Tuesday 13 December 2011

Interiors Addict

Home Culture aims to have a personal touch for the everyday decorator
Today we share our interview with Kristina Thomas, founder and managing director of Home Culture, who says her brand is about more than just sales, it’s about showcasing the Aussie design community and appealing to time poor renovators and decorators who love a bargain.
What’s the story behind you setting up this business in Australia?
Creating Home Culture was inspired by many years of contemplating how I could combine my passion for everything related to the home (I mean everything, as I actually wanted to be an interior designer myself) and my love for finding a gem; that perfect piece at a great price.
My husband and I recently renovated an old Edwardian house (on a very limited budget) and experienced the challenge of shopping to furnish your home when you are time poor. Add a few kids in tow and convenience became a major factor.

Thursday 10 November 2011

Catchoftheday.com.au - I caught the fish, now what?


Published  below is an email I recently sent to my database to update everyone about all the latest happenings in my life at the moment. I had an overwhelming response, so good in fact that I thought I better put it out there. 
Cheers
Mark

Catchoftheday.com.au - I caught the fish, now what?




I have been asked so many times recently what was it like working at Catch, what life is like after Catch/Scoopon, what are my plans etc.



So, let me answer a few of these questions and share my exciting journey with you.
For those of you that don’t know me that well; up until recently I was Chief Operating Officer at the Catchoftheday group of companies.  That’s a large reason why internetretailing.com.au kind of slowed down in the past 18 months. I couldn’t fit enough into my 8 day weeks and something has gotta give, know what I mean? Anyhow that’s all changed and those of you following the website will notice that there are fresh articles and content popping up on the site rather regularly once again.

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Stores clutch at less as they get trampled in online rush | News.com.au

AUSTRALIAN consumers are spending less at department stores compared with other shops than at any time since records began almost 30 years ago.Official figures have shed light on the parlous state of the sector, laying bare the long-term slide in the share of retail spending claimed by department stores as consumers flock online, the Herald Sun reported.

Retail
Stores clutch at less as they get trampled in online rush | News.com.au
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Tuesday 25 October 2011


With the online retail industry growing ever so quickly in Australia, it is important to understand how Australians are shopping online.
Partnering with Global Reviews, Outrider recently conducted a behavioural study around this topic. The infographic compares the findings to similar research that was done in 2009.

Australia’s online purchase behaviours are changing

Comparing to the results from 2009, some key findings on the evolution of online shopping behaviour include:
  • Australians are relying more on search as a starting point to buying a product online
  • Aussies use fewer search terms to find products
  • Brand and shop related terms have increased in popularity, whereas generic product terms are less popular
  • Online shoppers are now twice as likely to compare products online
  • Facebook is the only social media platform with serious online purchase influence


How are Australians Shopping Online – Outrider Infographic

Visit internetretailing.com.au for more news, articles etc

Wednesday 12 October 2011

Crust Pizza - Costa Anastasiadis

Crust's founder and managing director Costa Anastasiadis expects Crust to open another 50 or 60 stores, but says international expansion is the next big thing and a deal in the US has just been signed.Crust has raised the bar in quality pizza, Anastasiadis says, and despite the dual challenges of high food and labour costs, he expects its online portal to double in revenue over the next few years.
Costa Anastasiadis

eBay partners with apparel brands to launch dedicated Fashion Gallery

eBay Australia has taken another step towards establishing itself as a dedicated retail destination alongside its traditional auction offerings by opening a new Fashion Gallery that showcases products from a number of well-known apparel brands.The move is yet another blow to the bricks-and-mortar fashion industry, which has suffered extensively over the past year with a number of companies falling into administration or receivership as shoppers look offshore for cheap deals.The eBay Fashion Gallery comes after separate eBay locations overseas have set up their own divisions where users can search through apparel products. But local spokesperson Jenny Thomas says eBay Australia isn't promoting the Gallery as a discount bin.
eBay partners with apparel brands to launch dedicated Fashion Gallery
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Monday 26 September 2011

Daily-Deal Sites Undergo Shakeout - WSJ.com

The online business of serving up daily deals has attracted millions of dollars in venture capital and spurred dozens of clones of market leaders Groupon Inc. and LivingSocial Inc. Now the industry is starting to shake out.Enlarge ImageDEALSCloseDEALSRob Bennett for The Wall Street JournalDavid Ambrose likens the online daily-deals business to an 'arms race.'Nearly one-third of all daily-deal sites nationwide—or 170 of 530—have shut down or been sold so far this year, according to daily-deal-site aggregator Yipit.com, including sites with names such as Scoop St. and RelishNYC. Even big operations such as Facebook Inc. and Yelp Inc. that could capitalize on their large audiences to build a daily-deals business have recently pulled back on the service.
Daily-Deal Sites Undergo Shakeout - WSJ.com
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Wednesday 7 September 2011

