Newsletter for Ecommerce and Catalog Retailers – Mar 18 2011

March 18, 2011
Industry News
FIFTH GEAR Choice of the Week

Japan earthquake rocks global supply chain
In the aftermath of last week’s massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan, questions linger regarding its impact on the global economy and supply chain. As the small nation reels from the aftermath of earthquake, tsunami, nuclear radiation, and volcano eruptions, companies in the US could see their production, delivery, warehousing and fulfillment areas take a hit…
(Source: Multi Channel Merchant)

Do not track legislation may not get ground support
While online retailers worry about the impact of “Do Not Track” legislations, they are getting support from a most unusual group – the consumers themselves! Consumers are so used to leaving behind a trail of their shopping habits, and getting offers customized to their online purchasing patterns, that they may refuse to adopt anti-tracking measures…
(Source: ZD Net)

The catalog – now a multichannel vehicle
In an era of new technology and customers’ ability to choose how they interact with brands, marketers must reconsider the old tried-and-true catalog model, says Lois Brayfield, President of J Schmid & Associates. For example, online retailers can use catalogs to increase customer retention and even strengthen sales in other channels…
(Source: Multi Channel Merchant)

Keep your consumers glued to your website
Lack of information, poor navigation, processing errors and an inability to quickly load pages are the most common factors why visitors abandon websites. Solve these ecommerce issues, plus other potential customer-deterring problems, to keep sales rolling in and consumers coming back for more…
(Source: Retail Online Integration)

Is the Main Street Fairness Act fair? E-retailers say no
Under the new law in Illinois, called the Main Street Fairness Act, online retailers must collect and remit sales taxes on purchases made by Illinois residents if the online retailer has a physical presence in the state…
(Source: Chicago Tribune)

Retail continues its shift to the web
US ecommerce sales reached $165.4 billion last year –a 14.8% growth over 2009. This represented a strong comeback for online retail after the recession, and it is expected that online shopping dollars, excluding travel, digital downloads, and event tickets, to exceed $188 billion in 2011…
(Source: eMarketer)

Online shoppers use both search and social for making purchasing decisions
Not sure about investing in social media? When consumers were exposed to brand-specific search results and social media, search click-through rates increased by 94%, indicating the investment in social media can help marketers better influence consumers during their purchasing process and boost search performance…
(Source: eMarketer)

Accelerating Commerce
Featured Content from the FIFTH GEAR Blog

• When Branding Your Business, Less is More

• Customers Want the 3 Rs

• An Easy Way to Calculate Catalog Response Rates

• Matching Your Paid Search Programs to Purchasing Patterns

• Will Retailers See More Green on St. Patricks Day?

• Make the Most of Mobile Paid Search

IRCE 2011: Three or More Registrants
from One Company Get 25% Off
Group registrations for 3 or more conference attendees from the same company registering at the same time will receive a 25% group discount off the prices listed above. Group registrations for IRCE 2011 can be made via the web by accessing the online group registration page or by contacting IRCE 2011 Conference Customer Service Manager, Chaz McCrobie-Quinn, at

Chaz@verticalwebmedia.com or at 312-362-0107.

Visit FIFTH GEAR in Booth 726.