Tag Archives: Amazon

Uncollected Internet Sales Taxes Cost Missouri $468 Million Annually, MU Study Shows

By Guest PostMay 1, 2012Economy, TechnologyAmazon, brad fischer, business, california, congress, david valentine, e-commerce, internet, internet transaction, lobby, missouri, missouri legislator, online retailer, revenue, roy blunt, sales, sales tax, supreme court, university of missouri, us sales, wal-mart

MU researchers recommend legislative action to help local economy, state revenue

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Internet, or e-commerce, sales have increased over the past two decades, comprising nearly 17 percent of the total U.S. sales in 2009. However, many states, including Missouri, have no effective means of collecting taxes on those sales. Researchers at the University of Missouri Truman School of Public Affairs found that the state lost approximately $468 million annually in sales tax revenue during the past decade.

Federal law and U.S. Supreme Court rulings only allow states to levy sales taxes on a business with a physical presence in the state. For example, Amazon.com does not charge sales tax in Missouri because it is physically located in California. However, Wal-Mart charges sales tax, since it has stores in Missouri. In the study, researchers analyzed historical data on e-commerce activity and estimated that the state will miss out on $1.4 billion in potential revenue from 2011 to 2014. (more…)

Introducing the All-New Kindle Family: Four New Kindles, Four Amazing Price Points

By Guest PostSeptember 29, 2011TechnologyAmazon, amazon cloud, amazon founder and ceo, amazon silk, amazon whispersync, e reader, in plane switching, ips technology, jeff bezos, kindle family, kindle fire, kindles, lcd touchscreen, martha stewart living, the wall street journal, vanity fair

New latest generation Kindle – world’s bestselling e-reader now lighter, faster, and more affordable than ever – only $79
New “Kindle Touch” with easy-to-use touch screen – only $99
New “Kindle Touch 3G” with free 3G – the top of the line Kindle e-reader – only $149
New “Kindle Fire” – the Kindle for movies, TV shows, music, books, magazines, apps, games, and web browsing with all the content, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync, Amazon’s new revolutionary cloud-accelerated web browser, vibrant color touch screen, and powerful dual-core processor – all for only $199

SEATTLE, Sep 28, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) –– Millions of people are already reading on Kindles and Kindle is the bestselling e-reader in the world for four years running. Today, Amazon is excited to introduce an all-new Kindle family: three all-new Kindle e-readers that are smaller, lighter, and more affordable than ever before, and Kindle Fire – a new class of Kindle that brings the same ease-of-use and deep integration of content that helped Kindle re-invent reading – to movies, TV shows, music, magazines, apps, books, games, and more. (more…)

Lady Gaga for $0.99 Again – “This Time We’re Ready”

By Guest PostMay 26, 2011Technologyalbum, Amazon, amazon cloud drive, amazon mp3, android, blockbuster, born this way, craig pape, gold box deal of the day, lady gaga, monday, mp3, music for amazon

*Go Gaga again – And get 20 GB of free Cloud Drive storage*

SEATTLE, May 26, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Amazon.com today announced it will offer a repeat of Monday’s blockbuster Gold Box Deal of the Day: customers can purchase the Lady Gaga “Born This Way” MP3 album today for $0.99. Upon release, the album immediately shot to number one on Amazon’s bestselling MP3 albums list and has remained in the top spot since. (more…)

Amazon.com Now Selling More Kindle Books Than Print Books

By Guest PostMay 19, 2011TechnologyAmazon, blackberry, founder and ceo, ipad, iPhone, ipod touch, jeff bezos, kindle, kindle books, mac, paperback, pc, uk kindle store

*Kindle with Special Offers for only $114 is already the bestselling member of the Kindle family*

SEATTLE, May 19, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Amazon began selling hardcover and paperback books in July 1995. Twelve years later in November 2007, Amazon introduced the revolutionary Kindle and began selling Kindle books. By July 2010, Kindle book sales had surpassed hardcover book sales, and six months later, Kindle books overtook paperback books to become the most popular format on Amazon.com. Today, less than four years after introducing Kindle books, Amazon.com customers are now purchasing more Kindle books than all print books – hardcover and paperback – combined. (more…)

Amazon Announces MYHABIT.COM, a New Private Sale Site Featuring Hand-Picked Styles from Top Designer and Boutique Brands

By Guest PostMay 3, 2011TechnologyAmazon, elizabeth and james, endless, fashion destination, halston and vera wang, maria renz, myhabit

*New membership-only website offers daily events featuring up to 60 percent off a curated selection of styles from the best brands, along with fast, free shipping and free returns*

SEATTLE, May 03, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Amazon.com, Inc. today announced the launch of a new membership-only fashion destination, MYHABIT.COM (www.myhabit.com), offering up to 60 percent off hand-picked styles from the most sought after brands. The private sale site offers free, instant membership; fast, free shipping and free returns. The site also features upscale photography and 360-degree video of the clothing on live models, giving customers a unique, improved shopping experience.

