Amazon's every move made news this year, and the stories resonated with SmartBrief readers eager to keep up with the e-commerce giant's latest moves, from eliminating list prices from product listings to launching a menswear line to making plans for brick-and-mortar expansion.
Amazon-owned Zappos also caught readers' attention with new shoeboxes printed with templates telling customers how they can be repurposed.
Drones made their first home deliveries in the US this year, courtesy of 7-Eleven and tech partner Flirtey, which flew in Slurpees, hot coffee and other c-store treats. Retailers in other parts of the world also have been experimenting with drones since 2013, when Amazon announced plans to develop delivery drones, including JD.com, which began using drones to deliver to rural areas.
Wal-Mart acquired e-commerce startup Jet.com for $3.3 billion in cash and stock this year, a deal that brought the brick-and-mortar retailer the kind of online operation it would have built from scratch if it were just starting out, CEO Doug McMillon said in August. Jet.com celebrated its first birthday in July with more than $1 billion in sales, 12 million products for sale and more than 4 million customers.
What is your biggest goal/expectation from tech next year?
Boost sales
33.33%
Increase store traffic
33.33%
Increase online traffic
23.81%
Raise brand awareness
9.52%
Does your e-commerce site offer space to third-party sellers?
No, we don't include third-party sellers and don't plan to add marketplace options
50.00%
Yes, we currently include third-party sellers on our site
27.78%
No, but we plan to add third-party sellers to our site in 2017
11.11%
Not sure
11.11%
In 2017, most of my company's tech investments will focus on:
Mobile
38.89%
Multi-channel
36.11%
Online
19.44%
In-store
5.56%
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Image of the Year
Snapchat played hard to get with its Snapchat Spectacles. The company sold the $130 video recording eyeglasses only in vending machines in select cities, and by last month, pairs were selling on eBay for $5,000.
(YouTube/Spectacles)
Radial's 2016 Holiday Fraud Index Make sure fraudsters don't hijack your profits during the 2016 holiday shopping season! Download Radial's Holiday Fraud Index to learn six fraud trends that can put your bottom line at risk this holiday season.
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Smartest Quote
Each day, Shop.org SmartBrief readers share the SmartQuote with colleagues, family and friends. Here is this year's most shared quote.
Failure is a bruise, not a tattoo.
John Sinclair, poet
Shop.org News
Disrupt yourself before someone else does
New technologies and evolving consumer behaviors are combining to force seismic shifts in retail. Retailers are working with promising startups and looking for ways to create a culture of innovation inside their own companies. No matter where a brand looks for new ideas, the motivation is the same: Disrupt yourself or be disrupted by the competition.
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