Picking up a loaf of bread from the grocery store just got technical. Niemann Foods Inc. piloted a beacon program in eight County Market grocery stores in Springfield, IL, in February 2014. It then made 20 changes to its app based on customer feedback and now is deploying beacons to all 45 of its County Market stores by Q3 2015, says Nathaniel Jones, electronic marketing manager at Niemann Foods. Beacons are small hardware that retailers can place anywhere in a physical store that pinpoint the location of a smartphone with a retailer’s app via Bluetooth Low Energy wireless networking technology, …

Customer reviews are now an expectation, not an option, for e-commerce sites. According to a study analyzing the impact of user-generated content on consumer purchase behavior from ratings and reviews provider PowerReviews, consumers will abandon a site if it doesn’t provide the information they need. More than half (57%) of online shoppers reported specifically seeking out websites with product reviews. Seventy percent of mobile shoppers reported being more likely to purchase a product if the mobile site or app they’re purchasing from has reviews.

An integrated holiday marketing campaign from British online retailer Very leveraged Shazam television-synced display ads on Twitter and Facebook as well as geo-targeted SMS messages, helping to drive a 45 percent increase in mobile sales and a return on investment of more than 15 to 1.  Very worked with agency Somo to develop the campaign with the goal of reaching the retailer’s target audience on mobile whether they were out and about shopping or sitting at home in front of the TV. The effort points to how the retail landscape is changing, with shoppers expecting more contextually relevant communications from …

Best Buy will continue to invest in its online and mobile commerce capabilities with the opening this spring of a digital development center, here. The 32,000-square-foot sublet facility will be located on the top floor of The Seattle Times headquarters building, and will eventually house more than 100 engineers, product managers, web architects and developers. The team will focus on mobile, private Cloud and omnichannel app development, and will supplement the work of the e-commerce and enterprise IT crews at Best Buy headquarters in Minneapolis.

Executives from Express and RetailMeNot at eTail West 2015 predicted that while beacons are still in the testing phase, retailers can expect to see them take off in the next few years, alongside enhanced in-store WiFi services. During the “In-Store Panel Discussion: The Digitization Of In-Store To Maximize Revenues” session, the executives highlighted challenges their brands have experienced while working toward a cohesive mobile and in-store strategy. They also tapped beacons as the tactic to watch in the next several years, although transparency is paramount for retailers wanting to entice consumers to enable Bluetooth on their mobile devices and opt-in …

Ted Baker's Westfield White City shop in London has installed beacons in its mannequins, as the fashion brand looks to use mobile technology to communicate with its customers during their in-store shopping journey. Customers entering the store who have downloaded the free mobile app from Ted Baker's technology partner Iconeme will be able to receive push notifications about the products on display. Users can access links to purchase the items directly from Ted Baker's website, or find out where they can be located in the store. Beacons will also generate more detailed photos and descriptions of the products on customers' …

 An Express executive at eTail West 2015 discussed the significant impact on mcommerce the brand’s geo-bidding efforts had when used to ramp up awareness of new stores or holiday sales, and revealed the clothing retailer’s relevant cross-partnerships also snagged a wider audience of potential consumers. During the “In-Store Panel Discussion: The Digitization Of In-Store To Maximize Revenues” session, the executive discussed the clothing retailer’s growing focus on mobile, due to its younger target demographic’s browsing and shopping habits. The brand also looked at geo-bidding to raise awareness of the new Express outlet factory stores, a tactic which saw success and …

The Boston Consulting Group has released its latest report, titled “The Growth of the Global Mobile Internet Economy.” The report highlights the various trends that have lead to the growth of the mobile Internet, showing that applications, content, and services will be the key factors that contribute to the growth of mobile Internet revenue. The popularity of mobile services is also being affected by the rampant growth of mobile commerce. The report highlights the fact that a growing number of companies are becoming mobile-centric. These companies have seen a great deal of growth in the mobile market, powered by the rising …

The iPhone maker is trying to work out agreements with certain banks and financial institutions, a People's Bank of China official said, MarketWatch reported Monday. However, Apple has not yet "acknowledged regulators," the official added, and "it's unclear whether the product meets the government's requirements." Unveiled in October in the US, Apple Pay allowsiPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus owners to pay for items on the go via the wireless NFC (near-field communication). technology. 

Staples was an early retailer to adopt Apple Pay, announcing its support of the digital payment technology even before it launched. While the retailer has seen some adoption in stores, its experience with Apple Pay in its iOS app is much more impressive. "Right now it's the number one payment method for us in our iOS apps," said Prat Vemana, vice president of mobile commerce for Staples, speaking during apanel discussion hosted by Chetan Sharma Consulting in Seattle on Tuesday. Vemana said that 30 percent of purchases made in the Staples iOS apps use Apple Pay.