The Expanding World of Amazon

Introduced in the United States in 2005, the Amazon Prime program extended unlimited free two-day shipping to customers who paid a yearly fee. Since that time, Amazon has expanded the program to include grocery delivery, video streaming, and other perks while simultaneously spreading Prime services to additional demographics and countries. Since 2005, Amazon Prime has [...]

Introduced in the United States in 2005, the Amazon Prime program extended unlimited free two-day shipping to customers who paid a yearly fee. Since that time, Amazon has expanded the program to include grocery delivery, video streaming, and other perks while simultaneously spreading Prime services to additional demographics and countries. Since 2005, Amazon Prime has become an increasingly common part of American life, especially among young and affluent shoppers. Prime membership is on the rise not only in Amazon’s home...
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Produce that Produces: The Effect of Digital Marketi...

There’s not much difference from one orange to another. Nevertheless, today’s consumers are inundated with options when shopping for ingredients for their next meal. It’s no longer enough for a grocery store to simply exist; to be successful, they need to convince potential customers that their produce is in some way superior to the selection [...]

There’s not much difference from one orange to another. Nevertheless, today’s consumers are inundated with options when shopping for ingredients for their next meal. It’s no longer enough for a grocery store to simply exist; to be successful, they need to convince potential customers that their produce is in some way superior to the selection offered across the street. As competition has evolved, so have the tools necessary to keep customers coming through the door. Dancing, sign-waving employees in banana...
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The Best of Both Worlds: Online And Physical Retail ...

Electronics retailer Best Buy has posted online sales exceeding $1 billion for three consecutive quarters, exemplifying an economy that continues to gravitate toward the Internet. At the same time, online-only retailers have been investing in short-term physical locations to sell their wares. What does this two-way trend mean for the future of retail? Over the [...]

Electronics retailer Best Buy has posted online sales exceeding $1 billion for three consecutive quarters, exemplifying an economy that continues to gravitate toward the Internet. At the same time, online-only retailers have been investing in short-term physical locations to sell their wares. What does this two-way trend mean for the future of retail? Over the last few decades, there has been a large-scale shift in the economy. Consumers no longer need to travel to get the goods they need. Now...
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Oracle Takes on Amazon in Cloud Computing

American technology company Oracle has been in fierce competition with Amazon over dominance of the market for cloud-based products. They’re upping their game with regard to remote computing and storage technology, introducing advanced artificial intelligence and improved efficiency to their platform. It’s never easy for anyone to defeat the ecommerce giant in direct competition, but [...]

 

American technology company Oracle has been in fierce competition with Amazon over dominance of the market for cloud-based products. They’re upping their game with regard to remote computing and storage technology, introducing advanced artificial intelligence and improved efficiency to their platform. It’s never easy for anyone to defeat the ecommerce giant in direct competition, but with enigmatic CEO Larry Ellison at the helm, Oracle is poised to put up a serious fight. Cloud computing, at its most basic level, is...
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Net Neutrality and Online Business

Net neutrality has been making headlines for several years. As the debate continues to rage over what exactly a “free Internet” means large cable companies attempt to resist regulation by the Federal Communications Committee (FCC). Consumers and business owners alike need to be made aware of what net neutrality is and the potential effects of [...]

 

Net neutrality has been making headlines for several years. As the debate continues to rage over what exactly a “free Internet” means large cable companies attempt to resist regulation by the Federal Communications Committee (FCC). Consumers and business owners alike need to be made aware of what net neutrality is and the potential effects of its repeal. Most of us take the Internet for granted. I wake up in the morning, groggily make my way to my desk, and start...
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Amazon Turns to India for Ecommerce

As Indian consumers gain spending money and greater access to the online marketplace, Amazon increases focus on the burgeoning market in close competition with China's Alibaba. Domestic businesses strive to hold on to their markets before it’s too late. India is an economic powerhouse with the potential to become even more prominent on a global [...]

As Indian consumers gain spending money and greater access to the online marketplace, Amazon increases focus on the burgeoning market in close competition with China’s Alibaba. Domestic businesses strive to hold on to their markets before it’s too late. India is an economic powerhouse with the potential to become even more prominent on a global scale. It boasts a population of 1.3 billion, the second-largest in the world behind China. Of those 1.3 billion an estimated 420 million are Internet...
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Augmented Reality and Online Shopping

Starting as a gimmick with games and other apps, augmented reality will soon allow consumers to visualize products with their smartphones before they make a purchase. While the technology is still in its relative infancy, it stands to quickly become an ecommerce trend. You look around your room and see a familiar scene. The bed [...]