Dealsta » Woolworths – the mobile people

Woolworths shopping app – A fresh analysis * September 2, 2011 * Natasha Rawlings (introduction by Australian Food News)IntroductionAustralian Food News recently reported on a new iPhone application introduced by Woolworths for use by its customers. The following presentation was prepared for clients of food industry lawyers FoodLegal, by direct-marketing smartphone guru Natasha Rawlings. Natasha is the CEO of Dealsta, a company that has been developing apps for several industries (although not currently in the supermarket space). Natasha Rawlings has held senior marketing positions in some of the largest direct-marketing companies in the world. In this presentation, Natasha Rawlings reviews the Woolworths app as well as highlighting the recent trends in iPhone / Android applications.
Dealsta » Woolworths – the mobile people
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Tuesday 5 July 2011

Online retail to grow at 20% per year as bricks and mortar suffers: broker

Traditional retailers have only just begun to witness the growth of e-commerce, a new research note from Morgan Stanley has warned, with digital sales tipped to continue growing at more than 20% every year. The bank says a combination of high rents and massive price differences will hurt electronics, department store, clothing and book retailers, adding that it has downgraded price targets for David Jones, Harvey Norman, Billabong and Myer.
Online retail to grow at 20% per year as bricks and mortar suffers: broker
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Click & Collect - Dick Smith

Click & Collect
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Amazon swallows The Book Depository

Amazon swallows The Book Depository
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Monday 23 May 2011

yfrog Photo : http://yfrog.com/h8o6gtmj Shared by DynamicBusiness

Scoopon completes largest growth capital investment in Australian e-commerce sector


http://www.dynamicbusiness.com.au/news/scoopon-completes-largest-growth-capital-investment-in-australian-e-commerce-sector.html

yfrog Photo : http://yfrog.com/h8o6gtmj Shared by DynamicBusiness
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Thursday 14 April 2011

10 lessons Aussie retailers can take from overseas sites - Technology



10 lessons Aussie retailers can take from overseas sitesBy Oliver MilmanFriday, 08 April 2011He finally did it. After fulminating strongly against the relevancy, and then, conversely, the damaging impact, of online retailing, Gerry Harvey has decided to take the plunge with Harvey Norman Big Buys. The launch of the site can be seen as somewhat of a watershed moment in Australian online retail. With the, albeit somewhat grudging, roll out of a Harvey Norman eCommerce offering, there’s now no excuse for retail start-ups that fail to look at their online strategy.
10 lessons Aussie retailers can take from overseas sites - Technology
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Thursday 7 April 2011

Harvey Norman launches daily deal website



Harvey Norman launches daily deal website
Chris ZapponeApril 7, 2011 - In the latest sign of change gripping the retail sector, Gerry Harvey has waded into the online space with the launch of a daily deal shopping site.The unveiling of the site is a reversal for the head of electronics and furniture chain Harvey Norman, who in November lashed out at the government for allowing consumers to import merchandise, bought online and costing less than $1000, GST free.
Harvey Norman launches daily deal website
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Tuesday 5 April 2011

DealsDirect sells stake to James Packer-backed fund, gears up for acquisitions


DealsDirect sells stake to James Packer-backed fund, gears up for acquisitions
The co-founder of leading Australian online retailer DealsDirect has cheekily paid tribute to Gerry Harvey for raising the profile on his sector after the James Packer-based Ellerston Capital bought a minority stake in the business."Maybe we've got Gerry to thank again," co-founder Paul Greenberg told SmartCompany.
DealsDirect sells stake to James Packer-backed fund, gears up for acquisitions
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Wednesday 30 March 2011

Harvey Norman set to finally launch online store



Australian retail veteran Gerry Harvey has finally admitted plans to move into online retail, in the latest move by a bricks-and-mortar giant to jump on the internet bandwagon.The move comes as Harvey and a suite of bricks-and-mortar retailers including David Jones and Myer have continued to
Harvey Norman set to finally launch online store
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eBay Acquires GSI: What It Means | Forrester Blogs



The eCommerce technology and services marketplace awoke to some interesting news today. eBay announced today that it will acquire GSI Commerce. The deal has a number of implications for GSI’s customers, partners, and competitors and also changes eBay’s position as a services provider and partner within the industry. It’s a big deal*, with eBay paying $29.25 a share, or approximately $2.4 billion.Why did eBay buy GSI, what’s in it for them?
eBay Acquires GSI: What It Means | Forrester Blogs
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Monday 28 March 2011

Buffett cautions social-networking investors | Digital Media - CNET News



Buffett cautions social-networking investors by Steven Musil
Warren Buffett is warning investors to be careful about which social networks they friend with their investment dollars.Buffett, the chief executive of the Berkshire Hathaway investment empire, warned investors Friday at a conference in New Delhi to be wary of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter--a sector that has recently generated great interest and anticipation on Wall Street.
Buffett cautions social-networking investors | Digital Media - CNET News
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Cloud enables Catchoftheday to reel in sales - e-commerce, Cloud hosting, Catchofthday - CIO






An ailing server that could not cope with traffic spikes on its e-commerce websites lead Victorian-based company Catchofthday to investigate Cloud hosting.

