BigTrends

Internet retail giant Amazon (AMZN) reported blowout earnings yesterday, with strong numbers on its Kindle electronic book technology impressing many.

AMZN continues to be the dominant player in the "click-and-mortar" sales biz ... they seem to offer virtually every product in the world through their site and their various partners.

The big bump in the shares pushed AMZN to an all-time high (see the following chart).  What is interesting here is that AMZN is now above even the levels of the "Internet Bubble".  This shows that well-run, innovative companies will thrive no matter what the economic or market situation. 

Personally I would say that for a long-term technology holding, I rate AMZN a "Buy".   Disclsoure, I have no current positions or recommendations in AMZN.

AMZN Monthly Chart

The recession has claimed another well-known retailer:  Crabtree & Evelyn, the well-known maker of soaps and lotions, today filed for Chapter 11.  This adds to the list of brick-and-mortar retailers that have filed for protection recently, including Eddie Bauer,  Filene's Basement, Linens N Things, Mervyn's, and Circuit City.

Meanwhile, some modern retailers appear to be thriving in the current economic environment, such as Amazon (AMZN) and NetFlix (NFLX).