Today’s electric chafing dishes with temperature control offer unmatched convenience, precision, and durability, making them an indispensable part of any professional buffet arrangement.

1. Consistent Temperature Control for Perfect Serving

Traditional chafing fuels can be unpredictable. Heat levels fluctuate, often leading to food that becomes too hot, dries out, or cools down too quickly.

Electric chafing dishes solve this problem entirely.

• Adjustable temperature settings allow caterers to maintain the ideal serving temperature for each dish.

• The heat stays even and stable throughout service.

• Foods like sauces, meats, and delicate pastries retain their texture and flavor.

This level of precision ensures that guests enjoy perfectly warm dishes from start to finish.

2. Enhanced Food Safety

Food safety is a top priority for any professional caterer.

Electric chafing dishes:

• Keep food within safe temperature ranges for longer periods.

• Reduce the risk of bacterial growth associated with fluctuating or low heat.

• Offer built-in safety features such as thermal controls and automatic shutoffs.

Professionals can confidently serve large groups without worrying about the food slipping into unsafe temperature zones.

3. Durable and Elegant Stainless Steel Construction

Stainless steel isn’t just aesthetically pleasing—it is also incredibly functional.

Benefits of stainless steel:

• Resistant to corrosion and staining

• Easy to clean and sanitize

• Highly durable, even with heavy use

• Modern, upscale appearance that complements any buffet setting

For caterers who need equipment that looks great and withstands constant transport and use, stainless steel electric chafing dishes are the ideal choice.

4. No Mess or Hazard From Burning Fuel

Fuel-based chafers come with hassles:

• Open flames can pose safety hazards.

• Fuel cans can spill or emit odors.

• Managing and replacing fuel during service can be stressful.

Electric chafing dishes eliminate these issues entirely. They provide a clean, flameless heating solution that is safer for staff, guests, and venues.

5. Energy-Efficient and Cost-Effective

While the initial investment may be higher than traditional chafing sets, electric models often prove more economical in the long run.

Why they save money:

• No ongoing cost of fuel canisters

• Reduced food waste due to stable temperature

• Minimal maintenance costs

• Long-lasting stainless steel build

For caterers, these savings add up significantly over multiple events.

6. Versatile for All Types of Events

Whether indoors or outdoors (with access to power), electric chafing dishes are suitable for nearly any setting—including:

• Restaurants and hotel buffets

• Corporate luncheons

• Wedding receptions

• Holiday feasts

• Catering companies on the go

Their sleek design and dependable performance make them an excellent fit for casual and upscale events alike.

Final Thoughts

Stainless steel electric chafing dishes with temperature control have become essential for anyone operating a professional buffet or catering service. Their combination of safety, precision, durability, and convenience sets them apart from traditional warming methods.

If you’re looking to upgrade your catering equipment or browse high-quality electric chafing dishes, check out:

👉 https://www.garvee.com/

Wish is operated by ContextLogic Inc. in San Francisco, United States. The platform personalizes the shopping experience visually for each customer, rather than relying only on a search bar format. It allows sellers to list their products on Wish and sell directly to consumers. Wish works with payment service providers to handle payments and does not stock the products themselves or manage returns.

History

Wish was started by Piotr Szulczewski, a former Google engineer, as a software company called ContextLogic. In September 2010, ContextLogic received $1.7 million in investments and involved Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman.

In May 2011, Szulczewski invited college friend Danny Zhang to relaunch the company as Wish. It was created as an application that allowed shoppers to create wish lists of their favorite products before matching them with merchants. They also earned revenue with a Pay-per-click model by advertising on Facebook.

In 2013, Szulczewski met with Hans Tung, an investor with GGV Capital in Menlo Park, California, and noted that a large number of sales were coming from Florida, Texas and the Midwest rather than New York or California. Wish became an e-commerce site after asking merchants to host their products directly on the Wish application, with Wish taking a portion of each sale.

The Wish marketplace is accessed by the Wish.com website or by a mobile application that is available for iOS and Android.

In 2017, Wish was the most downloaded e-commerce application in the United States. It signed a multi-year partnership with the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers. Wish conducted a World Cup campaign in 2018, that featured Neymar, Paul Pogba, Tim Howard, Gareth Bale, Robin van Persie, Claudio Bravo and Gianluigi Buffon.

In 2018, Wish was the most-downloaded e-commerce application worldwide and the company doubled its revenue to $1.9 billion.

As of 2019, Wish was the third-biggest e-commerce marketplace in the United States by sales. In August 2019, ContextLogic received a Series H funding round, led by equity firm General Atlantic, taking the company’s valuation to $11.2 billion.JD.com is an investor in Wish. ContextLogic went public via an IPO in 2020.

In France in November 2021, the Wish e-commerce system, including the website and smartphone applications, were delisted from Google’s search results and from Google’s French app store, after French authorities claimed that many items sold on the platform do not comply with European regulations. The same authorities also accused the platform of selling counterfeit items In January 2022, Wish appointed Vijay Talwar as the new CEO.

Services

More than 1 million merchants list their products on Wish’s platform to sell directly to consumers. The bulk of the merchandise available through the app in the United States comes from China and other non-U.S. distributors. The products are usually smaller items that are cheaper to ship, aided by an agreement between China Post and the U.S. Postal Service that lowers costs of shipping for goods weighing less than 2 kg. Wish offers express shipping in 5 days, or 6–8 days in some cases, as well as standard shipping that takes 2–3 weeks, for customers who prioritize savings over speed of delivery.

Wish’s “Wheel of Fortune”-style game, Blitz Buy, integrates a layer of gamification to offer consumers additional discounts on top-selling items.

Criticism

Wish has been criticized for listing poor quality or counterfeit goods, a common concern among major e-commerce sites which feature independent sellers.^[22][23][24] Customers have complained about lack of communication from sellers and quality. In response to the criticism, Szulczewski hired an executive from Facebook to organize a community of about 10,000 Wish users to expose unsatisfactory dealers in exchange for free goods and discounts.

It is often possible to purchase items from Wish that are not legal in the purchaser’s country. In January 2020, a man from Nelson, Lancashire, United Kingdom, was sentenced to 11 months in prison for purchasing a stun gun using Wish.

Type of site	Public
Available in	English and other languages
Founded	July 4, 2010; 12 years ago
Headquarters	San Francisco , U.S.
Country of origin	United States
Area served	Worldwide
Founder(s)	Piotr Szulczewski Sheng Zhang
Key people	Vijay Talwar, CEO
Industry	Online shopping
Revenue	$2.1 Billion
Employees	1100
Parent	ContextLogic Inc. (Nasdaq: WISH)
Subsidiaries	Wish Outlet Wish Express Wish Local for Partner Stores
URL	www.wish.com
Advertising	Yes
Commercial	Yes
Registration	Required
Launched	May 2011
Current status	Active

SHEIN is a global fashion and lifestyle e-retailer committed to making the beauty of fashion accessible to all. We use on-demand manufacturing technology to connect suppliers to our agile supply chain, reducing inventory waste and enabling us to deliver a variety of affordable products to customers around the world. From our global offices, we reach customers in more than 150 countries.

Consumers no longer follow a unified standard of what is considered “fashionable” or “beautiful”. We believe that the clothes we wear reflect our personalities and we want to empower everyone to explore and express their individuality. To do this, SHEIN creates a wide range of options to fit any mood or occasion.

SHEIN’s mission is to serve as a leader in the industry and bring fashion into the modern era. We employ cutting-edge technologies and processes in our design and sourcing to stay well-informed of what is in-demand by consumers, produce goods in a timely manner and deliver the products quickly to anywhere in the world. By developing proprietary logistics and ecommerce technology, we are disrupting the fashion space and improving outcomes for manufacturers, suppliers and consumers.

