Facebook is testing new features that will make it easier for its users to make purchases without ever having to leave the…
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Netflix and the non-event movie
Unlike the traditional movie paradigm, the value of the "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" sequel to Netflix will not decline over time and has no particular time "window." It is not a depreciating asset but a long term investment in audience building, which makes it a very different animal from most movies.…
Read MoreApple incorporates new iPhone sales strategies to tap into budding Indian market
Apple’s (s aapl) sales of the iPhone continue to do very well domestically, with the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c boasting record…
Read MoreTarget finally confirms malware in point-of -sale systems
Target’s (s tgt) massive data breach, which occurred in mid-December of last year, has affected millions of customers, but the company has…
Read MoreTapping the search data gold mine
Most CMOs view paid search as a basic transactional relationship with no real strategic value beyond the revenue from the click. Forward-looking CMOs are adopting big data technology to tap search for data on consumer intent, behaviors, and preferences.…
Read MoreTwitter IPO: Live tracking the price (charts)
It's official: Twitter is trading on the floor of the NYSE. Here's the stock price in real time.…
Read MoreGold rush: How I failed the iPhone 5s line
Five hours, three subway rides, and two Apple stores later, I am without my gold iPhone 5s. But I believe Apple has failed as much as I did.…
Read MoreShopular app pushes real-time deals while you’re at the mall
Shopular, a location-aware mobile app, is officially launching Friday to serve up relevant in-store deals while consumers are shopping. To start, the app will only alert shoppers once it senses that they're at a shopping mall, but the company plans to expand to more locations.…
Read MoreContent and commerce collide: is it harder for publishers or e-tailers?
Media companies are looking for new revenues through selling things. Meanwhile, more commerce sites are starting to publish. Is it easier for content to transform into commerce -- or vice versa?…
Read MoreDesign shopping site Fab partners with LivingSocial for distribution
Fab, the NY-based design-centric shopping site, on Wednesday announced that it had partnered with deals site LivingSocial for the holidays. As part of the partnership, Fab products will be featured in LIvingSocial's gift guide, which reaches 24 million people.…
Read MoreFacebook recruits retail partners for big Gifts holiday push
Facebook is going big with its Gifts product for the holidays, announcing a bunch of partners including Baby Gap, Dean & Deluca, Fab, Pandora and Mondavi Winery. The Gifts feature, which is now available to tens of millions of U.S. users, is rolling out over time.…
Read MoreWith $35M in new funding, Braintree wants to take payments global
While Braintree has gained attention more recently for powering payments for Uber, Airbnb and Fab, it’s been pursuing a larger vision of…
Read MoreOnline men’s retailer Frank & Oak raises $5M, led by Lightbank
Frank & Oak, a Montreal-based digital-only men's fashion brand, has raised $5 million in a Series A round of funding led by Lightbank. Since launching in February, the company said it has attracted 200,000 members and is growing at a rapid clip.…
Read MoreEBay updates site to be more personal, Pinterest-like
eBay has redesigned its core shopping experience with a new Pinterest-style home page, better product pages, search functionality and faster payments. The idea is to make the eBay experience more personalized for consumers.…
Read MorePinterest rival Fancy gets into group gifting
New York-based social commerce platform Fancy is rolling out a new option that lets users organize group gifts. The startup also announced a new partnership with American Express that it says could mark the beginning of an extended relationship.…
Read MoreIs hot payment startup Stripe worth half a billion?
Stripe, which launched its service less than ten months ago, is now valued at hundreds of millions of dollars after a new funding round of $20 million. The company has built a big following with its simple payment platform that lets developers easily add payment services.…
Read MoreHipSwap wants to be a Craigslist for the Pinterest set
Thanks to a redesign rolling out Thursday, HipSwap, an online marketplace for local goods, is now like a Craigslist re-imagined for Fab and Pinterest fans.…
Read MorePayPal’s key to winning mobile payments: data
PayPal's years of experience in online payments is one of its biggest assets as it chases mobile and in-store transactions. But the by product of all that experience -- mounds of data -- could be an even bigger weapon. PayPal's chief scientist Mok Oh explains the possibilities.…
Read MoreAmid growing pains, Etsy raises $40 million
The day before thousands of Etsy members plan to protest the online marketplace over its definition of handmade, the NY-based startup announced that it had raised $40 million in Series F funding, bringing its total funding to about $91 million.…
Read MoreAmEx lets Twitter users turn tweets into coupons
American Express is partnering with Twitter and letting its members link a merchant coupon to their card by tweeting out a hashtag from a retailer. When a member goes to use the card that's been synced to their Twitter account, their discount is automatically redeemed.…
Read MoreRetail needs a reboot to survive
Although some believe the death of brick-and-mortar retail is inevitable, Mark Sigal, CPO of Unicorn Labs, thinks we all have a vested interest in seeing the industry reboot itself for the modern age. He outlines three paths for physical retail stores to avoid extinction here.…
Read MoreFancy turns social discovery into social commerce
Fancy, a self-expression social site, is launching a new demand-driven commerce model today that will let vendors and retailers sign up to be a seller on any item fancied on the site. They will be able to conduct the transaction right on Fancy.…
Read MoreIngk Labs buys payment platform ORCA to create PayPal rival
Exclusive: Ingk Labs, an IP accelerator in New York City, has purchased payment platform ORCA Inc. and will use it to power a new PayPal competitor called Payz. Ingk Labs is ramping its efforts to rescue and accelerate IP and put it to work in start-ups.…
Read MoreWho is Apple’s new retail boss, and what will he do?
Tim Cook has made his first major appointment at Apple -- by handing over control of the company's retail stores to a British businessman who has built his reputation largely through pile-em-high tactics and aggressive expansion.…
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