Amazon.com

Zappos.com Cuts Off Canada
March 21, 2011

E-commerce in Canada generally sucks. The selection is crappier on the Canadian equivalent of U.S.-based stores, shipping is more expensive and the overall experience is much worse than in the U.S. And now, Zappos is shutting down completely in Canada.

More States Pushing for Online Sales Tax
March 21, 2011

Tax-free shopping is under threat for many online shoppers as states facing widening budget gaps increasingly pressure Amazon and other internet retailers to start collecting sales taxes from their residents. Billions of dollars are at stake as a growing number of states look for ways to generate more revenue without violating a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that prohibits a state from forcing businesses to collect sales taxes unless the business has a physical presence, such as a store, in that state.

Zappos' New Sales Model Focuses on Employees, 'Real People'
March 17, 2011

The young woman in the Zappos.com video wears little makeup with her hair in a ponytail. She's cute, but she's no supermodel. What she is: A Zappos employee chosen for her pep and "real people" look to wear and talk about shoes for sale on the company's website.

E-Commerce Sites Engage Members to Help Japanese Earthquake Victims
March 15, 2011

Many online marketplaces and e-commerce companies have set up pages on their websites to instruct users on how to help victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan through direct donations to charitable organizations or by donating a portion of sales.


Shopper Marketing's New Frontier: E-Commerce
March 15, 2011

How fast is e-commerce growing for consumer packaged goods? Fast enough that a new shopper-marketing agency has launched to focus solely on the channel. Packaged goods is now a $12 billion business across a host of pure-play e-commerce brands such as Amazon and drugstore.com.

New Tax Law Forces Amazon to Cut Ties With Illinois Affiliates
March 11, 2011

Amazon said it's severing ties with affiliates in Illinois, citing a law signed that imposes taxes on consumers who make online purchases. The affiliates — websites that send customers to Amazon through links — will no longer be paid for sales that result from the referrals, Seattle-based Amazon said in an email.