New Media Age originally reported in September that Sky was in talks with etail specialists (New Media Age 4 September) to launch a service. The service, provided by Digital Window, allows visitors to compare over 3.5m products from high street retailers including Comet, Woolworths and Next. Users then go through to the retailers’ sites to buy.

The site will offer targeted product recommendations to visitors as they move through its portal. The move into online shopping comes as Sky launches a Christmas site, sponsored by Marks & Spencer, which includes TV listings the period, games and gift ideas.

Sky recently added new sites to its portfolio including Sky Motoring, Sky Travel and Sky’s entertainment portal. Andy Jonesco, MD of Sky Online Business Unit, said, “Sky Shopping offers a fantastic online retail experience made even richer and more relevant by targeting products by site editorial.

The launch of the Christmas hub also shows our agility in creating bespoke seasonal sites which can harness the rich and diverse editorial from elsewhere on the portal.”

Digital Window also powers shopping offerings for Metro and The Sun.

While trial versions of online stores have been operating in Britain, Germany and South Korea for about five months, the US opening is seen as the beginning of Microsoft’s online push.

As well as software downloads of its popular programs, users can purchase products such as keyboards, mice and Xbox consoles.

“This is the first online store where you can purchase Microsoft products straight from the source,” a Microsoft announcement said.

The company has already offered programs and applications via downloads through its Windows Marketplace site, but on a much smaller scale. Marketplace will now be replaced by the Microsoft Store.

In a blog post, Microsoft senior program manager Trevin Chow said the move will help computer owners who do not own CD or DVD drives.

“In a world where lighter weight laptops, such as netbooks, are becoming more common, ESD (electronic software download) makes things easier when an optical drive isn’t easily accessible. By extending ESD to Microsoft software, we’re able to increase convenience across the board for a variety of customers.”

Chow also says the store will help reduce carbon emissions, saying, “think of the savings of gasoline in shipping products, driving back and forth in your car to a retail store, or even the plastic manufactured and used for the CD jewel cases”.

More online country stores will be launched in the next 12 months, although details are yet to be released.

Sharon Hooker, operations manager at JPIC Australia, said the website would shut down on 20 November, with a customer support office remaining open until the end of the year to ensure all outstanding orders are delivered.

“All I know at the moment is that the US company has terminated the licence arrangements that they have internationally and globally,” Hooker says. “Basically that’s it – shut the doors.

“The only thing I know is, I believe the original contract with the licencee had some sort of a loophole in it, and the Americans have decided to use this clause for whatever reason. We’ve been told nothing; our head office is in Singapore, and they are in negotiations at the moment, talking to lawyers and all sorts of things to see what can be done about it.

“Basically, because we have to close our doors, that will be it; we won’t operate a JC Penny website again, regardless of what happens legally. It’s a bit of a shock to us all.”

The move has, understandably, come as a surprise to everyone involved, with the site just launched on 1 September, “It’s been a reasonably expensive exercise to open up the office and put staff in place here,” Hooker says.

“At this stage, they’ve not said to us they’ve been losing money, or that it was a bad model; they’ve just said there’s an out clause and they’re using it. I believe there’s been a new international manager put in place; what his brief is, I’m not sure.”

Hooker says that the Australian team had really been getting its teeth into the market, with support in Australia tremendous.

“For the little advertising and marketing we’ve done, the orders we’ve taken in the last few months have been fantastic,” she says.

“I’ve spent this morning sending a blanket email out to our customers to explain we’re closing our doors and telling them they can make orders in the next couple of days.”

Hooker says that economically it may seem a viable thing for the US parent company to do, however it’s not actually costing the American company any money to have the presence in Australia, with the business being a standalone entity.

It comes as official sales figures continue to defy expectations, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Retail sales declined by 0.1 per cent in October, much better than expected by economists, who had predicted a fall of 0.5 per cent or more.

Marks & Spencer is cutting prices by 20 per cent in its clothing and homewares departments in its biggest one-day promotion for four years.

Retail giants Debenhams and Bhs were also discounting stock this week.

The high street fears the economic downturn will stop people hitting the shops ahead of this year’s festive season, with Debenhams saying next month is set to be “the worst Christmas we have ever had”.

Analysts say consumers appear to be delaying their Christmas shopping, hoping to catch bargains as shops increase their sales.

