Research from RetailMeNot, predicts that more consumers in the United Kingdom will be spending their money through mobile devices in the coming years. According to this research, some $15 billion in mobile commerce retail transactions are expected to be made by the end of this year. The report notes that this is a significant increase over the $7 billion that was reported last year. Currently, mobile commerce accounts for as much as 30% of all digital retail transactions made throughout the world. A recent report from Gartner suggests that digital income revenue in the United States has reached 22%. This will increase …

Home-sharing service Airbnb is famously passionate about design. In fact, without design, there might not be an Airbnb: Cofounders Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia famously met while studying at the Rhode Island School of Design, then hatched the plan for their startup during a design conference. For designers, tablets offer a wealth of intriguing creative possibilities. Which is why it feels a bit weird that only now—a half-decade into the iPad era—is the company releasing an Airbnb app for tablets. The fact that no Airbnb tablet app existed doesn't mean it was ignoring tablets. For one thing, its website works well on …

On the heels of Farfetch raising $86 million last month, another fashion commerce startup out of London has picked up a significant round of funding. Lyst, a site that lets people shop across 11,500 different online stores using a single check-out, has picked up $40 million in a Series C round of funding. Investors in this round, which brings the total raised by Lyst to $60 million since being founded in 2011, include strategic backers Group Arnault (the controlling shareholder of LVMH), as well as previous investors Accel, Balderton, 14W and DFJ, and an unnamed New York hedge fund. While Farfetch’s Series E in March vaulted it into the …

Market research firm Verve is piloting the use of beacon technology to gather automated data regarding shopper behavior and interests for its retailer customers. To date, a handful of its customers—typically, large supermarkets and other retailers—are serving as test sites for the technology, which consists of beacons installed around store shelves, point-of-sale counters and entrances, as well as an app to help the company collect data about the locations and movements of shoppers who are members of its research panel. Verve serves its retailer customers by conducting marketing research based on panel members' interests. Each year, it conducts hundreds of research projects for clients, …

Uber is reportedly planning to launch a same-day online retail delivery service. According to TechCrunch, Uber has already issued training documents for drivers and couriers who want to participate in the service. About 400 retailers including Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany’s, Cohen’s Fashion Optical and Hugo Boss are said to be considering participating in what will be called the Uber Merchant Delivery Program. Training documents reference retailers Hugo Boss and Cohen’s Fashion Optical as examples. In addition, the Spring mobile shopping app has offered a test of a combination of the Uber delivery service with Spring’s shopping functionality to specialty retailers including …

JC Penney’s Apple Watch app can quickly check the status of an online order to see the location along its journey to the customer’s doorstep. The app offers functions for both in-store and online shoppers. Users can spot the four closest JCPenney stores for an out-of-stock item and once inside the store, they can receive directions to the desired product. Items already in the shopper’s virtual basket can also be located in-store.  Amazon shopping app on Apple watch offers voice search and quick tap features including 1-Click purchase and save to Wish List. Amazon shopping app will be available on Apple …