Digitally Empowered Agile Supply Chain

To meet demand, we have built a fully digital supply chain that seamlessly and quickly delivers products to our customers worldwide. We use proprietary software to track sales and communicate with our factories in real time to order in small batches. Our digital supply chain is the core of our business model and empowers us to offer a wide range of on-trend styles without creating excessive inventory waste or making customers wait weeks for their orders to be fulfilled.

Amazon.com is a vast Internet-based enterprise that sells books, music, movies, housewares, electronics, toys, and many other goods, either directly or as the middleman between other retailers and Amazon.com’s millions of customers. Its Web services business includes renting data storage and computing resources, so-called “cloud computing,” over the Internet. Its considerable online presence is such that, in 2012, 1 percent of all Internet traffic in North America traveled in and out of Amazon.com data centres.

The company also makes the market-leading Kindle e-book readers. Its promotion of these devices has led to dramatic growth in e-book publishing and turned Amazon.com into a major disruptive force in the book-publishing market.

Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos from his garage in Bellevue, Washington, on July 5, 1994. Initially an online marketplace for books, it has expanded into a multitude of product categories: a strategy that has earned it the moniker The Everything Store. It has multiple subsidiaries including Amazon Web Services (cloud computing), Zoox (autonomous vehicles), Kuiper Systems (satellite Internet), Amazon Lab126 (computer hardware R&D). Its other subsidiaries include Ring, Twitch, IMDb, MGM Holdings and Whole Foods Market.

“Get Big Fast”

In 1994 Jeff Bezos, a former Wall Street hedge fund executive, incorporated Amazon.com, choosing the name primarily because it began with the first letter of the alphabet and because of its association with the vast South American river. On the basis of research he had conducted, Bezos concluded that books would be the most logical product initially to sell online. Amazon.com was not the first company to do so; Computer Literacy, a Silicon Valley bookstore, began selling books from its inventory to its technically astute customers in 1991. However, the promise of Amazon.com was to deliver any book to any reader anywhere.

While Amazon.com famously started as a bookseller, Bezos contended from its start that the site was not merely a retailer of consumer products. He argued that Amazon.com was a technology company whose business was simplifying online transactions for consumers.

The Amazon.com business strategy was often met with skepticism. Financial journalists and analysts disparaged the company by referring to it as Amazon.bomb. Doubters claimed Amazon.com ultimately would lose in the marketplace to established bookselling chains, such as Borders and Barnes & Noble, once they had launched competing e-commerce sites. The lack of company profits until the final quarter of 2001 seemed to justify its critics.

However, Bezos dismissed naysayers as not understanding the massive growth potential of the Internet. He argued that to succeed as an online retailer, a company needed to “Get Big Fast,” a slogan he had printed on employee T-shirts. In fact, Amazon.com did grow fast, reaching 180,000 customer accounts by December 1996, after its first full year in operation, and less than a year later, in October 1997, it had 1,000,000 customer accounts. Its revenues jumped from $15.7 million in 1996 to $148 million in 1997, followed by $610 million in 1998. Amazon.com’s success propelled its founder to become Time magazine’s 1999 Person of the Year.

The company expanded rapidly in other areas. Its Associates program, where other Web sites could offer merchandise for sale and Amazon.com would fill the order and pay a commission, grew from one such site in 1996 to more than 350,000 by 1999. Following Bezos’s initial strategy, the company quickly began selling more than books. Music and video sales started in 1998. That same year it began international operations with the acquisition of online booksellers in the United Kingdom and Germany. By 1999 the company was also selling consumer electronics, video games, software, home-improvement items, toys and games, and much more.

To sustain that growth, Amazon.com needed more than private investors to underwrite the expansion. As a result, in May 1997, less than two years after opening its virtual doors to consumers and without ever having made a profit, Amazon.com became a public company, raising $54 million on the NASDAQ market. In addition to the cash, the company was able to use its high-flying stock to fund its aggressive growth and acquisition strategy.

Beyond retailing

As noted above, Bezos claimed that Amazon.com was not a retailer but a technology company. To underscore the point, in 2002 the company launched Amazon Web Services (AWS), which initially offered data on Internet traffic patterns, Web site popularity, and other statistics for developers and marketers. In 2006 the company expanded its AWS portfolio with its Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), which rents out computer processing power in small or large increments. That same year, the Simple Storage Service (S3), which rents data storage over the Internet, became available.

S3 and EC2 quickly succeeded and helped popularize the idea that companies and individuals do not need to own computing resources; they can rent them as needed over the Internet, or “in the cloud.” For example, in 2007, soon after launch, the S3 service contained more than 10 billion objects, or files; five years later, it held more than 905 billion. AWS is even used by Amazon.com’s rivals, such as Netflix, which uses both S3 and EC2 for its competing video streaming service.

COVID-19

At the end of March 2020, some workers of the Staten Island warehouse staged a walkout in protest of the poor health situation at their workplace amidst the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. One of the organizers, Chris Smalls, was first put on quarantine without anyone else being quarantined, and soon afterwards fired from the company.

The pandemic caused a surge in online shopping and resulted in shortages of household staples both online and some brick-and-mortar stores. From March 17 to April 10, 2020, Amazon warehouses stopped accepting non-essential items from third-party sellers. The company hired approximately 175,000 additional warehouse workers and delivery contractors to deal with the surge, and temporarily raised wages by $2/hour.

Acquisition of MGM

After months of speculation due to MGM’s poor financial performance from the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the movie industry, Amazon entered negotiations to acquire MGM at an estimated $9 billion on May 17, 2021. The companies agreed to the merger deal on May 26, 2021 for a total value of $8.45 billion, subject to regulatory approval. The deal would allow Amazon to add the MGM library to the Amazon Prime Video catalog, with the studio continuing to operate as a label under the new parent company. The merger was finalized on March 17, 2022 following the expiration of the FTC’s review deadlineand having cleared the European Commission two days earlier on March 15th.^{[57][58][59][60][61][62][63]} Later that day, Amazon Studios and Prime Video SVP Mike Hopkins revealed that Amazon will continue to partner with United Artists Releasing (MGM and Annapurna Pictures’ joint distribution venture), which will remain in operation to release all future MGM titles theatrically on a “case-by-case basis,” while “all MGM employees will join my organization.” It was also revealed that Amazon had no plans to make changes to the studio’s production slate and release schedules nor make all MGM content exclusive to Prime Video, providing some hope that the studio would operate autonomously from Amazon Studios. These plans are expected to not impact the future of the James Bond franchise and its creative team. Two town halls further detailing MGM’s future post-merger took place on March 18, 2022, which included one for MGM employees and one for Amazon Studios/Prime Video employees.Both revealed the new interim reporting structure as part of Amazon’s “phased integration plan,” which would involve De Luca, Mark Burnett (Chairman of MGM Worldwide Television) and COO Chris Brearton reporting to Hopkins on behalf of the studio.^[65] On April 27, 2022, it was announced that De Luca and Abdy would leave the studio.

List of 90% OFF Amazon Promo Codes, Coupons, and Deals for August 2022

Amazon India Online Shopping – Promo Codes & Offers

Amazon India is a great place to shop for products from the best brands. You can find everything from clothing and accessories to home furnishings and electronics. There are also a variety of latest offers that you won’t find anywhere else. One of the coolest things about this eCommerce major giant is the fact that you can shop from the comfort of your home. You don’t have to leave your house to find the best deals. You can also use an Amazon Prime membership to get free two-day shipping on most items. Plus, you can enjoy exclusive offers and discount codes that are only available to Prime members. Furthermore, use GrabOn coupons to get up to 90% off on select products and brands. So, what are you waiting for? Start shopping today.

