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?'


Eliza Clark Was ‘Really Online.’ Now She’s Looking Past the Internet.

Eliza Clark’s debut novel was a hit on TikTok. With her next book, “Penance,” she aims for literary longevity over viral success. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-09-21 04:01:24 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #debut novel


Amazon restricts authors from self-publishing more than three books a day after AI concerns

The company announced the new limitations after an influx of suspected AI-generated material was listed for sale but said that ‘very few’ publishers will be affectedAmazon has created a new rule limiting the number of books that authors can self-publish on its site to three a day, after an... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-09-20 16:22:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #company announced #recent months #kindle #self-publish


Amazon hardware event 2023 liveblog: Live updates on new devices and services

After Apple's iPhone event and just before Microsoft shows off new Surface devices, Amazon is set to reveal its latest arsenal of hardware. As it typically does every September, Amazon is hosting an event to unveil the goods, only this time it's doing so not in Seattle,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-09-20 14:00:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #surface devices #kindle devices #live updates #news live #fire tv #rest assured #kindle


Amazon's Kindle Scribe is up to 22 percent off for Prime members

Amazon has rolled out a new Kindle Scribe sale for Prime members. Each configuration of the 10.2-inch ereader is up to 22 percent off, which brings the base version with 16GB of storage and Amazon's "Basic Pen" stylus down to $265. That's $75 off the device's usual price and only $10 more than... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-09-19 15:15:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book directly #google drive #generally speaking #pen support #buying advice #follow @engadgetdeals #kindle


How to watch and follow Amazon's 2023 Devices event

It's almost time for Amazon's annual fall hardware event, where the company typically announces a bunch of upcoming devices, including new entries for its ereader and smart speaker lines. On September 20, the company will stage Devices at its second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. Amazon... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-09-18 15:30:59 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle scribe #retail price #echo dot #kindle


Amazon’s second Prime Day starts October 10th

Amazon’s master plan has been laid bare. By the year 2300, every single day on the calendar will be Amazon Prime Day. Every month will be Amazon Prime Month, it will always be the year of the Amazon, and our homes will be entirely built of smiling cardboard boxes. Amazon hasn’t officially... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2023-09-18 13:46:37 UTC ]
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Amazon Prime Big Deal Days: Here's what to expect this October Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day came and went in July, but Amazon’s not done with its membership-only sales events for 2023. The company just announced that it will hold “Prime Big Deal Days,” another Prime Day of sorts, on October 10 and 11, mirroring what it did during the same month last year. Engadget will... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-09-18 11:58:42 UTC ]
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20 of the Most Thought-Provoking, Philosophical Science Fiction Books of All Time

Looking for a work of science fiction that will make you really think? Welcome to these philosophical sci-fi books! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-09-15 10:33:00 UTC ]
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Publishers are using online job boards to diversify revenue streams

Globally, the publishing industry is contending with diminishing revenues. With a recent report from intelligence provider WARC finding that global advertising revenue for total print will experience a 7.7% drop-off in 2023 from last year’s number, traditional publishers are looking to shore up... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2023-09-14 15:29:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #traditional publishers #recent report #publishing industry


Opus & Olives Library Fundraiser Celebrates 20 Years

Opus & Olives, a gala fundraiser sponsored by the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library, is celebrating its 20th anniversary on October 8. The annual event is one of the most successful public library fundraisers in the U.S. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Self-publishers must declare if content sold on Amazon’s site is AI-generated

Retailer announces new rules for its Kindle Direct Publishing forum after complaints about AI-produced works being sold under human writers’ namesAmazon has introduced new rules and guidance for Kindle books generated by artificial intelligence tools, including the requirement that authors... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-09-11 17:08:53 UTC ]
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The Best Online Book Clubs, 2023 Edition

Looking for your own bookish community online? Let's take a look at some of the best online book clubs, 2023 edition! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-09-08 10:36:00 UTC ]
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Nielsen won’t force Amazon’s data into ‘Thursday Night Football’ ad deals this year

Following a contentious meeting last week, Nielsen won't change panel currency used to write deals but will make Amazon first-party data part of offering. Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2023-09-07 20:12:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #nielsen


Mushroom pickers urged to avoid foraging books on Amazon that appear to be written by AI

Sample of books scored 100% on AI detection test as experts warn they contain dangerous adviceAmateur mushroom pickers have been urged to avoid foraging books sold on Amazon that appear to have been written by artificial intelligence chatbots.Amazon has become a marketplace for AI-produced tomes... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-09-01 16:32:27 UTC ]
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Nielsen and TV networks clash again over Amazon data as MRC debates adoption

Nielsen says networks had months to integrate their own streaming data, but networks deny meaningful talks happened.  Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2023-08-30 21:14:51 UTC ]
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As Nielsen incorporates Amazon’s own data, networks demand answers

TV network executives are alleging bias from two referees in the industry—Nielsen and the Media Rating Council. Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2023-08-25 13:30:25 UTC ]
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20 Indie Books to Read This Fall

The season’s most anticipated releases run the gamut, from rediscovered literary gems to spine-tingling suspense to candid memoir. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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20 Award-Winning Historical Fiction Books

From the Pulitzer and Booker to the Walter Scott Prize and more, these award-winning historical fiction books are the best in the genre! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-08-24 10:36:00 UTC ]
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Amazon hardware VP Dave Limp set to retire after almost 14 years

Dave Limp, Amazon’s Senior Vice President of Devices and Services, has announced his pending retirement from the company. Limp has been with the company for nearly 14 years and, as his title suggests, oversaw Amazon’s transition into dedicated hardware devices like Kindle e-readers,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-08-15 18:23:15 UTC ]
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Amazon's Kindle Scribe is $60 off right now

There is something so great about when a device you really want — but don't want to fork up the money for — goes on sale. If you've been eyeing an Amazon Kindle Scribe, then, for you, that time is now. Currently, the 16GB Kindle Scribe is 18 percent off, with its price dropping from $340 to $280... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-08-14 10:55:52 UTC ]
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