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mobile commerce

M-commerce profit surge helps ring in the holidays

Alex Palmer January 01, 2012

This year's Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend proved a big one for e-commerce — and mobile commerce in particular. Thanks to a combination of generous deals and increasingly savvy and mobile-focused consumers, the biggest shopping weekend of the year was bigger than ever for online retailers.

Study: Christmas Day mobile sales up from last year

Tim Peterson December 28, 2011

More than 18% of Christmas Day online traffic was initiated on a mobile device, an 8.4% increase year-over-year, according to an IBM report. Transactions completed on mobile devices also grew, from 5.3% in 2010 to 14.4% in 2011. Christmas Day online sales rose by 16.4% compared with last year's sales figures.

IBM: 15% of online holiday shopping will be done on mobile devices

Juan Martinez November 04, 2011

Fifteen percent of e-commerce shoppers will log onto brand websites using a mobile device this holiday season, according to the IBM Coremetrics Benchmark Industry Report released Nov. 4. The study also predicts total online holiday shopping in November will grow 15% compared with last year.

EBay revenue, expenses grow in Q3

Melissa Hoffmann October 20, 2011

EBay's third-quarter revenue increased 32% to $3 billion versus 2010, the company reported. It also reported Q3 net income of $490.5 million, a 14% year-over-year bump.

Holiday shoppers to spend less on gifts, more on themselves: NRF

Juan Martinez October 19, 2011

Shoppers will spend less money on holiday gifts and seasonal merchandise this year, according to the National Retail Federation's (NRF) 2011 "Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey." Shoppers will spend an average of $704.18 this holiday season, a $14 decrease compared with last year, according to the survey.

Q&A: John Squire, IBM Coremetrics chief strategy officer

Juan Martinez October 12, 2011

John Squire, chief strategy officer with marketing technology company IBM Coremetrics, discusses IBM's recent Commerce-as-a-Service and Social Media Marketing product launches. IBM was ranked atop Forrester Research's Oct. 6 web analytics Wave.

Social media drives better service, not commerce: Shop.org 2011

Juan Martinez September 13, 2011

Social media does not drive sales, said Bill Bass, president of the Charming Direct division of plus-size clothing holding company Charming Shoppes.

Home shopping TV channels also broaden reach

Frank Washkuch September 01, 2011

As DRTV marketers move well beyond their own traditional medium, companies that were built as shop-from-home cable TV networks are doing the same, broadening the appeal beyond TV. HSN (formerly the Home Shopping Network), QVC and ShopNBC have all enhanced sales capabilities online and through mobile devices.

EBay pays $240M for mobile payments service Zong

Juan Martinez July 07, 2011

EBay has agreed to acquire mobile payments service provider Zong for approximately $240 million in cash. The online marketplace will use Zong's technology in conjunction with PayPal to give consumers flexible and secure mobile payment options, eBay said in a statement.

L.L. Bean launches mobile commerce page

Juan Martinez July 06, 2011

Outdoor apparel retailer L.L. Bean launched a mobile commerce website on July 7. The site, built on the Usablenet platform, is optimized for iPhone, Blackberry and Android devices. Consumers who attempt to access L.L. Bean's e-commerce site from a smartphone's Web browser will be automatically redirected to the mobile website.

Walgreens' multichannel customers have three times the value: IRCE 2011

Juan Martinez June 16, 2011

Multichannel customers are three times more valuable to Walgreen Co. than single-channel customers, said Sona Chawla, president of e-commerce at the company, on June 16. Speaking at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition in San Diego, she said 25% of Walgreens' online prescription orders come from the company's mobile website and apps.

EBay to launch social commerce features: IRCE 2011

Juan Martinez June 15, 2011

EBay will launch a Facebook sharing product built into its homepage that will allow consumers to find products and drag and drop them into the social network. The feature will also allow a consumer's Facebook friends to vote on their preferred product and offer comments, said Christopher Payne, VP and head of eBay North America.

Visa buys Fundamo to boost mobile services

Juan Martinez June 09, 2011

Visa has acquired mobile financial services platform provider Fundamo for $110 million in cash, both companies said June 9. Visa also said it has signed a commercial agreement with mobile financial technology provider Monitise.

