June 16, 2011
·
Posted by
Antonella Pannizzo
Sharing:
Retail e-commerce spending has increased throughout the last few years. At the end of 2008 we saw a decrease in spending due to a declining economy that continued to fall throughout 2009. However, 2010 was a turning point when spending increased and sales grew. According to Internet Retailer, the sales of the Top 500 retailers grew 18% to $150 billion in 2010 from $127.1 billion in 2009. Furthermore, comScore released online spending estimates for Q1 2011, up 12% to $38 billion compared to a year ago. This quarter represented the sixth consecutive quarter of positive gains.
The online ch...
May 18, 2011
·
Posted by
Jenny Mehan
Sharing:
When it comes to researching a product, online user ratings and reviews carry a lot of clout. A recent study by Lightspeed Research indicates that 62% of respondents read online reviews before making a purchasing decision. As the mother of two young children, I always check out a product’s reviews before adding it to my cart. Reading the “field testing” experiences of the latest stroller by other moms is much more important to me than looking over the manufacturer's product specs (i.e. Will that cup holder really hold a Grande latte?).
Regardless of whether I’ve bought online, or mad...
April 20, 2011
·
Posted by
Antonella Pannizzo
Sharing:
According to e-Marketer, there is an estimated 73.3 million smartphone users in the U.S alone. In a recent survey of 1,491 consumers conducted by Chadwick Martin Bailey and iModerate Research Technologies, half of smartphones users use their mobile while shopping. In addition, almost a quarter of smartphone owners have made a purchase. The report indicates the top three reasons for smartphone usage:
66% compare prices of products and services
58% find the nearest location
58% check for discounts
How do you use your smartphone while shopping? ...
March 14, 2011
·
Posted by
Jenny Mehan
Sharing:
At the end of 2010, Google launched Boutiques.com – a personalized online fashion experience that allows users to create a profile of the styles, colors, and designers that they love in order to create their own customized boutique. The site is easy to use and includes a fun Stylyzer Quiz, and provides the ability to easily refine searches by genre, silhouette, pattern and color.
From a shopper’s perspective, Boutiques is unique (and did I mention fun?) in that the site “learns” what a user prefers and makes recommendations based on search algorithms and machine learning technology. A sear...
March 10, 2011
·
Posted by
Antonella Pannizzo
Sharing:
Recent reports indicate that the Canadian e-commerce market is on the rise. According to eMarketer, Canadian consumers spent 16.5 billion in 2010 on both domestic and foreign sites. This number is expected to double by 2015 to 30.9 billion.
More Canadian retailers are starting to sell online. For instance, Canadian Tire recently re-launched their e-commerce site to sell tires online. A couple of years ago, Canadian Tire stopped selling online in a cost-cutting measure they thought would benefit the company during the economic downturn.
In a recent report by comScore Canada Digital ...
January 6, 2011
·
Posted by
Antonella Pannizzo
Sharing:
This year holiday spending hit a record high of $30.8 billion. According to comScore, e-commerce holiday spending in the U.S has increased 13 percent compared to the same period last year. Just the past week before Christmas there was a 17 percent increase of $2.45 billion versus the same time last year. Retailers anticipate that New Year’s sales will increase the total holiday spending to $32.4 billion, an 11 percent increase. Source: comScorecomScore also reports on the top growing retail categories this holiday season:1. Computer Hardware2. Books & Magazines3. Consumer Electronic...
December 17, 2010
·
Posted by
Wanda Cadigan
Sharing:
In our last post, we highlighted how Google, Twitter and YouTube saw 2010. Here's a great video from the data scientists at Facebook that gives a glimpse into 2 of the top global status trends from 2010.
For the full memology, visit Facebook.
p.s. and while you're there, don't forget to check out our Cactus Fan Page :)
...
December 3, 2010
·
Posted by
Donna Remillard
Sharing:
As promised in a previous post, I thought I’d go over some of the pros and cons of a mobile site vs. a mobile app. There’s a lot to consider both before and after the decision is made, but to start here are some of the current facts.
According to an Internet Retailer Survey from September of 2010 retailers surveyed offered:
A Mobile Commerce Site: 8.8%
Mobile apps: 3.5%
Both: 8.8%
While there’s consensus that retailers need and want to leverage mobile to engage with their customers, there’s an on-going debate, with some very definite opinions, on whether a mobile site, a...
December 1, 2010
·
Posted by
Antonella Pannizzo
Sharing:
Are you one of the many that shopped online this past Black Friday and Cyber Monday? According to reports, record breaking numbers were achieved.
Online sales for this year’s Black Friday reached $648 million, a 9% increase compared to last year, according to comScore. In addition, Thanksgiving Day which is not considered a busy shopping day, had a 28% increase to $407 million in online sales.
comScore reports the top sites that received the most traffic on Black Friday compared to last year:
1. Amazon – 25% increase 2. Walmart – 1 % decrease 3. Target – 9% increase ...
November 23, 2010
·
Posted by
Wanda Cadigan
Sharing:
The kickoff to the biggest holiday shopping season of the year officially begins the day after US Thanksgiving, but Black Friday has unofficially started with many retailers jumping the gun and getting in on the action early. In yesterday’s Globe and Mail piece, Marina Strauss contends the Black Friday is actually morphing into Black November – and she has a good point.
With retailers like Wal-Mart and Amazon announcing their deals early, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas...err, Black Friday already. Wal-Mart has offered free shipping for most of the holiday season, and Amazon ...
Next >>