EBay, the online marketplace where shoppers can find anything from toys to cars to designer handbags, has launched a digital magazine. 
    
The magazine, www.theinsidesource.com, is geared to “inspired shoppers” and features stories based on what eBay’s millions of users are looking for, according to the publication.

It will feature articles, analysis and opinions from eBay shoppers and journalists. The site will also point to eBay’s most-watched and most-searched items.
 
“The Inside Source content will reflect what inspires us on eBay, from a profile of an art dealer discovering museum-quality pieces to a breakdown of the hottest trends in handbags,” said Managing Editor Meredith Barnett.
    
Perusal of the site revealed postings on a variety of topics, from Kim Kardashian’s style and cocktail rings for under $30 to Jane Birkin’s kitchen and items made of hemp.     
    
The magazine is part of the company’s recent marketing efforts to reenergize its marketplaces business, which competes with a host of e-commerce rivals, including Amazon.com.

(Photo: Screenshot of www.theinsidesource.com)

Check out who is shopping early for Christmas.
 
U.S. consumer are, according to a new Accenture survey, which showed that 69 percent of shoppers plan to do the bulk of their holiday shopping by Dec. 7.  That’s up from 60 percent a year earlier.
 
More than half (52 percent), plan to shop on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), up from 42 percent last year.
 
The game of chicken between retailers and shoppers over discounts may be more intense this year after retailers had to practically give the store away in 2008 to clear inventory in the middle of the recession.
 
The vast majority of consumers (86 percent) will not be moved to buy without a discount of at least 20 percent, and a quarter of shoppers will be looking for an aggressive 50 percent discount before they open their wallets, the survey said.
 
“We have seen a ’shift to thrift’ across all income levels during this economic downturn and breaking that habit will be the greatest challenge for retailers this holiday season,” Janet Hoffman, managing director of Accenture’s Retail practice, said in a news release.
 
Gift cards may also come back, with 79 percent of people saying they will give them and 59 percent saying they really want them.
 
Also in the basket:
 
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(Reuters photo)

Check Out this slightly more optimistic holiday sales forecast.

The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) said the 2009 U.S. holiday season is likely to be “a lot better” than last year, with sales rising roughly 1 to 2 percent.

The forecast, perhaps the most bullish yet, comes after a dismal 2008 holiday season that by some accounts was the worst in about 40 years.

Forecasts issued so far this year call for holiday sales to be flat to down versus last year, but some of those surveys use different methods for estimating sales.

The ICSC said holiday sales “in its many forms” — same store sales or total sales — could increase by about 1 percent to 2 percent, with sales at stores open at least one year rising 1 percent for the holiday shopping season of November and December.

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(Photo/Reuters)

Check Out the discount giant’s latest move.

Walmart.com announced that it added nearly one million new products to its online collection with the launch of Walmart Marketplace, which lets consumers buy items from a specific group of other retailers through its own website.

The move adds products and top brands in areas such as home goods, apparel, toys and baby items.

The world’s largest retailer’s current Marketplace retailers include shoes to toys company CSN Stores, online bag and luggage seller eBags and Pro Team, a licensed sports clothing and collectibles company.  The company said it plans to add more retailers over the next year.

Wal-Mart, with its “Save money. Live better” slogan, has benefited in the past year as consumers have turned to its cheaper prices in the recession.

For its latest online expansion, Wal-Mart said it picked specific retailers known for their assortment and customer service.  All purchases from Walmart Marketplace retailers will be managed through Walmart.com’s checkout process, though the retailers themselves will manage other services such as shipping, customer service and returns.

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Home barbering grows in recession - (WSJ, subscription required)

(Photo/Reuters)

The indicators are there: people are saving more and they’re spending less.  The era of the savvy(er) shopper has officially arrived. But how long will it last?

Family financial guru Ellie Kay has been talking about smart shopping for years, publishing numerous books and maintaining a blog about how to shop smart. With the back-to-school shopping season running up against the recession, she’s been hearing a lot from her readers about how they’ve changed their buying habits.

