Holiday retail sales may boom this year – and the lion’s share will not be online purchases. Yet brick-and-mortar retail stores are facing heavy internet competition.
The deal escaped scrutiny because the two aren’t direct competitors, yet Amazon’s huge marketing platform will help Whole Foods steamroll rivals. In the past, the Supreme Court has said this violates antitrust law.
Amazon suddenly became a major player in the supermarket wars.
Reuters/Rick Wilking
Shoppers have launched into the holiday buying season and retailers are looking forward to year-end sales that make up almost 20% of their annual receipts. But as you check out at a store or click “purchase…
For sighted users, a website looks no different whether it is accessible or not, but users with visual disabilities know all too soon when they are unable to use it.
Coles home page screenshot
A blind woman has launched a claim of unlawful discrimination against Coles and its online website. For those of us who are totally blind and working in the disability law space this lawsuit is no surprise…
What do H&M, Uniqlo, Krispy Kreme, New Year’s Eve, and the AFL Grand Final have in common? Scarcity. Well, at least for a short time. And a little bit of hype, plus some tribal instincts and social…
It’s a physical struggle in these skirts, but we always shop in store.
Haute Couture News
In the world of luxury fashion, Chanel stands apart from the crowd. But it’s not the designs that make it different. The French luxury brand is one of the last few major labels that does not sell its clothes…
Lush’s gripe with Amazon is an explosive issue and it’s not just about ethics.
firepile
The ongoing battle between cosmetics company Lush and internet retailer Amazon is starting to give off a distinctly unsavoury odour. At the beginning, many supported plucky little Lush as it sought to…
Online retail continues to grow, despite the shadow of cybercrime.
Dolinski/Flickr
The recent hack and subsequent data loss by US retailer Target involved the personal information of at least 70 million customers, including names, phone numbers, email and mailing addresses. It follows…
Not exactly where you’d imagine e-commerce to be booming, but rural China has embraced online retail platforms for cheaper supplies and extra income.
EPA/Micahel Reynolds
Every year, for the foreseeable future, another 30 million Chinese will go online to shop, according to a new Boston Consulting Group report. Pushed by a government-subsidised rollout of internet – and…
Overseas based online retailers are far more innovative in coming up with ways to keep customers clicking.
BBC
All the signs are there that Australian retailers are not investing enough in their online operations. More than A$24 billion was spent online during the 12 months to March 2013, with Australian online…
Data protection may soon come at a price.
Randomskk
Data privacy is on our minds like never before. In a relatively small amount of time many of us have gone from carrying out our daily transactions in person to conducting them digitally. We pay energy…
The federal government has come under increasing pressure to lower the GST threshold for online purchases as sales continue to rise and revenue continues to be lost.
AAP/Alan Porritt
Both Labor and Coalition states are pushing the federal government to extend the GST to more online purchases as they look for additional sources of revenue. And while the Coalition had promised no changes…
Interim Director, UWA Public Policy Institute; Associate Professor & Programme Co-ordinator (Masters of Public Policy), The University of Western Australia