Britain retains the Royal Mail's monopoly on the last-mile delivery for daily mail volumes under 4, 000 items (Express Dairies got its delivery licence because its volume is above the monopoly threshold).

ECONOMIST: Post offices

Express had instant inventory by drawing items already selling on Ebay sites at fixed prices.

FORBES: Too Smart for its Own Good

To meet those needs, the company tapped contributions from 600 employees for two years and in the spring of 2006 launched Ebay Express, a separate site that sold fixed-price items and charged sellers only if an item sold.

FORBES: Too Smart for its Own Good

American Express is creating media partnerships to make it easy for viewers to buy the clothing, furniture and other items they see while watching a television show.

FORBES: American Express Dives into "T-Commerce"