Make This Halloween A Monster Mash of Color and Flavor with McCormick® Food Colors and Extracts

Let’s get ready for Halloween! Who doesn’t have a baking shelf stocked with McCormick food colors and flavor extracts? I have all the basic primary colors, and tons of fall flavors! McCormick tells us how to scare up some spooky fun with what might already be in your cup board:

Jack-o-Lantern Orange. Banshee Black. Frankenstein Green.

This is the colorful monster mash of Halloween, encouraging creativity in everything from costumes to decorations to tasty treats. The results are sometimes wicked and sometimes whimsical — and, with the help of McCormick, always colorful and flavorful.

“McCormick orange extract and food colors are the perfect combination for Halloween,” said Mark Garcia of the McCormick Kitchens. “And, our Creepy Crawly Cake Truffles make great use of this combo. Not only are these bite-sized spiders, ghosts and bats fun on the outside, they also hold a surprise on the inside: a bright orange-flavored cake. This is just one of many playful ‘tricks’ you can try with food color and extracts on Halloween.”

For more treats that’ll turn your festivities into a delicious graveyard smash, try these recipes from the McCormick Kitchens developed especially for the season:  

·         Creepy Crawly Cake Truffles: Transform orange-colored (and flavored!) cake balls into edible monsters with sweet decorations like melted chocolate, black licorice and jelly beans. Create the mini vampire bats, spiders and ghosts or experiment with creatures of your own to match your costume.

·         Black Velvet Whoopie Pies: Dive into the spirit of the season with a tempting new take on red velvet cake. These mini cake sandwiches pop with Jack-O-Lantern Orange, Frankenstein Green and Electric Purple fillings that can be customized to your taste with flavors like Orange, Lemon and Raspberry.

·         Orange Hocus Pocus Fizz: Rim this tantalizing cocktail of rum, coconut and pineapple with black sugar for a sweetly spooky beverage that’ll be the hit of the land. Leave out the rum for a virgin “mocktail” all your little ghouls and goblins can enjoy.

·         Harvest Scarecrow Cookies: It’s fun and easy to “dress” vanilla sugar cookies as sweet scarecrows by adding shredded wheat “straw hair,” a sugar wafer “hat,” and a smiling red licorice face.

·         Candy Corn Cupcakes: Inspired by Halloween’s signature candy, these bright cupcakes feature vibrant layers of orange and yellow cake topped with creamy white frosting and sprinkles.

Monster Color Mash-up 
Need to tint frosting a freaky Frankenstein Green? Looking for the perfect potion to turn your cakes Jack-O-Lantern Orange? McCormick’s Monster Color Mash-Up has your recipe for spot-on sweet and spooky Halloween colors.

MONSTER COLOR  MASH-UP:	WHITE CAKE MIX (1 package)	GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX (1 package)	WHITE ICING (16 oz. container)	CHOCOLATE ICING (16 oz. container)
Frankenstein Green*	100 drops neon green		25 drops neon green
Jack-O-Lantern Orange	50 drops yellow 25 drops red		25 drops yellow 12 drops red
Autumn Red		1 (1 oz) bottle red		100 drops red
Banshee Black		3 Tbsp black		50 drops black

*Neon green is included in the McCormick Neon Food Color and Egg Dye package

NOTE: 1 tsp equals about 100 drops.

Creative Christmas Cash

Looking for extra Christmas money or just a creative, inexpensive way to stuff stockings? Sign up to be an Avon Rep. Yes! Seriously! Here’s why:

• Automatically earn 40 percent of your first FOUR campaigns of $100 or more. For example, if you submit an order of $100, you earn $40. After that the percentage you earn is based on sales, but I’m averaging 30 percent with very little effort. Thanks to some awesome customers, I was able to fill three of my family’s HUGE Christmas stockings for only $4. 

• Even if you submit only one $100 for yourself for each of those four campaigns, each order only costs you $60 (plus shipping). A huge chunk of your Christmas shopping done! Your bathrooms restocked! 
• 
  
• You can order full-sized “demo” products for 20% off of clothes, jewelry, etc. or 40% off most cosmetics, skin & hair care with a minimum $50 order. If you’re order is less than $50, you still get 20% off “demo” products. 

Avon is comparably priced to Wal-mart on the cosmetics, hair care and skin care products you use every day. And the quality is comparable to high-end department store products!

Because everyone knows the Avon name, it’s very easy to sell to friends, family and coworkers.