“It’s not enough to run a sale, there has to be something extra that retailers are putting out there for the consumer to want to spend back-to-school dollars in their store,” she said. “That includes sales plus store coupons, or free gifts, or if they’re shopping online, they want free online shipping.”

Kay said it’s also not enough for retailers to have a value message anymore. With consumers surfing coupon websites like fatwallet.com and doubling up on store coupons, she said retailers have to work extra hard to get consumer’s attention.

“I do see the trend shifting to implement the use of social media sites–the use of tweeting and Facebook and soforth,” she said, pointing to consumer’s reactions to viral media campaigns such as Starbuck’s free pastry and free ice cream giveaways through Facebook. “When there’s a really good deal out there that’s working that people are going to want to take advantage of, they’re going to start chatting about it.”

Indeed, the co-founder of RetailMeNot.com told Reuters that online coupons are taking on a life of their own as they get re-posted on blogs or on Facebook, while the CEO of Savings.com said retailers are already looking for ways to offer creative online deals for the upcoming Christmas shopping season.

Kay said the recession is leaving a lasting impression on consumers.

“I think a lot of them are going to smarten up, and be mindful that when they saw their college funds go away, they’re going to be very careful the next time around,” she said. “I think there will be good things that come out of this, especially to those who are hit hard by it.”

That goes for future generations of shoppers as well.

“It’s an incredible teaching opportunity for children to help them realize that what’s really important in life is not how many toys they have,” she said. “That’s a way to teach a generation that’s always had what they want how to live on a budget.”

(Additional reporting by Nicole Maestri)

(Photo: Reuters)

By Dhanya Skariachan

There’s nothing like a snazzy watch or a cool pair of sunglasses to  chase away those recession blues.
 
Despite the economic downturn, the U.S. accessories market has displayed some areas of growth, according to a report from market research firm NPD Group, with  watches and sunglasses being bright spots.

That could point to a trend where shoppers are not buying whole outfits, as they try to save money, but are drawn by powerful SALE signs to selectively snap up accessories to accentuate their old wardrobes. 

According to the NPD report, sales of men’s watches grew 20.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008 compared to a year ago, in stark contrast to the total accessories market, which saw a 26-percent decline.
 
“Watches continue to be seen as an investment purchase, at least by men,” said Marshal Cohen, an expert on consumer behavior and analyst with market research firm NPD Group.
 
While sales of watches to men of the 25-34 age group grew 1.9 percent, sales to the 35-54 years age group rose 8.5 percent.
 
Sunglasses have been the beneficiary of impulse purchasing, Cohen said, adding that NPD data shows nearly a third of sunglasses purchases were unplanned.  The top place for sunglasses’ sales was department stores. Sales of sunglasses rose 16.8 percent in that channel in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to the report.
 
“Even in a tough market, department stores ramped up their sunglasses assortment and put them front and center, and that really paid,” said Cohen.
 
Items like these may be indicators to, well, keep an eye on.
 
“Accessories was one of the last categories to post growth before this downturn and will likely be one of the first to return,” Cohen said.
 
(Photo/ Reuters)

Check out a persistent weakness in consumer attitudes.

On a scale of 0 to 100, where 100 is “very confident,” general economic perception of consumers fell to 36.7 in February from 38 in October, according to a survey by retail research firm NPD Group. The survey uses online answers from 1,000 people each month.

On the heels of worries over the economy, consumers’ intentions to shop also weakened. NPD’s study showed a more than five-point drop to 35.4 in February, compared to 40.7 in October.

“While a five-point drop doesn’t seem like much, it represents millions of dollars,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at NPD.

U.S. consumers have held back on shopping in the past months as they contend with weak home values, tight access to credit and the fear of job losses in a recession.

But not all is lost.

NPD did note that although consumers’ confidence about the economy was fading, their worries about job security were leveling off. While the number of consumers most concerned about job security peaked in December at 38 percent from 33 percent in October, it fell to 34 percent in February.