Starting as a gimmick with games and other apps, augmented reality will soon allow consumers to visualize products with their smartphones before they make a purchase. While the technology is still in its relative infancy, it stands to quickly become an ecommerce trend. You look around your room and see a familiar scene. The bed in which you dream of faraway lands; the desk, at which you pore over ponderous tomes; the chair, upon which is draped your favorite fuzzy...
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Welcome to the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Ecommerce continues to act as an upsetting force throughout the industrial world, prompting rapid advances in technology and the way we conduct business. The most recent upheaval a merger between nationwide drugstore chain CVS and Aetna, one of America’s largest healthcare providers. As other corporations like Amazon and UPS change the status quo in their [...]

Ecommerce continues to act as an upsetting force throughout the industrial world, prompting rapid advances in technology and the way we conduct business. The most recent upheaval a merger between nationwide drugstore chain CVS and Aetna, one of America’s largest healthcare providers. As other corporations like Amazon and UPS change the status quo in their respective industries, they’re shaking the very foundations of our economy. The 1800s, the early 1900s, and post-1980s each represent a turning point for technology in...
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Why Product Reviews Matter

Imagine your target customer. They’re in the market for a product like yours. Opening their web browser, they search. The search brings up your product, or maybe it doesn’t. Your potential customer compares options. What brands offer this product at what price? Are there different models available? What are the differences between them? They settle [...]

Imagine your target customer. They’re in the market for a product like yours. Opening their web browser, they search. The search brings up your product, or maybe it doesn’t. Your potential customer compares options. What brands offer this product at what price? Are there different models available? What are the differences between them? They settle on a product and purchase. So, did you get the business? If not, it may be because of product reviews. When Reviews Matter Most According...
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The Rise of Voice Shopping

Voice recognition has been around for decades, but it wasn’t until Apple introduced Siri in 2011 along with its iPhone 4s that voice assistants entered the marketplace. The release of competitive technology from Google and Microsoft in the years following solidified that voice-activated tech was here to stay. The assistants -- ever-present on phones, computers, [...]

Voice recognition has been around for decades, but it wasn’t until Apple introduced Siri in 2011 along with its iPhone 4s that voice assistants entered the marketplace. The release of competitive technology from Google and Microsoft in the years following solidified that voice-activated tech was here to stay. The assistants — ever-present on phones, computers, and tablets — helped give directions, send messages, and search the web without major innovation until 2015 when the Amazon Echo was released to all customers...
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What is Google Express?

In a recent post, we mentioned Google Express as an up-and-coming challenger to Amazon’s tight grasp on ecommerce in the U.S. Despite Google’s own ubiquitous brand, many consumers either haven’t heard of it or don’t know how it works. Google is a household name. It’s a noun, a verb, and likely your browser homepage. Publicity [...]

In a recent post, we mentioned Google Express as an up-and-coming challenger to Amazon’s tight grasp on ecommerce in the U.S. Despite Google’s own ubiquitous brand, many consumers either haven’t heard of it or don’t know how it works. Google is a household name. It’s a noun, a verb, and likely your browser homepage. Publicity is fantastic; getting your company name accepted into the Oxford Dictionary as a synonym for ‘search’ is an entrepreneur’s wildest dream. For years, Google has...
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Why is Amazon’s Whole Foods Acquisition Important?

With Amazon wanting to get its claws into the physical retailing market, a lot of questions have stemmed from their recent acquisition of Whole Foods. Today, we’ll look at what’s happened since the acquisition, along with its current and potential effects on ecommerce and packaging. Earlier this year, natural food store Whole Foods was spiraling before they [...]

With Amazon wanting to get its claws into the physical retailing market, a lot of questions have stemmed from their recent acquisition of Whole Foods. Today, we’ll look at what’s happened since the acquisition, along with its current and potential effects on ecommerce and packaging. Earlier this year, natural food store Whole Foods was spiraling before they were bought out by retail giant Amazon. Although the supermarket chain appeals heavily to a consumer base that increasingly prefers organic produce, the price tags...
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