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 reports losses in third quarter

Amazon reported a loss of $274million (£170m) in its third quarter, blaming an unfavourable... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon reported


Online book group for London boroughs

An online book discussion forum is the latest venture from the triborough library services in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #latest venture


Amazon confirms Japan Kindle launch

Amazon will open a Kindle store in Japan next month, selling Japanese language Kindle e-readers... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle store


Waterstones and Amazon begin Kindle promotion

Waterstones has begun promoting the Amazon Kindle devices that will be on sale in stores from... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Bertrams to launch online bookseller

UK book wholesaler Bertrams is teaming up with former Book Depository IT director Will Jones to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book depository


Amazon struggles to get its books onto the bestseller charts

Books published by Amazon like the Penny Marshall memoir 'My Mother Was Nuts' have not seen strong sales. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-10-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bestseller charts #strong sales


Is Amazon Really Buying Brazil’s Biggest Bookstore Chain?

Amazon is said to be negotiating to acquire Saraiva, Brazil's dominant bookseller, with 102 stores. Is it realistic? We break down the facts and scenarios. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-10-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Amazon debuts Whispercast service, lets organizations manage Kindles and Kindle content

Individual Kindle users already have Whispernet, and Amazon has now announced another free service designed to make Kindles easier to manage for large organizations. Dubbed Whispercast, the service will let schools, businesses and other groups both distribute and manage the Kindles themselves... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #distribute content #kindle content #large organizations #source link


Apple, Amazon Inform Customers of Settlement Refunds

According to the terms of a settlement between the DoJ and three major American publishers, some customers may receive refunds on their ebook purchases. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ebook purchases


Amazon may offer refunds on ebook purchases

Amazon has announced it will give Kindle owners refunds on past ebook purchases if a settlement with publishers accused of fixing prices is approved. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ebook purchases #publishers accused #fixing prices


School study plan for Churchill Archive Online

Bloomsbury's online Churchill Archive will aim for a school and undergraduate readership as... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Amazon to refund ebook customers

Amazon contacts some US customers to detail partial refunds for ebooks as part of a settlement regarding price fixing. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2012-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #price fixing


Amazon offers ebook refunds in price-fixing settlement

Amazon will offer partial refunds to customers who bought ebooks between April 2010 and May 2012 a result of the settlement in a price-fixing case between publishers and the attorneys general of most U.S. states. The retailer is notifying eligible customers by email. Compensation ranges from... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2012-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #court approves #print books #official website #barnes noble


Amazon tells Kindle customers to expect buying credit, thanks to ebook price-fixing settlement

I bought my first ebook in 1999 and in recent years stopped purchasing print altogether. My wife is a relative ebook newbie, so I am surprised that she and not me received surprising email today from Amazon about a forthcoming purchasing credit. Perhaps you got similar message. In April, the... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2012-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Amazon: breaking even on popular Kindle sales

In an interview with the BBC, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos confirmed what many surmised: Amazon is selling the Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Fire HD at cost. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-10-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle paperwhite


Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite coming to the UK on October 25th, starting at £109

Amazon has found a relatively clear day in the calendar on which to launch its excellent Kindle Paperwhite e-reader in the British Isles. The ad-supported basic model will knock you back £109, while an extra £60 will get you the 3G version. Amazon's Lending Library service will roll-out at the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #british isles #3g version #barnes noble


Jeff Bezos Reveals Amazon Makes No Dough On Its Hardware

Jeff Bezos, in the U.K. to launch the Kindle Paperwhite and Amazon's Lending Library service, has told the BBC that his firm makes no money on its Kindles. "We make money from when people use our devices, not when people buy our devices," he told technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones. "That... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2012-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle paperwhite #make money #people read #jeff bezos #ve bought #digital books


Amazon brings controversial e-lending scheme to UK

Amazon is to launch its controversial Kindle Owners' Lending Library in the UK from the end... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lending library


Amazon extending Kindle Owners' Lending Library to the UK, Germany and France this month

Amazon's Kindle Owners' Lending Library has grown considerably since launching in the US, and it looks like the company's finally decided it was time to let some other countries in on the service as well. It announced today that Amazon Prime members in the UK, Germany and France would all have... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #announced today #lending library #kindle owners #grown considerably #local languages


Retail sales up 1.5% in September

Retail sales values were up 1.5% like-for-like this September from the previous year according to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #retail sales #5% like-for-