TheStreet Search RSS Feed: Jeanine Poggi

Amazon Sales Tax: The Battle, State by State

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:05:12 EDT

(Amazon sales tax map updated from Sept. 8) NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Amazon's sales tax battle is heating up.

The debate, boiled down simply, is should Amazon be required to collect sales taxes in states and what defines a physical presence?

While this has been an ongoing dispute, it has recently escalated as states look to recover deficits coming out of the recession. One way to do this would be through sales taxes. ...

Click to view a price quote on AMZN.

Click to research the Retail industry.

Layoffs Continue to Mount

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:59:49 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The job market has been a giant seesaw in 2011 -- just when things are looking up, another piece of data disappoints and sentiment dips back down.

While the economy added more jobs than expected in September, the gains were not enough to bring down the nation's unemployment rate, currently stuck at 9.1%.

>>Layoffs Mount in 2010: What Does it Mean for 2011? ...

Click to view a price quote on LOW.

Click to research the Retail industry.

Holiday Sales Growth Seen Slowing: NRF

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:01:00 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - Holiday sales growth is expected to slow from last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

While the retail research firm predicts a 2.8% increase to $465.6 billion, this is significantly slower than the 5.2% jump retailers experienced last year. It is just slightly higher than the 10-year average of a 2.6% increase.

Retailers have experienced 14 consecutive months of sales growth, but persistently high unemployment and global economic fears will continue to plague the consumer this holiday season. ...

Microsoft Brings Video-on-Demand to Xbox

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:32:10 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Microsoft's Xbox 360 will begin playing on-demand television shows and other content.

The company is partnering with Comcast , HBO, Bravo and Verizon, among others, for VOD on the Xbox Live.

The Xbox will allow users, with a subscription to Comcast or another pay-TV service, to watch content in various rooms without purchasing an additional set-top box. ...

Click to view a price quote on MSFT.

Click to research the Computer Software & Services industry.

Netflix Keeps Eyes on Small Screen

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:11:09 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Netflix is making an aggressive push to ramp up its television streaming content.

This week the company said via its blog that it is adding series from NBC Universal, including new seasons of The Office and 30 Rock and the first two seasons of Parenthood.

Cindy Holland, vice president of content acquisition, posted: "These shows are part of a huge assortment of entertainment we now have available to watch instantly in the U.S. from NBC Universal ... In the coming weeks, there will be plenty more great series available to watch instantly as well, so keep checking it out." Netflix has also made The Wonder Years available for streaming. ...

Click to view a price quote on NFLX.

Click to research the Specialty Retail industry.

Will You Pay More to Shop at Costco?

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 08:39:22 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Costco Wholesale is raising its membership fees by $5. Will you pay more to shop at the discounter?

It will now cost families and businesses $55 a year to shop at the wholesaler. The executive membership also will go up to $110 from $100 and the maximum 2% reward tied to executive membership will climb to $750 from $500.

Costco said the fee increases will affect a little more than 22 million members, about half of which are executive members. ...

Click to view a price quote on COST.

Click to research the Retail industry.

Erin Burnett Goes 'OutFront'

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 08:18:51 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Erin Burnett made her debut on CNN Monday night in her new show "OutFront."

The former CNBC anchorwoman, who also worked at Goldman Sachs, is moving away from her financial expertise into broader news coverage. CNN show host Erin Burnett for "Erin Burnett Outfront

"OutFront," which appears in the 7 p.m. time slot on the network, is being described as a "modern" news show and one that CNN hopes will resonate with a younger audience. ...

Wal-Mart: The Next Tech Giant?

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 07:00:16 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Amazon has been deemed the next disturber of the technology space. But as the e-commerce giant launches its own tablet device and beefs up its digital content, another retail behemoth is quietly making moves to become the next tech giant.

Tucked in the heart of Silicon Valley, Wal-Mart has assembled a team of 70 developers, computer engineers and researchers - dubbed @WalmartLabs -- in an aggressive attempt to position itself at the forefront of social and mobile commerce.

Born from the $300 million acquisition of Kosmix in May, @WalmartLabs is being led by two Amazon veterans, Venky Harinarayan and Anand Rajaranan. The duos' comparison shopping site, Junglee, which was acquired by Amazon in 1998 for $250 million, has been credited for the success of Amazon's third-party marketplace. Harinarayan and Rajaranan are also the brains behind Amazon Mechanical Turk, a crowdsourcing Internet marketplace. ...

Click to view a price quote on WMT.

Click to research the Retail industry.

