International Sales: A world of opportunity? What it takes to sell internationally
At a time when it’s tough to increase U.S. sales, many online retailers are looking abroad. Blue Nile, Zappos and Casual Male already have created international web sites in the past year or started shipping internationally from U.S. sites. But eBags pulled out of the United Kingdom after four years of trying to build a base for expansion into Europe. It’s a lot harder than it looks to sell abroad, but there are hundreds of millions of online shoppers around the world buying on the web with growing frequency. This story will examine what it costs to establish a U.S. brand in a foreign market; how to handle language, payment and currency issues; what it takes to ensure delivery and provide customer service in ways that suit the local culture. And it will report on how some online retailers are profiting from international expansion, and where they’re going next.

Multi-Channel Retailing: True cross-channel: Integrating a web site into the store experience
The retail web site is playing a growing role in retailers’ bricks-and-mortar stores. More retailers offer attractive, user-friendly kiosks where customers can order online for shipment to their homes or to a nearby store, or to check product availability in other stores in a chain. Store shoppers can also check and add to online gift registries and wish lists, and review and buy digital music and books. Some stores like The North Face are introducing large electronic screens that present product images based on web activity. Borders is building concept stores that emphasize educating consumers on using web-based services. This story will examine best practices in integrating web and store, and the costs and benefits.

E-commerce Technology: Putting the diligence back into vendor due diligence
Just because a vendor turns up at trade shows and advertises in magazines no longer guarantees the company will survive or can provide retailers with good service. That’s particularly true of the many young, technology-focused companies that serve online retailers. That doesn’t mean they won’t be great partners, but it does mean retailers must look closely at their finances, investor base and customer list. What are the most important questions to ask a potential vendor? What’s the best way to get candid feedback from current customers? How do retailers structure contracts to minimize risk in the event a vendor struggles? What service guarantees should be included in contracts? What are the signs a vendor is in trouble, and what does a retailer client do when those signs appear?

E-commerce Technology: Open door policy: the risks and rewards of open APIs
Some retailers, such as Best Buy, are making it easy for others to draw data from their web sites by making publicly available the road map to such data, known as application programming interfaces, or APIs. Those open APIs enable consumers to display images and product information from Best Buy on their social network pages, or bloggers to present Best Buy information on their postings. How can online retailers benefit from open APIs? What are the risks, and how does a retailer make sure an open API doesn’t create security risks?

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