1800Flowers.com's plan to start accepting bitcoin payments in the fall reflects the retailer's search for new ways to reach a growing audience whose financial dealings and purchasing increasingly happen in the digital realm, including mobile. The Carle Place, NY, company will begin accepting the virtual currency through the Coinbase platform already used by Expedia.com, Overstock.com, DISH Network and other brands across its sites, including 1-800-Flowers.com, 1-800-Baskets.com and FruitBouquets.com. The move underscores the marketing buzz the mention of bitcoin can generate even though it is an unofficial currency and considered experimental.

One in three German consumers have said they are willing to make payments on their smartphones when paying for petrol, according to a new survey published this week. Smartphone owners in the country are more open to using the technology, with 43% saying they are ready for m-payments to pay for fuel, but there is also apparently a thirst for mCommerce among non-smartphone owners. The survey, which was conducted by TNS Infratest on behalf of European cross-channel payment solution provider Yapital, found that 33% of all respondents and 45% of smartphone owners would like to pay for their bus and …

In the era of continuous innovation there are constant improvements in technology. The emergence of smartphones has thrown up a large number of ways for companies to grow. One such industry is the M-commerce industry, which has opened up a lot of opportunities for electronic payment providers. People find it extremely easy to shop and make payments through their phones, and hence the need for these providers. eBay is one such player that has been truly enjoying the benefits of this new development. Its mobile payment solution, called PayPal, has been very successful.

The current retailing revolution isn't about overthrowing the old elite; it's about the speed with which the old dogs are learning new tricks. One such example: Amazon.com has joined the uppermost ranks of STORES magazine's Top 100 Retailers. Last year Amazon was beaten - percentagewise - in e-commerce sales growth by Wal-Mart. Amazon's total online volume dwarfed Wal-Mart's, but Wal-Mart's 30 percent increase in web sales outpaced Amazon's 20 percent. "That's just the law of big numbers," says Bryan Gildenberg, chief knowledge officer for Kantar Retail, which compiles the annual list of the nation's top retailers for STORES. "The combined …

Although the Hive mobile wallet was still seeking developers and was little more than a well thought out concept, four months ago, since that time they have not only managed to find the skilled individuals that they needed, but they have also reached the point that they have now released the product. This mobile wallet is unique in that it is based on HTML5, available on the web instead of requiring an app download. By visiting the URL for the first time, the user is given the choice to either create a new wallet or to open an existing one. …

Nearly one in four people use mobile frequently to deposit checks in a bank, as mobile's transformational impact continues to spread to personal finance, according to a new report from Bank of America. Its survey found that as customers increasingly access a banking mobile application, the most common activities include monitoring account balances and statements, transferring funds and paying bills, as well as depositing checks via mobile check deposit, although visits to bank branches also remain high. The results reflect the public's increasing comfort level with using mobile for even the most sensitive and important financial transactions.

Bulk shopping at warehouse stores such as Costco or Sam's Club can be a polarizing experience, especially for young people. For some folks, a $50 membership is worth every penny if it means they can get good deals on bulk items; for others it can be difficult to justify for a few select things. Online retail startup Boxed launched in August 2013 to make the experience easier and cheaper. The Boxed team set out to bring bulk shopping to mobile, allowing users to select items from a curated list and have them delivered to their door in a few days. …

The last year for online sales growth was good but not great for Netshoes.com, an online sporting goods retailer and one Brazil's biggest web merchants. But that's perfectly fine with Netshoes, which increased web sales 13.8% to $595.2 million in 2013 from $522.9 million in 2012. Like a long-distance runner, Netshoes sees e-commerce development in Brazil as a more of a marathon than a sprint and is settling into a long-term strategy for growth, says chief marketing officer Juliano Tubino.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd [IPO-ALIB.N] may have dominated online retail on personal computers, but is some way from replicating that leadership in shopping by smartphone and other mobile devices. Alibaba, which is heading towards a bumper New York IPO later this year, is throwing billions of dollars at figuring out how to thrive as half a billion people, 80 percent of China's 618 million internet users, go online via mobile. The Hangzhou-based firm said last month that mobile has become an increasing source of transactions, now accounting for more than a quarter of the value of goods …

South Africa's cellular operators have been trying for years to crack the mobile commerce code, but they have not been able to repeat the successes they have had in countries such as Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. But MTN, working with Pick n Pay, may just have found the key to success at home. This week, the mobile operator and the retailer unveiled a plan to offer consumers, especially those in lower-income groups, access to free banking.