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Forrester: Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook dominate e-commerce

Google, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook will continue to dominate online business, but Internet retailers and marketers should tread carefully in partnering with them, according to a Feb. 7 Forrester report.
 

Groupon reports revenue spike in first public earnings report

Groupon reported a 419% increase in 2011 revenue to $1.6 billion, the company said in its first earnings report as a public company on Feb. 8.
 

Amazon billed by Arizona for $53 million in sales taxes

Amazon claims that the state of Arizona has served the online company a tax bill for $53 million for uncollected sales tax.
 

Staples to launch tablet-optimized e-commerce site

Office supply retailer Staples is launching a new e-commerce site that optimized specifically for shopping on tablet computers.
 

Study: CPG website visits boost in-store sales

Visitors to consumer package goods (CPG) e-commerce websites spend 37% more in retail stores than consumers who do not visit the brand sites, according to a Jan. 30 study by comScore, Accenture and dunnhumbyUSA.
 

Staples to open e-commerce innovation center

Staples will open an e-commerce innovation center in Massachusetts in May that will house teams "responsible for designing and implementing innovative new e-commerce solutions" for Staples' business customers, the company said in a Jan. 26 statement.
 

Netflix revenue jumps 47%

Netflix said Jan. 25 that it saw $876 million in global revenue in Q4, a year-over-year increase of 47%, although it spent nearly 60% less on marketing in the fourth quarter of 2011 compared with the same period of the prior year.
 

JCPenney overhauls marketing, promo strategy

JCPenney is getting a new logo and is completely revamping its pricing, branding, promotions, as well as refreshing its stores, the retailer's new CEO Ron Johnson announced Jan. 25.
 

FYI Direct to launch campaign for FreeScore.com

FYI Direct is launching an integrated campaign for its FreeScore.com brand, a company that gives free credit scores online. Two new TV commercials will begin airing on Feb. 6 along with online efforts.
 

Sam's Club CEO resigns, Wal-Mart promotes four within C-suite

Sam's Club president and CEO Brian Cornell will resign his position and be replaced by Rosalind Brewer, president of Wal-Mart U.S. East , effective Feb. 1, Sarah Spencer, Wal-Mart's director of national media relations, confirmed Jan. 20.
 

EBay revenue up 27%, launching Paypal in-store purchase pilot

EBay recorded $11.7 billion in net revenue for 2011, a 27% increase compared with the prior year. The company's net income for the year also spiked, jumping 79% year-over-year to $3.2 billion.
 

Neil Ashe joins Wal-mart as CEO of global e-commerce

Marketing executive Neil Ashe has joined Wal-mart Stores as president and CEO of the company's global e-commerce business. Ashe is replacing Eduardo Castro-Wright, who is retiring but who will assist in the transition, the retailer confirmed Jan. 17.
 

NRF Big Show: Ralph Lauren EVP on marketing luxury goods online

Retailer Ralph Lauren "blends merchandising and entertainment" to tell the story that surrounds its products, a tactic essential to keeping an iconic brand relevant in the technologically developing retail world, said David Lauren, Ralph Lauren's EVP of advertising, marketing and corporate communications, at the National Retail Federation's (NRF) 101st Big Show on Jan. 17.
 

Macy's CMO shares loyalty insights at NRF Big Show

Macy's discussed loyalty tactics and shared details about MyMacy's, its consumer-centric collaboration with dunnhumby USA, at the National Retail Federation Big Show on Jan. 16 in New York City.
 

Holiday sales increase, fall short of expectations

Total U.S. retail sales generated an estimated $400.6 billion in December, an increase of 6.5% compared with the same month last year, according to a Jan. 12 report from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Total sales for the 2011 calendar year increased 7.7% to $4.7 trillion compared with the prior year, the report said.
 

Urban Outfitters replaces CEO

Urban Outfitters Inc. appointed Richard Hayne CEO after Glen Senk resigned on Jan. 9, the retailer said on Jan. 10.
 

