Amazon.com

The oppressive heat waves across the country have ended. Summer camps are coming to a close and children are scrambling to finish the reading lists they've ignored all summer. This can only mean one thing — the first day of school is just around the corner.

Amazon was the most visited retail site in June, according to new data out from comScore. Compared with all other online retailers, Amazon.com grabbed more than 282 million visitors in June, reaching 20.4 percent of the entire internet population around the world.

Amazon sites reached the largest global audience of selected global retail and auction sites in June, with more than 282 million visitors, according to ComScore research. That was 20.4 percent of the worldwide Internet population. Other top brands in the study included eBay, which reached 16.2 percent of global Internet visitors, China's Alibaba.com Corporation (11.3 percent reach), Apple.com worldwide sites (9.7 percent reach) and Japan's Rakuten Inc. (4.2 percent reach). Amazon and Apple.com worldwide sites showed more globally distributed audiences compared to most other brands in the study. Amazon sites attracted 35.4 percent of its audience from North America,

Amazon.com said that it's adding hundreds of jobs to a central Pennsylvania distribution center. The company said it would add an unspecified number of full-time jobs at the warehouse in Carlisle. Amazon officials say hourly jobs in packing and shipping will be available, along with management positions.

Personalization is hot in ecommerce, and online marketplace Bonanza will be rolling out its own personalization algorithm soon. If you've browsed and shopped on big retail sites like Amazon.com, you've most likely encountered personalization features, such as recommended products based on your past shopping behavior. But how would Bonanza, which offers diverse and unique items, be able to offer shoppers a personalized experience? The company explained the challenge in a blog post on Thursday: "The good news is that it means we have millions of items you can't find anywhere else. The bad news is that we usually only

State officials in Tennessee are raising questions whether Amazon.com should start collecting sales taxes from state customers. The company is building three distribution centers in the state and some legislators believe Amazon should begin collecting sales taxes there.

The popularity of flash-sale websites with limited time and inventory offerings has grown exponentially over the past two years. Online shoppers’ love for the thrill of snagging designer clothing, home décor, travel and even wine has caused visits to the category to increase 368 percent in July 2011 as compared to the same month two years ago and 109 percent one year ago. 

Amazon's website visits top a new report from Experian Hitwise that shows search terms for the custom category "Retail 500," ranked by largest increase for the week ending July 23 vs. the week ending July 16.

Amazon is using the foot traffic generated by conventional stores to fuel an effort to maintain its price advantage over them. Meanwhile, brick-and-mortar retailers are defending California's sales tax law.

If you work for Amazon, the tax obsession means you need permission to visit certain states, and might not be able to send certain emails when you get there. In some instances, you won't even be able to identify yourself as working for Amazon.com. Amazon employees have been shown a color coded map of "bad states," according to the Wall Street Journal, and been made to consult with company lawyers before visiting any.