“I think it’s premature to talk ‘recovery,’ ” Cohen said. “I think if we are able to spot signs of stabilization, we’ll be better positioned for recovery and then the return to growth.”

* From the Reuters Food and Agriculture Summit 2009, watch out for speakers including Sara Lee Corp CEO Brenda Barnes, Joe Sanderson, CEO of Sanderson Farms and CEO of Feeding America Vicki Escarra.

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(Photo/Reuters)

The terrible U.S. retail sales  racked up in December -- called a "horror show" by ING -- were all the more gruesome because of the sales on offer to customers in the run up to Christmas. Shops weren't exactly giving things away, but their generosity knew few bounds.

Consider the experience of one visitor to a heaving handbag department in a Maryland Macy's.
 
    Customer: "I would like to buy this handbag please. Oh dear, it appears to be the only one that is not on sale."
    Salesman: "So it is. Tell you what, sir, I'll give you 15 percent off anyway."

Happy customer, happy new handbag recipient, unhappy sales figures.

The slide opening VF Corp’s presentation at the ICR XChange Conference on Tuesday said it all: “These are unprecedented times … are you having fun yet?”

For investors and companies attending the two-day event in Dana Point, California, the answer was probably yes, given the 77 degree temperatures, sunny skies, view of the beach (and distance from the freezing weather in the mid-West and East of the country).

But the wider economic environment was at the forefront on everyone’s minds. On the opening day, apparel maker VF cut its fourth-quarter profit and revenue forecast, while athletic gear manufacturer Under Armour posted preliminary fourth-quarter results that were far below expectations.
 
Every retailer and apparel manufacturer presenting on the first day cited the difficult environment that has curbed the consumer’s appetite for apparel and footwear, with no near-term signs of abating. 
    
But most companies tried to remind investors of the rosy side of the equation in 2009, including apparel maker G-III citing lower overseas product costs, shoe and hat retailer Genesco talking about a “turnaround in the power relationship with landlords” and upscale clothing retailer J Crew, touting its new Madewell brand.
 
Also overheard and witnessed at the ICRXChange:
“You’re the man!” “No, you’re the man!” — J Crew’s Mickey Drexler and American Apparel’s Dov Charney in a mutual love-fest, each proclaiming their admiration for the other’s brand. 
 
During a panel on the purchasing tastes of teenagers, a female teen panelist offered her two cents: “I stopped shopping at Abercrombie because they’re so rude.” Much laughter from the room.

“Happy New Year — I think you all need some alcohol!” said Hot Topic’s Betsy McLaughlin, sporting black fingernails and greeting investors at her end-of-the-afternoon presentation where beers were served. The Goth-inspired apparel, accessories and music retailer recently raised its fourth-quarter profit forecast, making it a rare bird in the struggling sector.

Investors speculated on Steve Jobs’ health — three hours before Apple’s announcement Tuesday that he would take a medical leave of absence until June.

(Reporting by Alexandria Sage)

Check Out the continued pain in the retail industry.
 
Wal-Mart’s outgoing CEO, Lee Scott, said Monday that he expects the U.S. economy to remain extraordinarily challenging in the first half of the year and does not see anything that would turn it around quickly.
 
Scott likely wanted to deliver some brighter news in his swan song. He turns over the CEO post to Mike Duke on Feb. 1. However, the tone at the National Retail Federation’s annual conference in New York this week is likely to be bleak.

ShopperTrak predicted that U.S. retail foot traffic will fall 16.4 percent during the first quarter. The group, which monitors customer traffic, expects retail sales to fall 4 percent during the quarter.

Scott’s comments come just days after Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, posted lower-than-expected December sales and cut its fourth-quarter profit forecast, showing it is not immune to the impact of the recession. Other retailers also issued profit warnings last week.
 
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(Reuters photo of sign at a Fishs Eddy store in New York in December)