Content about Information technology management

According to research, ownership of smartphones and tablets in particular have grown rapidly over the past couple of years, and that has created a multi-headed omnichannel hydra of a customer who retailers across all channels are desperately trying to appease.

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Shopkick, a shopping app, on Wednesday announced that Nielsen ranked Shopkick No. 34 out of approximately 1 million apps in December 2012. While still trailing giants like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter overall, Shopkick dominated the shopping category during the holiday season, with more frequent and prolonged usage than all physical retailers' own apps including Starbucks, Walmart, Walgreens, Kroger and Safeway, the app developer noted. 

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Online giant Amazon.com will begin collecting a 6% state sales tax on purchases being shipped to Pennsylvania beginning Sept. 1, according to published reports.

The move is being made so that the online retailer will be in compliance with a new Pennsylvania state law going into effect that requires online retailers to collect state taxes if that retailer has a physical presence in the state.

ARMONK, N.Y. — IBM's fifth annual "Online Retail Holiday Readiness" report has uncovered that 2012 may just be the year of mobile.

Based on data from more than 500 U.S. retailers, the report found that online mobile sales increased 88.8% in second quarter 2012, compared with year-ago period.

What's more, IBM is forecasting that mobile sales will reach 20% of total online holiday sales this holiday season, and that mobile traffic will close in on 25%.

This month, DSN C2B Mobile Insights presents the Drug Store Shopping Report Card. We asked our C2Bers to rate their most recent trip to the drug store — or wherever it is they go primarily to shop for pharmacy and health and beauty items. We received more than 1,500 responses from all over the country.

Given all the attention around the hotly contested Express Scripts-Medco merger, Drug Store News thought we’d ask our C2B consumer reporters, if all things were equal and every pharmacy accepted their insurance, what would be the most important factors in choosing a pharmacy? Ninety-four percent said location/convenience, followed by customer service (50%). That's just a taste of what they told us.

In the first DSN/C2B Mobile Insights report, we examine what consumers think about shopping for health and beauty online vs. brick-and-mortar retailers. Overall, nearly 8-of-10 consumers bought health-and-beauty-aid items online in the past year. Did they leave your store to buy? Did they use their smartphones to make a purchase and use YOUR STORE as a “showroom” for ANOTHER RETAILER’S website?

1) Have you purchased a health or beauty product online in the past year?

WASHINGTON — Internet retailers have an unfair advantage over Main Street merchants when it comes to sales tax, and legislation may be the solution to help level the playing field, according to the National Retail Federation.

NEW YORK — Online retailer Amazon is testing robotic delivery lockers that people can use to receive items they order from the website, according to published reports.

Wired magazine reported online that the company was conducting the tests in Seattle and New York at Rite Aid and 7-Eleven stores, as well as other locations. The new service would allow people to select a locker location for delivery and then go to retrieve their items automatically using a six-digit code.

NEW YORK — A story on the Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch, published Monday, identified Amazon.com as the latest value-oriented retailer to pose challenges to more traditional brick-and-mortar retailers.


The new-look Duane Reade stores feature a special Papyrus section in the greeting card aisle. Papyrus — known for its posh collection of greeting cards, gift wrap, stationery and other unique gift products — certainly has lent an air of distinction to the department with its upscale fixtures and sleek design.


Cards for all occasions, including birthdays, anniversaries and weddings, are merchandised attractively in the more than 8 ft. of space devoted to the section.

As photo processing continues to evolve, retailers are finding new ways to make the department profitable. Bing Liem, VP sales for Fujifilm North America, said retailers need to re-evaluate their existing on-site photo business.


“It’s critical to maximize the use of existing assets,” he said. New product offerings, such as posters, folded cards, calendars and books, help maximize the value of the category, Liem said.