Amazon hopes to grow in India with a Hindi website

Sep 5, 2018
The company, which just reached $1 trillion in market value, is trying to tap into a market of 1.3 billion people.
An Indian security guard walks inside Amazon's largest Fulfillment Centre (FC) in India, on the outskirts of Hyderabad on September 7, 2017.
NOAH SEELAM/AFP/Getty Images

What happens if online retailers have to charge sales tax?

Apr 26, 2018
"This is a very big deal ... for all small entrepreneurs everywhere," Etsy's CEO says.
FedEx worker sort through a pile of boxes at the FedEx sort facility at the Oakland International Airport in December 2006 in California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

For online retailers, packaging is all about economics

Mar 6, 2018
Online retailers are trying to cut down on package waste. But designing a new box for everything a company ships takes a lot of time.
Anton Cotaj at ANAMA Package and Container Testing tests boxes on a machine that simulates road conditions.
Kristin Schwab/ for Marketplace

Amazon will pilot package carrier service in Los Angeles

Feb 9, 2018
As Amazon expands its logistics operations, it’s inching closer to developing a service that competes with FedEx and UPS. Shares of both package carriers fell today after news of Amazon’s new Shipping with Amazon service was reported in the Wall Street Journal. The company is piloting that service in Los Angeles, delivering some goods sold […]

Nordstrom family members weigh taking the retailer private

Jun 8, 2017
Nordstrom’s stock jumped today after the company said a group of Nordstrom family members is considering taking the company private. Like all department stores, Nordstrom has been battling a decline in shopping mall traffic and competition from online retailers. The company reported weaker-than-expected sales last month and warned of a sluggish year ahead. Among other […]

On Fifth Avenue, vacancy rates spike along with rents

May 4, 2017
Stores on the world's most expensive retail strip are fleeing high rents.
A retail space is available for rent on Fifth Avenue in New York, where rents and vacancies have spiked.
EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

UPS ups its game with Saturday deliveries

Apr 7, 2017
UPS is upping its game. The parcel carrier this week announced it’s going to extend service out to Saturday, competing with the likes of FedEx and the U.S.Postal Service. The move comes as e-commerce continues to expand, with customers demanding faster delivery times.  Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

Amazon could be seeking competitive edge in low-income areas through SNAP pilot

Feb 20, 2017
E-commerce giant Amazon is one of seven retailers entering a pilot program allowing some food stamp users to order groceries online. The first states to participate with Amazon starting this summer are New York, New Jersey and Maryland, though other states are working with different participating companies. Last year, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provided […]

Retail jobs are giving way to warehouse jobs, but wages aren't any better

Feb 10, 2017
With online merchants taking an ever-bigger chunk of the retail business, many national chains have announced store closures and thousands of layoffs, including Macy’s, American Apparel, the Limited, Sears and Abercrombie & Fitch. On the other hand, warehouses and distribution centers are seeing growth. In one respect, the new jobs are much like the old. […]