It only costs $10 to sign up (compared to the $100s of dollars for other direct sale brands). You can do this as a hobby, just for Christmas, or make a business out of it. That’s totally up to you! You can go it on your own, or get as much help and support you want.

NO HASSLE, online sign up! Nobody will call and bug you. Email me for the link and sign up code. It’s that easy!

(Questions? Of course, I’ll be happy to tell you anything you want to know)

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Haunting The Halls In Spooky Style

Halloween is rapidly approaching, but fear not – the leading Halloween retailer, Party City, is sharing ways to celebrate Halloween with all the chills and thrills. September is the perfect time to transform any home into a haunted house and plan a frightfully fun Halloween party. To gear up for the second largest retail holiday, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), families can begin decorating their home with fall flair and spooky scenery. Prepping for the spookiest month of the year doesn't have to be a terrifying task with these easy Halloween party ideas from Party City's Halloween experts:

The Grave Outdoors: Give trick-or-treaters and party guests a gothic greeting with a scary landscape. Line the yard with tombstones, Halloween mini-fences and signs to create a wicked woodland. Place zombie arms and skeleton parts next to tombstones so they emerge from the grave, and scatter dead flowers across the lawn to enhance the cemetery-like setting. For a final touch, use a fog machine to fill the entryway with a frightful haze.

Sophisticated Spooky: The coffee table, mantle and sofa are all essential set pieces on the Halloween stage. Play up the trend of chic simplicity by adding a few understated touches that reflect a sophisticated style. Remove everyday centerpieces, picture frames and vases, and replace them with trendy but terrifying decor, like eye-catching ravens and petrifying paper fans and lanterns. Instantly antiquate the scene by covering all surfaces with webbing, gauze and moss. Weave spiders and other creepy crawlers into the webbing for a full infestation. Exchanging family pictures with black and white photos from past centuries creates a spirited scene.

Terrifying Tabletops: Draw attention to the dining area with creative centerpieces of weathered tombstones, skull groupings and other creepy crawlers. To achieve a more upscale look, place them in clear glass cake platters and bell jarsal Party City store.. Create eerie unexpected placeholders by putting name cards inside of vampire fangs, atop a small coffin or wrapped around a mini skeleton. Dress up the table by draping webbing off the sides and along candelabras and gauntlets.

The Monster Mash: Monsters have made a comeback this year in both blockbuster hits, like "Hotel Transylvania" and "Frankenweenie", and as a kids Halloween party theme. Frankenstein, Dracula, mummies and werewolves creep into Halloween party supplies like tableware, favors and sweet treats. Bright colors like lime green, purple, orange and yellow make this monster revival full of fun instead of fright.

Eerie Edibles: Guests will go batty over a display of to-die-for desserts. Spiders, candy eyeballs and tombstones turn cupcakes into creepy confections. For a simple but sweet decorating solution, cupcake costumes instantly transform ready-made cupcakes into classic Halloween characters. These ghoulish gourmet cupcakes mimic the monsters of movies like "Monsters and Aliens" and "Monsters Inc.", with no decorating skills required. Food coloring mist in green or black adds instant eeriness to any dish. Place witch fingers combing through candy to create a cheerfully chilling bowl of toil and trouble.

Pick Your Poison: Eat, drink and be scary with a shocktails bar of screamingly scrumptious thirst-chasers. For positively Pinterest-worthy cocktails, garnish drinks with olives and lychee nuts to make eyeballs. Dress up glasses with dreadful details like dripping blood curdling red syrup around the glass rims and black licorice strips over the edges of glasses for spider legs. Disguise bottles with labels of "Witch's Potion" and "Raven's Blood Brew." Serve up a punchbowl of sinful sangria and spiked cider for any bloodsuckers at the party.

For more party examples and Halloween decorating ideas, visit PartyCity.com or a local Party City store.

PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1nAmt)

Garage Door Safety Quiz Helps Keep Kids -- and Adults -- Safe From Harm

There is a lot to think about when making sure your home is a safe place for kids, but many people forget that the household garage door can be a serious safety hazard.

To help families make their garage door kid safe, GarageDoorCare.com, a website produced by the International Door Association (IDA), a trade association comprised of more than 2,000 door and access system dealers and installers worldwide, has launched the Garage Door Safety quiz, available on the website's home page.

"The quiz is a great way for parents, or anyone with small children frequently at their house, to evaluate what they know – and what they should know -- about garage doors," said Chris Long, IDA Managing Director. "With the right understanding of how these operating systems work, people will be able to teach kids about garage door safety – and learn about keeping themselves safe as well."

