Major Retailers Gearing Up to Battle Amazon at Holiday Time

You might not want to think about the holidays just yet, but major retailers have been laying out and executing battle plans since the final cash register drawers closed on 2010.

The main investment for many large retailers, according to Bloomberg, is online. “Last holiday season, online sales reached a record $32.6 billion, up 12 percent over the previous year,” according to market researcher ComScore Inc., Bloomberg reports.

Even though the overall economy is struggling, that dollar amount is expected to go up at the end of this year. Bloomberg points out that some “budget-conscious shoppers” are now making their purchases online, where prices can easily be compared and free delivery can get products directly to their end destinations.

“Many brick-and-mortar retailers have had their ‘a-ha’ moment as Amazon continues to grow and the Internet is getting more viable,” said Mick Mountz, chief executive officer of Kiva Systems Inc., which builds warehouse robots that help orders get fulfilled quickly, according to Bloomberg.Continue reading...