Top Story

• Congress may pass online sales tax as part of bigger bill
  Sen. Dick Durbin has attached the Marketplace Fairness Act as an amendment to a defense spending bill that could come to a vote before the end of the year. The measure would allow states to require online retailers to collect sales tax. “The current collection disparity has tilted the competitive landscape against local stores, creating a crisis for brick-and-mortar retailers around the country," said NRF senior vice president David French. The Washington Times (12/2)     

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Online Retail Trends

• Why same-day delivery is the competitive edge in online retail
  In San Francisco, a team of about 50 couriers is on call to shop at local stores and deliver goods to eBay shoppers within the hour, the latest example of same-day and speedy services by online retailers. Amazon launched limited same-day service in 2009 and has since expanded it to 10 cities. The Wall Street Journal (12/2)     

• The pros and cons of free shipping
  Many online retailers say they have to offer free shipping, especially on holiday orders, both because customers expect it and competitors offer it. Some say the perk is an investment that promotes good will and spurs higher spending. Customers spent an average of $137 per order with retailers offering free shipping last week, compared to $91 at merchants that charged for shipping, according to NRF data. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (12/3)     

• Online price wars ramp up for the holidays
  Retail prices online can rise and fall within seconds as merchants increasingly use high-tech tools to check competitors' prices and compete in real time. Rivalries were especially fast and fierce during Black Friday weekend, experts say, as merchants used algorithms and other pricing tools to undercut each other by as little as 2 cents. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (11/30)     

New Media & Technology

• After 20 years, SMS is still a strong marketing platform
  Experts agree that SMS messaging tools, now 20 years old, has been key in proving the value of marketing via mobile devices. SMS remains a powerful way to reach consumers, even as it faces an array of attractive competitors with the growing popularity of smartphones and free messaging services. Mobile Marketer (12/3)     

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by Shop.org SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Retailers trade "e-commerce" for "omnichannel" (Wired.com)

• Can Wal-Mart out e-commerce Amazon? (Fast Company online)

• Cyber Monday kicked off with high traffic, big sales (USA Today)

• Black Friday shoppers rely heavily on QR codes (Mobile Marketer)

• Cyber Monday and the evolving online shopper (USA Today)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Companies in the News

• Google buys Canada-based parcel pickup startup
  Google has acquired Ontario-based Bufferbox, a startup that provides physical lockers and a system that lets online shoppers in and around Toronto pick up their purchases in person. MediaPost Communications/Online Media Daily (12/1)     

• Amazon creates high-end U.K. fashion store
  Amazon launched a new online fashion store in the U.K. in time for Mega Monday, expected to be the year's busiest online shopping day. The new site will include styles from brands such as 7 For All Mankind, Pringle, and Black Orchid, the company said. The Telegraph (London) (tiered subscription model) (12/1)     

Featured Content

Legislative & Regulatory

• FCC clarifies SMS rules, clears way for mobile marketers
  The Federal Communications Commission has ruled that marketers can send a one-time mobile text message confirming users' opt-out requests. That should close a legal loophole that had sparked several class-action suits and left many companies wary of using SMS-based marketing strategies. Adweek (11/30)     

Shop.org Spotlight

• NRF honors upcoming retail leaders with $178,000 in scholarships
  Through the NRF Foundation’s University Partner Program, 24 students today were awarded a $5,000 scholarship and a stipend to attend Retail’s BIG Show in January. The Fall 2012 class of recipients were nominated by educators at their schools based on high scholastic achievements and passion for a career in retail in areas including marketing, merchandising, analytics, and more. The Ray Greenly Scholarship is dedicated in memory of the Shop.org vice president of research and member services who passed away after a year-long fight with cancer in 2005. Learn more.     

• Shop.org SmartStat: Oct. 3, 2012
  Almost three in 10 Cyber Monday shoppers said they purchased books, CDs, DVDs, videos or video games last week. Source: Shop.org survey conducted by BIGinsight.     

• The science of shopping cart abandonment
  SeeWhy research shows that an average of 71% of shopping carts are abandoned without a purchase. But what are the unique predictive factors that determine the likelihood of someone who abandons their cart becoming a buyer? In a new white paper on the Shop.org library, SeeWhy presents analysis of more than 600,000 shoppers and a quarter of a million online transactions to explain why shopping cart abandonment is part of the normal buying cycle for many customers, and provides steps to bring an e-commerce site back on the path to conversion. Download the white paper.     

SmartQuote

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone." --Gladys Bronwyn Stern, British writer