Amazon is set to take on the supermarkets with an online grocery store.
Industry reports say the online shopping giant is likely to launch its online grocery shop later this year. The launch by Amazon will be considered a direct threat to Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose’s online shops.
Amazon was one of your top performers in the Which? online retailer survey published late last year. The website was highly ranked for every sector in which it sells products.
Amazon supermarket
Amazon already sells groceries in the USA through Amazon.com. The USA version currently sells more than 45,000 non-perishable items and the UK offering is expected to follow this model.
Amazon expanded in the UK last year with launches of DIY and health and beauty stores. Clothing was launched last October and more recently Amazon added MP3 downloads to its list. If you have bought MP3s from Amazon.co.uk, check out Which? reviews for the best MP3 players.
Last week, Amazon revealed a record Christmas trade in the UK, handling 1.4 million orders in its busiest day over the season.
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Online shopping: sales in Asia may rise 20% a year
Singapore / Taiwan: From dresses to handbags, diamonds and music downloads, consumers in Asia are taking to Internet shopping like never before as the region becomes one of the world’s fastest growing e-commerce markets.
“I like to shop for clothes online because no sales girls will pester me,” said Cecelia Wang, 23, a university student in Taipei, who spends about Taiwanese $1,500 (about Rs2,191) a month on Internet purchases. “For online shopping, all I need to do is sit in my room and shop, which is great.”
Internet retailing is increasingly making its presence felt in Asia because telecommunications infrastructure has improved, and payment modes, a major obstacle, are now more secure, analysts say.
Internet retailing is increasingly making its presence felt in Asia because telecommunications infrastructure has improved, and payment modes, a major obstacle, are now more secure, analysts say.