Retail

Walmart reportedly developing Amazon Go rival and text message shopping service

by Nat Levy on December 21, 2017December 21, 2017 at 12:05 pm1 Comment

Walmart is reportedly working on several new high tech initiatives, as it continues to battle Amazon in both the physical and digital retail arenas. As first reported by Recode, Walmart… Read More

Amazon rivals Walmart, Best Buy and Target boost spending on e-commerce and shipping to challenge Seattle tech giant

by Nat Levy on November 16, 2017November 16, 2017 at 1:07 pmComment

As Amazon continues to loom over the retail industry, some of the biggest stores in the world are pouring money into online retail, shipping logistics and other new programs to… Read More

Amazon slashes Whole Foods prices on holiday items, with deeper discounts for Prime members

by Nat Levy on November 15, 2017November 15, 2017 at 9:55 am 3 Comments

Amazon and Whole Foods Market are dropping prices on holiday favorites and other popular items and offering even greater discounts for Prime members, the companies said Wednesday. The deals give a… Read More

Postmates jumps into grocery delivery, challenging Amazon and Instacart with $4 delivery fee

by Nat Levy on November 8, 2017November 8, 2017 at 7:15 pmComment

Restaurant delivery powerhouse Postmates is expanding into the grocery world. The well-funded San Francisco startup today announced a new grocery delivery program in Manhattan, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The familiarly… Read More

Funko CEO reacts to stock’s 40% plunge on figurine maker’s first day as a public company

by Nat Levy on November 2, 2017November 2, 2017 at 7:34 pm1 Comment

Funko’s new era as a public company got off to a rough start Thursday as shares in the Everett, Wash.-based pop culture figurine maker dropped more than 40 percent on… Read More

Funko shares drop in early trading as Seattle-area figurine maker debuts as public company

by Nat Levy on November 2, 2017November 2, 2017 at 2:50 pmComment

UPDATE: Funko shares dropped approximately 41 percent in the company’s first day of trading. The company set an initial stock price of $12, and shares tumbled to just over $7 by… Read More

Pop! figure maker Funko sets IPO price at $12 per share, seeking to raise up to $143M

by Nat Levy on November 1, 2017November 2, 2017 at 1:43 pmComment

Funko, the Everett, Wash. maker of the popular Pop! figures, set the stock price for its initial public offering Wednesday at $12 per share, lower than its estimated range of… Read More

Whole Foods’ plan to hire 6K workers assuages automation anxiety after Amazon acquisition

by Nat Levy on October 30, 2017October 30, 2017 at 9:40 amComment

When Amazon scooped up Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion earlier this year, company representatives insisted they had no immediate plans to cut staff or automate store jobs, in spite… Read More

‘These are my people!’ Bulletproof’s brain-boosting butter coffee comes to the heart of Amazonia

by Kurt Schlosser on October 27, 2017October 27, 2017 at 3:11 pm 2 Comments

In 2017, it’s still possible in coffee-saturated Seattle to open a coffee shop to great fanfare. Bulletproof, the Bellevue, Wash.-based brand opened its first Bulletproof Cafe in the Northwest on… Read More

Facebook Marketplace doubles down on used car sales as it battles OfferUp and Craigslist

by Nat Levy on October 26, 2017October 26, 2017 at 12:46 am1 Comment

Facebook is diving deeper into used cars through its Marketplace platform, as the social giant looks to separate itself in a crowded market for online buying and selling. Cars have… Read More

Amazon launches Handmade Gift Shop, offering more artisan items in latest blow to Etsy

by Kurt Schlosser on October 23, 2017October 23, 2017 at 11:28 amComment

Just in time for the holidays, Amazon launched a new gift shop for its Handmade shopping portal, offering a selection of handcrafted items in a variety of categories. It’s the… Read More

Amazon will move into Macy’s building in landmark Seattle real estate deal

by Nat Levy on October 16, 2017October 17, 2017 at 10:56 pmComment

For 88 years, the historic structure at 300 Pine St. has been the epicenter of retail in Seattle, first as the home to The Bon Marché and later Macy’s. Now Amazon… Read More

How Amazon’s $13.7B purchase of Whole Foods is a ‘blessing in disguise’ for Instacart

by Nat Levy on October 10, 2017October 10, 2017 at 1:00 pmComment

Amazon’s blockbuster deal to buy Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion shocked the foundation of the grocery/retail world, and it also put grocery delivery startup Instacart in an awkward spot.… Read More

Attention online shoppers: Walmart launching speedy return service that leverages physical stores

by Kurt Schlosser on October 9, 2017October 9, 2017 at 1:55 pmComment

Sometimes, brick-and-mortar retail can still flex its muscles. Walmart is taking advantage of the fact that it has thousands of stores around the United States as it launches a speedy… Read More

Walmart acquires New York-based Parcel to take on Amazon in rapid package delivery

by Nat Levy on October 3, 2017October 3, 2017 at 8:55 amComment

Walmart this morning said it has acquired Parcel, a New York company that does scheduled same-day deliveries of packages and meal kits, accounting for the “last mile” of the shipping… Read More