Chief technology officer, Vijay Bala, told CIO Australia that its expansion plans for general goods website Catchoftheday and experiences, such as restaurant dining, website Scoopon were being stymied by system crashes. The company also operates a site called Wine.Catchoftheday which offers specials on wine.


Cloud enables Catchoftheday to reel in sales - e-commerce, Cloud hosting, Catchofthday - CIO
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Tuesday 1 March 2011

Myer launches new China-based website, but online competitors not impressed


Department store giant Myer has put up its long awaited Chinese-based website online in a "soft" launch, but so far the competition isn't too afraid – or impressed.Chief executive of kitchenware retailer Everton Online, Hal Pritchard, says the myfind.com store doesn't seem to be posing a credible threat to online retailers anytime soon.
Myer launches new China-based website, but online competitors not impressed
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Monday 7 February 2011

Online shopping | Skills shortage dogs growth of e-commerce


Skills shortage may hobble online retailing
Chris Zappone January 20, 2011
High staff turnover and a poor understanding of online shopping are hampering Australia’s retailers from capitalising on the accelerating drift of consumers to the Internet, web-based retail professionals and analysts say.
Online shopping | Skills shortage dogs growth of e-commerce
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Catch of the Day set to beef up IT - Business - News


Daily deals site Catch of the Day has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 2006, and is now planning a massive IT revamp to keep up with demand.Vijay Bala is the chief technology officer for Catch of the Day and has worked with the company since day one. He told ZDNet Australia that the amount of traffic the site receives every day has sent him back to the drawing board to bolster back-end infrastructure so it can deal with the millions of hits.
Catch of the Day set to beef up IT - Business - News
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Saturday 5 February 2011

Holidays drive record-breaking e-commerce | Digital Media - CNET News


U.S. online retail spending reached a record-breaking $43.4 billion in the fourth quarter, fueled by strong holiday spending, Comscore reports.Spending in the fourth quarter was up 11 percent over a year ago, representing the fifth consecutive quarter of positive annual growth and the second quarter of double-digit growth rates in the past year.
Holidays drive record-breaking e-commerce | Digital Media - CNET News
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Wednesday 2 February 2011

Online auctioneer sells stake > Inside Retailing > Articles page


In more news from the world of online retail, auctioneer Grays Online has sold a 25 per cent interest in its business to finance company, Caledonia Investments. According to the Australian Financial Review, the deal is estimated to be worth around $35 million, valuing the total company at around $140 million. The company generates sales of close to $310 million.
Online auctioneer sells stake > Inside Retailing > Articles page
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Buying group seeks investor help > Inside Retailing > Articles page


Online buying group, OfferMe is on the verge of finalising a round of substantial venture funding led by overseas investors. The company says the financing will allow it to provide a better user experience and add value to both buyers and sellers."A number of potential overseas investors, including US-based private equity and venture capital fund firms, Insight Venture Partners and Bessemer Venture Partners, have approached OfferMe in the past year," said Bekim Ahmedi, marketing manager at OfferMe.
Buying group seeks investor help > Inside Retailing > Articles page
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Online sales now 7% of total retail spending, growing at over 10% a year: Report

Another article repeating the famous words that have been used each year for the last 6 years or so... "Online retail will explode this year.... " Load of bunk.. it will continue to evolve at an ever increasing rate each year.

Here's the article:
Online retail spending will explode from $16.9 billion in 2009 to $33.3 billion in 2015, with digital sales now accounting for 7% of all retail spending, a new report from Forrester Research claims.The report also shows that while computer equipment is the most popular product bought online, more money is being pumped into large appliances, which have traditionally been thought of as having a limited online market.
Online sales now 7% of total retail spending, growing at over 10% a year: Report
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Monday 31 January 2011

LivingSocial: We're set to overtake Groupon (Q&A) | Geek Gestalt - CNET News


Last week, word of a great offer began to make its way around the Internet. I first heard about the offer--a $20 Amazon gift card for $10--on an e-mail list. Then I saw it on The Huffington Post. Then it started showing up on Twitter. Every few seconds, it seemed, someone new would tweet about it. It was all over Facebook, and people were blogging about it left and right.
LivingSocial: We're set to overtake Groupon (Q&A) | Geek Gestalt - CNET News
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Australian Retail's Slide into Complacency | BNET


