Business

Internet and media giant AOL Time Warner reported a net loss of US$1.8 billion for the fourth quarter, in line with analyst expectations. Nearly all of the loss was due to investment write-downs and merger costs. Not including investment losses, AOL's earnings increased 14 percent, from $2.4 bill...

In a clear signal that online travel is on the mend, Expedia reported much stronger than expected earnings for the fourth quarter, with net income of US$5 million. Expedia chief financial officer Greg Stanger said the company expects to remain profitable in 2002. "In the events post-September 11t...

E-commerce grew by 12 percent in 2001 despite a sluggish U.S. economy and a dismal performance by offline retail, according to a new report from Forrester Research. Online sales in 2001 centered more than ever on the big-name players, especially during the holiday season. E-commerce also saw impo...

Despite ubiquitous reports of a sagging online advertising market, there are plenty of reasons for i-marketing managers to look ahead with optimism. On the whole, the 2001 online ad market actually outpaced 2000's market in terms of unique ad growth until the second week of November, according to...

Riding the coattails of key partner Amazon.com, Drugstore.com said it saw record sales in the fourth quarter and remains on track to become profitable sometime next year. The company's sales increases for the year mirrored those recorded by the e-tail giant. During a conference call, Drugstore.co...

Over the past couple of years, Super Bowl advertising by dot-coms has gone the way of the dinosaurs. In fact, only three dot-com advertisers -- HotJobs.com, Monster.com and E*Trade -- remain in the Super Bowl fray. The question is: Why are they still there, and perhaps more importantly, how? "It ...

Beyond.com, which provides e-commerce software to online merchants and the U.S. government, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and agreed to sell its assets and client contracts to e-commerce outsourcing company Digital River. Digital River CEO Joel Ronning told the E-Commerce Times that synergie...

Online car sales site Autobytel said it turned its first operating profit in the fourth quarter and expressed optimism that it could remain profitable during the year ahead. Company president and CEO Jeffrey Schwartz admitted, however, that as car makers pull back from the aggressive promotions t...

Though overshadowed by word of Amazon's first-ever profits, the e-tailer's offer of free shipping on large orders may have an even greater impact on the e-commerce landscape, according to analysts. "Shipping is a very big issue, both with people who don't buy online and those who do," Forrester a...

Online shoppers in the United States spent US$5.7 billion during the month of December, a 14 percent increase over 2000 levels, according to a report released by Forrester Research and Greenfield Online. Spending levels also grew compared with November, when e-shoppers shelled out $4.9 billion, a...

It is unclear what will happen to Kmart's BlueLight.com as a result of the retail giant's bankruptcy filing, but analysts said the store's Web presence is likely to be among the first places the company looks to eliminate costs. "I cannot see them abandoning the BlueLight initiative," Meta Group ...

There is probably no such thing as a bad e-commerce customer. But which ones are the best, the most likely to take an e-tailer into the promised land of perpetual profits? While affluent customers and those who shop regularly are clearly sought after, other factors also help define the perfect cu...

Adding fuel to the argument that an e-commerce resurgence is at hand, 1-800-Flowers.com has announced a second-quarter net profit of US$1.8 million, along with a sharp increase in revenue. "The strength that we have is that a lot of retailers gear up for the December holidays and then they're pre...

E-commerce software firms continued their struggle for profitability in a slowing economy as both Ariba and Commerce One reported quarterly losses and sharply lower sales. Many B2B firms have faced hard times as a one-time glut of customers has been thinned by the dot-com shakeout. According to e...

Although hack-fighting weapons constantly are being devised and made available, many sites are still too small to invest the time and money needed to install and maintain the latest security measures. But their lack of diligence could cost them more in the long run, according to experts. "For eve...