As part of its big "spring cleaning" effort, Google will shut down its Shopping API on Sept. 16. Here are a few options for e-commerce developers and others looking for alternatives.…
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Showrooming doesn’t mean the end of brick-and-mortar retail
A new study aims to bust a few assumptions surrounding the threat of "showrooming" and the challenges faced by traditional retailers in responding to mobile shoppers.…
Read MoreMobile shopping startup Snapette gets snapped up by PriceGrabber
Snapette, a 500 Startups-backed mobile shopping app, has been acquired by price comparison site PriceGrabber.…
Read MorePodcast: Why mobile is vital to the future of retail
This edition of the GigaOM Research podcast discusses mobility's impact on the shopping experience, for both the retailer and the consumer.…
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 MoreEtsy updates iPhone app, reports 1 in 4 visits comes from mobile
Etsy, the marketplace for handmade goods, is rolling out a new mobile app in time for the holiday season. One in four visits to the site comes from a mobile app and mobile visits are twice as likely to convert to purchases, Etsy said.…
Read MoreFab redesigns iPad app, optimizes for iPhone 5
Fab says it has "reimagined" its mobile apps, updating its app for the iPad and optimizing it for the iPhone 5. One-third of Fab's sales come from mobile but it's looking to when mobile shopping contributes half of its revenue.…
Read MoreSocial commerce app Wikets updates to streamline on-the-go shopping
Social commerce startup Wikets, backed by Andreessen Horowitz and Battery Ventures, is rolling out a new version of its app that builds out its shopping functionality. To date, it has focused on building a network of shoppers who ask for and make recommendations.…
Read MoreNetPlenish app lets retailers compete to supply your household goods
Shopping app NetPlenish is launching today with the promise of giving users a better deal on the bundle of products they regularly buy. Instead of getting a good price on one product, users can see which retailer has the lowest price on their entire shopping cart.…
Read MoreHow smartphones and tablets are fueling commerce
Smartphones and tablets are driving both in-store and online commerce, but their roles are distinct in many ways. Nielsen shed some light on how consumers are using both devices to aid their shopping. Overall, 79 percent of respondents have shopped using their smartphone or tablet.…
Read MoreiPad users account for 25 percent of Fab.com’s sales
Fab.com said iPad users represent 15 percent of its customer but make up 25 percent of revenue. And 40 percent of iPad users make their first purchase within 3 months. IPad app users are expected to bring in twice as much revenue as non iPad users.…
Read More2012: The year websites optimize for tablets
Mobify's CEO Igor Faletski, whose company helps sites optimize for mobile, said almost all of Mobify's work thus far has been to optimize for smartphones. But he said this year many sites are preparing to build specifically for tablets, taking advantage of their unique capabilities.…
Read MoreHalf of U.S. shoppers rely on phones for in-store research
The Pew Internet and American Life Project shed light on one of the biggest challenges for retailers: more than half of U.S. adult cell phone owners used their mobile phone during the recent holiday season to get in-store help for their purchases.…
Read MoreShopSavvy lets users scan products to sell
ShopSavvy, a mobile app known for arming shoppers with the ability to scan products to find the best prices, is now giving consumers the ability to scan products they own so they can quickly put them up for sale.…
Read MoreTablets: the perfect shopping device
In just a short time, modern tablets have become potent shopping tools that generate an outsize effect on online commerce. 2011 was the year that the tablet became an online retailer's best friend as it emerged as the preferred device for many shoppers to make purchases.…
Read MoreEBay, PayPal see a very mobile future
EBay's mobile business is growing so fast, it doesn't even know how to predict what to expect months into the future. It's now predicting it will do $8 billion in gross merchandise value and PayPal will do $7 billion in mobile payment volume in 2012.…
Read MoreFab.com: mobile shoppers buy twice as often as web visitors
Design store Fab.com has seen a surge in mobile use since launching mobile apps in October, with 30 percent of traffic now coming in via mobile. But more impressive is the fact that mobile visitors are generating twice as much revenue than visitors to Fab's website.…
Read MorePayPal: Cyber Monday mobile payment volume up 6x over 2010
“As of 11 a.m. PST, PayPal is already seeing a six-fold increase (514%) more mobile payment volume on Cyber Monday 2011 compared…
Read MoreMobile devices help front-load online holiday sales
One of the interesting shopping trends this year the emergence of mobile devices helping front-load more online holiday sales, as shoppers aren't waiting for those two days to kick off their spending. It's another way in which mobile is redefining holiday shopping.…
Read More7 apps for conquering Black Friday
With Black Friday just around the corner, your iPhone might be your greatest weapon for getting the best deals around. Just be sure you download these apps, and remember not to literally crash through doors, regardless of what retailer marketing says they'd like you to do.…
Read MoreShopkick teams with Visa to tie rewards to card purchases
Mobile shopping reward app Shopkick is realizing its full potential by tying into Visa's payment processing network, helping close the loop on transactions and providing new incentives for users to make purchases. Users will now get rewarded not just for visiting a store but buying products.…
Read MoreMobile shoppers getting comfortable with bigger purchases
Mobile users are increasingly getting used to buying products with their smartphones and tablets. But it's not just smaller transactions. New studies show that users are getting comfortable with bigger purchases. The most expensive thing that respondents said they paid for on average cost $274.…
Read MoreShopSavvy brings instant scan and buy to mobile shoppers
RedLaser and ShopSavvy have been helpful in letting smartphone users compare prices and decide if the product they're seeing in-store can be found for cheaper. Now, those apps are letting people not only find better deals but also immediately buy them right through their apps.…
Read MoreMobile and the rise of the smart buyer
The emergence of the smartphone is changing consumer behavior in many ways. And this holiday season we are going to see smartphones play a bigger role in how we shop. Thanks to smart apps and smartphones, we are seeing the rise of the smart buyer.…
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