Amazon turns to drink

GIANT ONLINE retailer, Amazon, is apparently getting bored with books and box DVD sets, and is now trying to enter the online world of wine selling, after posting a job advert for a senior wine buyer.

According to the job posting, Amazon says it's looking for a senior wine buyer who will be responsible for "the acquisition of a massive new product selection". Amazon said the candidate they chose would be "responsible for the acquisition of massive new product selection", and "will work to build [an] entirely new selection from the ground up".

It is not the first time that Amazon has turned to drink in its pursuit of success. In 1999, the company invested $30 million to buy 45 per cent of the shares in Wineshopper.com, a start-up company which subsequently disintegrated a year later.

Wine.com, which is the biggest current U.S. online wine seller, sells gift baskets through Amazon, but not, as the name would have you believe, wine itself.

Online alcohol sales are problematic in the U.S because of laws regulating the online sales of the intoxicating stuff in different states. But in 2005, the US Supreme Court ruled that state governments had to stop being party poopers and could no longer prevent their residents from ordering directly from out-of-state wineries, making it much easier for Amazon to find a way into the market.

Still, it may be too soon for Amazon to be toasting its own success. Since the job advert was posted last week, the outfit has remained tight lipped about what any actual plans may entail. µ