Back in 2014, Amazon signed a 17-year lease on office space with some retail floors across from the Empire State Building in Manhattan, and that led to delighted speculation that the company might open a real-life store to sell its own products and let local customers pick up their packages. Instead, the office space is just boring old office space. Now, reports are circlulating that a deal for an Amazon bookstore in Manhattan has been or will be signed. [More]
Retail Services
Is Amazon Removing List Prices From Product Pages?
By 7.6.16
It’s a time-honored tradition in retail to show shoppers just how much a deal they are getting by showing the “list” price next to the price the customer will actually pay. It’s a practice that online sellers, who can often offer deeper discounts than bricks-and-mortar stores, frequently use, but it looks like Amazon is quietly shifting toward showing shoppers only one price.
[More]
Nearly 501,000 Hoverboards Recalled Over Safety, Fire Hazards
By 7.6.16
Nearly five months ago, major retailer pulled “hoverboard” scooters from shelves after the Consumer Product Safety Commission said the not-actually-hovering devices were unsafe unless they met certain standards. Now the federal safety agency is announcing an official recall of around 501,000 hoverboards. [More]
What’s Going On When Your Amazon Package Gets Delivered By Some Guy In A Sedan
By 7.5.16
Amazon increasingly promises faster, quicker, more local delivery. UPS, FedEx, and the Post Office can’t handle all that, of course, so the e-retail giant turns to local couriers, its own Amazon-branded fleet… and, increasingly, folks who volunteer to drive your stuff around for a few bucks an hour. [More]
You Can Now Tell Amazon’s Alexa To Order Millions Of Prime-Eligible Items
By 7.1.16
Do you want to order a pallet of cat food and some bendy straws on Amazon? If not, don’t judge. If you do, it won’t matter if you’ve purchased those items in the past: Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa will no longer be limited to just reordering stuff you got before. [More]
Amazon Trying That Whole “Prime Day” Thing Again This Year
By 6.30.16
Last year, Amazon tried inventing a holiday all for itself. The day was dubbed “Prime Day,” and it was to be a day full of irresistible sales and promotions for Prime Members. In the end, it was something of a wash. But Amazon, undeterred, is now making it an annual tradition. [More]
Visa Sues Walmart In Response To Lawsuit Over Security Of Debit Card Authorizations
By 6.29.16
Last month, Walmart sued Visa, accusing the card network of pushing the retailer to use a less-secure method of verifying debit card transactions. Now Visa is firing back with a lawsuit of its own, claiming the nation’s largest retailer is violating its contract by setting up payment terminals so that they can only accept the more secure form of validation. [More]
Sam’s Club Forgot To Tell Some Employees About Their Clever Costco Promotion
By 6.29.16
Last Monday was an important day in retail history, and we’re not being sarcastic: it was the day that Costco switched its credit card acceptance policy from only accepting American Express to only accepting Visa. The transition didn’t go smoothly for some members, and national competitor Sam’s Club decided to take advantage of the confusion and try to win over some of those members. Unfortunately, some employees didn’t know about this. [More]
Amazon Selling Android Phones At A Discount, If You Like Ads
By 6.29.16
In the market for a new phone, but don’t want to pay retail? Amazon is offering $50 off unlocked Android smartphones, but that discount comes with a slightly big catch: the e-commerce giant gets to pre-load the device with its own apps and send ads to the lock screen anytime it wants. [More]
Perhaps You Would Like To Try A 30-Day Trial Of Walmart’s 2-Day Shipping Service
By 6.29.16
Walmart’s ShippingPass service has always been intended as a competitor for Amazon’s Prime membership, and now the program has formally launched to the public. After recently cutting down its shipping window to two days to match its competitor, Walmart is celebrating the public opening by matching Amazon in another way: by offering a 30-day free trial, perhaps hoping that shoppers will come to depend on the service and never want to leave. [More]
Lawmakers Want Answers On Walmart Prepaid Card Glitch That Left Thousands Without Funds
By 6.28.16
When a prepared credit card system goes down, millions of unbanked American lose their ability to access funds needed to pay bills, buy groceries, and make other purchases. This scenario was illustrated last month when customers using Walmart-branded Green Dot prepaid debit cards said they had been stranded without their funds for several days, and in some cases weeks. Now, a pair of lawmakers wants to understand the debacle better and work to prevent something similar from happening again. [More]
Walmart Still Reportedly Misusing “Made In U.S.A” Labels
By 6.28.16
The Federal Trade Commission may have dropped its probe into Walmart’s misuse of “Made in U.S.A.” labeling last fall, but an advertising watchdog group says a more recent analysis of the retailer’s website found it continues to label products with the designation even though they were manufactured in other countries. [More]
Kroger Accuses Visa Of Using Threats To Force Supermarkets To Accept Less Secure Debit Cards
By 6.28.16
Another week, another large retailer accusing Visa of forcing stores to accept debit cards in a way that it is not as secure as it could be — and which will cost the retailer more money to process. [More]
Sam’s Club Takes Advantage Of Costco Credit Card Problems, Invites Members To Visit
By 6.28.16
Hey, are you a Costco member? Are you annoyed with their switch to only accepting Visa cards, and the problematic transition to the Costco Anywhere Visa? Competitor Sam’s Club has a solution for you: come check out their warehouse club, where all major credit cards are welcome. Even if that’s a pretty recent development. Sam’s is welcoming Costco card holders to enter the store and browse (but not to shop without buying their own membership) through July 4. [More]
Best Buy Pilot Program Sends Non-Geek Squad Techs To Your House
By 6.27.16
Tell us if this sounds familiar: Best Buy has a program that will send tech-savvy staffers to your house to troubleshoot issues with your electronics (while also trying to upsell you on new products). It’s a service model the retailer has been pushing for more than a decade through its Geek Squad and Magnolia brands, but it’s getting yet another makeover in a new pilot program.
[More]
Amazon Giving Dozens Of Brands Dash Buttons Whether You Want Them Or Not
By 6.27.16 — Updated: 1.20.17
UPDATE: Amazon made it official, announcing that it’s adding 50 new brands to the Dash lineup. [More]
Walmart Trying To Cut Back On Calls To Cops By Offering Small-Time Shoplifters Chance To Reform
By 6.24.16
Police who work near any large retail store are probably all too familiar with responding to calls for shoppers caught trying to make off with a pack of socks or a pilfered Pepsi. A test program at Walmart aims to reduce these nuisance calls by giving small-time shoplifters a second chance. [More]
Wells Fargo Must Remove Signs Built To “Photo Bomb” New Minnesota Vikings Stadium
By 6.24.16
Our brief regional nightmare is over, after a federal court ordered Wells Fargo to take down two rooftop signs erected to cash in on the impending media coverage of the new Minnesota Vikings stadium in Minneapolis. [More]
