USAA testing Amazon Alexa skill

August 4, 2017

USAA is testing an Amazon Alexa skill that will enable its customers to get answers to some of the most frequent and basic questions fielded by service…

Study: Small retailers are making money on online marketplaces

August 4, 2017

Over 60 percent of small to mid-size businesses are attributing half, or more, of their ecommerce sales to Amazon and other online marketplaces, according to a…

Amazon's Whole Foods move sits well with many consumers

August 3, 2017

The acquisition of Whole Foods by Amazon is viewed as positive by 38 percent of Whole Foods shoppers and 31 percent of Amazon consumers, according to a new GfK…

Kagan: How Amazon is transforming retail

by Jeff KAGAN — Wireless Analyst, Telecom Industry Analyst

As long as Amazon lets users continue to shop as they are used to, and adds a new way of thinking to the mix, Jeff Kagan believes the Whole Foods experiment…

Amazon sales spike 25% in Q2

August 1, 2017

Online mega retailer Amazon had a robust second quarter and is predicting net sales may actually best its latest financials in Q3.

Consumers hungry for contactless checkout at Whole Foods and hope Amazon delivers

July 25, 2017

Consumers are hoping that once Amazon acquires Whole Foods, the online mega retailer will provide cashier-free checkout and a much improved grocery store…

Automation will produce a brick-and-mortar retailing renaissance…if labor is deployed creatively

At present, the future of brick-and-mortar retailers looks bleak; however book author John Pugliano believes the technological forces that have favored online…

To compete with Amazon, retailers must focus on mobile experience

The beverage alcohol industry in particular might fall victim to Amazon's takeover of Whole Foods.

Amazon both friend and foe to retailers

July 14, 2017

While Amazon has long been described as the traditional retail killer, competing retailers view the ecommerce giant as both a foe and a friend — the latter…

Amazon's annual Prime Day boasts big international expansion

July 7, 2017

The third annual Prime Day at Amazon.com, happening July 10, will now be available to China, India and Mexico consumers as Amazon's total global audience is 1…

Amazon's Whole Foods deal proves the 'retail mullet' is the future of grocery

ForeSee's Eric Feinberg provides his take on Amazon's multi-billion dollar acquisition of Whole Foods. As he writes, surprisingly not much has been said about…

Report: Amazon developing drone hub for metro areas

June 29, 2017

A patent filing reveals Amazon may be building a distribution hub — a tower resembling a beehive — for busy metro areas "designed to accommodate landing and…

Amazon debuts free 'try at home' apparel service

June 23, 2017

Not one to stand idle Amazon is advancing its game in the online and fashion apparel business and debuting a new service that lets shoppers try on and return…

Amazon's Whole Foods Market acquisition points to a changing role for physical stores; millennials hold the key

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods Market is yet another sign – the biggest to date – that retail is being redefined by multiple shopping channels.

Amazon Pay revives the Buy button craze on Instagram

June 20, 2017

Amazon is attempting to keep the social media Buy button alive via a partnership with high-end clothing retailer Moda Operandi's Instagram posts, according to…

Amazon makes a statement with bid to buy Whole Foods for $13.7B

June 16, 2017

Amazon appears poised to change the grocery business in a big way as the e-commerce giant Friday announced plans to buy Whole Foods Market in a deal valued at…

Walmart: We're making inroads against powerhouse Amazon

June 13, 2017

Walmart is beginning to close in on Amazon's territory as top online retailer and its online operations chief attributes the successful strategy, in part, to…

Can any traditional retailer survive the "Battle of the Bots"?

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Chris H. Petersen says going up against Amazon is like taking a knife to a light saber battle. Why? Because the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Amazon's Bezos: We're not resting on our laurels

June 1, 2017

Amazon.com, celebrating its 20th year, isn't about to start pulling back in any way, shape or form. In fact Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos made a big point about just…

Amazon adds grocery pickup kiosks in Seattle

May 30, 2017

Amazon.com Inc. has opened two grocery pickup kiosks in Seattle in an effort to compete against "click and collect" shopping options from supermarket…