About Amazon

Amazon, one of the biggest shareholders of the e-commerce market in India was formed in 1994 by Jeff Bezos in a garage. Everybody knows this story. But did you know that this platform was first a bookselling portal that delivered books within a month of its launch that making it a huge hit? Today, the company provides a platform for millions of sellers to sell everything from fruits and vegetables to movies and books, and even items you didn’t know existed online.

The company never stops making people’s life easy with newer solutions. The company operates in over 200 countries and employs over a million people worldwide. It’s not only a haven for sellers and buyers but also for job seekers, entrepreneurs, and anybody who would like to do something different.

Top Categories On Amazon

Electronics dominates the top three Amazon India categories, followed by fashion and then home & kitchen. These are likely indicative of the fast-paced lifestyle that a majority of Indians live today. Electronics features products related to smartphones, cameras, laptops, and others. Fashion includes items such as women’s clothing, footwear, cosmetics, etc., while home & kitchen showcases goods such as furniture, cookware sets, dining, storage, etc.

How To Save On Amazon – Tips & Tricks

There are a number of ways to save, and the best way to find out is to start searching for deals today! Some of the most popular ways to save include using promo codes, coupons, and shopping during sales. Check out the website for daily deals, or use the mobile application to find cashback and free shipping on your favorite products.

Additionally, Amazon Prime members can take advantage of Prime Day, which is the biggest two-day sale of the year for massive savings. During this sale period, the company offers exclusive deals on a wide range of items, including electronics, home goods, and more. You can also find the best offers on the Kindle Store and AmazonBasics. The leading online shopping platform constantly updates its deals page, so be sure to check back often or stay connected to GrabOn for coupon codes, clearance sale updates, and much more!

Amazon Sales & Discounts

Amazon conducts various sales throughout the year. A renowned sale by Amazon, The Amazon Great Indian Festival, happens every year where users can bag products at never seen before rates. This sale is one of the best times for shopping on Amazon as you can enjoy heavy discounts on mobile phones, large appliances, clothing, furniture, and more. Other than that, Amazon has sales at all festivals and occasions that you must look out for. Let that be Father’s Day, Independence Day, or even Rakhsha Bandhan, you can expect some really good savings when you shop from Amazon during these times.

AmazonBasic – Raining Discounts Like Never Before

AmazonBasics is a private label that offers office supplies, home goods, and tech accessories at discounted prices. It offers competitive prices and a wide range of products that can be found nowhere else. The products are of high quality and often have superior design and function to branded products.

Some of the most popular products include electronics, home goods, and office supplies. Electronics include items such as smartphones, drones, and televisions. Home goods include items such as mattresses, curtains, and flooring. Office supplies include items such as printers, copiers, and scanners. All these products on do have a discount code or be it a voucher code that will surely leave a smile on your face.

Amazon Gift Cards

Amazon gift cards are an awesome way to wish someone a birthday, a wedding anniversary, and so on. You can buy a gift card that is worth up to Rs 10,000 from the gift card store. All cards can be customized with artwork and even a personal message. Gift cards are easy to redeem and are valid for 1 year. Receivers can use the gift card on all products, except the app, a few global store products, and for the purchase of other gift cards. Buying gift cards can also unlock special discounts on other brands like Ola, Chumbak, and more.

Amazon First Purchase Offers

On the first purchase on the Amazon eCommerce platform, new users will get offers worth Rs 4,450. The coupon codes will be sent to the email addresses of eligible consumers. In addition, this offer is available to consumers without having to make a minimum purchase.

Check Amazon Lightning Deals Every Day

At Amazon, you’ll never miss a chance to get instant bargains while shopping and saving on the items you buy. When you subscribe to Prime, you’ll get early access to lightning deals. In addition to exclusive deals of the day.

Amazon Prime Student Discount

Students can get Prime membership for half the price for six months straight. All you have to do is signup with your student’s identity details to avail of the offer. Once you become a member, you will get free shipping on all eligible items, and massive discounts on college essential items like bags, headphones, phone cases, video games, and even health and personal items. Students can also get discounts on Amazon music, and prime video channels and can enjoy Kindle reading free for two months.

Amazon Youth Offer – 50% Off

Customers between ages 18 to 24 can join Amazon Prime at 50% off when their signup for monthly, quarterly or annual membership. All you have to do is verify your age to avail of discounts on your plan or get Amazon Pay cashback up to Rs 750. Please make note that this offer can be availed using the mobile app. Please check the website for more details.

Amazon Prime Membership Benefits & Pricing

Amazon’s Prime membership entitles you to a plethora of exciting benefits that include the following:

• Free Delivery: With the membership, you get free one day, two days, and even scheduled delivery as per your address. Moreover, there is no minimum order value required for standard deliveries.
• Discounted Deliveries: Get discounted morning and express deliveries for just Rs 50 and Rs 49, respectively.
• Cashback: Get Rs 25 cashback with No Rush shipping, which is absolutely free.
• Special discounts on baby items: Get 15% off on diaper subscriptions and on other eligible baby products.
• Free access to entertainment: Enjoy free and unlimited access to hundreds of movies in various languages, and music, and get access to the Kindle app.
• Airtel Recharge: Win Amazon Prime Free Trial for 1 month when you recharge with Airtel.

Pricing Details:

Here’s the list of new Amazon Prime membership plans:

• Monthly Membership Fee: Costs Rs 179; Validity: 1 Month.
• Quarterly Membership Fee: Costs Rs 459; Validity: 3 Months.
• Annual Membership Fee: Costs Rs 1,499; Validity: 1 Year.

Amazon App Download

The app is the best way to shop for millions of products and find what you’re looking for. You can browse by categories, view everything that shoppers have bought, and even read customer reviews. It features items from thousands of sellers so that you don’t have to go anywhere else to find something great. Whether you have android or iPhone devices, having an Amazon app makes your shopping experience enjoyable. Download it today to start making the best purchases you ever did.

Check out the following benefits associated with the mobile application:

• Track your purchased items in real-time.
• Set up notifications to know the delivery status.
• Chat with customer support to know about offers, deals, and new product launches.
• Pay bills and transfer money using Amazon pay.
• Interactive voice assistance with the Alexa feature.
• Make safe and secure payments online.
• Barcode scanner to know the product pricing details.

Renewed Products On Amazon – Daily Deals

Amazon is a great place to get refurbished and renewed items. Not only are they affordable, but you can be sure that the products are of high quality. You can save up to 70% when you buy renewed products here. Browse through their extensive selection of refurbished items like laptops, headphones, mobile phones, fans, cameras, smartwatches, tablets, monitors, and more. All these products are inspected and tested by professionals before they are sold on the platform. In addition, Amazon offers a 6-month warranty on all products, so you can be confident in your decision to buy from them.

Gaming with Prime – Free Content

All Prime users can avail of free in-game content on the latest and top mobile games that are refreshed on a daily basis. You can get free in-game content such as characters, themes, in-game currencies, power-ups, and more. Just log in with your Amazon account to claim the benefits and in-game content deals. Furthermore, you can subscribe to the company’s newsletter for free and exclusive in-game content drops.

Amazon Return Policy

• In order to avail of the return benefits, you need to check the return window on your product page before placing the order.
• The items are returnable in either 7 days or 10 days depending on what you order.
• Some items like jewelry and luggage bags have a 30-day return day window.
• If you receive a non-returnable product in a damaged condition, you can contact the support team within 10 days. You may get your order replaced.
• If the exact same product is not available with the seller during an exchange, the total amount would get refunded.
• In case of some damaged items, you do not even need to return them, but you could still enjoy a refund.