“MYHABIT is a beautiful website designed specifically for limited time sales and we think customers will love this shopping experience,” said Maria Renz, president of MYHABIT. “MYHABIT customers will discover designer clothing at 60 percent off, with free shipping and easy returns.” (more…)

Amazon.de Launches German Kindle Store with the Largest Selection of Any E-Bookstore in Germany

By Guest PostApril 21, 2011TechnologyAmazon, android-based devices, arno geiger, charlotte link, e bookstore, german classics, german customers, german language, Germany, greg greeley, ipad, iPhone, ipod touch, kerstin gier, kindle, kindle 3g, kindle store, mac, pc, smartphone, spiegel bestsellers, whispersync technology

*Amazon’s Free “Buy Once, Read Everywhere” Kindle Apps Now Available in German*

*Thousands of Free German Classics Available on Kindle*

LUXEMBOURG, Apr 21, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Amazon.de today launched the Kindle Store (www.amazon.de/kindlebuecher), the biggest e-bookstore in Germany, with the largest selection of ebooks including more than 650,000 titles, 71 of 100 Spiegel bestsellers, and over 25,000 German-language titles with thousands of German classics downloadable for free only on Kindle. Amazon also announced that its series of free “Buy Once, Read Everywhere” apps for the most popular devices, including iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, PC, Mac and Android-based devices, are now available in German-language versions. In addition, in response to customer demand, Amazon is now offering the latest-generation Kindle and Kindle 3G with an English user interface directly from Amazon.de. (more…)

New Kindle Exclusive: 91 Books from Bestselling British Author Dame Catherine Cookson Now Available in the Kindle Store

By Guest PostMarch 28, 2011TechnologyAmazon, blackberrys, dame catherine cookson, e books, ipads, kindle, kindle store, most popular british writers, novels, peach publishing, romantic thrillers, russ grandinetti, sonia land

*The majority of full-length novels from one of the most prolific and successful British authors of all time are available for Kindle and Kindle app customers*

SEATTLE, Mar 28, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Amazon.com today announced that 91 titles from Dame Catherine Cookson are now available as e-books for the first time, exclusively in the Kindle Store (www.amazon.com/kindlestore). The collection of titles, including some which are out of print, represents the majority of the full-length novels from one of the UK’s most-read novelists. These books, which are published by The Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust in conjunction with Peach Publishing, are available from $1.50-$5.99 and can be downloaded exclusively by Kindle and Kindle app customers. All 91 titles are available exclusively to U.S. and international customers on Amazon.com, and to U.K. customers on Amazon.co.uk. (more…)

Introducing Amazon Appstore for Android

By Guest PostMarch 22, 2011Technology1-click payment, Amazon, amazon appstore, android phone, angry birds, angry birds rio, appstore for android, mikael hed, paul ryder, rovio, test drive, Twentieth Century Fox, web browser

*Customers Can Try Apps Before They Buy with New Test Drive Feature*

*Angry Birds Rio for Android Available Exclusively in the Amazon Appstore–Free for a Limited Time*

SEATTLE, Mar 22, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Amazon.com, Inc. today announced the launch of the Amazon Appstore for Android at www.amazon.com/appstore. Customers can now find, discover – test! – and buy Android apps using the convenient shopping experience that Amazon customers know and love. An innovative new feature called “Test Drive” will enable customers to test apps on a simulated Android phone. Customers control the app through their computer using a mouse.

“Test Drive lets customers truly experience an app before they commit to buying. It is a unique, new way to shop for apps,” says Paul Ryder, vice president of electronics for Amazon.com. “Our customers have told us that the sheer number of apps available can make it hard to find apps that are high quality and relevant to them. We’ve spent years developing innovative features that help customers discover relevant products. By applying these features – plus new ones like Test Drive – we’re aiming to give customers a refreshing app shopping experience.” (more…)