M&S began the 24-hour sale online at midnight and will keep a number of large stores open until midnight tonight to allow customers to take full advantage of the offers.

M&S spokeswoman Clare Wilkes said: “M&S customers are telling us they are feeling the pinch more than ever and they need some support to help make Christmas extra special.”

Asked about speculation that the event would dilute sales leading up to Christmas, she said: “These are really unusual times and it’s a very volatile and competitive environment and we need to trade through it.

“We need to compete for every share of the pound that is available to be spent.”

Debenhams is in the middle of a three-day £200 million price-cutting campaign across every trading area in all its stores and online.

A Debenhams spokesman said sale customers had queued outside the stores, which were “packed”.

Amazon.com has said that the new artist stores serve as one-stop destinations for all things related to musicians and their music. Customers can learn about their favorite performers through images and biographies, discover music in any format, listen to song previews and even contribute to artist profiles.

Additionally, Amazon Artist Stores reportedly have more than just music, featuring related merchandise such as concert shirts, rare posters, books, and concert DVDs.

Peter Faricy, vice president of music and movies at Amazon.com, said: “We have always understood that our customers want to listen to their music when they want it, where they want it and in whichever format they want it. We are music lovers here at Amazon, and we created the Amazon Artist Stores for everyone from the casual enthusiast and occasional gift-giver to the seasoned music junkie. These stores allow our customers to easily find and discover the music they love in any format along with a variety of artist content, like exclusive music videos and behind-the-scenes footage, all in a single place.”

Electrical retailer Dixons, the toy shop Hamleys, the department stores Selfridges and House of Fraser, Argos and Gap are just some of the companies using this tactic.

Once a niche phenomenon, these vouchers have come of age in recent weeks, according to research conducted for the Daily Telegraph.

More than 41 million visits to discount voucher websites were made during October by 8.8 million people, figures show from Nielsen Online, a research company that monitors internet shopping habits.

The discounts work in different ways.

Either they are a voucher that can be printed off and taken into the store and handed over to the shop assistant when you get to the till, or they can be used to shop online.

In the latter, there is usually a code, which the computer user types into a retailer’s website to take advantage of the discount.

There are now many websites, notably MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, codes.co.uk, and MoneySavingExpert.com, which collect all the codes available at any one time.

EXAMPLES:

* 10pc off any digital camera at Jessops.com , using code CAM10

* 20pc off ‘humour’ books at Waterstones.com using code HZ3229

* 20pc off everything at stationery shop Smythson.com , using code JOULES

* 30pc off everything at Gap, by visiting http://www.gapcorporateinvite.com/holiday08/en/ Expires: 30th Nov 2008

* 40pc off everything at Threshers, Wine Rack and Victoria Wine by visiting http://www.thedreamoffer.com/

* Hamleys - http://www.hamleys.com/ 10pc off when using this Discount Code: HAMRH Exp: 22/12/08

* House of Fraser – http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/ £10 off from House of Fraser on your first online order of £50 using promotional code OFMC111 plus Free Standard UK Mainland Delivery. End Date: 24/12/2008

* Red Letter Days – http://www.redletterdays.co.uk/Home 15pc Discount from Red Letter Days when using exclusive voucher code MYVOUCHER Expires: 29-Dec-2008

* Burtons – http://www.burton.co.uk 15pc off at Burton on all orders over £60 when using exclusive code: BURTONSB Expires: 30-Nov-2008

* Hawkins Bazzar – http://www.hawkin.com/ £6 Off a £35 Spend at Hawkin Bazzar using discount code hawkin6 End Date: 30/11/2008

* Hotel Chocolat – http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/ 10pc off at Hotel Chocolat on all orders over £30 excluding delivery when using voucher code MYVC Expires: 31-Dec-2008

* Littlewoods – http://www.littlewoods.com/ £15 off at Littlewoods on all first orders over £25 when using promotion code: ZG228

* The Body Shop – http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/ 10pc off any purchase online from The Body Shop when using promotional code: DHAD000451 Expires: 31-Dec-2008

* The White Company – http://www.thewhitecompany.com/ 15pc discount from The White Company on orders over £65 plus Free Delivery using promotion ode: 28CXC Expires: 21-Dec-2008

For more vouchers:

www.moneysavingexpert.com/shoppingvouchers

www.codes.co.uk

www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk

www.Perks.com

On most retailer websites, the product information is little more than a paragraph. The problem is that most consumers want more information than that; so they leave one etailer site for another, getting the same information website after website. This isn’t good for the brand or the etailer.