Brookstone CEO leaves to become Sears Holdings' EVP

Sears Holdings Corp. named Ron Boire EVP, chief merchandising officer and president of the Sears and Kmart business units on Jan. 3.
 

M-commerce profit surge helps ring in the holidays

Alex Palmer

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.
 

Lowe's buys online retailer ATG Stores

Home improvement retailer Lowe's acquired online retailer ATG Stores, the company said on Dec. 29. Lowe's spokesperson Karen Cobb said the acquisition closed yesterday afternoon but declined to disclose terms.
 

Report: E-commerce sales up this holiday season

E-commerce sales hit $35.3 billion for the holiday season so far, up 15% compared with the same time period last year. During the week that ended on Dec. 25, e-commerce retailers brought in more than $2.8 billion alone in spending, a 16% increase from the corresponding week last year, according to a Dec. 28 report from comScore.
 

Zappos launches magalog iPad app

Online retailer Zappos.com has launched Zappos Now, a digital catalog and lifestyle magazine app that includes editorial content on current fashion trends and the ability to shop directly within the app, the company said Dec. 16.
 

RichRelevance acquires Searchandise Commerce

RichRelevance, a San Francisco-based retail marketing services company, has acquired Searchandise Commerce, a Beverly, Mass.-based retail search marketing services firm. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
 

IBM to acquire DemandTec

IBM has agreed to acquire software company DemandTec for approximately $440 million in cash, the company said Dec. 8. The acquisition, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2012, is designed to add cloud computing analytics technology to IBM's digital commerce toolset.
 

Sears posts net loss

Sears Holdings Corp. posted a third-quarter net loss of $421 million, the company reported Nov. 17. Sears brand domestic comparable store sales declined 0.7% and subsidiary Kmart's comparable store sales declined 0.9%.
 

Department of Commerce: E-commerce spending up

U.S. retail e-commerce totaled $48.2 billion during the third quarter of 2011, an increase of 13.7% compared with the third quarter of 2010, according to Nov. 17 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
 

Staples revamps b-to-b e-commerce site, reports net sales increase

Staples, Inc. launched a new e-commerce site for its b-to-b division, Staples Advantage, said Laura Brooks, VP of b-to-b e-commerce at Staples. The new site is designed to feature faster and easier search navigation, alternative product recommendations and enhanced site customization, among other changes.
 

Wal-Mart's revenue up

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. reported on Nov. 15 third-quarter revenue of $110.2 billion, an 8.1% increase compared with the prior year.
 

Office Depot names new international division president

Office Depot promoted Steve Schmidt to president of the international division, the company said in a Nov. 14 statement. Schmidt will replace Charles Brown, who was fired in September for having an "improper relationship" with an associate.
 

Amazon supports, eBay opposes new Internet sales tax bill

Senators Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and seven other senators introduced a bill Nov. 9 that would restore each state's sovereign right to enforce state and local sales and use tax laws. The "Marketplace Fairness Act" would also exempt online retailers with less than $500,000 in annual revenue from collecting and remitting sales or use tax.
 

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

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.
 

Sears Holdings' marketing president to resign

David Friedman, Sears Holdings Corp.'s SVP and president of marketing, will resign his post in January. Imran Jooma, SVP and president of e-commerce at Sears Holdings, will manage the retailer's online, marketing, financial services and pricing business units.
 

Digital media empowers shoppers this holiday season, survey says

Santa is going social, and mobile appears to be king when it comes to shopping this holiday season, according to a study conducted Oct. 11-14 by Shopper Sciences, a marketing consultancy unit of the Interpublic Group of Companies' Mediabrands.
 

Toys 'R' Us to launch integrated holiday campaign

Toys "R" Us will launch its integrated 2011 holiday advertising campaign on Oct. 30., featuring direct mail, email, social media and TV elements.
 

