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April 20, 2024
 

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Spencer Soper
For Spencer Soper's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Since starting out as a venue for short, silly lip-syncing videos, TikTok has emerged as an incubator for consumer trends, with millions of people trying on clothes and reviewing products.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 13, 2023
TikTok Shop sees early success, taking aim at giant Amazon
In a sign of how seriously Amazon is taking TikTok, the company cut deals with Pinterest, Meta and Snapchat to let users shop without leaving those apps.
Chinese fast-fashion upstart Shein has excelled with its offering of $9 hoodies and other bargain-basement apparel.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 7, 2023
Amazon targets Shein with fee cuts for cheap apparel sellers
Rare move by U.S. e-commerce giant shows its intent of muscling into Chinese fast-fashion upstart's territory.
Lina Khan, chair of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), speaks during an interview in Washington on Tuesday. The FTC has sued Amazon.com, accusing the e-commerce giant of monopolizing online marketplace services by degrading quality for shoppers and overcharging sellers.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 27, 2023
U.S. trade watchdog sues Amazon.com in landmark antitrust case
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and 17 states accuse the e-commerce giant of excluding rivals in online marketplace services and stifling competition.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 14, 2023
Amazon is taking half of each sale from its merchants
Grappling with slowing sales growth and rising costs, the tech giant is squeezing more money from the nearly 2 million small businesses that sell products on its marketplace.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 14, 2022
Amazon builds property empire, quietly buying land across the U.S.
Amazon plans to use much of the real estate for a new generation of towering fulfillment centers that can store a wide variety of products close to customers in populous areas.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 11, 2022
Amazon’s drone delivery program is hit by crashes and safety concerns
An investigation based on internal documents, government reports and interviews with employees reveals a program beset by technical challenges, high turnover and safety concerns.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 25, 2022
Amazon fired and disparaged him. Then he started a labor union.
Christian Smalls, an upstart labor leader hoping to unionize Amazon facilities in Staten Island, New York, has taken on an aggressive strategy against the e-commerce giant.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 11, 2022
Amazon is focus of push to curb ‘rank-and-yank’ worker ratings
A proposed law in the e-commerce giant's home state of Washington could make it harder for companies to terminate workers without explaining why.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 14, 2021
Amazon rethinks warehouse cell phone ban in wake of tornado
For years, Amazon prohibited employees from having their phones on warehouse floors and required them to leave them in their vehicles or in lockers near break rooms.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 8, 2021
Amazon says it resolved network device issue that caused outage
Beginning around 10 a.m. Eastern time, the outage affected the online presence of various industries, as well as Amazon's own services.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 29, 2021
Apple and Amazon results spark fears of an unhappy holiday season
As the economy emerges from the worst pandemic in a century, getting enough products to consumers is a daunting challenge for nearly everyone.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 31, 2021
Amazon pandemic bump fades as vaccinated shoppers leave home
The world's biggest e-commerce retailer on Thursday reported sales and gave a forecast that fell short of expectations.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 1, 2021
Fired by bot at Amazon: ‘It’s you against the machine’
Former Amazon managers said a largely automated system is insufficiently attuned to the real-world challenges drivers face every day.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 24, 2019
Amazon's mom-and-pop merchants feel the pain of U.S. trade war with China
Over the past several years, Shanghai entrepreneur Yung Lin has built a decent business selling wrenches, screwdrivers and other tools on Amazon.com. Then U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on thousands of goods made in China, and Lin faced a difficult choice: eat the additional cost or try and pass it onto his mostly American customers. He chose to raise prices and watched sales of some products dive by as much as one-third in just two weeks.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 2, 2017
Amazon comes knocking on remote Australia, where brick-and-mortar retailers are king
Amazon.com Inc., which has lost billions overseas trying to replicate its U.S. success, is now attempting to crack one of the biggest and most sparsely populated nations where bricks-and-mortar retailers are king.
No link to Nankai Trough quake seen after temblor in Shikoku
Satoshi Harada from the Meteorological Agency explains about the magnitude 6.6 earthquake during a news conference early Thursday.
Tehran signals no retaliation against Israel after drones attack Iran
A reported strike against Iran by Israel on Friday came against the backdrop of Iran's support for the Palestinian Hamas militant group, whose assault into Israel on Oct. 7 triggered Israel's invasion of Gaza.
In a first, Japan doctors sue Google over negative reviews on firm's map app
One of the lawyers representing a group of doctors suing Google told a news conference that the main purpose of the lawsuit is not to seek compensation but instead to raise awareness over various problems with the Google Maps system.
Former No. 1 Kento Momota retires from international badminton at 29
Badminton star Kento Momota leaves a news conference after announcing his retirement from Japan's national team, in Tokyo on Thursday.
Thousands evacuated as Indonesia volcano erupts
Indonesia's Mount Ruang spews hot lava and smoke as seen from Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on Wednesday.
'House of the Owl' brings Hollywood values to Japanese TV
In the new Disney+ series “House of the Owl,” Min Tanaka (left) plays a powerful political fixer, or “kuromaku,” who has a troubled relationship with his adult children, particularly his idealistic son, played by Mackenyu.
Benefits and risks: AUKUS looks to take gamble on Japan
U.S. President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British leader Rishi Sunak deliver remarks on the AUKUS partnership, after a trilateral meeting, at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego in March last year.
Kyoto’s demon night parade lives to haunt another day
In a Kyoto long past, the "hyakki yagyō" (100 demon night parade) haunted a sleepy corner of Kyoto. Now, one enterprising monster enthusiast has won a small batttle to keep the march alive.
U.S. deploys midrange missile system in Indo-Pacific for first time
A U.S. Army Mid-Range Capability (MRC) Launcher arrives as part of the capability’s first deployment into theater on Northern Luzon, Philippines, April 8.
Unpacking the chaotic by-election in a scandal-hit Tokyo district
People listen to a campaign speech in Tokyo's Koto Ward on Tuesday.

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