CommerceHub cutting half its Seattle engineering staff, moving positions to HQ in New York state

by Nat Levy on September 29, 2017September 29, 2017 at 9:42 am1 Comment

CommerceHub, an Albany, N.Y. company that helps retailers with their online presence, is cutting approximately half its engineering staff in Seattle. The cuts will affect about 30 positions, mostly in… Read More

Walmart joins ‘Workplace by Facebook,’ boosting social giant’s collaboration tools

by Nat Levy on September 26, 2017September 26, 2017 at 10:57 amComment

Facebook just notched a big win for its collaboration tool Workplace by Facebook, landing the nation’s largest employer, Walmart. Typically, these types of tolls are associated with office workers. But Walmart is… Read More

Report: Nordstrom family close to deal with private equity firm to take department store private

by Kurt Schlosser on September 12, 2017September 12, 2017 at 2:59 pmComment

Nordstrom, the 116-year-old Seattle-based department store, facing the same fight many traditional retailers face against e-commerce and Amazon, is close to a deal with a private equity firm to… Read More

Report: Toys R Us could file for bankruptcy as Amazon continues to lead the charge online

by Kurt Schlosser on September 6, 2017September 6, 2017 at 12:30 pm 2 Comments

Facing a mountain of debt and increased competition from online (Amazon) and brick-and-mortar (Wal-Mart) retailers, Toys R Us may be positioning itself for a possible bankruptcy filing, according to CNBC.… Read More

Best Buy’s digital resurgence continues with record online revenue, fueled by Seattle office

by Nat Levy on August 29, 2017August 29, 2017 at 10:50 am1 Comment

Best Buy just hit a revenue record, as the once-struggling electronics retailer continues to flourish thanks to a push to unite its in-store and online experiences. In the last quarter,… Read More

Hundreds of Whole Foods 365 items now available through AmazonFresh and Fresh Pickup stores

by Nat Levy on August 28, 2017August 28, 2017 at 10:56 am1 Comment

It’s a new era for Whole Foods Market today, as Amazon takes control of the grocery chain, but we are also starting to get a peek at tweaks Amazon will… Read More

Starbucks closing online merchandise store to focus more on broader digital initiatives

by Kurt Schlosser on August 25, 2017August 25, 2017 at 2:05 pmComment

Starbucks is always happy to attract customers to its physical stores, but things are changing for shoppers online as the Seattle-based coffee giant announced this week that it will be… Read More

Amazon’s new Seattle-area bookstore shows how its first major brick-and-mortar concept has evolved

by Nat Levy on August 25, 2017September 20, 2017 at 2:46 pm1 Comment

Amazon unveiled its latest brick and mortar bookstore on Thursday, its 10th opening in less than two years, and it has learned a couple lessons along the way. GeekWire got… Read More

Watch out Amazon: Google and Walmart form e-commerce alliance to battle online retail giant

by Nat Levy on August 22, 2017August 22, 2017 at 10:20 pm1 Comment

Google and Walmart are teaming up to take on mutual e-commerce rival Amazon. Starting in late September, customers will be able to make Walmart purchases through Google Express, an online marketplace… Read More

Amazon’s $13.7B acquisition of Whole Foods set for key shareholder vote this week

by Nat Levy on August 22, 2017August 22, 2017 at 10:59 amComment

Amazon’s blockbuster deal to acquire Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion could surpass a major milestone this week. On Wednesday, Whole Foods shareholders are expected to vote on the deal,… Read More

Amazon shreds stock values with a whiff of competition: 5 industries feeling the heat from the tech giant

by Nat Levy on August 15, 2017August 15, 2017 at 10:35 am 2 Comments

When Amazon so much as twitches in a new direction, Wall Street takes notice. If you’re an investor or executive at a company or even an industry targeted by the… Read More

Meal kit delivery company Blue Apron cutting 1,270 jobs as competition with Amazon heats up

by Nat Levy on August 4, 2017August 4, 2017 at 10:57 amComment

Meal kit delivery company Blue Apron is cutting nearly a quarter of its staff amid a rough transition to a public company. Bloomberg reports that Blue Apron is cutting 1,270… Read More

Grocery union claims Amazon’s $13.7B Whole Foods acquisition will hurt consumers and workers

by Nat Levy on July 17, 2017July 17, 2017 at 10:59 am 21 Comments

United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, an organization that represents more than 1 million retail workers across the U.S., has come out with criticisms of Amazon’s $13.7 billion deal… Read More

Nordstrom website issues frustrate shoppers looking for early access to anniversary sale

by Kurt Schlosser on July 13, 2017July 13, 2017 at 1:21 pm1 Comment

Nordstrom promised online shoppers early access to its annual anniversary sale on Thursday, but many folks found a frustrating experience rather than deals as the Seattle-based retailer’s website suffered technical… Read More

Amazon will become top U.S. grocer by 2030, and Walmart should buy Costco to compete, former insider says

by Nat Levy on July 12, 2017July 12, 2017 at 7:37 am 7 Comments

If the Amazon acquisition of Whole Foods goes through, Amazon could become the top grocer in the U.S. by 2030, says Brittain Ladd, who worked on global expansion for the… Read More