Sears, Kmart launch digital, local advertising program

Sears Holdings Corp. launched a digital advertising program on Oct. 26 that will offer consumers weekly circulars for hundreds of Sears and Kmart stores nationwide, said Tom Aiello, VP of public relations at Sears Holdings.
 

Amazon.com Q3 net sales, marketing expenses up

Amazon.com reported a third quarter net sales increase of 44% to $10.88 billion compared with the third quarter of 2010. Third quarter marketing expenses increased 53.5% to $370 million compared with Q3 2010.
 

Office Depot's Q3 sales decline, profit increases

Office Depot's sales for the third quarter of 2011 decreased 2% to $2.8 billion compared with the third quarter of 2010, the company reported on Oct. 25.
 

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

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.
 

DHL launches new U.S. e-commerce site

Shipping services provider DHL launched on Oct. 17 a revamped website for U.S. customers, DHL-USA.com, which features improved navigation, search, paperless clearance and conversion calculators, said Robert Mintz, communications manager at DHL Express.
 

Taco Bell appoints Niccol head marketer

Taco Bell Corp. has named Brian Niccol its chief marketing and innovation officer, said Taco Bell spokesperson Rob Poetsch via email on Oct. 14. Niccol starts on Oct. 24 with the Yum! Brands-owned company.
 

Target.com president resigns

Steve Eastman, president of Target.com, resigned on Oct. 13, Target Corp. said. It is immediately unclear who will replace him.
 

EBay adds social commerce capabilities with Facebook integration

EBay integrated the Facebook Open Graph tool with its Magento and GSI Commerce online shopping platforms. Social ad developer Brand Networks also launched a tool on Oct. 13 designed to enhance Facebook advertising.
 

Liz Claiborne sells brand portfolio to JCPenney for $288 million

Liz Claiborne Inc. agreed to sell the Liz Claiborne, Monet and Kensie brands, and completed the sale of the Dana Buchman brand, for total cash proceeds of approximately $328 million, Liz Claiborne Inc. CEO William McComb said during an Oct. 13 conference call.
 

Wal-Mart launches 3,500 Facebook pages to distribute local offers

Wal-Mart Stores launched approximately 3,500 store-specific Facebook pages that enable consumers to receive offers and updates from local Wal-Mart retail locations.
 

NRF: Holiday retail sales projected to grow 2.8% this year

Holiday retail sales are expected to increase 2.8% to $465.6 billion this season, according to an Oct. 6 National Retail Federation (NRF) forecast.
 

JCPenney hires Target CMO as its new president

Michael Francis, Target Corp.'s CMO and EVP, has been hired by JCPenney to become the company's new president, J.C Penney announced on Oct. 3.
 

Chevy marketing exec tells magazine publishers: 'It's about survival'

The auto industry and magazine publishers have more in common than one might think - both "were dragged kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century," Jean Jennings, president and editor-in-chief of Source Interlink Media's Automobile Magazine, told attendees of the 2011 American Magazine Conference on Oct. 4 in New York.
 

Rockport names Hunt head of e-commerce

Kimberley Correia Hunt has been named head of e-commerce at Adidas-owned footwear brand The Rockport Co. Emmanuelle Accad, director of global PR and events at The Rockport Co. confirmed the hire to Direct Marketing News. Hunt will report to Tobias Reiss-Schmidt, VP of global retail at Rockport, effective Oct. 11.
 

Cabela's names Williams CMO

Cabela's Inc. named Scott Williams its EVP, chief marketing and e-commerce officer, the outdoors product retailer said in a statement. Williams will report to Cabela's CEO Tommy Millner.
 

Reebok settles with FTC for $25 million over 'deceptive' ads

Athletic apparel and footwear company Reebok agreed to settle with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for $25 million over charges that Reebok ran "unsubstantiated" and "deceptive" ads for its EasyTone and RunTone shoes, David Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said on Sept. 28.
 