Amazon Shipping Policy

The delivery of your order changes as per the type of product, your location, and the seller. Some orders qualify for free shipping as well. In order to know your exact shipping charges and the delivery time, simply place the product in the cart and proceed to checkout.

Amazon India – Latest News

Amazon creates 1.6 million jobs in India

eCommerce giant, Amazon has said that it has created a total of 1.16 million (11.6 lakh) direct and indirect jobs in India. According to a release, the company has enabled about $5 billion in exports and has digitized 4 million MSMEs in the country, so far. By 2025, the company aims to digitize 10 million MSMEs, creating 2 million jobs and enabling $10 billion in exports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Amazon Offer Discounts?

Yes, Amazon does offer discounts on a variety of products, including essentials, groceries, and many more.

How to get Amazon promo codes?

There are a few ways to get Amazon coupon codes. One way is to sign up for the company’s promotional email list.

Can I earn reward points on all purchases on Amazon?

Yes. Earn unlimited 5% reward points when you shop on Amazon.

Are there any Amazon Kindle books coupons available?

Yes. You can save more on Kindle books using codes available on our platform or check Amazon for the latest offers.

How can I find a hidden Amazon promo code?

Get up to 70% by clicking on Today’s Deals section on Amazon’s coupon page. You can find it under the search bar on the homepage.

What is the Amazon voucher code today?

Using the latest code, you can save up to 80% on fashion, electronics, home, kitchen products, and other categories.

Can I apply multiple coupons on Amazon items?

No. Amazon does not allow using multiple coupons on a single product. You can choose the best deal from the available options to maximize saving and use it for further purchases.

What is the eligibility for free shipping?

Free Shipping is applicable on subscription purchases, on select products, or for Prime users.

One joke may be about our filthy currencies and the next scene shows emotional lobsters boiling people for dinner. Either way, they’re straightforward, outrageous, and most importantly, ridiculous. Med B. Byte has a knack for making fun of the ridiculousness of our world and constantly, unexpectedly new ways to do so emerge.

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Scissor beats paper

Valentines day

Better hump him!

Have a taste of your own medicine

Popular Walmart Promo Code

Walmart, in full Walmart, Inc., formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., American operator of discount stores that was one of the world’s biggest retailers and among the world’s largest corporations. Company headquarters are in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Wal-Mart was founded by Sam Walton in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1962 and focused its early growth in rural areas, thereby avoiding direct competition with retailing giants such as Sears and Kmart. As it grew, the company developed new retail formats, including Sam’s Club discount warehouses (1983) and Wal-Mart Supercenters (1988). Within a decade of opening the combination grocery and merchandise Supercenters, Wal-Mart had become one of the largest grocers in the United States. An emphasis on customer attention (e.g., direct mail advertising), cost controls (e.g., low-cost imports), and efficiencies in its distribution networks (e.g., regional warehousing) helped Wal-Mart become the largest retailer in the United States in 1990.

It moved into international markets one year later with the opening of a store in Mexico, and growth continued, either through new stores or the acquisition of established retailers, in countries such as Canada, China, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The company experienced a decline in sales immediately following Walton’s death in 1992 but rebounded with the introduction of the company’s house brand Great Value in 1993. In the years after Walton’s death, the company was less fiscally frugal, quickly accumulating corporate debt in order to finance such new strategies as a group of additional Wal-Mart Supercenters. The financial risk paid off: by 1995 Wal-Mart’s sales had doubled, by 1999 the company had become the world’s largest private employer, and by 2001 its total sales surpassed those of Exxon Mobil, ranking Wal-Mart as the largest corporation in the world.

eBay Inc.

is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995, and became a notable success story of the dot-com bubble. eBay is a multibillion-dollar business with operations in about 32 countries, as of 2019. The company manages the eBay website, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a wide variety of goods and services worldwide. The website is free to use for buyers, but sellers are charged fees for listing items after a limited number of free listings, and an additional or separate fee when those items are sold.

In addition to eBay’s original auction-style sales, the website has evolved and expanded to include: instant “Buy It Now” shopping; shopping by Universal Product Code, ISBN, or other kind of SKU number (via Half.com, which was shut down in 2017); and other services. eBay previously offered online money transfers as part of its services (via PayPal, which was a wholly owned subsidiary of eBay from 2002 to 2015); online classified advertisements (via Kijiji, or eBay Classifieds Group); and online event ticket trading (via StubHub).

eBay has built an online person-to-person trading community on the Internet, using the World Wide Web. Buyers and sellers are brought together in a manner where sellers are permitted to list items for sale, buyers to bid on items of interest and all eBay users to browse through listed items in a fully automated way. The items are arranged by topics, where each type of auction has its own category.

eBay has both streamlined and globalized traditional person-to-person trading, which has traditionally been conducted through such forms as garage sales, collectibles shows, flea markets and more, with their web interface. This facilitates easy exploration for buyers and enables the sellers to immediately list an item for sale within minutes of registering.

Browsing and bidding on auctions is free of charge, but sellers are charged two kinds of charges:

• When an item is listed on eBay a nonrefundable Insertion Fee is charged, which ranges between 30 cents and $3.30, depending on the seller’s opening bid on the item.
• A fee is charged for additional listing options to promote the item, such as highlighted or bold listing.
• A Final Value (final sale price) fee is charged at the end of the seller’s auction. This fee generally ranges from 1.25% to 5% of the final sale price.

eBay notifies the buyer and seller via e-mail at the end of the auction if a bid exceeds the seller’s minimum price, and the seller and buyer finish the transaction independently of eBay. The binding contract of the auction is between the winning bidder and the seller only. At eBay, we create pathways to connect millions of sellers and buyers in more than 190 markets around the world. Our technology empowers our customers, providing everyone the opportunity to grow and thrive — no matter who they are or where they are in the world. And the ripple effect of our work creates waves of change for our customers, our company, our communities and our planet.

The History of eBay

eBay was founded in Pierre Omidyar’s San Jose living room back in September 1995. It was from the start meant to be a marketplace for the sale of goods and services for individuals.

In 1998, Pierre and his cofounder Jeff Skoll brought in Meg Whitman to sustain the success. Meg had studied at the Harvard Business School and had learned the importance of branding at companies such as Hasbro.

Meg culled her senior staff from companies such as Pepsico and Disney, created an experienced management team with an average of 20 years of business experience and built a strong vision for the company — that eBay is a company that’s in the business of connecting people, not selling them things.

They quickly shed the image of only auctioning collectibles and moved into an array of upscale markets where the average sale price (ASP) is higher. ASP is a key metric in determining eBay’s transaction fees, so increasing the ASP became an important item. By forging partnerships with namebrands such as GM, Disney and Sun, eBay has managed to do exactly that. Sun has sold
$10 million worth of equipment and it now lists between 20 and 150 items per day.

The leader in the toy category quickly became Beanie Babies manufactured by Ty, Inc., the most difficult toys to find in retail stores. As collectors internationally were trying to complete their collection of Beanie Babies, Ty set up the first business-to-consumer Web site, a secondary-market online trading post where people could trade their Beanie Babies. However, it was overwhelmed with unsortable listings, creating an urgent demand for a more efficient online trading system. Beanie Babies quickly became the dominant product on eBay, accounting for 10% of all listings in 1997, as collectors thronged eBay’s user-friendly interface to search for specific Beanie Babies.

