Just a quick note: NetBaldwin CEO Laurie Baldwin is attending University of Michigan’s Executive MBA Program. View more information about it by visiting her Michigan Executive MBA profile page.

Interviews with top e-retailers point to video.  And we’re not talking podcasts, here, we’re talking a full deployment of online video retailing.  The biggest gap between brick-and-morter stores and online shopping is the ability to see and feel the product.  Online video with 360-degree views and “live” descriptions can give online shoppers a better look and feel for products than today’s “photos with descriptions.”  A few years ago, video retailing was only a dream because of the Internet speeds resources required.  Now that broadband access is so prevelent and more dial-upers are moving to broadband, retailers are revisiting the technology.   But beware before you jump - video retailing only works for certain products - mainly those that require an explanation or demonstration.

The holidays are starting early this year—online. A survey of consumers and multi-channel merchants by Shop.org and Shopzilla shows that more than one-third of consumers will start holiday buying by Halloween. More than 60% of retailers will start holiday promotions by early November, and most plan to increase e-mail and search marketing over last year as part of that.

For more information, read the complete article at Internet Retailer.

Internet Retailer is conducting a survey to find out what Internet companies are doing to gear up for the holidays and when they start doing it. As they put it:

Here’s your chance to see how your online holidays sales and preparations compare to the rest of the e-retailing industry.

This month’s survey addresses key holiday merchandising, marketing and technology issues and trends, with an eye toward measuring how successful retailers are in attracting holiday traffic and converting visitors to buyers.

The results of the survey will be published in the November 2 (2006) Internet Retailer NewsLink and the November issue of Internet Retailer.

For information about subscribing to Internet Retailer to participate in the survey and get the results, follow this link — http://www.internetretailer.com/IR/USA/