Amazon is warning third-party sellers on its Marketplace platform not to gouge customers on protective face masks as the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak that originated in mainland China continues to spread internationally and becomes increasingly likely to hit the U.S. From a report: The effectiveness of the masks as a preventative measure against infection by the coronavirus, a novel virus called SARS-CoV-2…
Tag: Holiday
Coronavirus Has Temporarily Reduced China’s CO2 Emissions By a Quarter
As China battles one of the most serious virus epidemics of the century, the impacts on the country’s energy demand and emissions are only beginning to be felt. From a report: Electricity demand and industrial output remain far below their usual levels across a range of indicators, many of which are at their lowest two-week average in several years. These include:…
Pier 1 Files For Bankruptcy, Warns of Dangers In Handful of Online Vendors Dominating Retail Sales
Pier 1 Imports filed for bankruptcy Monday (Warning: source paywalled; alternative source), “a victim of changing consumer tastes and an unforgiving retail environment,” reports The Wall Street Journal. “Unlike many other retailers that have sought bankruptcy in recent years, the publicly traded Pier 1 — with assets of $426.6 million and listed total debt of $258.3 million — isn’t weighed down…
Apple Says It Does Not Expect To Meet the Revenue Guidance For the March Quarter Because of the Coronavirus Outbreak
Apple said on Monday that it does not expect to meet the revenue guidance for the March quarter. In a press release, the company added: As the public health response to COVID-19 continues, our thoughts remain with the communities and individuals most deeply affected by the disease, and with those working around the clock to contain its spread and to treat…
Sony Is Struggling With PlayStation 5 Price Due To Costly Parts
Scarce components have pushed the manufacturing costs for Sony’s next PlayStation to around $450 per unit, forcing a difficult price-setting decision in its battle with Microsoft, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing sources. From the report: The Japanese conglomerate is preparing to gradually replace the six-year-old PS4 console, releasing its PlayStation 5 the same holiday season its archrival debuts the upcoming Xbox Series…
Amazon Has 150 Million Prime Members
Amazon’s latest earnings release reveals the company now has 150 million Prime members around the world, a substantial increase from the 100 million it announced back in 2018. It’s also quite impressive considering the Prime membership fee increased from $99 to $119 a couple of years ago. Engadget reports: “We’ve made Prime delivery faster — the number of items delivered to…
Groundhog Day is an astronomy holiday
Groundhog Day is tied to the movement of Earth around the sun. Falling approximately midway between a solstice and an equinox, it’s the year’s 1st cross-quarter day. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-about-groundhog-day…
Nintendo Switch Soars Past SNES in Lifetime Sales
Nintendo says the Switch has hit 52.5 million sales in its lifetime, already surpassing that of the SNES. From a report: In becoming the company’s fifth best-selling console of all-time, the Switch has helped to boost Nintendo — the company reported a $2.75 billion operating profit, up from the previously predicted $2.38 billion. Previous forecasts had Switch sales for the fiscal…
Chinese New Year 2020 falls on January 25
Chinese New Year 2020 falls on January 25 in Asia (January 24 in the west), beginning the Year of the Rat. China’s public holiday will be January 24-30. In Beijing this week, Chinese health officials expressed concerns about a coronavirus now spreading during this heavy travel season in Asia. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/chinese-new-year-lunar-new-year…
Amazon Lifts FedEx Ground-Delivery Ban For Sellers
Amazon is telling sellers they can begin using FedEx’s ground delivery after the company temporarily halted access to the service during the holiday shopping season. From a report: The company will resume FedEx’s Ground and Home services on Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET, according to an email Amazon sent Tuesday to merchants that was viewed by CNBC. An Amazon spokesperson confirmed…