Meg Whitman was hired by the board as eBay president and CEO in March 1998. At the time, the company had 30 employees,half a million users and revenues of $4.7 million in the United States.

On September 21, 1998, eBay went public. In the risk factors section of the annual report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission in 1998, Omidyar notes eBay’s dependence on the continued strength of the Beanie Babies market. After eBay went public, both Omidyar and Skoll became instant billionaires: eBay’s target of $18 per share was all but ignored as the price went to $53.50 on the first day of trading.

2000s

As the company expanded product categories beyond collectibles into almost any saleable item, business grew quickly. In 2000, eBay had 12 million registered users and a cyberinventory of more than 4.5 million items on sale on any given day. In 2001, eBay had the largest userbase of any e-commerce site. In February 2002 the company purchased iBazar, a similar European auction web site founded in 1998, and then bought PayPal on October 3, 2002.

By early 2008 the company had expanded worldwide, counting hundreds of millions of registered users as well as 15,000 employees and revenues of almost $7.7 billion. After nearly ten years at eBay, Whitman decided to enter politics. On January 23, 2008, the company announced that Whitman would step down on March 31, 2008, and John Donahoe was selected to become president and CEO. Whitman remained on the board of directors and continued to advise Donahoe through 2008. In late 2009 eBay completed the sale of Skype for $2.75 billion, but still owned 30% equity in the company.

2010s

In 2012, eBay was charged by the United States Department of Justice with entering into non-solicitation agreements with other technology companies involving their highly skilled employees.

On September 30, 2014, eBay announced it would spin off PayPal into a separate publicly traded company, a demand made nine months prior by activist hedge fund magnate Carl Icahn. The spinoff completed on July 18, 2015. eBay’s then chief executive, John Donahoe, stepped down from that role. Flipkart and eBay entered into a strategic partnership in 2017 under which eBay Inc acquired a 5.44% stake in Flipkart in exchange for its eBay India business for $211 Mn and a $514 Mn cash investment. As part of the partnership, Flipkart decided to use the eBay platform for global outsourcing.

On January 31, 2018, eBay announced that they would replace PayPal as its primary payments provider with Netherlands-based start-up Adyen. The transition was set to be completed by 2021, but PayPal would remain an acceptable payment option on the site until further notice.

On September 21, 2018, it was reported that eBay would install a security fence around the perimeter of its San Jose headquarters in response to the YouTube headquarters shooting earlier that year.

On July 31, 2019, the company acquired a 5.59 percent stake in Paytm Mall.

On September 25, 2019, it was announced that Devin Wenig would be stepping down as eBay’s CEO, and that Scott Schenkel, senior vice president and chief financial officer since 2015, had been appointed as the interim CEO.

2020s

On April 13, 2020, it was announced that Jamie Iannone would become the CEO on April 27. On June 15, 2020, eBay stated that five employees were terminated in September after a law enforcement notification in August because of a possibly criminal case of harassment of journalists perpetrated by some of the terminated employees. Six former employees were charged with Aggressive Cyberstalking.

In July 2020, Adevinta announced to acquire eBay Classifieds Group.The deal closed on June 25. In May of 2022, eBay announced the launch of its first collection of NFTs, in partnership with the NFT platform OneOf. Following this, in June 2022, eBay announced the acquisition of the Manchester-based NFT Marketplace KnownOrigin for an undisclosed sum.

Profit and transactions

eBay generates revenue by a complex system of fees for services, listing product features, and a final value fee for sales proceeds by sellers. As of 2019 the US-based eBay.com charges $0.35 as an insertion fee for a basic listing without any adornments. The final value fee is 10-12% of the total amount of the sale, which is the price of the item plus shipping charges.Reduced final value fees are available to business registered customers. Other eBay websites follow a similar fee structure, but with different cost charges.

Under US law before 2018, a state could not require sellers located outside the state to collect a sales tax, which made making purchases on eBay more attractive to US buyers. Sellers that operate as a business do follow state tax regulations on eBay transactions. Since 2018, changes to tax law in the United States force eBay (and other large marketplaces) to collect sales tax on any eBay purchase shipped to certain states.

The company’s business strategy includes increasing international trade. eBay has already expanded to over two dozen countries, including China and India. Strategic international expansion has failed in Taiwan and Japan, where Yahoo! had a head start, and New Zealand, where Trade Me is the dominant online auction website. eBay also notably failed in China due to competition from local rival Taobao. eBay entered the Chinese market in 2002 and shut down its Chinese site in 2007. In India, eBay’s operations came to a halt after it sold off its India operations to country’s largest ecommerce company Flipkart, in the latter’s $1.4Bn fundraise, where eBay was a participant.

In its Q1 2008 results, total payment volume via PayPal increased 17%, but of the eBay auction site it was up 61%.

For most listing categories, eBay sellers are permitted to offer a variety of payment systems such as Escrow.com,PayPal, Paymate, Propay, and Skrill. Propay and Skrill were banned effective September 27, 2015, citing low usage.

Escrow.com is eBay’s approved escrow site. The transactions processed through Escrow.com largely are in relation to eBay Motors; however, they are not restricted to this type of listing.

eBay runs an affiliate program under the name eBay Partner Network. eBay affiliate marketers were originally paid a percentage of the eBay seller’s transaction fees, with commissions ranging from 50% to 75% of the fees paid for an item purchased. In October 2009, eBay changed to an affiliate payout system that it calls Quality Click Pricing, in which affiliates are paid an amount determined by an undisclosed algorithm. The total earnings amount is then divided by the number of clicks the affiliate sent to eBay and is reported as Earnings Per Click, or EPC. In October 2013, ePN launched a new pricing model. The new model is more transparent and is based on category-level base commission rates with bonuses available for referring new and reactivated buyers.

On April 18, 2012, eBay reported a 29% Q1 revenue increase to $3.3 billion compared to their Q1 in 2011. Net income was reported to be at $570 million for the quarter.

For the fiscal year 2017, eBay reported losses of US$1.016 billion, with annual revenue of US$9.567 billion, an increase of 6.6% over the previous fiscal cycle. eBay’s shares traded at over $35 per share, and its market capitalization was valued at over US$27.2 billion in October 2018.

FAQs from eBay

Can I buy used cars on eBay Motors?

Yes! eBay Motors is a marketplace that allows you to buy and sell used vehicles, tires, parts, and accessories. Download the eBay Motors app to have everything right at your fingertips.

How do I contact eBay Customer Service?

Use eBay’s Help page to contact customer service and get answers to frequently asked questions.

What is the eBay customer service number?

The eBay customer service number is no longer in service, but you can report any fraud on your account to this dedicated number: 1-866-961-9523.

How do I redeem an eBay gift card?

To redeem your eBay gift card, simply log into your account and enter the redemption code at checkout.

Where can I find eBay coupons?

You can bookmark this page to stay up to date with eBay coupons and offers, or head over to eBay’s homepage where they frequently list sitewide promo codes.

How do I sign up for the eBay Credit Card?

Log into your account and click ‘eBay Mastercard’ to sign up for the eBay Credit Card. This card earns you points every time you shop. In order to be approved, you’ll need a credit score of about 700 or above.

Where can I find eBay tracking information?

When you log into your account, you can find the status and any tracking information for your orders in your order history.

What is the eBay return policy?

That depends! If you’re buying from eBay’s Certified Refurbished shop, everything is covered with a 90-Day Warranty, 30-Day Return Policy, and 100% Money-Back Guarantee. If you’re buying from a seller, it’s completely up to their discretion.

Does eBay have a student discount?

There is no eBay student discount. However, eBay curates collections specifically for students—including textbooks and laptops—so be sure to check there to save on back-to-school shopping.

