Intuit's Mint.com is kicking off 2014 with a sweepstakes that rewards consumers for setting up budget goals through their smartphones, tablets and desktops. Mint.com is giving away four $500 gift cards throughout the month of January. The goal of the campaign is not only to help consumers set up a personal budget for 2014, but also stick with it by logging in regularly to the company's mobile and Web properties. "The beginning of the year is naturally the time when people resolve to do all kinds of things, including getting their money in shape," said Julie Miller, spokeswoman at Mint.com, …

Another new trend of 2013 is e-commerce going mobile. Mobile phones are the most used way for Chinese internet users to get online. Alibaba's e-commerce sales are now more than the sum of eBay and Amazon sales. In China, Alibaba is responsible for about 80% of all online commercial transactions, and its revenue takes up as much as 2 percent of China's GDP. But for its founder Jack Ma, that's just the beginning. He believes that China's online sales will surpass traditional retail by 2020.

QVC's recent application revisions focus on simplifying and speeding up mcommerce and broadening video viewing and social media sharing. Going forward into 2014, the multichannel retailer will continue its focus on expanding mobile commerce and social, with "Buy More, Save More" and "Easy Pay" options. QVC understands that consumers like to identify quality items and bargains and then tell others about it. "QVC has an established brand and following and is well positioned to use mobile to improve its business," Chris Heaslip, founder and CEO of Pushpay, Costa Mesa, CA. "Apps need to be constantly updated to ensure they are …

Vodafone India, which together with ICICI Bank rolled out its mobile money transfer and payment service m-pesa in Gujarat on Monday, plans to expand it across India in 2014, a senior official said here. Vodafone , which currently provides m-pesa service in 11 States in the country, is targeting the $60 billion money transfer market in the country, 20% of which is dependent on the traditional channels like post offices, said Suresh Sethi Business Head, m-pesa. The telecom service provider is also targeting the government benefits transfer market worth $55 billion. At present, 30 per cent of money is transferred …

Amazon could soon be butting heads with companies like PayPal, following its alleged acquisition of US m-commerce firm, GoPaygo. The tiny start-up will join Amazon's ranks and the technology it has developed could be used on a major new project, according to Finextra. GoPaygo has been around for almost five years and is effectively a click and collect smartphone app, that lets people order goods from local retailers online and then pick them up in-store on the same day.

Christmas 2013 proved to be a record-breaking period for several multichannel retailers as the trend for shopping online rather than in-store continued apace. However for some brands the increase in online sales didn't necessarily translate to an increase in profits. All these stats and more are rounded up in more detail below, including financial results from John Lewis and Debenhams, as well as data from IBM showing the rise in m-commerce..

Sure to make Amazon a little less appealing to shoppers, the ecommerce giant is instituting sales tax charges in several additional states, including Indiana, Nevada and Tennessee. “Amazon agreed to begin collecting sales tax in the three states in 2014, bringing to 19 the states in which it automatically adds tax to purchases,” The Wall Street Journal reports. “Those 19 states have a combined population of roughly 180 million, more than half of U.S. residents.” 

Groupon's stock recovered significantly in 2013, gaining roughly 135% as the company saw a turnaround in its North American operations. Daily deals still remains the biggest part of its business but the company is now planning to diversify into other streams. As we look back on 2013, we find Groupon rebuilding itself by focusing on mobile commerce, local merchants, and allowing subscribers to search deals rather than pushing email marketing. In this analysis, we'll discuss Groupon's key developments for 2013 that will set the tone for the next year.

A mobile marketing firm has released information concerning the top mobile commerce brands. The data from Kiip highlights which brands have found the most success in mobile commerce in 2013. Retailers have taken a strong interest in the mobile sector due to the rapidity at which smartphone and tablet ownership is going. Consumers have been showing favor for mobile shopping because of its convenience and the deals that many retailers have been offering specifically to mobile consumers. According to the information compiled by Kiip, the retailers leading mobile commerce are JackThreads, Rue La La, Groupon, and Fab. These retailers have …

New York-based restaurant Blockheads is making a strong push into mobile and social to drive consumer engagement and increase store traffic. Blockheads is leveraging Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for various promotions and deals. The restaurant works with Bullfrog and Baum for all of its social media efforts. "What we're trying to do with Blockheads is explore as much as possible all the different outlets platforms online to see how we can gain a relationship with our customers," said Marianna Castro, digital media manager at Bullfrog and Baum, New York.