E-Commerce

Amazon.com is growing its presence in the highly competitive gaming market with the launch of Game Connect, a new service that enables customers to discover a new category of free-to-play and multiplayer online digital games and have virtual goods delivered directly to their game accounts. Amazon's new service allows customers to link their game account to their Amazon account so any subscriptions and virtual goods purchased are sent directly into the game without copy and pasting a code. 

Why would Amazon give up its precious tax advantage? This week, as part of an excellent investigative series on the firm, the Financial Times' Barney Jopson reports that Amazon's tax capitulation is part of a major shift in the company's operations.

Yes, you can get arrested for selling coupons on eBay — if they're counterfeits, that is. Three women were arrested in Arizona for selling counterfeit coupons online, according to the Coupon Information Center (CIC). A press release issued by the organization said the case demonstrated the dangers of purchasing coupons on the internet, and said buyers may also expose themselves to additional risk by providing their names, home addresses and financial information to organized crime rings. 

The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) today announced the launch of NFLPA Shop, a new online store featuring authentic merchandise of more than 1,800 NFL players. NFLPA Shop is the first retailer to give fans the choice to own on-demand licensed apparel of every NFL player.

Tommy Bahama, known for its beach-themed clothes and accessories, is launching a global e-commerce platform as it tries to boost its fledgling international expansion.

Online shopping in some states is about to become more expensive. A wave of states have passed laws that will require consumers to pay sales tax on all internet purchases as soon as next year. Other states and the District of Columbia are pursuing similar measures. And in Maryland, Gov. Martin O'Malley wants to go further and levy a tax on songs and other digital products bought through popular sources such as iTunes.

The seller-oriented marketplace of today will soon be the antiquated site of tomorrow, replaced by a new wave of marketplaces built as a community focused on buyers. This will have profound effects on the way things are bought and sold online, as well as how the retail industry reaches consumers. Welcome to the age where consumers make their intentions known by posting what they want instead of what they're selling, where sellers go to the buyer instead of the other way around and where trust is paramount. Welcome to the age of the buyer's marketplace.

Private equity firm Brentwood Associates has acquired a majority stake in Sundance Catalog and plans to scale the luxury retailer, long overshadowed by its sister resort and festival, into an e-commerce powerhouse, the investment firm told TheWrap. The move came as Los Angeles-based Brentwood sold off stock in some of its niche brands — French equestrian shoemaker Ariat International and clothier Filson Holdings — to purchase what partner Eric Reiter called "a gem." 

fullbeauty, a plus-size lingerie brand that's part of Redcats USA’s OneStopPlus Group, announced today the mailing of its first 72-page catalog, representing a comprehensive range of styles, sizes, brands and colors. fullbeauty is dedicated to being the ultimate shopping experience for plus-size women who want fashionable and functional bras that reflect their fit needs and style requirements.

Belk has opened a new 515,000 square-foot distribution/fulfillment center in Jonesville, S.C. to support its growing e-commerce operations. The department store retailer is making a $4.5 million capital investment in the new facility, which is scheduled to be fully operational beginning July 9. The fulfillment center, located in a facility formerly occupied by Disney, is expected to generate 124 new jobs over the next five years.