Social networking services such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, plus many others have impacted the retail/merchandising industry immensely as they are very popular is today’s society. By 2014, 53% of total retail sales (online and offline) will be affected by the Web, as consumers increasingly use the Internet to research products before purchasing. (Forrester, March 2010). People are constantly staying connected and communicating through technology. Many companies find it much easier to advertise through online sources, as most of it is free. For example, if someone pins an outfit from urbanoutfitters.com on Pinterest, millions of consumers are going to check it out. Regardless if they buy that exact outfit, they are more likely to browse around the website and spend money. I am guilty of doing this as I have a huge online shipping addiction. I am constantly on pinterest looking for new style ideas and new clothing websites to browse. Companies and even boutiques advertise for free through facebook and twitter as they can make their own pages, which are constantly being updated. Many retail and merchandising companies sales have boomed and they have the social networking services to thank. Over the years we are seeing more and more stores that are online only. I personally like shopping online better than going to the store as I think they have more unique products. When I order my clothes online, I don’t see everyone and their mom wearing the same items, which is nice. “76 percent of the US retailers said user-generated content would have a greater impact on their spending habits” (Clark). This doesn’t surprise me especially because I am part of that 76 percent! Another nice thing I like about online shopping is that you can see the products reviews. It seems like a lot of other people agree because according to Channel Advisor, 83% of all holiday shoppers are influenced by customer reviews. This number may be higher around the holidays as it is hard to buy a gift for someone else so it’s nice to get others opinions. All in all, I think it’s safe to say that social networking services have a positive effect on the retail/ merchandising industry as I think it will only keep progressing.
http://www.bazaarvoice.com/resources/stats
Brittany Armstrong 
Great post! I definitely agree with you when you say that people are more connected and able to connected thanks to technology. You made a great point when you said “When I order my clothes online, I don’t see everyone and their mom wearing the same items, which is nice.” This is very true! I don’t have to worry about other people bothering me while I shop. The only downer about this though is the fact that we can not try on the clothes or shoes. An example, bathing suits! Some people are different sizes in their tops and bottoms. Other than that, you made some good points and I myself am apart of that 76% as well. 🙂
Brittany, I agree with you!
Now days social networking pages such as Facebook and Twitter are being used more than ever. Social networking has a great impact in how retailers, not only use common websites to socialize with other people, they also use this sites to advertise, therefore to make an impresion in the consumers view by offering great deals, and convinience that are offered via internet or phisically in store.
Great blog! I love the statistics that you used. I had no clue that 53% would be impacted by the web. I completely agree that shopping online is better than in the stores. Especially on the busy weekends when sales are going on. You can still get great prices online without having to deal with overcrowded stores.