Sears piles onto book price war with Amazon, Wal-Mart, Target |
Connect with TechFlash on our Facebook page for all the latest technology news headlines and commentary, plus information and access to special events, photos from events, promotions and more.
Today On Techflash
Mass High Tech
Jeff Bezos Watch
- Jeff Bezos 'grateful' to be selling millions and millions of Kindles
- Nick Hanauer and others invest $3.1 million in Qliance
- Survey: Employees say it's just 'OK' to work at Microsoft
- Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos give $15M for Princeton brain center
- Newsmaker of the Year surprise: Savitt beats Bezos, Allen
Sears piles onto book price war with Amazon, Wal-Mart, Target
This is beginning to look like an ecommerce death match. As Wal-Mart, Amazon.com and Target engage in a price war over hotly anticipated hardcover books, retailer Sears is trying to get a piece of the action. Today Sears said people who buy one of the ten heavily discounted books on its own website, or at Walmart.com, Amazon.com or Target.com, can get an online credit equal to the sale price of the books, to be used toward purchases at Sears.com.
Sears said the credit can be applied to purchases of $45 or more at Sears.com. The retailer is requiring that people register at its website and send in their book receipts from the other companies. Right now Wal-Mart and Target are offering select hardcovers for $8.99 with free shipping; Amazon.com has them for $9. The books include Sarah Palin's upcoming memoir "Going Rogue," Stephen King's "Under the Dome," and "Breathless" by Dean Koontz.
Like Wal-Mart and Target, brick-and-mortar retailer Sears is looking to beef up its ecommerce business. Internet Retailer estimates Sears did $2.69 billion in online sales in 2008. Amazon, by contrast, reported more than $19 billion in revenue last year. Amazon represents a particular threat to these retailers because it has been steadily expanding its product categories to cover all kinds of merchandise.
Publishers and authors aren't happy about the aggressive discounting, fearing the low book prices will create a "sticky" price in consumers' minds that will be hard to dislodge. Some of the hardcovers are being sold 59 percent to 74 percent off their list prices.
Follow my updates on Twitter.
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
TechFlash Team
Recent Sponsor Posts
Who's creating today's energy efficient buildings? Find out at the BetterBricks Awards, Feb. 16
BetterBricks Awards salute the individuals leading the way for high performance commercial buildings with an emphasis on energy efficiency. Join us as we recognize these standout green building professionals.
Award categories include: Advocate; Architect/Designer; Facility Manager/Operator; and Owner/Developer.
Keynote Speaker: Kevin Kampschroer, Director of U.S. GSA's Office of Federal High Performance Buildings. Kevin leads the U.S. General Services Administration's efforts in building sustainability and accelerating industry adoption of sustainable principles across all aspects of a building's life.
Register here by February 10!
If you are interested in buying a table, email Monica Alquist or call her at 206-876-5404.
The Triple Door Presents: The Atomic Bombshells "J'ADORE!: A Burlesque Valentine"
Seattle's reigning Burlesque super-troupe delivers a gorgeous and glittering VALENTINE featuring some of the Bombshells' most exhilarating acts to date. J'Adore! promises to celebrate l'amour with good humor, style, and a healthy dose of dazzle! Bring a friend, a lover, a family member, or a secret crush, and celebrate with the Valentine's Burlesque spectacular that will leave you shouting: "J'ADORE......The Atomic Bombshells!" The incomparable Jasper McCann emcees with high style and charm.
Please visit www.thetripledoor.net for a full schedule of future performances.
The Triple Door Presents: Bob Mould – See A Little Light: An Evening of Reading and Music
"Bob Mould. Those two words are synonymous with integrity. From Husker Du in the last century to right at this moment, Bob is the real deal, writing and playing music for music's sake. He's a great songwriter and performer. I have been a fan of Bob's for thirty years now with no end in sight." -Henry Rollins
Please visit www.thetripledoor.net for a full schedule of future performances.
Why Choose BDO for your SOC (previously SAS 70) Reports?
BDO’s experience in providing attestation services (SAS 70/SSAE 16, AT 101, AT 201, AT 601, etc.) to a broad range of industries, and our team of skilled professionals distinctly qualifies us to serve as your company’s Service Auditor. By leveraging the BDO global network of control specialists, we are poised to provide global services in more than 1,000 offices and across 119 countries. Many organizations find that investing in reports on controls may result in benefits, including:
• Increased client confidence
• Improved competitive advantage
• Minimization of frequent audits
• Streamlined business processes and controls
• Enhanced risk management
For detailed information contact Paul Martini at pmartini@bdo.com.