How to Use an eBay Coupon

CHECKING OUT AS A GUEST

1. Click on the eBay promo code you want and hit “Copy”
2. Click “Shop Now” or return to your shopping cart
3. Click the “Go to checkout” button and select Continue as guest
4. Type in your shipping information
5. Enter your eBay promo code in the Add Coupons box at the bottom of the page
6. Click Apply
7. If you see “Promotional code applied”, your code works!

CHECKING OUT WITH YOUR ACCOUNT

1. Click on the eBay promo code you want and hit “Copy”
2. Click “Shop Now” or return to your shopping cart
3. Click the Go to checkout button and select Continue to sign in
4. Enter your eBay promo code in the Gift cards, coupons, eBay Bucks field on the Checkout page
5. Click Apply
6. If you see “Promotional code applied”, your code works!

Why We Love eBay

Before 1995, auctions were mostly reserved for art collectors and uncles looking for dirt-cheap prices on impounded cars. eBay set up shop somewhere in the middle, letting average folks toss literally anything into the open waters of the free market to see what they could reel in (like, literally, anything). Overnight, buying something in an auction became nearly as easy as grabbing a frozen pizza from the corner store.

Today, eBay is transforming the way folks think about buying high-end electronics with its innovative Certified Refurbished Shop. If the auction side of the site is the world’s largest garage sale, the Refurbished Shop is a relaxing, well-stocked department store. There you’ll find deep discounts and deals on everything from Dyson and Bose to KitchenAid Stand Mixers and Microsoft Surface Pro tablets.

eBay Auctions

eBay offers its customers the opportunity to bid on certain items for a chance to purchase them at a lower price. Not only that, but you also have the option to buy the item now if you don’t want to wait for the auction to end. As a bonus, you can set up automatic bidding on the item you wish to purchase. Just specify the maximum amount you’d like to pay and eBay will place bids in increments for you. That way, you won’t have to live on the website to outbid the competition. Because of the massive savings potential, we definitely recommend checking out more information and tips on bidding from eBay’s website before you get started.

eBay Daily Deals

If you’re a person who likes to search online every day for the best deals, then you’ll definitely want to check out eBay’s daily deals. Here, you will find massive savings—sometimes up to 80%—on items in categories such as electronics, jewelry, health and beauty, fashion, kitchen, home, tools, and more.

eBay Black Friday Promo Codes

When Black Friday lands on November 25, 2022, you won’t find many eBay Black Friday promo codes to use across the site. What will you find, however, are enticing deals on apparel, toys, electronics, kitchen appliances, vacuums, and more. Check out the eBay homepage on Black Friday to see all the latest offers.

More eBay Savings Tips

Email Signup: If you shop at eBay all the time, then don’t forget to sign up for their email list. Whenever they have coupons and discounts available, they’ll send out an email to let you know about it.

eBay Coupons: Don’t want to wait for an email about available coupon codes? Then head over to their coupon page to find codes and shop items for which the codes apply.

eBay Sales: eBay’s homepage will always greet you with tons of sales that are happening at the moment. Make sure to check out any holiday sales available as well as sales in the Brand Outlet.

eBay Best Price Guarantee: Did you purchase an item on eBay in the last 48 hours but found a better price? eBay will let you turn that loss into a shiny new promo code! Just let their customer service team know (you can do that here!). Once they verify that your item qualifies for the Best Price Guarantee, you’ll receive a coupon for the difference to use on future eBay.com purchases.

eBay Shipping Options, Delivery & Return Policy

• eBay free shipping: free shipping is available on thousands of items in the online marketplace. Some items even have a delivery time within 3 – 4 days with “Fast ‘N Free” shipping.
• eBay free local pickup: many sellers offer free local pickup on items, especially items that are large and difficult to ship. Click here to learn more.
• International shipping: depending on the seller’s location, they might ship orders using regular international shipping services or use eBay’s Global Shipping Program (GSP). Read more about international shipping.
• Where’s My Order?: eBay offers the option to track your order via your purchase history or order details if the seller uses a tracked shipping service. Find out more information about tracking your eBay orders here.
• Return Policy: eBay always encourages customers to contact the seller if an item didn’t arrive, the item received doesn’t match the listing, or the item is damaged or faulty. In the event that a solution cannot be agreed upon between seller and buyer, eBay has a Money Back Guarantee policy that kicks in for these types of situations.

As of 2019, Target operates 1,931 stores throughout the United States, and is ranked number 37 on the 2020 Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S. corporations by total revenue. Their retail formats include the discount store Target, the hypermarket SuperTarget, and “small-format” stores previously named CityTarget and TargetExpress before being consolidated under the Target branding.

History of Target Corporation

The history of Target Corporation first began in 1902 by George Dayton. The company was originally named Goodfellow Dry Goods in June 1902 before being renamed the Dayton’s Dry Goods Company in 1903 and later the Dayton Company in 1910. The first Target store opened in Roseville, Minnesota in 1962 while the parent company was renamed the Dayton Corporation in 1967. It became the Dayton-Hudson Corporation after merging with the J.L. Hudson Company in 1969 and held ownership of several department store chains including Dayton’s, Hudson’s, Marshall Field’s, and Mervyn’s. In 2000, the Dayton-Hudson Corporation was renamed to Target Corporation.

Finances

Carbon footprint

Target Corporation reported Total CO2e emissions (Direct + Indirect) for the twelve months ending 31 December 2020 at 2,192 Kt (−241 /-9.9% y-o-y).^[8] There has been a consistent declining trend in reported emissions since 2016.

Store formats

Target

The first Target discount store opened in Roseville, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, on May 1, 1962.^[12] Present-day properties are roughly 135,000 square feet (12,500 m²) and sell general merchandise, including hardlines and softlines. While many Target stores follow a standard big-box architectural style, the company has focused on “customizing each new store to ensure a locally relevant experience […] that best fit the surrounding neighborhood’s needs” since August 2006. Initially, only SuperTarget locations operated Starbucks Coffee counters, although they were integrated into general-merchandise stores through their expanded partnership beginning in 2003.

Target introduced the “PFresh” store prototype in 2006, which expanded its grocery selection in general-merchandise locations by upwards of 200%. Newly constructed stores that follow the PFresh format are roughly 1,500 square feet (140 m²) larger than properties without groceries, although retain the Target branding because their offerings are considerably more limited than SuperTarget. PFresh sells perishable and frozen foods, baked goods, meat, and dairy. The company remodeled 109 stores accordingly in 2006, and renovated another 350 stores the following year. The company’s decision to close their garden centers opened floor space for PFresh expansion and larger seasonal departments beginning in 2010.

CVS Health

On June 15, 2015, CVS Health announced an agreement with Target to acquire all of Target’s pharmacies and clinic businesses for around $1.9 billion. The Target pharmacies were rebranded as CVS Health pharmacies, which totaled 1,672 pharmacies in February 2016. The Target clinics were also rebranded as MinuteClinic. The acquisition of the Target pharmacies enabled CVS to expand its market into Seattle, Denver, Portland, and Salt Lake City.

SuperTarget

The first Target Greatland location opened in Apple Valley, Minnesota, in September 1990. They were about 50% larger than traditional Target stores, and pioneered company standards, including an increased number of checkout lanes and price scanners, larger aisles, expanded pharmacy and photography departments, and a food court. Target Greatland locations have since been converted to stores following the PFresh format beginning in 2009.

