Amazon news and archive

UK clears 4 billion dollar AI partnership between Amazon, Anthropic

Britain's competition regulator on Friday cleared Amazon's investment of up to 4 billion dollars in Anthropic, an American developer of artificial intelligence, following a short probe. The Competition and Markets Authority had examined the significant investment by the US e-commerce giant amid concerns among global antitrust watchdogs regarding...

Retail

Amazon Prime Days to return October 8 to 9

Amazon is bringing back its Prime Big Deal Days next month ahead of the holiday season. Running from October 8 to 9, Prime members will have access to special deals with up to 40 percent off on toys, beauty, fashion, home decor and more. Some of the key offers set to run during Prime Days include Halloween costumes and accessories for families...

Retail

Could Amazon's return-to-office mandate be a boon to physical retailers?

Amazon's recent announcement mandating a return to office for its corporate employees from January 2025 has received mixed reviews from the technology sector. However, the repercussions of this decision may extend far beyond the confines of Silicon Valley, potentially reshaping the broader retail landscape. The e-commerce behemoth's push for...

Business

Amazon orders workers back to office full-time

Amazon is telling its thousands of corporate workers to return to the office five days a week, the company's CEO Andy Jassy said in a staff memo on Monday. Like many tech giants, Amazon had allowed workers to stay at home during the Covid-19 pandemic and has struggled to get them to come back into the office full-time. Amazon had already ordered...

Business

Amazon announces 8 billion pound (10.5 billion dollars) investment over five years in UK

Britain's economy stalled again in July, official data showed Wednesday, dealing a blow to the new Labour government that has put growth expansion at the top of its priority list. Gross domestic product showed zero growth in the reported month compared with June, when output also flattened, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a...

RetailFeatured

Amazon implements new policy on fragrance sales in EU and UK markets

Amazon's Marketplace, a platform that hosts millions of independent sellers, has long been a popular destination for consumers seeking beauty and fragrance products. However, the e-commerce giant has recently announced a significant policy change affecting the sale of certain fragrances in the European Union (EU) and United Kingdom (UK) markets....

Business

UK probes Amazon partnership with AI firm Anthropic

London - Britain's competition regulator on Friday said it had launched an inquiry into a partnership between US e-commerce giant Amazon and Anthropic, an American developer of artificial intelligence. The move comes after the Competition and Markets Authority in April said it was examining tie-ups between artificial intelligence firms and their...

Business

Amazon quarterly profit doubles as cloud business grows

Amazon reported Thursday its profit in the recently ended quarter doubled to 13.5 billion dollars with the help of renewed momentum of its AWS cloud computing business. The e-commerce giant's sales of 148 billion dollars fell just shy of lofty market expectations, however, and shares slid more than four percent to $176.50 in after-market trades....

Business

Amazon fights off landmark union bid by UK staff

US e-commerce giant Amazon has fractionally fought off a bid by workers in Britain to win union recognition for the first time, the outcome of a ballot showed Wednesday. A total of 2,600 workers at the company's hub in Coventry, central England, voted 49.5-percent in favour of union recognition, just short of a necessary majority. The vote was...

Business

EU court rejects TikTok challenge against new EU digital rules

TikTok lost an appeal Wednesday to escape new digital rules that seek to rein in the power of big tech after an EU court rejected its challenge. A landmark European Union law known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA) entered into force in March, and regulators believe it will create a fairer market. The European Commission designated six...

RetailFeatured

Amazon's foray into ultra-fast fashion will be a seismic shift in e-commerce

The e-commerce giant Amazon is poised to disrupt the ultra-fast fashion market, a sector currently dominated by Chinese powerhouses Shein and Temu. This strategic move marks Amazon's entry into a burgeoning market segment characterised by rock-bottom prices and direct-from-China shipping models. With Shein and Temu reportedly dispatching up to 1...

Fashion |Beauty

Keys Soulcare collaborates with Amazon Alexa on beauty-themed experience

Keys Soulcare, the holistic beauty and skincare brand founded by singer-songwriter Alicia Keys in collaboration with E.l.f. Beauty has teamed up with Amazon Alexa to launch the Keys Soulcare Alexa theme. The move is described as a beauty industry first and offers Echo customers an exclusive Keys Soulcare Alexa theme designed to allow them to...