Amazon Prime Tops Dozens of Members

A new loosely defined record! EXCITING!

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Late Surge in Web Buying Blindsides UPS, Retailers

A surge in online shopping this holiday season left stores breaking promises to deliver packages by Christmas, suggesting that retailers and shipping companies still haven’t fully figured out consumers’ buying patterns in the Internet era.

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There’s a New Deliveryman in Town

Some doormen say they have become almost like Santa Claus with their new package responsibilities.

Amazon Convinces U.S. Postal Service to Start Making Sunday Deliveries

Neither rain nor hail nor Sundays will keep the struggling Postal Service from finding new ways to generate revenue.

How and Why HP Is Making a Long-Term Bet in Greece. Yes, Greece.

The ancient port city of Piraeus is just what HP needed to cut costs in Europe.

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Big Data and the Soles of Your Shoes

Small data represents the constant dripping faucet of information you generate every day.

News Byte

PayPal Brings Amazon Prime-Like Shipping to Levi’s and Other Retailers

Online shoppers who pay with PayPal will be able to get free two-day shipping on purchases from Levi.com, Aeropostale.com, SportsAuthority.com, and a handful of other online retail shops, PayPal announced today. The test, as PayPal is calling it, will run for a limited time, with program duration varying by merchant.

Amazon Aims to Court Developers With In-App Merch Deals

A new potential revenue stream could pique developer interest in building for Amazon’s Appstore.
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Lot18 Sours on Flash Sales, Lays Off 25 as It Shifts to Wine Subscriptions

The online wine seller hopes the two moves will bring it to profitability.

Instant Gratification

People have become accustomed to this idea of instant gratification, where you just type something on your phone and the next thing you know, you have what you need.

— TaskRabbit spokesperson Johnny Brackett, talking to the New York Times about retailers’ attempts to offer same-day shipping.