Square will have a tough task turning media attention into consumer adoption

Frank Washkuch May 24, 2011

Mobile payments start-up Square is getting a lot of press, surely in part because the company was started by Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey. However, consensus from around the Web is that the platform won't catch on at the breathtaking rate that Twitter did.

Retailers continue to invest in mobile and social despite poor ROI

Juan Martinez May 03, 2011

The State of Retailing Online report, conducted by Forrester Research for Shop.org and released on May 3, revealed that 91% of retailers currently have a mobile strategy in place or in development and that 72% of retailers will increase their spending on social networks this year over last year.

Apple unveils iPad 2, gains Random House titles

Frank Washkuch March 02, 2011

Apple is full of surprises today. Most noticeably, CEO Steve Jobs, who has taken a medical leave of absence from the company, personally unveiled the iPad 2 in San Francisco. Graphics will load about nine times more quickly than on the original version of the iPad.

Is your business prepared for widespread consumer e-commerce comfort?

Juan Martinez March 01, 2011

Consumers are becoming more comfortable shopping online and on mobile devices. Is your business prepared?

PennySaverUSA.com launches mobile site

Juan Martinez February 07, 2011

PennySaverUSA.com, a subsidiary of direct marketing company Harte-Hanks, and a provider of free online classifieds and online coupons, formally launched a mobile optimized website on February 7. Visitors to the site can use GPS technology to search for ads and coupons in their current location.

Most purchases, half of transactions to be mobile by 2015: Google

Juan Martinez February 04, 2011

Two-thirds of all purchases and half of transactions will occur on mobile devices by 2015, Google executives said February 4. Consumer coupons will also transition from their current rate of 80% push to 80% opt-in four years from now, said David Shapiro, Google's director of small business marketing.

Are you turning mobile analytics into better mobile campaigns?

Juan Martinez January 05, 2011

In recent months, we've seen several technology firms acquire social media analytics companies to help end-users create, measure and improve social initiatives. Lithium acquired Scout Labs in May. In July, Marketwire acquired Sysomos. IBM spent a whopping $480 million on Coremetrics in August and less than one month later Alterian acquired Inteprid.

Personalization, privacy to boost mobile marketing in 2011: MMA

Frank Washkuch December 30, 2010

The Mobile Marketing Association has released its top 10 trends to watch in 2011. The biggest emerging trend next year: personalization and privacy will increase the effectiveness and credibility of mobile as a marketing channel, according to the MMA.

Q&A: Sam Decker, CEO of Mass Relevance

Frank Washkuch December 28, 2010

Sam Decker, a former Dell marketing director and the founding CMO of Bazaarvoice, a customer ratings and reviews company, launched Mass Relevance earlier this month. The company's goal is to help consumer brands aggregate social media conversations and use that content in their marketing. Decker spoke with Direct Marketing News about his goals for the agency.

Carl's Jr., Hardee's launch GPS-based mobile app and rewards program

Juan Martinez December 28, 2010

CKE Restaurants launched a GPS-enabled loyalty program on December 28 that rewards consumers for checking in at its Carl's Jr. and Hardee's locations.

Consumers want less clutter on their mobile devices

Marc de Grandpre, head of marketing at Outlier December 28, 2010

The mobile device is changing the world in many ways. In the US, 90% of the population over age 13 has a mobile device. Of that, 23% has a smartphone, a percentage that continues to increase.

Sears, Kmart launch online movie downloading service

Juan Martinez December 28, 2010

Sears launched Alphaline Entertainment, a service allowing consumers to purchase and download films and TV shows, on December 28.

Fandango launches an iPad app

Juan Martinez December 22, 2010

Fandango, the online ticket service provider, launched an iPad app on December 21. The app is designed to deliver movie content that will help consumers make more informed ticket-buying decisions.

Mobile Marketing Association lays out mobile promotion guidelines

Juan Martinez December 22, 2010

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) published a set of guidelines and best practices for mobile promotions on December 21, urging marketers to use honesty and transparency in their mobile deals.

Amazon.com launches iPhone price check app

Ben Comer November 23, 2010

Amazon.com launched a price comparison application for the iPhone on November 22, four days before Black Friday. The free app allows consumers to say a product name, scan a barcode, or snap a picture of a product to receive price listings from Amazon and its partners.