Office Depot exec ousted for 'improper relationship' with associate

Office Depot has terminated Charlie Brown, president of the international division, for having an improper relationship with an associate, the company said in a statement. A replacement was not immediately named.
 

Quidsi unveils e-commerce site for toy products

E-commerce retailer Quidsi launched YoYo.com on Sept. 20, an e-commerce site with 20,000 toy-related products.
 

Experian to launch digital catalog app next year

Experian Marketing Services is building a catalog application for the iPad and all Android devices, Jeff Hassemer, VP of product strategy, told Direct Marketing News. The product will be available in the first quarter of 2012.
 

Brands should avoid overuse of flash-sales sites: Shop.org 2011

Retailers should only use flash-sales sites periodically because overuse can be detrimental when they unnecessarily discount products that aren't excess inventory, said Ben Fischman, chairman and CEO of Rue La La.
 

Google relaunches product search: Shop.org 2011

Google relaunched its product search page on Sept. 14, said Stephanie Tilenius, VP of commerce and payments at the Mountain View, Calif.-based company. It will also soon debut Google+ business pages, she said, although she did not reveal a specific date.
 

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

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

Digital helps Columbia Sportswear boost revenue by $500M: Shop.org 2011

Columbia Sportswear Co. has projected that its 2011 revenue will increase to $1.7 billion, compared with $1.2 billion in 2008, due to its digital innovations, said Michael McCormick, EVP of global sales and marketing at the company.
 

EBay turns to Wenig to lead Marketplaces division

EBay has hired Devin Wenig, former CEO of Thomson Reuters' Markets division, as president of its global eBay Marketplaces business unit. He will report to John Donahoe, president and CEO of eBay.
 

Amazon.com planning e-commerce site relaunch

Amazon.com will launch a revamped e-commerce site this fall. The upgraded site will feature enhanced product search and tablet navigation, according to numerous media reports.
 

Amazon.com tops favorite online retailer list

Amazon.com, Wal-Mart Stores and eBay are consumers' preferred online-shopping destinations, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation's Stores magazine. Macy's joined the "Favorite 50 Online Retailers" survey's top 10 at No. 8, and Nordstrom made its debut at No. 30.
 

Social causes rule marketers' back-to-school campaigns

JCPenney, Macy's and General Mills are among the brands that launched back-to-school marketing initiatives this summer tied to youth-oriented social causes. The marketers see the campaigns as opportunities to win consumers' hearts and minds, as well as dollars, during an important shopping season.
 

Zmags names Ford COO, CMO

Marketing technology company Zmags has named W. Sean Ford COO and CMO. He will report to chief executive Michael Schreck.
 

Google+ partners with Bazaarvoice, PowerReviews on +1 referrals

Google has partnered with social commerce companies Bazaarvoice and PowerReviews to help brands implement the "+1" recommendation button.
 

Target relaunches its e-commerce portal

Retailer Target Corp. has relaunched its e-commerce site, adding social media integration and email sharing capabilities.
 

Vitacost names Gilt Groupe vet CMO

Health-products retailer Vitacost.com has named David Zucker CMO, effective immediately. He will replace Sonya Lambert in the role.
 

FX, Cycle Gear team up for 'Sons of Anarchy' sweeps

FX Networks and motorcycle apparel retailer Cycle Gear have launched a sweepstakes to promote the season-four premiere of the series Sons of Anarchy and to grow both companies' email databases.
 

Staples second-quarter net income up

Staples reported $5.8 billion in total sales in the second quarter, a 5.2% increase compared with the same period of 2010. Second-quarter net income for the Framingham, Mass.-based office-supply retailer increased 36% year-over-year to $176 million. Operating expenses grew 8.3% to $1.3 billion compared with last year.
 

Wal-Mart US e-commerce chief resigns

Steve Nave, SVP and GM of Walmart.com US, has resigned. The retailer will replace him with former SVP Joel Anderson, who has been promoted to president of Walmart.com US, according to an internal memo provided to Direct Marketing News.
 

