-store shopping experiences.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation said legislation introduced Tuesday to delay swipe fee reform, which is scheduled to go into effect this summer, would block retailers from giving discounts to consumers who use debit cards and would cost merchants and the public more than $1 billion per month.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association on Tuesday urged Congress to permit the Federal Reserve Board to expedite the implementation of an amendment to the financial-reform legislation from Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., that would limit the fees charged to retail merchants on debit card transactions (known as “swipe fees”) to a level that is “reasonable and proportionate” to the costs incurred by the banks and credit card associations to process these transactions.

CLEVELAND — Greeting card enthusiasts that want to know what's new in the card aisles before hitting the stores now can see the latest innovations online, thanks to a new page on American Greetings' website.

AmericanGreetings.com's new page now features the latest product introductions, a special downloadable coupon and a store locator so consumers instantly can find retailers in their area.

CINCINNATI — The former president and CEO of eBay has returned to Procter & Gamble's board of directors, effective immediately.

Meg Whitman, who worked as a brand assistant for P&G after graduating from Harvard Business School, served on P&G's board from 2003 to 2008. During her career, Whitman served as president and CEO of eBay from 1998 until 2008. Whitman also ran for governor of California in the 2010 elections.

WASHINGTON — Retailers are ready to expand again, and likely will do so as the economy picks up, according to a new survey conducted by the charitable arm of the National Retail Federation and KPMG.

WASHINGTON — Though most might associate the Internal Revenue Service with the Grinch, the IRS came through with a last-minute Christmas present for retailers stung by changes in the tax code related to consumers’ use of flexible spending and health reimbursement accounts to purchase approved OTC products.

BOSTON — Competitive everyday-low-pricing strategies and lowest-price guarantees soon may become standard as use of mobile smart phones while shopping grows, according to a new GfK Roper poll, commissioned by SapientNitro, an integrated marketing and technology services firm.

Another key learning from the survey: The shopping experience is paramount.

NEW YORK — Consumers see smart phones as future personal, coupon-clipping shopper assistants, a global survey released Monday by Accenture found. According to the survey, 79% of smart-phone users would find it useful to download money-off coupons to their phones, and 73% of those shoppers would be receptive to being pinged with instant money-off coupons as they passed by an item in a store.

WASHINGTON — A coalition of six associations, including the Consumer Healthcare Products Association and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, on Thursday called on Congress to repeal the requirement that prevents consumers from using their flexible spending accounts to purchase over-the-counter medicines without a prescription as of Jan. 1.