Marketplaces

An Amazon-PayPal Partnership Could Benefit Several Parties
February 28, 2017 at 6:47 pm

The recent news about Amazon.com and PayPal discussing a partnership makes sense on several levels. Both companies possess valuable assets, and their alliance would likely benefit both companies here and abroad. However, the potential deal terms could also raise concerns, particularly but not exclusively among third-party sellers. Offering Amazon customers a PayPal option at checkout…

Pricing Violations: It’s David, Not Goliath
February 14, 2017 at 10:05 am

While large sellers are often blamed for driving prices low and commoditizing goods and services, the big guys aren’t always to blame when it comes to violations of minimum advertised price (MAP) policies. With regard to MAP, smaller retail sites are often the first ones to lower the price, which triggers larger sites and marketplaces to follow…

The Relationship Between E-Commerce Sellers and the Modern Workforce
February 3, 2017 at 11:17 am

For many in today’s workforce, a traditional career doesn’t quite cut it. Demands for more flexible hours and additional sources of income outside of their full-time jobs have motivated a growing number of workers to join the gig economy. From driving with Uber to taking care of chores through TaskRabbit, gig work can consist of…

Global Currencies to Respond to the Global Climate … Will You Be Ready?
January 30, 2017 at 9:19 am

The world is watching as Donald J. Trump officially takes the office of the President of the United States, wondering what’s in store for the next four years. If the recent cabinet confirmation hearings, last-minute actions from Obama and even tweets from Trump are any indication, it's going to be an unpredictable time. This is…

Wal-Mart to Start Selling Cars
January 26, 2017 at 10:41 am

Wal-Mart has partnered with AutoNation and CarSaver to create an automotive retail platform that will begin selling cars at 25 Wal-Mart locations starting this April. The program will offer consumers a one-stop shop for buying and financing, and will be available at select stores in Houston, Dallas, Phoenix and Oklahoma City. However, not everything will be online…

Amazon Plans to Create 100,000 U.S. Jobs by 2018
January 13, 2017 at 9:16 am

Amazon.com announced plans to create 100,000 full-time, full-benefit jobs in the U.S. over the next 18 months. The new jobs are for people all across the country and with all types of experience, education and skill levels — from engineers and software developers to those seeking entry-level positions. Many of the roles will be in…

E-Commerce in Trump’s America
January 12, 2017 at 10:48 am

As the founder and CEO of a diverse, international technology company based in San Francisco, California and Indore, India, political developments in the United States over the last few months have given me much to contemplate. I'm a relatively new U.S. citizen, so it was recently my privilege to vote for the first time in…

Alibaba's Ma Meets Trump, Promises to Bring 1 Million Jobs to US
January 10, 2017 at 12:01 pm

Alibaba Executive Chairman Jack Ma met U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Monday and laid out the Chinese e-commerce giant's new plan to bring one million small U.S. businesses onto its platform to sell to Chinese consumers over the next five years, an Alibaba spokesman said. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd expects the initiative to create one million U.S.…

Amazon Debuts New Post-Holiday Shopping Event
December 30, 2016 at 8:43 am

Amazon has already created one shopping holiday to help boost its bottom line, and now, it has another to debut. Today, Amazon is holding its first-ever one-day blowout sale named “Amazon Digital Day.” The e-commerce giant is discounting over 1,000 digital items across its site to encourage post-holiday spending. The retailer will be selling items…

Amazon Has 'Best Year Ever'
December 28, 2016 at 11:52 am

Amazon had a record breaking holiday season. According to Forbes, Amazon has declared 2016 its "best ever" holiday season, selling millions of Alexa devices and enough 4K TVs to reach the peak of Mount Everest more than nine times. In addition, the e-commerce Goliath gifted a record setting number of products. The company doesn't typically…