/ Marketing

Not only are consumers quick to frown on retailers that violate the bond of trust by sending unwanted messages, but ISPs are deploying tougher spam filters. By following a few simple rules, retailers can produce relevant campaigns that break through the clutter.

/ Technology

Retail CEOs foresee a shift in 2007 to a focus on customer service, site personalization, latest technologies and improved multi-channel integration.

/ Technology

Attorney Ken Grady tells retailers how to earn customers` trust with clear, conspicuous and consistent privacy policies.

/ Technology

By letting suppliers peek through at analytics, Blinds.com is increasing sales through better trade deals.

/ Technology

After years of seeking their mission, Internet trading exchanges are finally showing promise.

E-retailers are exploring selling ads for film campaigns, hardware promotions and basic brand awareness.

/ E-Retailers

A new online retailing strategy supports Spiegel`s return from bankruptcy.

The e-retailer of innovative products is finding that advertising on political blogs is not only winning customers, but also friends who suggest merchandising ideas that lead to more sales. The more passionate blog visitors are about politics, the better, firstStreet says.

/ Technology

With some trial and error, online retailers find the payback in live chat.

Nearly all shoppers like consumer reviews as a helpful online shopping tool, according to a study by J.C. Williams Group, and CompUSA reaping the benefits of a hosted consumer reviews service. The retailer found one group of users that produced a 50% higher conversion rate.

MySpace.com is emerging as a major driver of traffic to retail web sites as well as joining the ranks of e-retailers. It accounted for 2.5% of "upstream visits" to shopping sites for the week ended Aug. 26, up from 1.28% six months earlier. It`s also building a presence as an online store for digital music.

/ Technology

Once again pushing into new markets, Buy.com is showcasing BuyTV, its online video program that highlights consumer products, music, movies and other offerings. Early consumer response generated a first-week jump in sales of 319%.

/ E-Retailers

Bill Bass, a former senior executive at Lands` End and Sears, has launched Fair Indigo, a multi-channel retailer of fair-trade apparel. Bass and company are using in-house technical expertise to build a niche for a fair-trade site that sells only products made by workers paid a livable wage and treated fairly.

/ Technology

The San Diego Chargers and ShopUSN.com are the first to offer a new digital gift card from imX Solutions that consumers insert into their computers, then click images to shop online. The Chargers organization is using the card in a loyalty program and expects to see a sales boost of 10-12%.

/ Technology

Bringing a whole meaning to window shopping, Polo Ralph Lauren`s flagship Madison Ave. store in New York used touch-sensitive technology to let passers-by touch its window glass to make a purchase. "We`re re-inventing the concept of shopping any time," senior vice president David Lauren says.

We`ve spent the last few months putting together ambitious plans to take our business to even higher levels of performance and growth.

/ Technology

Lots of sites gather customer feedback, but only a few really know what to do with it.

Web retailers span the globe in search of new customers and sales.