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In January, the venture capital firm Loup Ventures predicted #Amazon would acquire #Target in 2018, a forecast that hasn't come to fruition — at least not with three weeks left in the year. But the firm just doubled down on its forecast in a new note about Amazon. "We continue to believe the combination makes sense," managing partner Andrew Murphy wrote, pointing specifically to the physical retail presence Target could provide Amazon. Such a deal would also prove competitive to #Walmart, which currently has more than 5,000 locations in the US. On the first day of 2018, widely followed analyst Gene Munster of the venture capital firm Loup Ventures predicted Amazon would buy Target this year, a forecast that has yet to pan out with 22 days left. The firm just doubled down on that prediction, however, writing in a new note that the deal still makes sense. "Our prediction that Amazon would acquire Target in 2018 was wrong," Andrew Murphy, managing partner at ...

Amazon is making rivals like Walmart sweat a bit more over the holidays by offering free shipping with no minimum purchase to everyone. The company announced that it's waiving the usual $25 minimum fee required for non-Prime customers in a US-only promotion -- the first time it's done that, according to Reuters. The deal is effective starting today and will last until just before Christmas when Amazon can no longer promise free delivery in time for Christmas. Amazon notes that it has the largest selection in the US of products available for free shipping, with "hundreds of millions" of items. To make sure it doesn't miff Prime clients who pay $120 for the same privilege, Amazon also seems to be extending free same day delivery to those folks on "over 3 million items," it said, on top of the regular two day free shipping (Engadget has reached out to confirm that). While over half of all US households have a Prime subscription (think about that for a ...

You could say Amazon.com Inc. is branching out. For the first time, the e-commerce giant will sell live, full-sized Christmas trees this year, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. Amazon AMZN, +2.48%   told the AP that the trees will be shipped in a box within 10 days of being cut down, and should survive the trip just fine. The trees will go on sale starting in November, and some will be eligible for free shipping through Amazon Prime. Wreaths, garlands and seasonal plants will also be available for online orders. The convenience will cost you though: A 7-foot Fraser fir from a farm in North Carolina will run about $115, the AP said. For comparison, as of 2016, the average tree nationwide cost about $75, and last year a 6- to 7-foot Fraser fir cost about $42 at Lowe’s. But then again, you don’t have to lug Amazon’s tree home and get your hands covered in sap. Tim O’Connor, executive director of the National Christmas Tree Association, told the AP that he wasn’t wor...

After months of increased public criticism about its grueling labor practices, Amazon announced Tuesday that it would begin paying all US employees, including part-time, seasonal, and temporary workers, at least $15 an hour and all UK employees at least £9.50 (with higher wages in London) beginning November 1. The move will affect 250,000 Amazon employees and 100,000 seasonal workers, according to the company. In the same announcement, Amazon also said it will begin lobbying Congress to raise the federal minimum wage, which is currently $7.25. Jeff Bezos—the company’s CEO and the richest man in the world—said in a statement that Amazon “listened to its critics,” and “decided we want to lead.” On its face, Amazon's decision to raise wages is unequivocally a good thing, with the power to positively impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of workers who were paid low wages even as their employer amassed enormous wealth. The pay increase also demonstrates the effectiveness of th...