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Who hasn't been reeled in by the lure of a money-back rebate, reducing the purchase price of that new dishwasher or refrigerator you need? The process sounds so simple, too: Just fill out a rebate form, mail it back with a proof of purchase, then sit back and wait for the check to arrive in the mail. At least so it seems.
There are many holy grails in online commerce, but one that's frustrated executives and engineers alike is how to produce better recommendation algorithms. Produce better recommendations, and you'll sell more stuff.
Zappos, which was founded in 1999 as a shoe seller, is a relative newbie to mobile. It started developing apps only six months ago, and launched an iPad app in October followed by an iPhone app in December.
Mobile applications can be exciting, even essential tools, but the majority fall short when it comes to getting consumers to download them. Is the hype greater than the apps themselves? My company wanted to find out, so it recently conducted a national study to help marketers better understand who uses mobile apps and what makes an app a "favorite."
Amazon reported a 36 percent surge in fourth-quarter sales but still fell short of Wall Street's estimates, sending shares of its pricey stock sharply lower in after-hours trading. Amazon reported its first-ever quarter with more than $10 billion in sales; however, expectations were high as the company was seen benefiting from consumers increasing the number of purchases made over the Internet this holiday season.
A secretive Seattle startup, Decide.com, is looking to transform online shopping. That's a bold mission. But CEO Mike Fridgen is confident that Decide.com can deliver — even though he's not sharing too many details about the company's approach at the moment.
A new free home-delivery service Amazon has been testing for months could ensure you never have to leave your house to shop again. AmazonTote is a program that delivers items to your home at a scheduled time each week, free of charge. The items, which include any good weighing 50 pounds or less that Amazon sells and ships, are left in "a sealed, weather-resistant tote bag up to twice a week," according to Amazon.
To persuade Amazon.com to build a distribution hub in Tennessee, state and local officials offered a package of economic incentives that included free land, job-training assistance and more than $12 million in property tax breaks.
Four months after Texas officials told Amazon.com Inc. that it owes $269 million in uncollected sales taxes, the online retail giant has filed a lawsuit demanding that the comptroller's office release the audit information it used in arriving at that amount.
