It’s been a decade since Alibaba’s Singles Day shopping event trotted onto the eCommerce stage. The event brought in $8 million in gross merchandise value (GMV) its first year, and since then sales have ballooned to encompass more than $25 billion of GMV. And this year, the company is bringing Singles Day to several more countries in Asia, as it attempts to further bridge the online and offline worlds with promotions.  Read More...

Mall kiosks have come a long way from selling keychains and refrigerator magnets — brands will soon be able to lease spaces to offer everything from pet accessories to furniture through Fourpost’s “studio shops” concept. The idea is to provide brands with flexible space to cultivate relationships, while serving as a platform for consumer discovery.  Read More...

Consumers will spend one day every week online — as in a full 24-hour period — much of it on mobile. The good news for consumers and merchants is that a proliferation of new access points into consumers’ lives means more opportunities for a contextual connection. The not-so-good news? Fraudsters also get a whole new set of troublesome touchpoints.  Read More...