Best Buy Cuts Tablet Prices in Wake of Amazon's Kindle Fire

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:04:25 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Best Buy is getting aggressive in its tablet pricing, following the launch of Amazon's Kindle Fire.

The electronics retailer slashed the price on the HTC Flyer to $299 from $499 and cut Research In Motion's PlayBook by the same amount.

Amazon unveiled its tablet device earlier this week at a press conference in New York. The Kindle Fire will be $199 and allow users to surf the Web, download music, and stream movies and television shows. ...

Click to view a price quote on BBY.

Click to research the Retail industry.

Blockbuster Mailbag: What's Happening With BLOAQ?

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:37:59 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Blockbuster is clearly still a hot topic among investors, even though the company has been under Dish Network's banner for nearly six months.

Following Thursday's temporary suspension of trading of Blockbuster pink sheets by the Securities and Exchange Commission, shareholders had plenty to say. It has also led to many questions by shareholders who are now at a loss as to what's next.

Vincent Crowley asks: "Thank you for this article, but can you elaborate on this? Are there no operations/sales/business behind BLOAQ any longer? e.g., Does all of the Blockbuster revenue (www.blockbuster.com and its remaining brick and mortar stores) goes to Dish Network/DISH? I have been considering this stock as it is receiving a lot of press from people saying 'its back,' which would not be the case if there is no longer an operating company behind it." ...

Click to view a price quote on BLOAQ.PK.

Amazon's Kindle Fire Poses Threat To Netflix

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:01:25 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Amazon's new tablet could pose a formidable risk to Netflix.

The Kindle Fire, which is currently available for pre-order for $199, allows users to stream movies and televisions shows through Amazon Prime.

Amazon is offering a 30-day free trial to Amazon Prime to those who purchase the device. The Amazon Prime membership, which typically costs $79 a year, provides free shipping on all Amazon purchases and access to more than 11,000 streaming videos. The free trial may introduce people to Amazon's streaming service who never have heard of it. ...

Click to view a price quote on AMZN.

Click to research the Retail industry.

Barnes & Noble's Time to Act as Amazon Unveils New Devices

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:25:22 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Look for a price cut to Barnes & Noble's Nook or some new models. As the bookseller's stock takes a hit following Amazon's unveiling of several new e-readers and a color tablet, Barnes & Noble will have to respond.

Amazon introduced its Kindle Fire tablet Wednesday at a press conference in New York. At $199, Amazon's Kindle Fire is $50 less than Barnes & Noble's Nook Color, but has all the features of a tablet, including streaming videos and music downloads. How can Nook Color, a device designed for the book lover, compete with a cheaper, full-fledged tablet?

On top of this, Amazon unveiled three new pure e-readers. The basic Kindle will cost $79; the new Kindle Touch will retail for $99; and the Kindle Touch with 3G access will cost $149. Previously, Amazon's cheapest e-reader cost $114. ...

Click to view a price quote on BKS.

Click to research the Specialty Retail industry.

Will You Buy Amazon's Kindle Fire Over iPad?

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:12:06 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Will Amazon's Kindle Fire replace Apple's iPad for the holiday season? That's the biggest question after Amazon's announcement that the new tablet will undercut the iPad on price.

The 7-inch touch-screen device will retail for $199, significantly less than Apple's iPad, which starts at $499. This marks the first tablet by a formidable player that could actually stand to dethrone Apple.

Kindle Fire allows users to browse the Web, stream music, movies and video, play games and read e-books. The device also includes free cloud-based storage, essentially doing away with having to physically sync the device. ...

Click to view a price quote on AMZN.

Click to research the Retail industry.

Amazon 'Kindle Fire' Conference: Live Blog

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:24:54 EDT

Amazon Conference: Live Blog

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - Amazon unveiled its highly anticipated tablet this morning at a press conference in New York City.

The new device is expected to rival Apple's iPad and be more competitive on price. The 7-inch tablet, dubbed the "Kindle Fire," will retail for $199, nearly half the price of the intro price of the iPad at $499. ...

Click to view a price quote on AMZN.

Click to research the Retail industry.

Wal-Mart Sees Online Exec Shakeup

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:01:09 EDT

(Updated with analyst commentary.)

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Wal-Mart's e-commerce division, which has been working to narrow the gap with rivals like Amazon.com, is hitting a snag with a shakeup in upper management.

Eduardo Castro-Wright, vice chairman and CEO of Wal-Mart's global e-commerce and global sourcing business, plans to retire from the role in July 2012, the Dow component said Tuesday. Wan Ling Martello, executive vice president of e-commerce, is stepping down to accept a position at Nestle. ...

Click to view a price quote on WMT.

Click to research the Retail industry.