Amazon at 20: what has the online giant ever done for retail?

The e-commerce site is 20 years old this week. So what influence has it really had on the retail and internet industries?It was originally billed as “Earth’s Biggest Bookstore” and featured over one million titles. Twenty years later it boasts over 270m active accounts and claims to have more than 2m third-party vendors selling millions of products through the marketplace platform. In that time it has been both lauded and vilified, most recently over corporation tax and staff working conditions but Amazon is quite clearly one of the biggest success stories of online commerce. So what has been its lasting impact? Can it maintain this growth or have we seen the best of it?Amazon was born in July 1994, with the online site launching as Amazon.com a year later. In 1995, Bill Gates, founder and CEO at Microsoft, reportedly paid The Rolling Stones $3m (£1.9m) for the rights to use Start Me Up to launch Windows 95. It was also the year eBay launched as AuctionWeb (a bit later in September) and there were, according to IDC, 16m global internet users compared with over three billion today. Related: Has Net-a-Porter found the holy grail of 21st-century fashion? Related: To avoid Blockbuster's fate, your business needs a chief futures officer Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #corporation tax #lasting impact #bill gates #reportedly paid #holy grail

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Amazon at 20: what has the online giant ever done for retail?'


Amazon rolls out free Roku-like TV channels for Fire devices

Amazon just announced the impending launch of Fire TV Channels, allowing customers access to a wide variety of “premium, free content” on Fire streaming sticks, streaming boxes, and, of course, Fire-branded televisions. The company promises there will be no forced sign-ups or fees associated... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-05-01 23:00:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tv shows #abc news #major boost #home screen #publishing partners


Amazon Publishing’s World Book Day #ReadTheWorld Giveaway

The World Book Day promotion from Amazon Publishing this year offers international reads from several imprints and nine countries. The post Amazon Publishing’s World Book Day #ReadTheWorld Giveaway appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-04-25 16:30:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon publishing #world book


Lydia Davis refuses to sell her next book on Amazon

The garlanded short story author will release her next collection solely in bookshops and select independent online outlets to coincide with Bookshop DayPrize-winning author Lydia Davis’ new collection of short stories will not be sold on Amazon, with the author saying she does not “believe... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-19 10:05:07 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #single book #man booker international prize #short stories #bookshop


'Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions' will take the Wizarding World's broomstick sports online

Just like that, a new Harry Potter game is on its way. On Monday, WB Games revealed Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, a title the Hogwarts Legacy publisher is billing as a “fast-paced, competitive multiplayer” game that will be available on PC and consoles. According to the company, Unbroken... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-04-17 22:37:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #justice league #transphobic views #hogwarts legacy #harry potter


20 Must-Read Indigenous Historical Fiction Books Set In North America

These compelling Indigenous historical fiction books cover hundreds of years and take place all across North America. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-04-11 10:36:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #historical fiction


Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite falls back to $100, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

It's Friday, which means it's time for another roundup of good tech deals. Today's highlights include Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite back down to $100, which is within $5 of the popular e-reader's all-time low. Apple's AirPods Pro are $50 off their list price at $200, while the Apple Watch SE is a... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-04-07 15:00:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #large family #buying advice #follow @engadgetdeals #e-book #kindle


The Morning After: Amazon’s Halo Rise sleep tracker is surprisingly helpful

The Halo Rise is also a small but significant piece of Amazon’s ongoing foray into health and wellness. For $140 (on sale now for $100), the Rise uses motion sensing to predict and track your breathing rate and calculate how long you’ve slept.Like Google’s Nest Hub, which also uses motion... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-04-06 11:15:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle


Amazon is Closing Book Depository at the End of April

The online book retailer Book Depository was bought by Amazon in 2011. By the end of April, it will be shutting down for good. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-04-04 13:41:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #online book #book depository


Amazon's Kindle is back on sale for $80

Amazon is running a sale on Kindle e-readers just in time for outdoor reading, and there are a few good deals in the mix. The company is selling the base Kindle with lock screen ads for $80, or $20 off. That's near an all-time low, and makes it an easy pick if you want a compact, no-frills... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-04-03 13:26:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #all-time low #300ppi display #larger screen #follow @engadgetdeals #kindle


20 new paperbacks hitting shelves this April.