The quiz consists of five questions aimed at gauging an individual's garage door safety knowledge and providing homeowners with the information they need to make smart decisions regarding garage door safety. The garage door is the largest and heaviest moving object in the home. Accidents involving the garage door may result in serious injury or even death, and IDA is dedicated to helping people become aware of the potential dangers.

"It's extremely important that kids understand that a garage door and its operating system are not toys, and we encourage parents to help them learn why they shouldn't play near or under garage doors, or with a garage door's operating systems," said Long.

In addition to safety tips, GarageDoorCare.com also provides information on how the systems operate. A basic understanding of how a garage door operates can help homeowners ensure that it is properly maintained.

There are many maintenance tasks all garage door owners should perform on a regular basis, which can be found on IDA's maintenance checklist. But there are many instances when garage door care should be left to professionals. The website's ZIP code search function allows people to find an IDA Garage Door Professional close to their home. As the all-stars of the door industry, IDA members are experienced professionals who pride themselves on workmanship.

To take the quiz, learn about maintenance tips and locate an IDA professional, visit www.garagedoorcare.com.

PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1n3tC)

Karina Smirnoff Helps Launch Avon ANEW Skincare Breakthrough at Flash Mob

Introducing ANEW Clinical Pro Line Eraser Treatment

Hey, this stuff is AMAZING!!! I was able to test it before it became available to the public! And I was at the Dallas Flash Mob! Wanna give it a try? Check it out on my online brochure! http://lwindle.avonrepresentative.com/

Avon celebrated the brand’s latest innovation, ANEW Clinical Pro Line Eraser Treatment, with flash mobs coast to coast in five cities, including New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles. Professional ballroom dancer Karina Smirnoff led the moves and wowed the crowd in Los Angeles. Avon Representatives in all cities joined in on the flash mobs and distributed tens of thousands of samples of ANEW Clinical Pro Line Eraser Treatment, which launches this month across the country.

About ANEW Clinical Pro Line Eraser Treatment

Renowned for pioneering game-changing skincare formulations over the last two decades, Avon launches one of its most transformative products yet: ANEW Clinical Pro Line Eraser Treatment with A-F33, an industry first molecule exclusively available through Avon*. This anti-aging breakthrough was developed in partnership with visionary dermatological company NeoStrata Company, Inc., the same company that Avon collaborated with in the early 1990s to first bring Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHAs) Technology to the mass market. ANEWClinical Pro Line Eraser Treatment harnesses the power of A-F33 and helps begin to reduce the look of deep and fine wrinkles in seven days. Over time, 100% of women showed improvement in fine wrinkles.

The Technology

Inspired by Nobel Prize-winning research that looked at blocking mechanisms of protein production, ANEW Clinical Pro Line Eraser Treatment leverages the power of A-F33, an innovative molecule that has been found in testing on skin cells to work in a way that other well known anti-aging ingredients like glycolic acid, retinol, and CoQ10 don’t by deactivating critical collagen blocking in skin cells to help unleash untapped collagen. A-F33 is formulated to help stimulate skin cells to produce matrix components.

The ANEW Clinical Pro Line Eraser Treatment Results

·         See deep wrinkles begin to fade in just 1 week**

·         Over time,100% of women showed a reduction in fine lines**

·         Produces up to 50% improvement in overall fine lines and deep wrinkles in 11 weeks**

·         Faster and better than a leading dermatologist-inspired wrinkle treatment**

·         5 out of 10 women considering a cosmetic procedure who tried ANEW Clinical Pro Line Eraser Treatment said the serum improved their skin so much they decided to postpone the procedure***

ANEW Clinical Pro Line Eraser is available for $39.99 exclusively through Avon.

*In the mass market.
**Based on a dermatologist supervised clinical study.
***Based on a consumer perception study. Results not comparable to cosmetic procedures.

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Best Life Dishes Out Suggestions for Taking Advantage of Fall's Harvest

Bob Greene's Best Life Dishes Out Suggestions for Taking Advantage of Fall's Harvest

Although it's time to say farewell to summer's produce -- those juicy peaches, perfect berries, tasty zucchini, flavorful basil and other seasonal offerings -- you won't be left with a bare fruit bowl or empty crisper. Instead, you can fill them with delicious and ultra-nutritious fall produce.

