Channel Intelligence buy increases Google’s advantage over Facebook in e-commerce

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Facebook may know what consumers like, but it doesn’t yet understand how consumers shop. Google does and has been steadily developing that understanding with new tools to capitalize on the power of its ubiquitous analytics platform in order to grow Google Shopping. As part of that initiative, last summer Google launched Google Trusted Stores, promising… Read More…

Women’s online eyeglass seller Rivet & Sway peers ahead with $2 million

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Seattle retailers have helped transform the way people buy outdoor gear (REI); high-end fashion (Nordstrom) and everything else (Amazon.com). Now, a new Seattle startup wants to overhaul the way women purchase prescription eyeglasses. The company, Rivet & Sway, today is announcing that it has raised $2 million in fresh funding from investors that include New… Read More…

Barnes & Noble to shut 200+ stores in the next 10 years as Amazon.com threat looms

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Let’s just call it the Amazon.com impact. An executive for Barnes & Noble tells The Wall Street Journal that it will close down as many as 20 stores per year over the next 10 years — part of a plan by the retailer to focus on its most profitable stores. Barnes & Noble also has… Read More…

Tred speeds ahead with $1.7M, plans to change car shopping with driveway test drives

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One of my favorite pitches at the TechStars Demo Day last November was a tiny company called Tred that had a big idea: Transform the way people test drive and buy new cars. Founder Grant Feek summed up the concept in one line, telling the audience that they allow car shoppers to “test drive from your… Read More…

E-commerce vet Michael Smith named CEO of Full Circle organic food delivery service

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Well, it is not quite an episode of Green Acres. But Michael Smith, the longtime e-commerce and Internet executive who previously led Nordstrom.com, Land’s End and Classmates.com, is headed to the farm. Literally. Smith has taken over the CEO post at Full Circle, one of the leading organic farms and food delivery companies on the… Read More…

Fast-growing Avalara opens new Seattle office at Pier 55

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Avalara appears to be cornering the market on office space near the ferry terminals in the Puget Sound region. The maker of sales tax automation technologies, which recently moved into a new 17,500-square foot headquarters building on Bainbridge Island, is expanding along Seattle’s waterfront with new offices at Pier 55. It is the company’s second… Read More…

Free shipping offers boost online holiday spending

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Americans continue to spend more of their cash online this holiday season, with comScore reporting that online spending is up 16 percent so far this holiday season. One of the reasons for the surge was a big uptick in last-minute shopping, propelled by free shipping promotions by online retailers. That included what is being dubbed… Read More…

Nordstrom exec maneuvers online as Amazon.com threat looms

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A few months ago, we wrote a story on GeekWire about the growing rivalry between two iconic Seattle brands: Amazon.com and Nordstrom. But how big of a threat is Amazon to the Nordstrom franchise? Pretty big. Reuters this week profiles Jamie Nordstrom, the 40-year-old great grandson of John W. Nordstrom who is leading the retailer’s… Read More…

Zaarly Storefronts debuts in Seattle to help you find local cooks, cleaners and coaches

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Golf lessons, chai pumpkin sandwiches and massages — these are just a few of the local services available on Zaarly’s new Storefront platform in Seattle. Zaarly is an online marketplace for buyers to post needed goods or services. Now, with the addition of Storefronts, sellers can essentially become their own entrepreneurs. Sellers use the service to make money… Read More…

Online holiday shopping off to a fast start, jumps 16 percent

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Americans are spending more money online this holiday shopping season. For the first 26 days of the November-December 2012 holiday season, Americans spent $16.4 billion, a 16 percent increase over the same period last year, according to a report from comScore. On “Cyber Monday,” comScore tallied $1.465 billion in online spending, up 17 percent versus year… Read More…

POLL: How much will you spend online this holiday?

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If you’re having trouble finding that perfect gift for family and friends, look no further than the gadget world. From the Microsoft Surface that Oprah loves to the dual-screen Nintendo Wii U to the iPad that 48 percent of kids apparently want, the options are plentiful. All of these items and more are available online, where items… Read More…

Shopping 2020: What will the future of e-commerce look like in eight years?

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Imagine, for a second, that it is the year 2004. The latest trends are Bluetooth technology, the revolution of video blogs and a promising iPod competitor called the Dell Digital Jukebox. (You’ll get a kick out of this 2004 Forbes article on tech trends.) Now fast forward to 2012. How will new technology play a… Read More…

Amazon’s holiday gimmick: Personalized video gift cards

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What can you give when a regular old digital gift card isn’t high-tech enough? Amazon offered an answer this morning, rolling out personalized video gift cards in partnership with JibJab in advance of the holiday shopping season. The cards are based on JibJab’s “Starring You” feature, which lets users insert their own faces or those… Read More…

Amazon starts selling wine online, with direct shipping from wineries

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After a series of unsuccessful attempts over the years, Amazon.com made its long-awaited move into the world of online wine sales this morning. The company’s new Amazon Wine portal offers bottles from wineries around the country. Those wineries will ship directly to customers in twelve states at launch. It’s an interesting move for Amazon, and… Read More…

Amazon unit to unveil new kids sites Bookworm.com and AfterSchool.com Thursday

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Quidsi may be known for operating the online retail store Diapers.com. But now the Amazon.com unit is looking to leverage its relationships with moms and dads for a slightly older demographic. On Thursday, New Jersey-based Quidsi plans to launch two new sites — Bookworm.com and AfterSchool.com — that will sell a wide range of books,… Read More…

Best Buy looks to retain customers, plans to match Amazon on price

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Wal-Mart earlier this week threw down the gauntlet on Amazon.com, announcing that it plans to offer same-day delivery in some markets this holiday season. Now, it’s Best Buy’s turn. The electronics retailer is planning to match the prices of Amazon.com this holiday season, with The Wall Street Journal reporting today that the strategy is an… Read More…

Engagement ring designer Ritani sparkles with $15M, combines clicks with bricks

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Ritani has been in the diamond business for more than a decade. But the engagement ring designer is adding a fresh shine today, announcing $15 million from Cantor Ventures and a new strategy that combines brick-and-mortar retail with e-commerce. That’s a hot concept right now, highlighted by concepts such as Amazon.com’s locker service and efforts… Read More…

Bring out your dead: Startup offers $1M to ‘acqui-hire’ alums of TechStars, Y Combinator and 500 Startups

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The hiring crunch for developers in the tech industry is a pain point we hear about nearly every day. Now, a San Francisco startup called Twice — that specializes in selling secondhand clothes of all things — is taking one of the more unusual approaches we’ve encountered to get developers in the door. Today, the year-old… Read More…

Live from TechNW: The future of e-commerce

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Team GeekWire is settled in here at the third annual TechNW forum at Seattle’s City Hall, where 360 attendees are expected today. The early morning panel was all about the future of the bustling e-commerce world that’s growing quickly — eMarketer predicts a 16.8 percent year-over-year growth this holiday season for online sales. Eric Best,… Read More…

Pay too much for that TV? Decide.com may make up the difference with new guarantee

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A new service from Decide.com could guarantee that you never overpay again for that exercise bike, digital camera or lawn mower.  The Seattle startup today unveiled a new price guarantee on over 200,000 products, allowing consumers to get cash refunds if Decide.com’s price prediction algorithms incorrectly tell consumers to buy at what they believe are… Read More…