Retail

Mobile commerce will grow exponentially during the 2013 holiday season with consumers buying at home and in store via their phone. In fact, mobility will drive e-commerce sales gains of between 13 percent and 15 percent. Today's sales and marketing strategies, therefore, need to acknowledge the mobile device not as a "channel" but rather as gateway to multiple channels.

With the advent of personalized digital marketing, social and mobile engagement, and rich consumer insights, brands now have an unprecedented ability to engage directly with consumers, shifting the balance of power between manufacturers and retailers. This month, we asked Cassandra Moren, senior director, CG & Retail Solutions Industry Marketing, Oracle, to weigh in on this unstoppable trend.

The new CEO joins the company as part of its recent acquisition of The Colomer Group, and comes from prior roles at Reckitt Benckiser, J&J and P&G.

The independent arbitrator in the dispute between Kraft Foods and Starbucks Coffee Company ruled that Starbucks must pay more than $2.7 billion in total cash compensation for its unilateral termination of the companies' coffee contract.

There is no industry where women play a more dominant role as workers, producers and consumers than the retail and consumer products industry. However, a new report shows that the number of women that sit on the boards of consumer goods and retail companies is not where it needs to be given women's aggregate market impact.

The Velocity service provides real-time visibility into retail performance, down to the retail store level by SKU and daily or weekly, for manufacturers running the SAP demand signal management software.

NGC's software is expected to enable Nicole Miller to optimize lead times, drive down costs, maximize profit opportunities, and respond quickly to fast-changing consumer preferences.

The premium chocolatier celebrates its web site with exclusive products, a free shipping offer and gift-with-purchase promotion.