It offers everything you can think of in the world - from ground beef to clothing to basketball hoops - at rock-bottom prices.It’s only a matter of time before this digital discounter puts Costco (NASDAQ: COST) out of business.Ĭonsider how Costco rose to power, and its positioning in the retail landscape.

And while those high-tech hijinks factor into the equation, the real long-play trend here might be the rather unsexy fact that Amazon is the big-box retailer of the future. Which got me thinking: Many investors might be speculating on Amazon’s long-term potential based on its e-book business or its potential to fend off Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) as the gadget giant is rumored to be launching a $299 iPad mini. He’s signed up for Amazon Prime and buys everything from deodorant to a gas grill on the web retailing powerhouse because he gets free two-day shipping (after the $79 annual fee for the service) and a great deal due to the pricing power of AMZN. I have a colleague who is an (NASDAQ: AMZN) junkie.

Kindles at costco