Welcome to RepricerExpress’ weekly round-up of the top five stories from the world of Amazon and ecommerce.
Amazon’s Super Bowl ad imagines a world where Cardi B and Anthony Hopkins are Alexa: Chaim Gartenberg at The Verge reports that although The Super Bowl isn’t for another few days, Amazon is getting a jump on the big game with the release of a star-studded Super Bowl ad. The commercial imagines a world in which the company’s Alexa assistant has “lost her voice,” leading a frantic Jeff Bezos to seek out replacements in the forms of various celebrities. Continue reading…
Amazon patents wristband that tracks warehouse workers’ movements: Olivia Solon at The Guardian reports that Amazon has patented designs for a wristband that can precisely track where warehouse employees are placing their hands and use vibrations to nudge them in a different direction. The concept, which aims to streamline the fulfilment of orders, adds another layer of surveillance to an already challenging working environment. When someone orders a product from Amazon, the details are transmitted to the handheld computers that all warehouse staff carry. Continue reading…
Two out of every three Amazon sellers use FBA: Joe at Marketplace Pulse report that since June last year Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) usage has grown considerably. Across all marketplaces, the percentage of sellers using the service has on average increased by 10 basis points, for example on Amazon.com it is up from 58% to 69%. According to Amazon, FBA units represented more than 55% of total third-party units in 2016 Q4. This figure has grown from 40% in 2014, to 50% in 2015, and to 55% in 2016. Continue reading…
Watch Jeff Bezos take a tour of Amazon’s new indoor rainforest: CNBC reports that on Monday, Amazon opened a rainforest-like office space in Seattle that it hopes will spark new ideas for employees. Company office towers and high-end eateries have taken the place of warehouses and parking lots in Seattle’s South Lake Union district. The Spheres’ three glass domes house some 40,000 plants of 400 species. Amazon, famous for its demanding work culture, hopes the Spheres’ lush environs will let employees reflect and have chance encounters, spawning new products or plans. Continue reading…
Amazon to create 400 jobs at new UK fulfilment centre: James Sillars at Sky News reports that Amazon is to open a new distribution centre in the Midlands creating 400 jobs. The company said its plans for the new self-styled fulfilment centre in Rugby would open up positions for HR and IT specialists, as well as engineers. Amazon’s announcement came as a report by the Centre for Cities warned the North and the Midlands were most at risk of losing jobs to automation and globalisation. Continue reading…
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