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…