Bob Greene, founder of TheBestLife.com (www.thebestlife.com) says that autumn provides a bounty of delicious fruit and vegetables, such as apples, pears, grapes and oranges, rapini, shelling beans and celery root. "The fall harvest offers you the chance to add healthy new foods to your diet," says Greene

Top Fresh Market Finds to Add to Your Grocery List This Fall:

·         Apples: They're high in fiber, plus they contain quercetin, which has cancer-fighting properties.

·         Pears: A medium pear contains an impressive six grams of fiber. Be sure to eat the skin; it's high in antioxidants.

·         Grapes: Red and black grapes are a great pick because they contain heart-healthy anthocyanins as well as resveratrol, another phytochemical that protects the heart and helps fight cancer.

·         Oranges: One 60-calorie orange delivers 100 percent of your daily value (DV) of vitamin C, three grams of fiber and 10 percent of the DV of folate, a B vitamin that helps fight cancer and birth defects. (You'll typically find these in orange-growing states, such as Texas, Florida and California.)

·         Rapini (broccoli raab): This versatile veggie looks like broccoli and can be used in many different kinds of cuisine, including Italian and Chinese. It's a great source of vitamins A and K, plus it provides cancer-fighting "phenolic compounds."

·         Shelling Beans: These fully matured beans in the pod have to be shelled before eating, but they take only about 15 minutes to cook. They come in many varieties, including black-eyed peas and cranberry beans, and are a good source of protein and fiber.

·         Celery Root (celeriac): This knobby-looking brown vegetable that's available from October until March contains compounds that help lower inflammation (a trigger for heart disease and other chronic conditions).

Facebook at The Best Life http://facebook.com/oprahstrainer

Twitter: @bestlifediet

You Tube: http://youtube.com/bestlifediet

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Pulte Homes Partners with Gladiator® GarageWorks to Improve Storage and Design

Interested in a Pulte Home? I can help! Pulte has a lot of great communities in North Texas! Read about Pulte's cool new upgrade available in select communities across the country:

Between sports equipment, bikes, camping gear, and gardening tools, the garage can be a hub of activity for the entire family, yet one of the most chaotic and disorganized spaces in a home.

"The garage has traditionally been relegated to mismatched storage bins, overflowing shelves and bursting lawn bags, resulting in chaos and no real organization," said Janice Jones, vice president of merchandising for Pulte Homes. "Our customers have told us that they want better home storage solutions and expanded space in the garage. Just like mudrooms and master closets, it makes perfect sense to make the garage a cleaner and more organized space."

According to a consumer study conducted by Gladiator® GarageWorks, 62 percent of those surveyed said the garage is the storage area of the home they would most like to resolve. Other studies have shown that homeowners rate the garage as the most disorganized place in the house and a place the entire family uses regularly.

As a result, Pulte Homes' communities across the nation are partnering with Gladiator^® GarageWorks with upgrade packages for new homeowners who want the perfect solution to keep their tools, hobbies and home care equipment organized and out of the way. Gladiator GarageWorks gives homeowners flexibility with a mix-and-match system, including workbenches, cabinets and wall systems, and puts belongings a practical place while freeing up the garage for other activities.

"We understand the multiple demands placed on garage spaces today and through our partnership with GarageWorks, we're responding to prospective homeowners who have told us they need more control over their next garage," Jones said.

Jones further added that expanded garage space is just one of the many offerings of Pulte Homes' Life Tested™ homes, which are designed and built to meet the needs of today's modern families. Other Life Tested™ design features included expanded laundry rooms, the Pulte Planning Center™ and flexible living spaces.

Gladiator^® GarageWorks upgrade packages are available in Pulte Homes' communities within Illinois, Indianapolis, Ind., New Mexico, Seattle, Wash., Southern California, and St. Louis, Mo. For more information, visit www.pulte.com.

PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1mY0C)

While the Gladiator^® GarageWorks hasn’t made it to North Texas yet, Pulte has a lot of great special events and offers just for North Texas! If you’re in the market for a new home, I’ll treat you to the ROCK STAR service you deserve!

Lynn Windle, Realtor - Coldwell Banker Apex, Realtors

lynn.windle@coldwellbanker.com

Toll Free: 888.613.4101
Phone: 972.562.5400

http://www.lpwindle.cbapex.com/

7290 Virginia Parkway #2400
McKinney, Texas 75071

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Homeowners: Prepare for Autumn

As the summer winds down and autumn draws closer, Americans shift their focus from sunny barbecues and beachside bonfires to raking leaves and picking apples. The dog days are gone, and the upcoming season promises new opportunities to spend time with friends and family. Unfortunately, it also promises a new set of issues for homeowners and car owners. There's no need for a total makeover, but careful homeowners should make a point to fall-proof their home, just as motorists maintain their vehicles. See these tips, delivered by HomeInsurance.com, a leading online marketplace for home and auto insurance.

