Alibaba invests $1bn in cloud computing arm Aliyun to compete with Amazon Web Services July 29, 2015 Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is planning a $1bn push into the cloud, taking on Amazon by expanding its cloud computing unit Aliyun into international markets. The company, often described as the “Chinese Ebay”, is expanding its cloud computing arm from its current bases in China and Silicon Valley to the Middle East, Europe and Japan, [...]
Amazon proposes drone-designated airspace for commercial deliveries July 29, 2015 Amazon wants a designated airspace zone for drone deliveries, the company told a Nasa convention in California yesterday. Read more: Five reasons delivery drones won't take off Under the company's plans, a slice of the sky between 200ft and 400ft would be designated for whirring drones zipping past each other to deliver parcels. In order to avoid [...]
Amazon overtakes Walmart as US’ biggest retailer: But has it really stolen its crown? July 24, 2015 The king is dead: Long live the king. If Americans still had monarchic leanings that might be how they would have viewed last night’s shock announcement that Walmart, that behemoth of retailing, had lost its crown as the nation’s biggest retailer. The fact that it lost it to Amazon, a dot-com upstart with no physical [...]
Amazon share price soars 15pc as sales and earnings smash expectations July 23, 2015 The figures Amazon smashed analysts' expectations, with a $23.18bn revenue over the quarter. Analysts had high hopes for Amazon’s sales, with forecasts of a 16 per cent jump in sales, and even so, the company managed to out-do them. Earnings per share came in at $0.19, against expectations of a $0.13 loss. The company’s share [...]
Amazon Prime Day orders are overtaking Black Friday July 15, 2015 Amazon's Prime Day has whipped up more of a frenzy than last year's Black Friday, according to the company's vice president. Read more: Amazon Prime Day is not the new Black Friday As part of its 20-year celebrations it launched a global day of sales exclusively for Prime members which it said would offer "more deals [...]
Amazon Prime Day is not the new Black Friday as British retailers have little appetite for mega sales… yet July 15, 2015 Not content with helping bring the horror of shoppingeddon to the UK in the form of Black Friday, Amazon is now attempting to create its own, even bigger version, with Prime Day. Last year Black Friday went from being a US tradition us Brits mocked as the embodiment of America's tendency to take things to [...]
These are Britain’s best companies for customer service: First Direct, Amazon and John Lewis July 15, 2015 Anyone who detests being taken for granted by a company will be pleased to know there's a list of firms offering shoppers the best customer service experience. Online bank First Direct scored 87 for the overall level of customer satisfaction, helping it overtake better-known brands such as Amazon and John Lewis in a ranking compiled [...]
Amazon Prime Day is here: These are the best lightning deals – including PlayStation, Xbox, HDTVs, Kindles July 15, 2015 Amazon is attempting to recreate the shopping frenzy that was Black Friday with a bumper day of sales and promotions for Prime members. Amazon Prime Day has more deals up for grabs than the shopping day back in November which sparked fisticuffs in supermarkets and record sales. The online retailer is offering customers around the [...]
Go Tell A Watchman: Harper Lee’s new novel becomes Amazon’s most pre-ordered book since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows July 10, 2015 Harper Lee's hugely anticipated novel Go Set A Watchman has become Amazon's most pre-ordered title since the final Harry Potter book, The Deathly Hallows. The novel is due to be published on 14 July – almost 55 years to the day Lee's debut came out to much acclaim. It went on to win the [...]
Amazon to launch new global shopping event “Prime Day” at midnight on 15 July to rival Black Friday July 6, 2015 Amazon is hoping to stir up the same shopping frenzy as Black Friday by launching of new global shopping day next week with hundreds of promotional deals. The online retail giant is turning 20 years old next week and as part of its celebrations it will launch Prime Day at midnight on 15 July, which [...]