Tag Archive: amazon

How Amazon forced Ecommerce to Evolve

August 3, 2016  Published by

From its humble beginnings as an online bookstore and throughout its steady growth into the titan of industry that it is today, Amazon has done a lot for the field of ecommerce. When Amazon started up in 1994, ecommerce was barely a thing and the Internet was still exotic and confusing for most consumers. In 1995, astronomer and author Clifford Stoll sneered at the idea of ecommerce, writing in Newsweek: “We’re promised instant catalog shopping–just point and click for great deals. We’ll order airline tickets over the network, make restaurant reservations and negotiate sales contracts. Stores will become obselete [sic].…... View Article

Amazon Prime Pantry: A Great Example of Kitting

August 6, 2014  Published by

Earlier this year, Amazon launched a new program for its Prime members called “Prime Pantry.” The service is like a custom kitting process. Customers are allowed to order as many grocery items that will fit in a 4-cubic-foot box that holds up to 45 lbs. As customers add items to their cart, they are told what percentage of the box is filled. When the order is complete, the box ships for a flat rate of $5.99 (regardless of how full it is). [more] This is a great example of an ecommerce business using creative kitting to their advantage. Amazon Prime…... View Article

The Future of eCommerce Shipping

June 26, 2014  Published by

Amazon.com filed a patent late last year for a “Method and system for anticipatory package shipping.” In short, the company plans to develop a system that ships items to customers before they have actually ordered them. [more] The system is intended to work by first doing a deep analysis of customers. Amazon plans to look at things such as Browsing behavior Purchase history Survey data Wish lists Returned purchases Etc. With these user statistics, Amazon hopes to predict what items users will likely buy in the near future. From there, Amazon has a number of shipping options that can go…... View Article

How Can Amazon Prepare for Prime Air?

January 29, 2014  Published by

By now, you’ve probably heard about Amazon’s theoretical drone delivery system – Prime Air. Amazon is projecting that the delivery system will be ready sometime in 2015 – and they seem to be placing the onus of that projection on the FAA. While it’s true that the FAA will need to lay out some rules before commercial drones become widespread, they are not the only ones who have a lot of planning to do. Amazon’s idea of a drone delivery system still has a lot of kinks to work out, and they might need to collaborate with more than the…... View Article

Art and eCommerce

October 30, 2013  Published by

Proving that nearly everything can be sold through ecommerce, Amazon.com launched a fine art marketplace in August this year. In true Amazon fashion, the selection is vast, covering a range of tastes and price points. The multi-million dollar paintings available through Amazon Art surely present a unique consumer fulfillment challenge, but the real questions is whether artists can succeed online or through an ecommerce platform. [more] While galleries, showcases, and brick-and-mortar storefronts have been the prevailing forums for artists to share and sell their work, the Internet can certainly be a viable way to sell fine art if approached the…... View Article

A New Revolution in Ecommerce: Groceries and Same-Day Delivery

July 3, 2013  Published by

A few months ago, Google launched beta testing for an ecommerce service called Google Shopping Express available in the San Francisco Bay area. During the test, selected users can shop online for products from local stores (all under the same interface) which are then delivered that same day. Rumor has it that Google may charge $60-70 for the service when it’s out of testing. [more] his draws many similarities to Amazon’s efforts with Amazon Prime – which charges users $79 per year to get free, two-day shipping on an unlimited number of orders – as well as AmazonFresh – a…... View Article

AmazonFresh and Grocery Fulfillment

June 26, 2013  Published by

If you thought the ultimate Internet retailer couldn’t get any bigger, think again. Amazon.com recently announced plans to expand its online grocery business. For the past five years, Seattle has been the testing ground for “AmazonFresh,” which delivers fresh produce and groceries to customers’ homes. Now, Amazon plans go beyond Seattle and in to as many as 20 other urban areas in 2014. [more] The current industry buzz is that Amazon will quickly dominate the online grocery market. Why? Because there isn’t a lot of strong competition – and with good reason. Online grocery sales are tough market with low…... View Article