The first SuperTarget hypermarket opened in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1995, and expanded upon the Target Greatland concept with the inclusion of a full grocery department. The company expanded their grocery assortment in 2003 and adopted the modified tagline “Eat Well. Pay Less.” (in reference to their tagline “Expect More. Pay Less.”) in 2004. In the early 2000s, 43 locations (of nearly 100) featured E-Trade trading stations, although they were all closed by June 2003 after E-Trade determined that “we were not able to make it into a profitable distribution channel.”

When comparing itself with rival Walmart Supercenter hypermarkets, then-chief executive Gregg Steinhafel opined that Walmart operates like “a grocer that happens to also sell general merchandise,” where in contrast, its less aggressive expansion of SuperTarget stores is indicative of their position that the grocery industry as a “high-impact, low-cost” side project. The company operated 239 SuperTarget locations as of September 2015; they each encompass an estimate of 174,000 square feet (16,200 m²).

In article written in August 2015, Target was quoted as saying “Big or small, our stores have one thing in common: they’re all Target.” Since then, newer stores have opened under the Target name.

Small-format Target

While typical Target locations are about 135,000 square feet (12,500 m²), the majority of “small-format” CityTarget stores are roughly 80,000 square feet (7,400 m²). The first stores were opened in July 2012, in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle; the 160,000 square feet (15,000 m²) location in Boston is the largest CityTarget and opened in July 2015. TargetExpress stores hover around 14,000 to 21,000 square feet (1,300 to 2,000 m²); the first opened in Dinkytown near the University of Minnesota in July 2014. Products in these flexible-format properties are typically sold in smaller packages geared towards customers using public transportation. Locations built in college communities often carry an extended home department of apartment and dormitory furnishings. In August 2015, Target announced that it would rename its nine CityTarget and five TargetExpress stores as Target beginning that October, deciding that “Big or small, our stores have one thing in common: they’re all Target.” The first small-format stores under the unified naming scheme opened later that month in Chicago, Rosslyn, San Diego, and San Francisco. The company opened a 45,000 square feet (4,200 m²) store in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York in October 2016. In that same month, three other similar-sized stores opened in Philadelphia, Cupertino, California, and the area around Pennsylvania State University. Target opened a 22,000 square feet (2,000 m²) store in Austin’s Dobie Twenty21, adjacent to the UT Austin campus.

Nearly all of its planned openings through 2019 are small formats, which are less than 50,000 square feet (4,600 m²). The goal of these smaller-format stores is to win over the business of millennial customers. The nearly 30 new locations were to be situated in college towns or densely populated areas.

Brands and subsidiaries

As of 2018, Target has four subsidiaries: Target Brands, Inc., Target Capital Corporation, Target Enterprise, Inc., and Target General Merchandise, Inc.

Financial and Retail Services

Financial and Retail Services (FRS), formerly Target Financial Services, issues Target’s credit cards, known as the Target REDcard (formerly the Target Guest Card), issued through Target National Bank (formerly Retailers National Bank) for consumers and through Target Bank for businesses. FRS also oversees GiftCard balances. Target launched its PIN-x debit card, the Target Check Card, which was later rebranded the Target Debit Card. The Target Debit Card withdraws funds from the customer’s existing checking account, and allows for up to $40 “cash back”. The debit card allows guests to save 5% off each purchase. In late 2017, Target replaced its REDcard slogan, “Save 5% Today, Tomorrow, & Everyday with Target REDcard”, when it rolled out new benefits for REDcard holders by offering exclusive products on Target.com and preorders with “Everyday Savings. Exclusive Extras.”

Target Sourcing Services

This global sourcing organization locates merchandise from around the world for Target and helps import the merchandise to the United States. Such merchandise includes garments, furniture, bedding, and towels. Target Sourcing Services (TSS) has 27 full-service offices, 48 quality-control offices, and seven concessionaires located throughout the world. TSS employs 1,200 people. Its engineers are responsible for evaluating the factories that do business with Target Corporation for quality, labor rights, and transshipment issues. TSS was acquired by Target Corporation in 1998, was founded in 1916 as the Associated Merchandising Corporation, and was previously owned by the clients it served. TSS ceased operations in its department-store group, the division of the former Associated Merchandising Corporation that acted as a buying office for Saks, Inc., Bloomingdale’s, Stage Stores Inc., T.J.Maxx, and Marshalls

Website

Target.com owns and oversees the company’s e-commerce initiatives, such as the Target.com domain. Founded in early 2000 as target.direct, it was formed by separating the company’s existing e-commerce operations from its retailing division and combining it with its Rivertown Trading direct-marketing unit into a stand-alone subsidiary. In 2002, target.direct and Amazon.com’s subsidiary Amazon Enterprise Solutions created a partnership in which Amazon.com would provide order fulfillment and guest services for Target.com in exchange for fixed and variable fees. After the company sold Marshall Field’s and Mervyn’s in 2004, target.direct became Target.com. The domain target.com attracted at least 288 million visitors annually by 2008, according to a Compete.com survey. In August 2009, Target announced that they would build and manage a new Target.com platform, independent of Amazon.com. This new platform was to launch in 2011, in advance of the holiday season. Prior to the announcement, Target and Amazon had extended their partnership until 2011.In January 2010, Target announced their vendor partners for the re-platforming project. These partners include Sapient, IBM, Oracle, Endeca, Autonomy, Sterling Commerce, and Huge, among others. The re-platformed Target.com officially launched on August 23, 2011, effectively ending the partnership with Amazon.com.

discount code

Foundation Story
Founded by three partners of French origin in 1988, LC Waikiki started its commercial life as a wholesale brand. Established and registered in Paris, LC Waikiki attracted attention with its t-shirt and sweatshirt designs in the first place. With the separation of the two founding partners of the brand in time, LC Waikiki was passed to George Amouyal as the sole shareholder. Tema Tekstil, which is connected to Taha Group and is the producer as well as licensor of LC Waikiki in Turkey, bought the worldwide rights of the LC Waikiki brand in 1997.

After the purchase of all the rights of the brand, the name of Tema Tekstil, belonging to Taha Group, was changed to “LC Waikiki Retailing Services”. The 7 percent share of the group was transferred to George Amouyal, from whom LC Waikiki’s royalties were purchased. Although George Amouyal, of French origin, has not been actively involved in the management of LC Waikiki after the brand name transfer, he still holds 7 percent of our company.

Taha Group, founded in 1988, bought LC Waikiki, which was born in Paris but grew in Istanbul, and brought it to its current level. The adventure of our brand has started with the capital support of the shareholders of Taha Dış Ticaret, which carried out import and export operations in the iron and steel sector of the period, and Taha Tekstil, a start-up in which Mustafa Küçük took responsibility as a founder/managing partner. Taha Tekstil, located in Zeytinburnu, on a small area of approximately 150 square meters on the ground floor of an apartment building, was established as a sample sewing and cutting workshop. Taha Tekstil, which exports clothing based on contract manufacturing, met with LC Waikiki via an intermediary marketer.

Upon receipt of an order of approximately ten thousand pieces of monkey t-shirts of LC Waikiki which were very popular at that time and mostly produced in countries such as India, Korea and Greece, Taha Tekstil began to organize the contract manufacturing of the brand in Turkey. Taha Tekstil has verged to production investments over time in order to meet LC Waikiki’s increasing order, printing, embroidery, label, quality and short-term production demands. These investments were made by establishing separate profit-centered companies managed by different founding/managing partners as start-ups.