As April rolls around and scattered showers might keep us indoors (or nudge us to a sheltered spot outdoors), it’s a great time to revisit the books we had been meaning to read. Whether you choose to read indoors or out—and I support both—a list of some intriguing books that will be released in... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-03-31 11:47:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #great time


Audiobooks Without Audible: The Hard Lessons I've Learned Routing Around Amazon

With a Kickstarter campaign now underway for the audio edition of his new book, 'Red Team Blues,' Cory Doctorow shares the mistakes of his past campaigns—and why it's all worth it. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-31 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kickstarter campaign #audio edition


Amazon sale knocks the Kindle Paperwhite down to $100

If you're on the market for a new e-reader, Amazon's latest discounts on Kindles may have exactly what you've been looking for at a lower-than-expected price. Key among the sale items is the Kindle Paperwhite, which is down to $100. That's only $5 more than its record-low price, and it's the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-03-24 15:05:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bluetooth headphones #worth mentioning #kids version #longer warranty #protective case #reading material #good option #file types #buying advice #follow @engadgetdeals #kindle


Should you subscribe to Amazon Prime in Australia?

Over the last two decades, Amazon has grown from an online bookstore into one of the largest tech brands on the planet. No longer just dealing in paperbacks and printing runs, Amazon now sell everything from TVs to wholefoods to clothing. And a huge part of their business model hinges... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2023-03-24 03:23:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #prime reading #kindle unlimited #additional cost #days ahead #kindle #bookstore


How and where to buy refurbished tech online

Yes, I’ll probably want the iPhone 15 when it comes out. But as I consider a tablet for my six-year-old (so he’ll stop stealing mine), I don’t think a brand new device is necessary. Both economically and environmentally, refurbished tech might be a better bet if you don’t need the latest... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-03-23 14:00:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #in-house team #ring doorbells #returns policy #wider selection #product page #repair centers #kindle


4 Amazon privacy settings you should change right now

Like most big tech companies, Amazon collects large amounts of data on its users, in part of the purpose of targeting ads and training its Alexa voice models. Look in the right places, though, and much of this data collection can be minimized or prevented, and you can even opt out of... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2023-03-22 10:45:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #targeted ads #worth taking #voice recordings #voice commands #fire tablets #kindle e-readers #kindle


Book Riot’s SFF Deals for March 20, 2023

The best science fiction and fantasy book deals of the day, curated by Book Riot. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-03-20 13:42:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sff deals #science fiction


Amazon no longer sells print and Kindle magazines

You can no longer buy either print or Kindle Newsstand magazine and newspaper subscriptions from Amazon, as the company appears to implement yet another cost-cutting measure. The e-commerce giant announced that it was halting Newsstand subscriptions on March 9th (via The Verge) and that the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-03-17 09:28:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #difficult decision #making money #previous years #kindle


Book Deals: Week of March 20, 2023

Author and songwriter Alice Randall sells a book to Simon & Schuster’s Black Privilege imprint; Little, Brown picks up a title on a California tribe’s struggle for river restoration; and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book deals #simon schuster


PW Picks: Books of the Week, March 20, 2023

Our favorite books coming out this week include new titles from Tim Seeley, Aaron Campbell, and Jim Terry, Moses Ose Utomi, and Laura Spence-Ash. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jim terry


This Week's Bestsellers: March 20, 2023

Taylor Jenkins Reid climbs the charts with Daisy Jones & the Six, now streaming as a limited series. Plus fantasy author Hannah Whitten makes her hardcover debut with The Foxglove King, and the GMA Book Club makes a stop on Pineapple Street. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #daisy jones #limited series #pineapple street #book club