TALES FROM THE FRONT

amozon.com skips holiday upgrade

Online behemoth Amazon.com aced the holiday, with glowing reports that this was its best-selling season ever. One Multichannel Merchant staffer decided to test the company's holiday delivery policy by placing an order the evening of Dec. 21 and not upgrading to expedited shipping. Would Amazon throw the late orderer a bone and deliver the package on Dec. 24 anyway? No. But the staffer's spouse got a Christmas bonus when the order finally arrived Dec. 27.

Staffers cite swift regifts

You know you've regifted something at one time or another, so don't judge. At a recent story meeting two Multichannel Merchant staffers reported two recent holiday regift experiences. One staffer boldly regifted a just-received Harry & David fruitcake; another was regifted with a box of Swiss Colony chocolates. How does he know he was regifted? The guest who brought them over to a party hurriedly put them on the dining room table — before anyone would notice that the shrink-wrap from the box was missing. Remember: What goes around comes around.