Firms find gold helping vendors sell on Amazon
Amazon has become such a colossal retail force that scores of companies have formed specifically to support Amazon vendors. And some of those firms are based in Indiana.
Amazon has become such a colossal retail force that scores of companies have formed specifically to support Amazon vendors. And some of those firms are based in Indiana.
Amazon.com Inc.’s splashy takeover of Whole Foods, complete with deep price cuts, did more than bring a surge of publicity to the chain: It boosted customer traffic.
Amazon’s announcement comes a day after Whole Foods shareholders gave their approval and the Federal Trade Commission said it would not block the purchase. The deal is expected to close Monday.
The approval is one step required to close the deal, which is a bold move into physical stores for Amazon, and has the possibility of making big changes to the supermarket industry and online grocery ordering.
About 1,500 of those hirings are expected to take place at the company's Whitestown facility, northwest of Indianapolis.
Amazon is testing a new service called Prime Wardrobe that allows members to try on the latest styles before they buy at no upfront charge.
Amazon.com Inc. plans to buy Whole Foods Market Inc. in the biggest transaction ever for the e-commerce giant as it pushes deeper into groceries.
In its latest effort to compete with online giant Amazon, Walmart is testing a delivery service using its own store employees, who will deliver packages ordered online while driving home from their regular work shifts.
Despite several attempts to break into industry over almost a decade, the company has struggled to entice shoppers en masse to buy eggs, steaks and berries online the same way they’ve flocked to buy books, tablets and toys.
This week’s announcement of a new $1.5 billion air cargo hub in Kentucky, about two hours from Indianapolis, is merely Amazon's latest foray into building out its own shipping and logistics unit.
Lawmakers are advancing a bill that would compel large, online retailers to collect and send sales taxes to the state—injecting Indiana into a national tussle over the issue.
Amazon.com Inc. has a massive network of distribution centers across the country that includes several fulfillment centers in Indiana. But even those aren’t enough to keep up with demand for fast shipping.
Amazon told IBJ it would hire thousands of seasonal workers in Indiana, including 6,000 at four facilities in the Indianapolis area.
Online shoppers want their packages—now. And Amazon is spending billions of dollars to make sure that happens by beefing up its distribution network.
The logistics and costs of same-day delivery—the fuel, labor, infrastructure and other costs—have been difficult challenges to surmount.
Some thought the discounts weren't deep enough. Others didn't like that the deals were only available for a limited time and in limited quantities. And still other Amazon customers criticized the types of products that were marked down.
The company says it will bring on 1,400 new workers at central Indiana fulfillment centers in Indianapolis, Plainfield, and Whitestown, as well as an additional 700 workers at its Jeffersonville location in southern Indiana.
E-commerce powerhouse Amazon on Thursday began offering free same-day delivery service in some cities, including Indianapolis, to its Prime loyalty club members.
Central Indiana distribution centers in Plainfield and Whitestown will be among those that will add staff, Amazon said.
Several sprawling distribution centers have been built, or are under construction, to ship directly to consumers.