US online retail spending totaled $29.6 billion in Q3 2009, according to a e-commerce sales estimate released on November 5 by ComScore. The period, down 2% versus a year ago, was the second in online shopping history in which sales figures had a downward trend in consecutive quarters. However, the projections for the holiday season are healthier.

Online holiday sales will increase this year, but marketers will have to work harder for each buyer than last year, according to the 2009 US Online Holiday Retail Forecast, released by Forrester Research on November 2. The research company's report, based on an online survey fielded in August of 4,723 US adults, projects an 8% growth rate for November and December US online retail sales.

Samsung, conducting a test for more than six months on BestBuy.com, found that it could increasingly interact with consumers via a "Mr. Samsung" expert who answers consumers' questions on the retail site. The company discovered that consumers tend to view products more often after interaction with Mr. Samsung, says Kris Narayanan, director of integrated marketing at Samsung Electronics America.

Target has eliminated 85 positions as part of a reorganization of its marketing department. The company said in a statement that it "routinely evaluates all areas" to ensure its organizational structure is efficient and that staffing levels meet its changing needs. The position eliminations were not specific to employment levels or skill sets, according to a company spokesperson.

Kohl's Department Stores will increase its investment in digital media by 25% this holiday season. The chain will also boost the amount of mailings to Kohl's Charge Card users, including distributing a men's holiday gift guide in select markets.

E-commerce services provider GSI Commerce has agreed to acquire Retail Convergence, operator of private sale e-commerce site RueLaLa.com, for up to $350 million. The transaction includes a $180 million pay out at the closing of the deal and an earn-out of up to $170 million based on Retail Convergence's performance in fiscal year 2012.

Although there's been talk by retail watchdogs that this holiday season's discounting might not be what it was in past years, retailers are racing to the lowest prices on book sales.

In an effort to attract the growing economic might of Hispanics living in the US, the NBA this month launched Éne-bé-a, a multichannel marketing campaign.

Toy manufacturer Mattel has launched MattelShop.com, which has, in addition to traditional e-commerce features, social shopping tools and real-time updated content. Previously, Mattel brands like American Girl, Fisher-Price and Barbie Collector had their own e-commerce portals. This is the first time all of Mattel's brands are sold on one e-commerce site.

Playboy Enterprises and e-commerce and catalog service provider eFashionSolutions have settled a dispute over the operation of Playboy's e-commerce and catalog businesses. The companies announced the deal on October 20. EFashionSolutions said in a statement that it will continue to manage the e-commerce operations of Playboy's retail brands ShopTheBunny.com and PlayboyStore.com.