July retail sales pick up speed

US retail and food services sales increased 0.5% in July to $392.4 billion compared with June, and grew 8.5% compared with last July, according to US Census Bureau estimates. Sales in the retail and food services sector increased 7.9% to $2.7 trillion in the first seven months of 2011, compared with the same period of last year.
 

Lands' End taps Demandware for global e-commerce expansion

Clothing retailer Lands' End has selected e-commerce platform provider Demandware to support the company's international online operations. The multichannel retailer has launched a cloud-based e-commerce platform in Austria, Germany, France, the UK and Sweden.
 

Macy's to launch back-to-school mobile, social cause marketing campaign

Macy's will launch a back-to-school cause marketing campaign in conjunction with youth volunteer organization DoSomething.org on August 8 that leverages direct mail, email, mobile and social media.
 

Woo named Sears CMO

Sears Holdings Corp. has named Monica Woo VP and CMO, according to reports. Woo will replace Don Hamblen, who left the company in January 2010.
 

Huber named Lands' End CEO

Sears Holdings has named Edgar Huber president and CEO of Lands' End, the company said in an August 1 statement. He will replace former CEO Nicholas P. M. Coe, who left the company in May to become CEO of Bath & Body Works Brand Management.
 

Gap eyes global expansion with new marketing push

Sarah Shearman, Reporter, Marketing

Gap, whose previous campaigns have focused primarily on the US, has rolled out a global campaign to create awareness around its 1969 autumn collection.
 

State tax laws restrict major players in e-commerce arena

E-commerce giants Amazon.com and Overstock.com terminated all advertising contracts with California affiliates early last month, shortly after the State Assembly passed an Internet tax bill extending the Golden State's 7.25% sales tax to online retailers.
 

'Allure' adds e-commerce functionality to its website

Allure magazine has relaunched its website to include e-commerce features. The beauty publication partnered with e-commerce company Quidsi to add access to 2,200 products to the site.
 

Amazon.com net sales, marketing expenses up

Amazon.com reported a net sales increase of 51% in the second quarter to $9.9 billion, compared with the second quarter of 2010. Marketing expenses increased 61.6% to $341 million in Q2 for the Seattle-based e-commerce company.
 

JCPenney launches back-to-school campaigns

JCPenney will launch the "Daydreamer" back-to-school campaign on July 24, featuring direct mail, email and online display, TV and print ads. Creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi New York created the effort.
 

EBay revenue up 25%, driven by PayPal

EBay's second-quarter revenue increased 25% to $2.8 billion, compared with the second quarter of 2010. The San Jose, Calif.-based company's net income decreased 31% year-over-year to $283.4 million.
 

JCPenney CMO retires after eight years at the helm

Mike Boylson, CMO of JCPenney, retired this month after more than eight years as the retailer's marketing leader and 33 years at the company. JCPenney has yet to name a replacement.
 

Coca-Cola names Lewis marketing SVP

The Coca-Cola Co. has appointed Allison Lewis SVP of marketing for Coca-Cola North America. She will replace Beatriz Perez, who was named Coca-Cola's chief sustainability officer on July 1.
 

Office Depot names CMO in restructuring

In a major restructuring, Office Depot named Bob Moore its EVP and CMO and appointed Kevin Peters president of North America, a new position. The retailer also combined its North American retail and business solutions divisions and split the role of EVP of e-commerce and direct marketing into two roles.
 

June credit spending increases 8.8%: report

The amount of money spent at US merchant locations increased by 8.8% in June, compared with the prior year, according to First Data Corp.'s SpendTrend analysis for the month. The report measured credit, signature debit, PIN debit, EBT cards and checks spending.
 

Dining, shopping drive daily deals purchases: PriceGrabber survey

Consumers browse daily deal websites for dining offers more than any other category, according to a July 11 survey from PriceGrabber, an Experian-owned e-commerce site. The majority of consumers buy one to four deals per week but do not expect to save a specific amount when purchasing a deal, according to the survey.
 

