online retailers news stories on Newser

Amazon Rewards Customers for Walking Out of Stores

Kevin Spak — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:05:05 CST

In a scheme clearly devised to give brick-and-mortar retailers nightmares, Amazon is running a one-day promotion on Dec. 10 in which customers can score up to $15 in discounts for literally walking out of stores. Here's how it works: Download the Amazon Price Check app for your iPhone or Android...

Google's Next Big Idea: Same-Day Delivery

Matt Cantor — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 07:15:18 CST

Google's online empire might be about to get a little bigger: In a move that would ramp up its rivalry with Amazon, the company is planning its own same-day delivery service, according to three insiders. Google won’t be selling things directly—instead, the system would allow customers to make online...

Retailers Ready Black Friday 'Dogfight' on TV Prices

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:55:51 CST

Planning to score a new TV on Black Friday? Apparently this is the year to do so, as deals are exploding in what one analyst calls a “dogfight” between top US retailers. Last year, some retailers only slashed prices on high-end TVs. This year, expect to see discounts across the...

Best Online Shoppers: Tablet Users

John Johnson — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:03:04 CDT

Marketing in the modern age: It seems tablet users make the best online shoppers, reports the Wall Street Journal . Industry stats put the coveted "conversion rate" at 4% or 5% for tablet users vs. 3% for PC users. What's more, perhaps because tablet users tend to be wealthier, people who...

Shoppers Blast Retailers' Online Anti-Gay Ties

Matt Cantor — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:25:05 CDT

Apple, Microsoft, and an array of other online retailers have found themselves at the center of a gay-rights battle, the New York Times reports. The retailers have been tied to an Internet marketer, the Charity Giveback Group, that receives a commission when it sends the retailers an online customer. There's...

Amazon Ditching Calif. Affiliates Over Tax Tiff

Matt Cantor — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:44:29 CDT

California wants Amazon to collect sales tax, so Amazon is packing up its toys and ditching all its affiliates in the state. The law, part of a budget package signed yesterday by Gov. Jerry Brown, says that online retailers must collect state sales tax if they’ve got affiliates in California....

US Busts 'Explosive' Online Seller Who Bullied Customers

Rob Quinn — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 03:41:38 CST

An online merchant who bragged about using customer complaints to rise through Google rankings has been busted on charges including cyberstalking, the making of interstate threats, and wire fraud. Investigators seized firearms and ammunition from Vitaly Borker's home along with boxes of apparently counterfeit eyeglasses, the New York Post reports.

Google Set to Battle Amazon With Launch of eBooks

Matt Cantor — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:50:05 CST

After much anticipation, Google launched its ebookstore in the US today, jumping into the fray with Amazon, Apple, and Borders with its first “real” retail service, reports Wired . Google eBooks lets readers view their books on a variety of devices, from iPhones to Chrome and Safari browsers to Sony’s Reader—...

Welcome to Cyber Sunday

Polly Davis Doig — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 12:20:56 CST

If Black Friday wasn't enough for you, and Cyber Monday seems just too far away, say hello to Cyber Sunday, reports MSNBC. While one Best Buy marketing honcho thinks Cyber Monday remains a "really viable marketing concept," chains including his are getting an early start today, seeking to spike online...