Clean your gutters. After a summer of scattered showers, it's a good idea to take a look around the roof for any leaks or cracks in the gutters. As autumn moves along, inspect them a few more times to make sure there isn't any foliage creating clogs. Stagnant water and falling leaves make for a mucky mix that could lead to foundation damage if left untouched. Be sure to check for any loose, broken or missing shingles, too.

Dust off the fireplace. Nothing beats the warm glow and homey scent of a well-stocked fireplace. Embrace those relaxing fireside evenings by clearing out any debris that might be left over from autumns past. Have the chimney cleaned at least once a year, and check for any nicks or cracks in it. Lastly, be sure to put up a screen to shield family members from any wayward sparks.

Shop for an insurance policy. The colder weather poses certain risks for homeowners both at home and on the road. With so many assets to protect, there's no need to settle for less than satisfactory home or auto coverage. Take a fresh look at your policies and premiums and make sure you've got the coverage you need without overpaying for it. Remember, you could receive a home-auto discount if you get both policies from the same carrier, so be sure to ask about that and other discounts.

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Field Trip to Katana Homes in Anna, Texas

Yesterday, I piled into a car with a bunch of fellow realtors and we headed north on Highway 75 to the sleepy little town of Anna,Texas. It had been years since I’d taken the FM455 exit, and then it was just a break on the way to Oklahoma.

Things have changed! With growth in both McKinney and the Sherman/Denison area, Anna is becoming a booming bedroom community.

Our destination was Katana Homes’ Northpointe Crossing. Katana Homes is a new, family-owned homebuilder that actually has been around for awhile. With experience in custom homebuilding, Katana Homes takes pride in providing standard many designer upgrades not found in other similarly priced homes in the area. Katana Homes Valet Series “offers a luxury lifestyle at affordable pricing.”

Floor plans range in size from 1427 square feet to 2620 square feet, with more plans on the way. Base prices start at $149,900. Most plans include a covered patio big enough for comfortable outdoor living.

We toured the Cottonwood, a spacious three-bedroom, three and half bath two-story with a gameroom upstairs. The open floor plan also included a study which could easily be a fourth bedroom.

But it was the laundry room that blew me away! A laundry room that made sense! The front loading washer and dryer were tucked under a deep counter are along the back wall leaving you plenty of room to maneuver. And there were cabinets above the counter! Storage!

The Valet Series also includes lots of great energy efficiency features including R-38 insulation and radiant heat barrier decking in the attic.

Katana Homes is hosting its grand opening 1-3 p.m., Sunday Sept. 30. Lots of food and drawing for prizes. Give me a shout, and I’ll take you up there for their grand opening! I’d love to show you everything that Katana Homes has to offer!

Lynn Windle, Realtor - ColdWell Banker Apex, Realtors

lynn.windle@coldwellbanker.com

Direct: 972-814-1689

http://www.lpwindle.cbapex.com/

http://www.facebook.com/windlerealtor

Toll Free: 888.613.4101

Phone: 972.562.5400

7290 Virginia Parkway #2400
McKinney, Texas 75071

Real estate, real estate agent, real estate market, real estate value, real estate listings, real estate for sale, Texas real estate, Dallas real estate, McKinney real estate, real estate listings, real estate companies, real estate foreclosures, real estate websites

Cutting Edge Haunted House

Lights, Camera, Action!  Cutting Edge has a new star!  Making her acting debut on the horror stage this year is the scariest pet dragon/dinosaur this side of Jurassic Park. She lurks in a dark rainforest with the other dinosaurs, just waiting for unsuspecting visitors to stop by and admire the scenery. Then suddenly, without warning, out she springs with a loud, ear-splitting, blood curdling roar sure to make your heart leap into your throat. Frozen in your tracks, face to face with the monster, though your reasoning mind knows this couldn't possibly be real, you think just maybe - she - is - going - to - EAT YOU!  Poor Dragon, we haven't been feeding her lately, and she's all skin and bones, well bones anyway. So when you come to the Cutting Edge Haunted House this year, be on the lookout for our newest pet. She can't wait for you to come and visit - She's just dying for a bite...