EBay pays $240M for mobile payments service Zong

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

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.
 

Amazon.com to acquire Book Depository

Amazon.com agreed to acquire online bookseller The Book Depository International, a UK-based retailer, on July 4.The Book Depository reported sales of $173.5 million in the 12 months ending in June.
 

Amazon.com, O.co terminate affiliate ad contracts in California

Amazon.com and O.co (aka Overstock.com) have canceled their California affiliate advertising contracts as a result of the state's July 1-enacted sales tax law, which requires out-of-state retailers to collect 7.25% base tax on online purchases made by in-state residents.
 

Retailers rally for simplified online tax code

Amanda Green

E-commerce retailers and wireless companies are teaming up to lobby Congress to simplify the taxation process for digital goods, such as MP3s, e-books, mobile apps and games. Working with various industry groups, the companies are supporting legislation that would simplify the tax code for digital items.
 

Best Buy revamps Web analytics after 2009 data outage: IRCE 2011

Understanding how to collect and manage data has allowed Best Buy to optimize campaigns and bring customers deeper into the sales funnel, said Lynn Lanphier, director of digital analytics at the company, on June 16.
 

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

Determine value and turn on BS detectors, says Vitamin Shoppe CMO: IRCE 2011

Retailers must determine their brand value before they can determine the best channels and strategies needed to interact with consumers, said Lou Weiss, CMO of The Vitamin Shoppe on June 15 at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition in San Diego. He added that retailers must provide "portable context" to ensure that a consumer's brand experience is uninterrupted across channel.
 

EBay to launch social commerce features: IRCE 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.
 

Groupon sticks toe in supermarket loyalty space with Big Y partnership

New England-based supermarket chain Big Y Foods has partnered with Groupon on a pilot program that will allow loyalty club members to redeem high-value coupons at supermarket locations, both companies said June 7.
 

EBay buys e-commerce platform provider Magento

EBay has agreed to acquire Magento, an e-commerce software platform provider. San Jose, Calif.-based eBay also said June 6 that it will create an "X.Commerce" group to use its own assets and partner technologies to build a stronger developer community.
 

Marketers must use multichannel approach: panel

Retail marketers urged their peers to embrace a multichannel approach during a June 2 Direct Marketing Club of New York panel discussion.
 

Office Depot names interim chief its permanent chairman, CEO

Office Depot has named Neil Austrian its permanent chairman and CEO, the company said May 25. He had served as the Boca Raton, Fla.-based office supply retailer's interim leader since November 1, 2010. Austrian will replace Steven Odland, who resigned last October after more than five years with the company.
 

Overstock.com teams with Tour de France on sweepstakes

Overstock.com is conducting a sweepstakes, sponsored by the Tour de France, to engage consumers in the "active lifestyle demographic," said Stormy Simon, SVP of customer experience at the company. The "On Tour with Tour de France" sweepstakes, which will run through May 30, will give one consumer a trip to France for the cycling event.
 

JCPenney Internet sales up in first quarter

JCPenney Co. reported May 16 that its Internet sales increased 6.6% to $376 million in the first quarter of 2011, compared with Q1 2010. The Plano, Texas-based company's first quarter net sales increased 0.4% year-over-year to $3.94 billion, and net income increased 6.7% to $64 million in the quarter.
 

Visa to launch a 'digital wallet' this fall

Visa said it will launch an electronic payments platform this fall designed to simplify and secure online, mobile and social networking transactions. The product will also allow consumers to shop across channels without abandoning an electronic shopping cart.
 

Amazon CEO: Data security issues won't go away

Companies should plan to deal with data security issues for the long haul, said Jeff Bezos, chairman, president and CEO of Amazon.com on May 11 at ShopSmart magazine's Summit on Tips, Scams & Deals. He added that companies need to be "straightforward" with consumers when collecting data for making product recommendations.