What the Macy’s gift guide model also shows is that more consumers are drawn towards online shopping due to its focus on curation. Online stores are increasingly focusing on selling and packaging a particular lifestyle, making it easier for consumers to navigate their way to that perfect gift at just the right price. In a conversation with Kevin Ryan, CEO and founder of Gilt Groupe, he attests that a mix of content and curation goes a long way in informing a consumer’s purchasing decision.

To make your Valentine’s Day gift buying an easy, and perhaps even an entertaining endeavour, this year we’ve put together our own collection of sites that deliver an expertly curated selection of products.

For the uber nerd: Thinkgeek.com

Her Princess Leah hairpiece is not restricted to Halloween; he quotes Star Trek at the dinner table. Do these people sound familiar to you? If you’ve got a nerdy type to buy a gift for then thinkgeek.com is your one stop shop for all things geek. From toys, to apparel to gadgets, this site offers a plethora of paraphernalia that will potentially make your special geek pass out in glee.

For the foodie: Gilttaste.com

This person’s library is filled with cookbooks and food-related nonfiction — they spend more on kitchen gadgets than they do anything else and you’ve repeatedly heard them riff on the new culinary trend that they’re just dying to explore in their tricked out kitchen. If this is someone you know, Gilttaste.com offers the best online catalogue of curated specialty food items, be it meat, sweets, produce, or equipment. Don’t feel like rummaging through the site to pick out the perfect something? Then take a look at Gilt Taste’s Gifts section for perfectly packaged gifts that are sure to satisfy the tastes of your favourite foodie.

For the design fiend: Fab.com

There’s nothing more this person would rather do than refurbish an ottoman, upcycle a chair or spend a day scouring the city for their next design idea or future apartment instalment. Fab.com is the place to go to get that super unique gift for the design aficionado in your life. Granted, you have to request an invitation to join the site, but once you’re accepted, Fab will surely become a perennial go-to for all your special gift-buying. In fact, they even posted a terrific blog post on how to make your Valentine’s Day sans cliché.

For the manly man: uncrate.com

From T-shirts to high tech to, yes, even luxury vehicles, Uncrate offers the most stylish gift selection for the manliest man in your life. Whether your budget is $6 (How about a set of plaid playing cards?) or sky high (Does the 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo tickle your wallet? ) or somewhere in between (We recommend the Bond 50 golden anniversary collection box set) you’ll find the perfect gift for the burliest, stylin’ man in your life.

For the fashion forward: asos.com

UK-based online fashion retailer, Asos, encourages you to discover fashion online for men and women. With a considerable collection of brands, including the Asos brand, there’s bound to be something for every style of person in your life. There’s a section of the site that acts almost as a online consignment shop where you can sell and purchase new, pre-owned and vintage fashion. If you’re struggling to figure out what the vintage-junkie/ happy preppy/ couture-coveting person would want, you can scope out Asos’ fashion finder and get inspired by the looks they’ve compiled. Best of all, they offer worldwide shipping.

* This blog post is part of Invoke’s participation in the 2008 Vancouver Blogathon for Charity

Invoke is preparing to launch a new online ordering software specifically designed for catering businesses and restaurants. Through EATS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Invoke, Invoke is preparing for the launch of the new version of the EATS software. Eats is a web based ecommerce solution for the easy meal prep industry with an integrated Point of Sale system.

The upcoming version of the software that is set to launch, will build upon the comprehensive framework that has been developed for the Easy Meal Prep industry and expand to include additional functionality designed specifically to service the catering and restaurant industries.

EATS is the industry leading Online POS system designed for the easy meal prep industry. EATS has been in the space for over 2 years now and is now the #1 software provider for the industry. Please contact sales@eatsolution.com for more information on EATS and the upcoming changes.

The expectation of online shopping sites today is much higher than it was in the past. Your online consumer is now far more likely than not to have some degree of web savvy and their expectations are high. They expect a high level of interaction and self service capability, features that are not available in cheap ‘one size fits all’ e-commerce solutions. Invoke Media ensures that your websites’ e-commerce solution satisfies all of these customer expectations ensuring a seamless purchase experience.

Invoke Media provides your company with a proven, custom, and intuitive e-commerce website solution that is custom tailored to meet your unique business needs and requirements. Whether your company operates in the B2B or B2C marketplace; Invoke Media has a custom solution which allows you to better build and manage your growing e-commerce enterprise conveniently, rapidly, and in a cost efficient manner.

Our custom designed e-commerce software solution integrates the following functionality into your website ensuring a complete and intuitive online solution:

• Secure Payment Processing
• Feature Rich Catalogue
• Timed Specials, Cross & Up-sell options
• Client / Order Tracking
• Easy and Intuitive Navigation
• Flexible Payment Options
• Private Catalogue Access
• Buyer Groups
• Real Time Online Inventory Options
• Browser Based Store Administration
• Configurable Management Reports
• Enhanced Online Marketing Function

Contact Invoke Media today to get a free quote.

Invoke Media’s Creative Department prides itself on developing custom-made solutions for our clients’ diverse needs. To do this, we involve clients in the design process from the beginning stages, right through to completion.

Once the structure of your website has been built, you will need to populate the web pages with text that will engage your consumer and drive them to make a purchase or conversion on your website.

Invoke Media’s online development experience extends far beyond the development of a basic website. We have many years of expertise in developing CRM (Customer Relationship Management Systems), E-Commerce Websites,Content Management Systems (CMS), E-Learning Websites, and Copy Writing Services.

Contact Invoke Media for a quote on website development.