Welcome to this week’s eFocus, RepricerExpress’ weekly round-up of ecommerce and Amazon news.
Amazon’s sales tax fight is heating up as states crack down: Spencer Soper at Bloomberg reports that Amazon shoppers will probably pay sales tax on more of their purchases this holiday season. Right now, consumers pay tax on goods purchased directly from Amazon, but they don’t in many cases if they buy from third-party merchants on the ecommerce giant’s marketplace. That could change on Dec. 1, when some merchants are expected to start collecting taxes in exchange for partial amnesty from back taxes in about half of US states—among them Florida, New Jersey and Texas. Continue reading…
Amazon is looking for physical stores, possible acquisition in France: Jeff Daniels at CNBC reports that according to the newspaper Le Monde, Amazon is looking for 15 store locations in France, especially in Paris. The overall goal in mind for Amazon is “to get closer to a retailer to take advantage of its buying capacity that they do not have at the moment.” Continue reading…
Amazon to surge more than 25% as internet giant disrupts ad business: Tae Kim at CNBC reports that Atlantic Equities has reaffirmed its overweight rating for Amazon shares, predicting its ad sales will nearly quintuple during the next four years. The firm’s analyst writes, “Amazon’s advertising business is growing in importance, representing an increasingly material source of profits as Sponsored Products continues to grow rapidly and more brand-oriented offerings are introduced”. Continue reading…
Amazon wants to win over a new customer, your teen: Dennis Green at Business Insider UK reports that Amazon has launched a new kind of account specifically for teens. Tied to the parent’s account, the log-in allows teens to purchase items off Amazon.com and from Amazon services with their parents’ credit card and Prime accounts. Parents can provide a set allowance for shopping on Amazon using the service. They can also approve purchases teens request on a case-by-case basis. Continue reading…
Returns become the new front in Walmart-Amazon battle: Anna Nicolaou at the FT reports that as Walmart and Amazon battle for dominance of all aspects of shopping, Walmart is taking the fight to one of the oldest problems in retail: returns. With the all-important holiday season approaching, Walmart says it will streamline its returns process so customers can be in and out of a store in about 30 seconds, compared to an average of five minutes earlier this year. Continue reading…
It’s nearly the weekend…are you excited?
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