The companies, which were established as printing, embroidery, label, knitted fabric, knitted dyehouse and different clothing workshops between 1990-1994, were gathered under the roof of Taha Holding, whose General Coordinator was Mustafa Küçük in 1994. Taha Tekstil, and later Taha Holding, was established by Şefik Yılmaz Dizdar as the shareholder partner and Mustafa Küçük, the founder/managing partner, with a 50 percent partnership each. In the following period, 10 percent of the share of Taha Tekstil, the parent company, was transferred to İsmail Hakkı Kısacık, the production manager at that time, and the number of shareholders of Taha Tekstil and Taha Holding increased to three.

Even though the founding/managing partners responsible for the management of each company established within Taha Holding are not shareholders in the parent company, they have joined the Taha Group family due to the partnership shares of the companies under their management. After Taha Tekstil started production of LC Waikiki for export, as the famous monkey t-shirt models of that period were in great demand in the domestic market, Turkey license of LC Waikiki was acquired by Taha Holding via Tema Tekstil which was established in 1991. Then, Turkey’s domestic market was penetrated via wholesale trading and corner dealers.

Mustafa Küçük’s brother, Vahap Küçük was appointed as the founder / managing partner of Tema Tekstil, which was established by Taha Holding to manage the wholesale organization of LC Waikiki in the domestic market. Our first retail LC Waikiki store was opened on Şişli Halaskargazi Street. Despite other retail stores were opened in different cities later on, our retail stores could not achieve the intended profitability and growth due to the financial crisis in 2000. During the financial crisis in 2000, in Taha Group companies which had difficulties in maintaining the cash flow balance and had to sell some production companies to meet their cash needs, the challenges brought by the experienced crisis prompted the management of the corporation to take radical decisions.

During this period, it was decided to separate the production group and the retail group from each other completely and to leave the wholesale dealership system and focus entirely on retailing. In line with these radical decisions, it was determined that the production companies shall focus on export under the roof of Taha Holding and under the Group Coordinator, İsmail Kısacık, who was responsible for production whereas Tema Holding and its affiliated Tema Mağazacılık, under the Chairmanship of Vahap Küçük and the CEO/Group Coordinator Mustafa Küçük, shall focus entirely on the retail sector.

Through Tema Holding and Tema Mağazacılık, merged under LC Waikiki, we act in line with our vision of becoming one of Europe’s three most successful clothing brands until 2023. With our mission “everyone deserves to dress well”, we continue to grow with our own stores domestic and abroad, and with our franchise partners in countries with legal obligations. With the factories established in various cities of Anatolia, we continue to work on the production and export of the world’s leading brands. As of 2020, we are proud to reach 22.6 billion TL net sales, approximately 50 thousand employees, 845 million USD export and more than 1000 stores.

The history of LC Waikiki

The LC Waikiki brand was first introduced in 1988 by three French partners in Paris, where it was famous for its T-shirts and ready-to-wear brands.

In 1997, the Turkish company Tema, a subsidiary of the Taha Group, bought the rights of the LC Waikiki brand entirely from the French partner George Amoyal, leaving him with 7% of the company’s shares, and LC Waikiki became a Turkish brand.

ASOS originally stood for AsSeenOnScreen with the tagline “Buy what you see on film and TV” because it exclusively sold imitations of clothing from those mediums (for example, Brad Pitt’s red leather jacket from the 1999 film Fight Club). However, it no longer has that meaning and is generally stylised as an uppercase acronym, although the company’s logo represents it in lower case.

ASOS’ headquarters are in Camden Town, at Greater London House, with additional offices in Berlin and Birmingham. As of 2013, their main fulfilment centre is in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, where they employ 3,500 workers. The customer care department is based in Leavesden. The Danish company Bestseller A/S, owned by the business magnate Anders Holch Povlsen, is ASOS’ largest stakeholder, with a 26% share.

History

2000–2004: Founding and listing

ASOS was established on 3 June 2000, by Nick Robertson, Andrew Regan, Quentin Griffiths, and Deborah Thorpe. In 2001, ASOS was admitted to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) on the London Stock Exchange. In 2003, ASOS shareholders agreed to change the names of AsSeenOnScreen Holdings PLC and AsSeenOnScreen Limited to ASOS plc and ASOS.com Limited. In 2004, the company reported a maiden profit, with sales almost doubling in its first half. In 2004, ASOS introduced their own label for women’s clothing.

2005–2012: Development

In 2005, the Buncefield Fuel Depot explosion led to the closure of the business for six weeks and £5m of stock was lost. In 2008, ASOS debuted kidswear on its site, however the branded market subsequently suffered declines at the expense of fast-growing own-label kidswear offers. In 2010, ASOS announced it would no longer offer kidswear, to concentrate on its core young adult fashion market.

In the final quarter of 2010, ASOS launched three international online shops in Germany, France and the US. In November 2010, ASOS launched its marketplace platform for boutiques, vintage collectors, individuals and designers to trade from virtual market stalls to customers globally.

In September 2011, ASOS launched three more sites in Australia, Italy and Spain. In 2012, ASOS opened its first international office in Sydney, Australia, followed by an office in New York.Later on, the company launched its first drama-game show series, called #DIGIDATING, starring AJ Odudu. It was billed as an Internet dating show with backstage drama.

2013–present: Global expansion

In 2013, ASOS opened its first office outside the South East, in Birmingham. Later in 2013, ASOS recalled belts contaminated with radioactive cobalt-60. ASOS Russia and China were launched in the same year. In 2014, a fire in the Barnsley warehouse prevented them from taking orders for almost three days. During the 2014 Formula One season, ASOS was a sponsor of the McLaren Formula One team. In 2015, ASOS had over 4,000 employees and was the UK’s largest independent online and fashion beauty retailer.

In September 2016, an investigative report from Buzzfeed News alleged poor working conditions at ASOS’ warehouse. However, company spokespersons contended that the isolated complaints reported in the Buzzfeed article were not reflective of the general working conditions there.^[25][26]

In April 2019, ASOS informed its clients through email that the company is looking into ways of changing its easy returns policy, after research showed customers were manipulating the easy return process. The company also admitted that the previous return policy was environmentally costly.

In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, ASOS was accused by some staff and workers unions of “playing Russian roulette with people’s lives” by failing to adequately enforce preventative measures in their Grimethorpe, Barnsley site. It was claimed that warehouse staff could not safely operate whilst maintaining social distancing, that the staff felt unsafe and that ASOS’s product was not actually essential, thus not meeting the UK Government’s recommendation that only essential workplaces remain open. The company refuted these claims, claiming they had sufficiently changed their operation to comply, Barnsley Council also inspected the site and found that the company was complying.

In October 2020, ASOS Marketplace announced that it would not be charging commission rates on small business transactions to provide support through the COVID-19 pandemic for sellers.

In April 2021, ASOS has partnered with delivery company DPD of DPDgroup to allow shoppers the option to donate unwanted clothing to charity.^[34] In June 2021, ASOS launched a partnership with Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics.

In February 2021, it was announced that ASOS was to acquire the Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, and HIIT brands from collapsed Philip Green’s Arcadia Group. On 4 February, the three former Arcadia Group brands became wholly owned subsidiaries of ASOS with 300 head-office staff members from Arcadia and Topshop/Topman Limited.

In November 2021, Ian Dyson became Chair.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, ASOS suspended operations in Russia.

Digital marketing

In November 2009, ASOS claimed a ratio of one Twitter follower to eight Facebook fans to 100 active e-mail subscribers. Their 2008 report pointed out that nearly 10% of sales could be directly attributed to email marketing.

In 2017, ASOS launched a campaign intended to take full advantage of the Instagram Stories feature, encouraging users to upload videos of purchased ASOS products. 3 million people interacted with the video in the UK. ASOS uses the #AsSeenOnMe hashtag and any use of the hashtag adds the photos to an ASOS online database.