WebCollage’s Power Product Pages take manufacturer/brand product information from the manufacturer’s website and seamlessly inserts it into participating etailing websites, giving consumers more information and less aggravation.

Here is how the program works: A consumer visiting a site which carries Sony Bravia television sets would click on a ‘Product Information’ button to do their research. Which staying on the etailing site, the window offers information gathered from the manufacturer website.

“The impact is for a typical brand to see an increase between 6% and 16% in online sales by having this additional information available,” said Jed Alpert, Vice President of Marketing, WebCollage. For most etailing sites, Power Product Pages can be ready to go within about 24 hours because the information is pre-configured. “There is a shift [in online marketing] toward programs that can prove themselves rather than focusing on general messages.”

The manufacturer’s information is syndicated throughout the WebCollage space so that there is little delay between new brands or etailers signing on and additional product information being shown to consumers.

According to WebCollage, consumers are staying on-site longer because of the increased product information available. Their research shows that consumers, on average, are spending three minutes per page to watch videos, read product details and gain more information.

“This is a way for the brand to engage and for the retailers to convert,” said Mr. Alpert.

Looking for a special Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa gift that really says “I Love You”? Then how about one that says “I Love My Schmoopie” or “I Love My Yaya”? Those are just two of the many hundreds of fun and original “I Love (Heart)” designs available from MyLoveStore.com, a top online retailer offering a variety of great gift products for the holidays including men’s and women’s apparel, mugs, pillows, magnets and a whole lot more.

Taking over 2 years to complete, MyLoveStore.com offers over 900 custom “I Love (Heart)” designs for everyone this holiday season and for almost any interest imaginable. “While there’s a lot of e-commerce ‘Love’ stores already out there, what really makes us stand apart is not only the vast array of designs available but their originality and uniqueness”, explains MyLoveStore.com founder Brian Estrin. “Each design in MyLoveStore.com is an original creation that captures the subject matter in a simple yet iconic way that makes them truly special gifts.”

MyLoveStore.com offers all of their heart slogans on a variety of shirts and clothing for men, women and children, as well as on bumper stickers, hats, tote bags, keepsake boxes, refrigerator magnets, buttons, and much more.

With the holidays fast approaching, online stores like MyLoveStore.com are becoming more and more the destination for people interested in purchasing a unique gift for a loved one at a reasonable price. The gifts come in a variety of sizes where applicable, and usually ship within 2 to 3 days of ordering with express shipping available for those in the market for a last minute gift. All products sold also come with a no-hassle, 30 day money back guarantee.

Related Article :
Variety Of Gifts Available From The Retailer This Christmas

Checking the validity of websites and paying by credit card were two ways to shop safely, bankers and police say. And don’t respond to any email request for financial information, the Australian Bankers’ Association says.

Banks and other legitimate businesses do not ask for those details by email, chief executive David Bell says.

“Don’t click on any link embedded within a suspicious email or ccompanying attachment, and always call the retailer or financial institution to verify your account status before divulging any information,” he said.

The Australian Federal Police say using updated anti-virus and anti-spyware software will help prevent the scamming of credit card details.

“Exercise caution and sound judgement at the same time,” national manager of high-tech crime operations,” Neil Gaughan said.

Shoppers who didn’t want to be ripped off should also research the online merchant before placing an order. That includes calling the business to verify if it had a website.

Using credit cards to pay for goods online is the safest option as shoppers can track the sale process and dispute any excess charges later.

A recent survey found 52 per cent of respondents buy or sell goods online while 84 per cent use their computer for internet banking.

Related Topics: Inexperienced online shoppers ‘at greater risk of fraud’

“We don’t have enough boutiques across the globe to retail these exclusive products. And we don’t want to sell them through the watch and jewellery stores as they are more mass channels,” added Babin.

The company has already designed memory sticks, external hardware and other techno-accessories for men. “These accessories are made with advanced technology from the TAG Heuer stables and we are currently testing these products,” he added.

In India, TAG Heuer retails in 24 cities, through 74 outlets. The company sold around 11,000 watches last year.