E-commerce

Southeast Asia e-tailer Lazada raises $100M in funding

Lazada, an online retail sales business focusing on Southeast Asia, announced Wednesday it has raised another $100 million from investors apparently confident of the region's growth potential.

The e-commerce site, which bills itself as the "Amazon of Southeast Asia," was launched in early 2012 by Germany's Rocket Internet, which specializes in launching e-commerce sites, mostly in emerging markets. Like Amazon, Lazda offers consumer electronics, household goods, toys, and sports equipment.

While online shopping is popular in other regions of the world, the company estimates that Southeast Asians prefer to do 99 percent of their shopping off … Read more

Twitter and Viacom announce social video marketing pact

Twitter has signed a deal to begin delivering social video ads built around Viacom's most popular TV shows.

In the announcement, put out by Viacom, the two companies said that the campaigns would center around shows aired on networks like MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, VH1, CMT, TV Land, Spike and more. The first ads will appear during the MTV Video Music Awards on August 25. During that show, MTV will tweet a series of the most notable moments, as well as backstage access, interviews, and more, all with integrated advertising.

Bloomberg first reported in April that a deal between … Read more

Designer product site Fab now worth $1 billion

Fab is now worth a cool $1 billion.

Self-dubbed the world's design store, Fab is an online retailer that sells quirky products, ranging from clothes to jewelry to furniture to food. Its "True Blood" shop, for example, allows fans of the HBO series to buy books, perfume, and even fangs to celebrate the show.

Chinese Internet site Tencent Holdings clearly sees something in Fab. It has kicked in $150 million in financing, earning itself a spot on Fab's board. Fab is now worth more than $1 billion -- not even counting Tencent's investment -- The … Read more

Amazon adds group gift cards to Facebook

Amazon just made it a little easier to send birthday gift cards to Facebook friends.

The Seattle-based online retail giant on Tuesday launched Amazon Birthday Gift, which allows customers to send friends electronic gift cards on their birthdays. Customers can invite mutual friends to contribute, so the gift can grow.

You start the process ahead of the friend's birthday by going to Amazon's site. After logging into your Amazon and Facebook accounts and connecting the two -- which allows Amazon to collect information about you and your friends -- you'll be shown a list of your friends … Read more

Amazon runs out of 'Launch Edition' PlayStation 4

If you're hoping to preorder the PlayStation 4, turning to Amazon might not be your best bet.

The company's initial supply of "Launch Edition" PlayStation 4 units has been exhausted. Amazon has now resorted to selling the "Standard Edition," which won't be available until December 31. When clicking on the "Launch Edition" option on Amazon's page, the company indicates that it's unsure "when or if this item will be back in stock."

Luckily, those looking for a PlayStation 4 on launch day -- which Sony is keeping … Read more

At Square, an obsession with the 'magic' of hardware design

SAN FRANCISCO -- After eight years as director of engineering for iPhone, iPod, and iPad accessories at Apple, Jesse Dorogusker could have gone just about anywhere he wanted for his next gig.

He chose Square, the mobile payments company that, among other things, gives away its signature credit card reader for free.

By Dorogusker's own admission, that's a "terrible hardware business" model. So what inspired someone with a solid gold resume to leave a company that makes billions on hardware for a place that gives away his work for nothing?

For Dorogusker, it was the opportunity … Read more

AmazonFresh carts its grocery deliveries to LA

AmazonFresh, the e-retail giant's grocery delivery service, has finally made its way to the Los Angeles area.

Reports had surfaced off and on that Amazon would launch the service in Los Angeles. On the AmazonFresh homepage on Monday, the Los Angeles area was added. AmazonFresh was previously only available in Seattle.

AmazonFresh provides free same-day and early-morning delivery. According to Amazon, customers can choose from over 500,000 items in its online grocery store. The offering is free for 90 days to Amazon Prime members. Those who elect to keep it going will be charged $299 for full Prime … Read more

First Borders, then Best Buy. Now Amazon's gunning for Safeway

SEATTLE -- For the last five years, Amazon has been working to figure out an online business that has claimed its share of carnage -- grocery delivery.

Here in the company's backyard, it's deployed a fleet of green, refrigerated trucks to bring produce, meats, boxes of cereal, and more to customers' front doors 24 hours a day, whenever they choose. And the company has tinkered with pricing formulas, as well as the kind of goods it offers, trying to come up with the right mix that engenders loyalty and still earns a profit.

Asked, after so many years … Read more

Amazon Kindle debuts in China

The Amazon Kindle has officially landed in China.

On Friday, both the Kindle Fire HD tablet and the Kindle Paperwhite e-reader popped up for sale on Amazon's Chinese Web site. The Fire HD tablet costs 1,499 yuan ($244) for the 16GB version and 1,799 yuan ($293) for the 32GB version, while the Paperwhite e-reader costs 849 yuan ($138).

The Kindle devices will also be sold locally through Suning and Tesco Shi, two retail chains in China, according to Chinese news site Sina Tech. Chinese consumers will be able to find the Kindles at stores in Beijing, Shanghai, … Read more

With rising revenues, Lending Club CEO plans expansion (Q&A)

For Renaud Laplanche, founder and chief executive of Lending Club, things are looking up -- or more accurately, up and to the right.

That's the desirable direction that the startup's finances are heading at present. Lending Club connects investors who have money to lend with borrowers who need it, making money on fees as it goes. Of late, the value of the loans it's arranged has been increasing at 9 percent each month. In May, the San Francisco-based company funded $148 million in loans, and Laplanche expects 2013 will total $2 billion.

Laplanche, a 42-year-old born in … Read more