OTTAWA, CA - Shopify Inc., Canada's leading technology company, has acquired the domain names Shop.ca and Shop.us from Toronto-based EMERGE Commerce Ltd. for approximately $500,000. These domains now redirect to Shopify's Shop App website, a marketplace designed as a "digital shopping assistant" that allows users to search for products and brands, make purchases, and track shipments. The original Shop.ca launched in 2011, positioning itself as "Canada’s largest online … [Read more...]
Amid Declining Revenues And Tenant Bankruptcies, Simon Taking Malls Online
PALM BEACH, FL – It seems that one of the biggest mall owners in the U.S., Simon Property Group, is getting ready to take their physical shopping mall and real estate business online, likely before their physical malls completely empty out. Simon, which owns 235 malls and premium outlet centers across the globe has been testing two ‘beta’ sites called “PremiumOutlets.com” (SIMON PROPERTY GROUP, L.P. ) and “ShopPremiumOutlets.com” (SHOP PO, LLC.) since about March; they … [Read more...]
The 472 Domain Names That Couldn’t Stop The Inevitable Collapse of ‘Toys R Us’
NEW YORK, NY - Toys R Us is a brand we’ve all grown up with. The company was originally founded by Charles P. Lazarus (October 5, 1923 - March 22, 2018), the son of a local entrepreneur who wished to someday mimic his father’s work with his own enterprise. Those dreams became a reality in 1948 when young Charles, 25, opened his first children’s furniture store called “Children’s Bargain Town” in Washington, D.C. After years of early success, Lazarus added toys and changed … [Read more...]
Domainers: Emergency Funding Needed in HeidiPowell.com Appeal Process
NEW YORK, NY - If you have been watching and reading within domain name news and commentary circles for the last few months, you’re probably aware of the atrocity taking place where Heidi Powell, a senior city resident of Washington, is VIGEROUSLY fighting to keep rights to her own domain name, registered since 2005, and an exact match of her actual name, “Heidi Powell” HeidiPowell.com. Many domain enthusiasts, including myself, have come to the aid of Mr. and Mrs. Powell by … [Read more...]
“ShoeBuy” Becomes “Shoes” – Walmart Maximizes Domain Acquired in $9M Deal
NEW YORK, NY - Back in April I wrote about the “Category Killer Domain” Shoes.com which was acquired in a $9M transaction by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Today, it looks like that investment is being put into good-use by retail giant Wal-Mart. The transaction began in late March of this year and by April 29th 2017, according to the Archive.org website, ShowBuy.com began redirecting to Shoes.com ShoeBuy.com (according to the Archive.org April 29th 2017) Shoes.com … [Read more...]
Category Killer Domain Shoes.com Acquired in $9M Transaction by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
NEW YORK, NY - According to domain name industry news publication DNJournal.com, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., owned subsidiary ShoeBuy, has acquired the Internet domain name Shoes.com in a $9,000,000.00 transaction which included the domain name from a bankruptcy of now defunct operator “Shoes.com Technologies”. A spokesperson for ShoeBuy told Footwear News that the move was part of the company’s larger digital goals. We plan to maximize Shoes.com as the gold standard of category … [Read more...]
Audio Arguments for ‘Calculated Theft’ Attempt of HeidiPowell.com Domain
NEW YORK, NY - For those who are unaware of the backstory behind the failed cyber-squatting attempt by Arizona Heidi in her effort to steal the online identity of the original Heidi Powell, the effort continues via opening of an old bankruptcy case to acquire the domain name HeidiPowell.com. UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON AT SEATTLE before Honorable Marc Barreca, Chapter 7, Hearing Date: March 22, 2017, Hearing Time: 10:00 a.m. Even if … [Read more...]
Domain Community Can Do “Much Better” to Help Heidi Powell Keep HeidiPowell.com, Raise Awareness
NEW YORK, NY - It’s going to be a sad day for all domainers if and when Mrs. Heidi Powell loses ownership of her domain name “HeidiPowell.com”. Some of you may have read my original article on this topic earlier this month and some of you may not. Some of you may have even helped contribute to Heidi’s GoFundMe campaign to help her fight this nonsense legal battle – but again, some of you may not. Now I don't know exactly how big the domain community is - but it is sure bigger … [Read more...]
Sometimes You Just Cannot Have the .com Name That You Want; Now Move On
It’s aggravating to find frivolous lawsuits such as one I will talk about today where someone fighting for a domain just doesn’t get it. The single thing that takes a negative situation like this and shows some positive light is when you find that there are good - no great people such as David E. Weslow (handling the case pro-bono) and organizations like the Internet Commerce Association (how I found out about this) which help tilt the scale in the other direction. Situations … [Read more...]