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Alan Rappa & BWChicago

5 Things Amazon Should Remember As It Becomes Sears Circa 1926

As much as Amazon’s “Everything Store” approach might seem disruptive, particularly as the retailer branches out into supermarkets and physical stores, it’s not that different from what Sears did nearly a century ago as its wildly successful mail-order business transformed into a bricks-and-mortar mega-chain. The question is: Can Amazon keep from making the same mistakes that led to Sears’ fall from grace? [More]

ken fager

Report: Facebook, Amazon Among Tech Giants Interested In Streaming Thursday NFL Games

If the news that Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and YouTube are all reportedly interested in streaming Thursday night NFL games sounds familiar, that’s because these same rumors swirled last year. [More]

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Zombie Circuit City Pushes Back Relaunch Again

For those in our audience who don’t remember, Circuit City was once a large and thriving chain of electronics stores. It filed for bankruptcy and liquidated in 2009, then returned as an online-only brand just a few months later. When the new owner liquidated in turn, the new owners made a shocking announcement: they planned to revive the brand as a retail chain of brick and mortar stores. Now the opening of those stores has been pushed back again. [More]

Nicholas Eckhart

Lands’ End Partners Up With Amazon To Move Some Clothes

If you’re a retail business, and you want to sell your merchandise, you should go where the shoppers are, right? Lands’ End, the retailer of preppy clothing and canvas tote bags that is not L.L. Bean, is doing just that. While maintaining its own website and stores, most of which are inside the department stores of former parent company Sears, the company will begin selling some of its merchandise through Amazon’s new fashion section. [More]

cmorran123

Re-Zombified Circuit City Opens Storefront On Amazon

Back in 2009, electronics shoppers turning to Amazon was one of the factors blamed for the demise of the retailer Circuit City. Now Circuit City, under its second post-bankruptcy owner, is beginning a retail comeback by opening a retail storefront on Amazon. They’re starting out by going where the customers already are. [More]

Black Friday can now be anytime, any month.

Dear Petco: If You Insist On Pushing Black Friday In July Promos, At Least Make It An Awesome Deal

If you’re getting an email from Petco trumpeting a “Black Friday In July!” promo that’s only serving to tick you off, you’re not alone. Consumerist readers Matthew and Kelso both forwarded their sighs along with a Petco email that is very, very excited about a not-so-great deal that just serves to make people cranky. Because it’s not Black Friday. It’s just Friday, in July. [More]