Cutting Edge Haunted House one of the top haunts in the nation year after year as selected by Guinness World Records, Haunted House Ratings.com, Hauntworld Magazine, AOL, Yahoo, the Wall Street Journal, US Airways Magazine, Fangoria Magazine,USA Travel Guide and dozens of other media sources.

What:	Cutting Edge Haunted House
When:	September 21-22, 28-29
	October 5-7, 12-14, 18-21, 24-31
	November 2-3
	Times vary please check CuttingEdgeHauntedHouse.com
Where:	Fort Worth, Texas
	1701 E. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Cost:	Adult $30 +tax
	Child $25 +tax (10 yrs & under)

PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1nymW)

Social Channel Sales Up Nearly 70 Percent for Students Seeking Early Back to School Deals; Mobile Commerce Rises Again

During July and August, what did you shop for? If you’re not most consumers, you weren’t shopping for back to school. Surprisingly, you most like were shopping for you home, so says a report from IMB.

According to findings from IBM (NYSE: IBM), the biggest retail gains this back to school shopping season came from home goods purchases which increased 30 percent in July and more than 25 percent in August over their respective months in 2012.

While experts speculate that consumers were holding off on back to school purchases to eye the choices of their peers, social networks appeared to drive purchases with social sales increasing 69.7 percent. The social influence was especially apparent when it came to apparel, where shoppers referred to online stores through social networks generated a 2.2 percent of all sales in August, an increase of more than 113 percent over 2011.

Mobile commerce also continued to grow with sales increasing 15.7 percent in July and 15.4 percent in August. For home goods mobile sales reached a high of 20.1 percent.

The growing influence of both mobile and social media further validates the need for a Smarter Commerce approach that helps retailers attain, understand, and act – in real-time – on deep insights about their customers in order to meet the unique needs of each.

"Back-to-school season is proving to be a trigger event that spans across categories beyond just notebooks and backpacks. Retailers that are cashing in are those who understand how this trigger drives sales for home furnishings, as well as for apparel, and can target their inventory levels and promotions accordingly," said Jill Puleri, Global Retail Leader, IBM. "This year's winners were the companies that successfully connected consumers with the right products, at the right price, and through the right medium–whether in a store, a mobile device or through popular social media channels."

"When I speak to executives at the leading companies, one of the discussions that continues to come up most frequently is around harnessing big data and their efforts to try and understand how to take all the noise and word of mouth that is being generated and make sense of it," added W. "RP" Raghupathi, Professor of Information Systems, School of Business, at Fordham University. "Today, with so many consumers shopping and sharing their opinions online, we are seeing more and more retailers tap into the power of sophisticated analytics technology to help them react faster to evolving trends and customer needs."

Part of IBM's Smarter Commerce initiative, the IBM Benchmark is the only analytics-based, peer-level benchmarking solution that measures online marketing results from the web sites of more than 500 leading U.S. retailers.

The IBM benchmark reveals the following back to school trends that are critical to chief marketing officers (CMO), e-commerce leaders and customer service professionals:

July and August Online Sales: Overall sales for July increased more than 11 percent over July 2011 while August slowed with sales up 3.9 percent compared to last year.

Social commerce: In July, shopper referrals to retailer sites from social networks generated 1.6 percent of all sales, an increase of 25.1 percent over last year.  This trend continued in August reaching 1.8 percent, an increase of 69.7 percent over the previous year.

Mobile commerce: Mobile commerce remains strong with sales from mobile devices reaching 15.7 percent in July and 15.4 percent over the month of August.

As for vertical industries the following categories experienced success over this timeframe:

Home goods: In July online sales grew by just over 30 percent and 25.5 percent in August with consumers shifting some back to school purchases toward the home. Over this period mobile sales also thrived, reaching 19.1 percent in July and topping out at 20.1 percent in August.

·         Department stores: Online sales grew 22.1 percent in July and 28.7 percent in August. Over this period mobile sales were strong, hitting 19.2 percent in July and 18.9 percent in August.

·          

·         Apparel stores: Online sales were up 9.2 percent in July and 9.8 percent in August. Over this period mobile sales reached 15.1 percent and 16.4 percent in August. Apparel stores also experienced strong social commerce with shoppers referred to their sites from social networks generating 1.4 percent of all sales in July and 2.2 percent in August, up more than 113 percent over 2011, more than any other industry.

Office Supplies/Electronics: Online sales grew by 6.3 percent in July while dropping by .92 percent in August. Mobile sales reached 5.7 percent in July remained steady in August a 5.9 percent.

PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1nG2W)