Thanks to the Internet, Australia’s largest retailers are being exposed to even larger competitors with bigger buying power. Maybe it’ll be the wake-up call to jolt them out of a world of cosy deals and face the rest of the world head on.
Australian Retail's Slide into Complacency | BNET
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Monday 10 January 2011

Gillard reluctant to slam online shoppers with tax


Gillard reluctant to slam online shoppers with tax January 10, 2011 - 2:55PM -Australians who hunt for bargains while shopping online should be allowed to continue doing so, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.She says the government will wait for the outcome of a Productivity Commission inquiry before formally responding to a push by big retailers to impose the goods and services tax on online purchases from overseas.
Gillard reluctant to slam online shoppers with tax
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Saturday 8 January 2011

Online shoppers forced go pirate



Online shoppers forced go pirate
Michelle Griffin January 8, 2011 The Age

'Publishers who think they are protecting their markets are mistaken.'

IT’S NOT just price point that is driving Australians in droves to the internet sales. It’s information. We know what we want, and we don’t know why we have to wait until a local distributor decides to stock it. This is especially true of our cultural purchases: music, television programs, films and books.
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Trading web is winning big business



Online Retail for those who have got it right is booming, read this article:
Trading web is winning big business  -Chris Johnston January 8, 2011
Gabby Leibovich (right), with brother Hezi.

Gabby Leibovich (right), with brother Hezi. Photo: Michael Clayton-Jones

GABBY Leibovich says he sometimes wonders if the Melbourne-based online empire he has built from nothing with his brother Hezi is real - and that it is true he runs a juggernaut internet shop worth perhaps $A100 million this financial year. (Click below to see the article)

Trading web is winning big business
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Online retail is the way of the future



Australians should embrace the benefits of shopping on the web.THE federal government should not do anything that threatens the growth of online retailing.Online sales represent the future of Australian retailing and offer considerable benefits to sellers and consumers. Australian retailers should be fully embracing online retailing rather than being critical of its growth or solely targeting the GST issue.
Online retail is the way of the future
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Thursday 6 January 2011

Offshore sites may cost local retailers | Perth Now


RETAILERS risk prosecution if they shift e-commerce sites offshore to avoid import duties and GST, tax lawyers have warned.Myer plans to start selling tax-free merchandise through a Hong Kong-based website next month, to compete against foreign retailers who can mail goods worth less than $1000 to Australian customers tax-free.But the Taxation Institute of Australia warned yesterday that the Australian Taxation Office could intervene if it suspected any retailers were avoiding tax."There are powerful general anti-avoidance provisions (in the tax act) that need to be complied with," the institute's senior tax counsel, Robert Jeremenko, said yesterday, without commenting specifically on the Myer case.
Offshore sites may cost local retailers | Perth Now
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Expert doubts GST could be imposed | Perth Now



A TAX expert doubts whether the federal government will be able to find a cost-effective way to collect GST on goods purchased online from overseas websites.A group of big retailers, including Myer, David Jones and Harvey Norman, wants an end to the GST exemption for imported goods worth less than $1000.The government is not moved by their argument saying a tax on consumers is not the best way of competing with overseas online retailers.
Expert doubts GST could be imposed | Perth Now
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Twitter bitter on Harvey's GST plea | Courier Mail



THE backlash against retailing magnate Gerry Harvey continues to grow, with his push to have the GST applied to online purchases from overseas retailers now the number one trending topic on social networking site Twitter.Mr Harvey, who is the public face of a group of major retailers which have mounted a $200,000 media campaign arguing for a ’’level playing field’’ on the GST, has also become the target of almost unprecedented consumer vitriol.‘’Dear Gerry Harvey, I'm so sorry to hear of your hardship. I'd slip you a few bucks, but I'm still paying off my son's OVERPRICED LAPTOP. Soz,’’ went one Twitter post.
Twitter bitter on Harvey's GST plea | Courier Mail
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Why good retailers will survive the internet | Article | The Punch


Why good retailers will survive the internet 06 Jan 05:50am
Change and innovation are always feared, and therefore always resisted.   When the first ATMs were introduced, the banking unions fought against them because they feared it would mean the end of tellers (who can forget the lines we used to endure at banks in the bad old days). Instead, we saw the rise of electronic banking with the banks now involved in almost every transaction. When the video player was first introduced, film industry experts predicted the end of cinemas, but today we are seeing a resurgence in cinema attendance numbers because the industry was forced to become more innovative, and now delivers a significantly enhanced customer experience via new developments such as 3D.
Why good retailers will survive the internet | Article | The Punch
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