The Latest Sales Weapon For Best Buy, Macy’s, And Walmart: Coupons Sent To Nearby Smartphones

The Big Boxers recently signed on to test a new geotargeted coupon product that zaps deals to shoppers’ smartphones when they are near a store.

Swarm Tracks You While You Shop–And That’s Actually A Good Thing

The new startup, founded by two ex-Gannett executives, uses customers’ in-store free mobile Wi-Fi usage and offers them steep discounts in exchange.

Amazon Loses Money On Tablets. It’s All Going According To Plan

“We want to make money when people use our devices, not when they buy our devices,” said Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos yesterday. Here’s how the so-called Amazon Doctrine works.

eBay Acquires Svpply To Solve Its Social Shopping Problem

The giant e-retailer knows you’ll buy more if your friends weigh in on your purchase decisions. And that’s exactly what Svpply knows how to do.

6 Most Innovative Ways To Experience Fashion Week

Think you have to actually, like, go to Fashion Week to take part? Not so these days, as digital strides enable participation from afar and offer up access even better than the I.R.L. thing.

Peek Inside AT&T’s New 10,000-Square-Foot Flagship Store In Chicago, Complete With “Vibe Of Exploration”

With its App Tenders, Experience Platform, and Lifestyle Boutiques, the original purveyor of iPhones plots to kill the competition, softly.

The Walmart Version Of Search

In its quest to master ecommerce, WalmartLabs built a search engine from scratch to meet the needs of its unique customers. Here’s a look under the hood.

When Will The Smartphone Really Replace Your Wallet?

If recent data and tech developments are any indication, sooner than later.

AT&T Opens 10,000 Sq. Ft. Flagship Store In Chicago, Pushes “Vibe Of Exploration”

Beard Hats, PBR Bracelets, And Beef Empanadas: Payvment Is Taking The Impulse Buy Social With “Lish”

Facebook’s popular provider of shopping cart tools is betting that impulse buying is the next big idea in social e-commerce.

Nukotoys Is Part Pokemon Cards, Part iPad Game, And Everything Your Kid Wants

It’s a match made in marketing heaven.

To Win More (And More Fervent) Fans, Brands Need To Grasp The Olympic Torch

There is a direct correlation between seeding time and subsequent sales. Mystery builds momentum. The Games get all this, so why can’t companies?

Why Apple’s iPad Mini Could Be As Popular As The iPhone

The devil–and a billion-dollar product–is in the details.

The Chick-Fil-A Way: Why Brands Should Have Stronger Opinions

There’s more to that recent crispy controversy than you might think. Take a deep breath–and then take a public position.

Poshmark’s Friction-Free Fashion App Turns Mobile Purchasing Into Parties

The real-time in-app shopping parties brought to you by Kaboodle founder Manish Chandra offer a glimpse of what it may take to mobile shoppers to browse and buy via mobile.

London 2012: Wow. Pow. Ciao

The London 2012 Olympics is up and running. The world is deep into the elation, the tears, and the cheers. Every media channel is jam-packed with stories of triumphs along the road. But hold on a moment.

Foursquare Pulls A Twitter With Promoted Updates For Select Merchants

With a new paid feature for merchants, Foursquare’s long-term business model finally becomes a lot clearer.

Do These Glasses Make Your Clone Look Smarter?

Plenty of web-based glasses stores offer virtual and real ways to try before you buy, but the recently launched Ditto offers the clearest vision yet for the way we’ll find frames that fit in the future.

Retail’s Future: Facebook Loyalty Cards And Touch Screen Showrooms

Supermarkets using customers’ Facebook accounts as simultaneous discount/surveillance platforms? Vending machines where you can pay by iPhone? Ordering luxury cars and private jets via iPad-like interfaces and sidestepping the salesman? They’re all here.