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Amazon trounces rivals in battle of the shopping 'bots'

The company's technological edge has been good for its profit margin, and is proving a winning formula for investors

Published Wed, May 10, 2017 · 09:50 PM
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San Francisco

EARLIER this year, engineers at Wal-Mart Stores Inc who track rivals' prices online got a rude surprise: The technology they were using to check Amazon.com several million times a day suddenly stopped working.

Losing access to Amazon.com Inc's data was no small matter. Like most big retailers, Walmart relies on computer programs that scan prices on competitors' websites so it can adjust its listings accordingly. A difference of even 50 cents can mean losing a sale.

But a new tactic by Amazon to block these programs - known commonly as robots or bots - thwarted the Bentonville, Ark…

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