13 posts and columns on online retailers

Voices

Fab Raising at Least $250 Million

in Commerce on May 20 at 4:53 pm PT

Online design retailer Fab Inc. is in advanced talks to raise $250 million to $300 million in venture capital in a deal that would value the fast-growing but unprofitable company at $1 billion not including the new capital, people familiar with the matter said.

Voices

Amazon Profit Falls but Margin Widens

in Commerce on April 25 at 1:53 pm PT

Amazon.com Inc.’s first-quarter profit declined 37 percent as the e-commerce giant continued to see its results dragged down by its aggressive expansion plans, but gross margin widened to 26.6 percent from 24 percent.

Voices

Deaf, Blind Sue Over Web Shopping

in Commerce on March 22 at 7:30 am PT

Commerce has moved online. Now, the disability lawsuits are following.

Voices

Web Sites Vary Prices, Deals Based on Users’ Information

in Commerce on December 24, 2012 at 5:00 am PT

It was the same Swingline stapler, on the same Staples.com Web site. But for Kim Wamble, the price was $15.79, while the price on Trude Frizzell’s screen, just a few miles away, was $14.29. A key difference: where Staples seemed to think they were located.

Voices

Gilt’s Flash Hunt: New Chief for IPO

in Commerce on November 8, 2012 at 4:18 pm PT

Online luxury retailer Gilt Groupe Inc. quietly launched a search for a new chief executive to replace co-founder Kevin Ryan as its strives to shore up its financial performance to support a possible initial public offering.

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Tax Break Nears End for Online Shoppers

in News on July 16, 2012 at 7:00 am PT

Republican governors, eager for new revenue to ease budget strains, are dropping their longtime opposition to imposing sales taxes on online purchases, a significant political shift that could soon bring an end to tax-free sales on the Internet.

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Amazon Tells Lawmakers It Supports Sales Tax

in News on November 30, 2011 at 10:40 am PT

Amazon.com Inc. “strongly supports” federal legislation permitting states to collect state sales tax from Internet retailers, so long as few companies are permitted to duck the requirements, an Amazon executive said at a congressional hearing Wednesday.

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Luxe Lowdown: Tony Sites Begin to Invite Buyer Reviews

in News on October 18, 2010 at 5:00 am PT

More than a decade after book and electronics retailers embraced online customer reviews, the most elite stores in the U.S. are opening their websites—and the brands they sell—to the slings and arrows of public opinion. At the end of the month, Saks.com, the online arm of Saks Fifth Avenue, will unveil a five-star review system where customers can express their opinions on products ranging from $1,700 Jimmy Choo bags to $7 Kiehl’s lip balm.

Voices

Blame the Rich for Poor Online Sales

in News on December 31, 2008 at 5:17 am PT

Sales for online retailers during the holiday season appear to have declined slightly from 2007, a calamity in an industry accustomed to growth of 20 percent or more. And it looks as though one group was keeping a tighter grip on its wallets than others: the wealthy.

Voices

Blue Nile: Will They Miss Q4?

in News on December 17, 2008 at 10:24 am PT

Crazy recession. It’s gotten so that people have cut back on buying diamonds for the last few months–enough to put the near future of online diamond retailer Blue Nile in jeopardy. Jewelry retailers in general had a “horrid” October and November and expect an even worse December–some couples are even postponing their engagements because of job insecurity and economic uncertainty.