Katniss vs. Harry: Hunger Games outsells Harry Potter on Amazon

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It’s happened. Something has outsold the Harry Potter series on Amazon. And that something is Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games series. Heck, even Bill Gates liked it. Amazon announced today that the three-book Hunger Games series following hero Katniss Everdeen’s adventures of survival and derring-do have outsold the seven-book Potter series that followed those lovable wizards… Read More…

Is Coinstar on the auction block, and could Amazon come knocking?

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Two months ago, the Corum Group, a boutique Seattle M&A advisory firm, floated an idea that Amazon.com should buy retail kiosk pioneer Coinstar. We wrote about it, noting at the time that it was one tech prediction that made a ton of sense. We noted: “Amazon’s lack of a retail presence — while a huge advantage in… Read More…

Why Amazon.com gave up the sales tax fight: A new face for the ‘online’ retailer?

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An interesting thing started happening last year. Amazon.com, which for months had battled states over the collection of sales tax, began changing its tune on the issue. It started agreeing to collect sales taxes on purchases in some states where it didn’t operate physical locations, while simultaneously inking deals to bring massive warehouses (and jobs)… Read More…

QThru lands $3.5M to help you sail through the supermarket

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Supermarkets are increasingly adopting self checkout terminals. But Seattle entrepreneur Aaron Roberts, a former engineer at RIM and Attachmate, believes he’s come up with a better way for people to do their shopping at the local grocery story. It’s called QThru, and the young upstart just raised $3.5 million from undisclosed angel investors to start rolling out… Read More…

Meet the college dropout (and speed freak) running tech for Seattle’s hottest startup

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Don’t let the laid-back Pacific Northwest demeanor fool you. Luke Friang is a self-described “speed freak.” Whether bombing down icy slopes on his snowboard or maneuvering through hairpin turns in a mini-racecar, Friang simply loves to move fast. And that’s why the 42-year-old college drop-out and self-taught technologist has found such a good home at… Read More…

Nordstrom pays the price for bigger e-commerce investment

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Nordstrom is making a large investment in its e-commerce initiatives, spending even more than it had planned to better compete with the likes of Amazon.com. And in the short run, at least, Wall Street is taking the company to task for the move, sending its shares down nearly 5 percent in trading today, after Nordstrom’s earnings… Read More…

Amazon tops e-retail satisfaction survey with highest score ever

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Amazon.com has few physical touch points with its customers, operating somewhat mysteriously from its headquarters in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood. No stores. No customer support line. But that lack of interaction doesn’t seem to be holding the company back. In fact, customers love the company more than ever, according to ForeSee’s Top 100 E-Retail… Read More…

Amazon vs. Nordstrom: Call in the fashion police for another crosstown rivalry

Why is Jeff Bezos so happy?

We wondered what the heck was going on a few weeks ago when Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos was named the honorary chair of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit – a gala taking place in New York this evening to celebrate the opening of a fashion exhibit titled “Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations.” But now it’s… Read More…

Report: Target to dump Kindle

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This could get very interesting, especially in light of the new alliance between Barnes & Noble and Microsoft. The Verge reports today — citing an unnamed source and an internal Target memo — that the giant retailer will stop selling the Kindle due to “conflict of interest.” There certainly seems to be some legs to this… Read More…

Microsoft invests $300M in Barnes & Noble’s Nook unit, settles patent litigation

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[Follow-up: Microsoft vs. Amazon? Plot thickens with Barnes & Noble pact] Looking to jumpstart its upcoming Windows 8 operating system and bolster its position in tablet computers, Microsoft today announced a $300 million investment in Barnes & Noble’s Nook business unit. As part of the deal, Microsoft will take a 17.6 percent stake in the… Read More…