Articles about retail

Prime Day shows how AI is changing shopping, testing Amazon’s bet against ChatGPT and others

Adobe found that shoppers who reached retail sites through AI chatbots were 40% more likely to buy during Prime Day than those from search, email or social media — the first time AI-referred traffic converted best. Amazon has blocked rival shopping agents from its store while building its own assistant. Read More

Latest AI (coffee) buzz: Starbucks launches ChatGPT app to help customers discover their next drink

Customers can access the app by enabling it inside ChatGPT’s app directory. Start a conversation prompt with “@starbucks” to customize orders and choose a location to order from. Read More

I got my hair cut at the one-of-a-kind Amazon Salon in London: See before and after photos

We all know Amazon as a master of book sales, cloud computing and Prime Video — but GeekWire’s John Cook had to determine how a Seattle-based tech juggernaut fared at cutting hair. Read More

Sub Pop Records leaving Amazon HQ space for new store on Seattle waterfront

The store on 7th Avenue is closing March 8 and a new Sub Pop store will open April 1 on the Seattle waterfront. Read More

Amazon launches AI-generated ‘canvas’ for sellers as e-commerce platforms race to add AI tools

Amazon is rolling out a “dynamic canvas” in Seller Central that generates personalized visual dashboards in response to seller prompts, building on its existing AI-powered Seller Assistant. The feature launches as Shopify, Walmart and others race to add AI to their merchant tools. Read More

Podcast

We tested Amazon’s speedy delivery live on the podcast: Here’s what it says about the future of retail

We tested Amazon’s 30-minute delivery live on the podcast. Mike Levin and Josh Lowitz of Consumer Intelligence Research Partners explains what it means for grocery, retail, and Amazon’s next big move. Read More

Podcast

GeekWire Field Trip: Starbucks rebounds, Microsoft slides, and Amazon resets

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: We hit the road for a driving tour of the week’s news, making stops… Read More

Filing: Amazon Fresh and Go closures will eliminate about 400 jobs in Washington state

Amazon will lay off approximately 400 workers in Washington state as part of its decision to close all Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores across the country, according to a notice filed with the state Employment Security Department on Wednesday. Read More

The rise and fall of Amazon’s homegrown stores: A decade of retail experiments comes full circle

The closure of the Amazon Go and Fresh stores is the end of an era for the online giant. We trace how Amazon got here — and why the only stores left are the chain it acquired. Read More

Amazon closing all Amazon Fresh and Go stores to focus on Whole Foods and grocery delivery

After a decade of experimentation and expansion, the company says it wasn’t able to find the right model for its Amazon-branded grocery and convenience stores. Read More

AI is coming for your shopping cart: How agentic commerce could disrupt online retail

AI agents are beginning to research, compare, and even buy products on behalf of consumers. But as tech companies and retailers jump into the world of agentic commerce, the reality right now is far more limited, raising big questions about who will control the future of online retail. Read More

Amazon will test new rapid delivery concept at Seattle site, filings reveal

Amazon plans to transform a closed Amazon Fresh Pickup site in Seattle into a new retail-style delivery hub for ultrafast local orders — a sign of the company’s evolving strategy for hyperlocal fulfillment. Read More

Amazon expands low-cost ‘Haul’ service and launches shopping event as tariffs squeeze Chinese rivals

Amazon is expanding its low-cost “Haul” shopping service to 25 countries — rebranded as Amazon Bazaar in several markets — and marking the milestone with $1 and 11-cent deals, as new U.S. tariffs pressure Chinese rivals Temu and Shein. Read More

How Amazon is bringing name brands to Whole Foods, without putting them on the shelves

Amazon officially unveiled a new “store within a store” at a Whole Foods Market outside Philadelphia, blending natural and organic groceries with national name brands through an in-app ordering system and robotic fulfillment. Read More

Amazon HQ building will become new home for longtime Seattle ceramics nonprofit

The 59-year-old organization is leaving Pioneer Square and moving to a 10,000-square-foot location in Amazon’s Nitro North building previously occupied by Glassybaby. Read More

Fresh off $37.5M round, Augmodo’s vision for spatial computing inside retail stores sharpens

Even after raising $37.5 million in a new funding round, Augmodo founder and CEO Ross Finman admits that his startup might not… Read More

Amazon Q2 earnings preview: AI bets, cloud growth, and tariff changes in the spotlight

Amazon’s infrastructure investments and cloud business will go under the microscope Thursday when the company reports second-quarter financial results —… Read More

Sister-led social commerce startup Nectar lands $10.6M, reveals more about marketing tech

Seattle-based social commerce startup Nectar Social is out of stealth and today announced $10.6 million in funding. Sisters Misbah Uraizee… Read More

Retail returns business BuyWander raises $2M and plans warehouse near Seattle

BuyWander, the Spokane, Wash.-based startup that aims to turn truckloads of retail returns into fresh deals for shoppers, raised $2… Read More

Social commerce startup led by Seattle-area sisters uses AI to connect brands with younger shoppers

As everything gets more virtual, younger shoppers crave tangibility and personal engagement — or at least the perception of real… Read More

Inventory-tracking startup Augmodo raises $5.3M to monitor store shelves via wearable tech

Augmodo, the Seattle-based startup that wants to make it easier for retailers to keep track of inventory, raised $5.3 million… Read More

Northwest board game and restaurant venue Mox Boarding House expanding to Arizona

Mox Boarding House, the tabletop game store and dining experience that started in Seattle, is expanding to Arizona with a… Read More

Amazon expands ‘Just Walk Out’ tech at Seahawks games and other stadiums across the country

Seattle Seahawks fans will have more “Just Walk Out” options at Lumen Field this season thanks to the addition of… Read More

Amazon develops new AI model for ‘Just Walk Out’ as it accelerates rollout to third-party stores

Amazon has developed a new AI model for its “Just Walk Out” technology to streamline the process of tracking shoppers’… Read More

Amazon closing smaller Fresh grocery store in Seattle as it focuses on expanded format stores

Amazon is closing its Fresh grocery store in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, the company confirmed Wednesday, saying that it plans… Read More

Former Niantic leader’s spatial computing startup aims to help retailers track shelf inventory

When Ross Finman and his wife set out to try to find baby formula during a critical shortage of the… Read More

Cyber Monday expected to be biggest U.S. online shopping day of all time at $12B in spend

U.S. consumers are expected to spend between $12-to-$12.4 billion on Cyber Monday, which would exceed forecasts and set a new… Read More

Amazon closing its ‘Style’ physical clothing stores, will continue investing in grocery

Amazon Style is already out of fashion. Less than two years after opening its first tech-infused physical clothing store, Amazon… Read More

Testing Amazon’s new cashierless clothing shop at Lumen Field that uses RFID technology

In a small corner of Lumen Field, Amazon is putting a new spin on its cashierless “Just Walk Out” shopping… Read More

Amazon to hire 250k U.S. holiday workers, up 100k from last year, projecting strong shopping season

Amazon says it will seek to hire 250,000 people for the holiday season, a significant increase from past years, citing… Read More