Saks Fifth Avenue is over halfway through a multi-year, multi-front, multimillion-dollar transformation into an omnichannel enterprise. The retailer has already deployed approximately 2,000 iPad tablets in its stores to facilitate associates' communication and engagement with customers, and will be launching an e-commerce site for its OFF 5TH outlet banner this fall.

On March 25, 1911, fire swept through the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in New York City. One hundred and forty-six garment workers perished in the blaze, many of them trapped in the building because management had locked the exit doors. The youngest of the victims were 14. It was a horrifying tragedy, not atypical of working conditions during the so-called Progressive Era. Can we not, however, take comfort in knowing that those times are far behind us?

Release of the second UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper: A Customer Experience Study analyzes omnichannel retailing and shows consumers want more choices when it comes to shopping online, more control over when their purchases will be delivered and a convenient returns process. They're also using social media to shop for the best deals and expect more shipping options from e-tailers.