If you were looking for a pulse check on the state of small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) post-interest rate cuts, you could do worse than Seattle this week.
\nAmazon gathered its independent sellers from all four corners of the globe for its annual Accelerate conference. While the mood was enthusiastic, the crowd that gathered was concerned about two things: GenAI and logistics. One thing that didn\u2019t show up: Relief over interest rate cuts.
\nMost of the sellers interviewed on site by PYMNTS were relieved that the Fed finally took action. But they were looking for more immediate relief than a gradual drawdown of interest rates would provide, and for the most part, they weren\u2019t rushing to access any new funding anytime soon.
\n\u201cOne of the lessons I learned here is that funding is something you have to track in different ways,\u201d said Richard Brown, proprietor of Cleveland-based sneaker accessory retailer Proof Culture. \u201cFunding for my company is more about finding better payment terms than it\u2019s about access to capital.\u201d
\n\u201cWe just took our first loan this year (before the rate cut),\u201d said Tulsa-based fishing accessory retailer Chill-N-Reel CMO Chris Diede. \u201cUsually we put back everything we make into new products and content creation. But we realized that if we want to be the great American redneck brand, we need to make sure we have products in stock.\u201d
\nBrown, Diede and other Amazon sellers were far more excited about AI in the context of their business than they were about interest rate cuts. And they weren\u2019t disappointed. Amazon used the event to introduce a slew of AI applications, from the personal AI assistant Project Amelia to upgrades to AI-powered tools like Rufus to help customers make better shopping choices and analytics tools to help sellers understand why items get returned.
\nA big change is that all sellers using Amazon\u2019s warehouses can now easily resell returned items, which the company says will increase their profits and offer more discounted products to customers. Amazon also introduced a new tool to help sellers avoid returns by offering free product support, which prevented 11 million returns last year. For cheaper items, sellers can now refund without requesting the product back.
\nWhile AI got much-deserved attention at the conference, it did so in the spirit of extending big business capabilities to SMBs. Sellers discussed using AI to create product images, tell their brand story and to access datasets that would help bring customer acquisition and retention costs down.
\n\u201cYour brand story is how you differentiate yourself,\u201d said candle manufacturer Hemlock Park Founder Mikey Kim. \u201cIt\u2019s how you communicate quality. It\u2019s how you get good reviews.\u201d
\nKim and other sellers also discussed their use of data, which one roundtable survey put at the top of the Amazon services list. Several of them described using sales and competitive data to pivot anything from product development to social media usage to entire business models.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve been telling all the other sellers here to shoot as much video as possible because you can slice it up and feed social platforms like TikTok \u2014 which has had its moment \u2014 and that expands your audience,\u201d Diede said. \u201cThere\u2019s more than 50 million fishing licenses in the U.S. and we\u2019ve only old 300,000 products. That\u2019s a lot of runway.\u201d
\nThe post Amazon Sellers Go All In on Logistics and GenAI appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "If you were looking for a pulse check on the state of small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) post-interest rate cuts, you could do worse than Seattle this week.\nAmazon gathered its independent sellers from all four corners of the globe for its annual Accelerate conference. While the mood was enthusiastic, the crowd that gathered was concerned about two things: GenAI and logistics. One thing that didn\u2019t show up: Relief over interest rate cuts.\nMost of the sellers interviewed on site by PYMNTS were relieved that the Fed finally took action. But they were looking for more immediate relief than a gradual drawdown of interest rates would provide, and for the most part, they weren\u2019t rushing to access any new funding anytime soon.\n\u201cOne of the lessons I learned here is that funding is something you have to track in different ways,\u201d said Richard Brown, proprietor of Cleveland-based sneaker accessory retailer Proof Culture. \u201cFunding for my company is more about finding better payment terms than it\u2019s about access to capital.\u201d\n\u201cWe just took our first loan this year (before the rate cut),\u201d said Tulsa-based fishing accessory retailer Chill-N-Reel CMO Chris Diede. \u201cUsually we put back everything we make into new products and content creation. But we realized that if we want to be the great American redneck brand, we need to make sure we have products in stock.\u201d\nBrown, Diede and other Amazon sellers were far more excited about AI in the context of their business than they were about interest rate cuts. And they weren\u2019t disappointed. Amazon used the event to introduce a slew of AI applications, from the personal AI assistant Project Amelia to upgrades to AI-powered tools like Rufus to help customers make better shopping choices and analytics tools to help sellers understand why items get returned.\nA big change is that all sellers using Amazon\u2019s warehouses can now easily resell returned items, which the company says will increase their profits and offer more discounted products to customers. Amazon also introduced a new tool to help sellers avoid returns by offering free product support, which prevented 11 million returns last year. For cheaper items, sellers can now refund without requesting the product back.\nWhile AI got much-deserved attention at the conference, it did so in the spirit of extending big business capabilities to SMBs. Sellers discussed using AI to create product images, tell their brand story and to access datasets that would help bring customer acquisition and retention costs down.\n\u201cYour brand story is how you differentiate yourself,\u201d said candle manufacturer Hemlock Park Founder Mikey Kim. \u201cIt\u2019s how you communicate quality. It\u2019s how you get good reviews.\u201d\nKim and other sellers also discussed their use of data, which one roundtable survey put at the top of the Amazon services list. Several of them described using sales and competitive data to pivot anything from product development to social media usage to entire business models.\n\u201cI\u2019ve been telling all the other sellers here to shoot as much video as possible because you can slice it up and feed social platforms like TikTok \u2014 which has had its moment \u2014 and that expands your audience,\u201d Diede said. \u201cThere\u2019s more than 50 million fishing licenses in the U.S. and we\u2019ve only old 300,000 products. That\u2019s a lot of runway.\u201d\nThe post Amazon Sellers Go All In on Logistics and GenAI appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-09-20T04:00:26-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-09-19T21:08:01-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Proof-Culture-Amazon-biz.jpg", "tags": [ "AI", "Amazon", "amazon accelerate", "Amazon sellers", "artificial intelligence", "Chill-N-Reel", "Chris Diede", "Featured News", "GenAI", "generative AI", "Hemlock Park", "logistics", "Mikey Kim", "News", "Project Amelia", "PYMNTS News", "Richard Brown", "Rufus", "small businesses", "SMBs", "third party sellers" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=2102762", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/amazon/2024/amazon-adds-grade-and-resell-option-for-sellers-product-returns/", "title": "Amazon Adds \u2018Grade and Resell\u2019 Option for Sellers\u2019 Product Returns", "content_html": "Amazon now offers the independent sellers using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) in the United States a new option for managing product returns: Grade and Resell.
\nThis optional program, which was previously available only to retail brands, provides a resell channel that helps sellers recover value on returned inventory and gives customers a greater selection of preowned and open-box products, Amazon said in a Thursday (Sept. 19) blog post.
\nIn this program, items that are returned to Amazon\u2019s return centers are inspected and then offered for resale, according to the post.
\n\u201cBefore an item can be sold through Grade and Resell, we conduct a comprehensive inspection to thoroughly test the condition of each item and provide a detailed description of its condition to make it easier for customers to make a more informed purchase decision,\u201d Gopal Pillai, vice president, worldwide returns and reCommerce at Amazon, wrote in the post. \u201cFor electronic items, we will power on, test and factory-reset as part of the evaluation.
\n\u201cBased on the quality check, each item will be assigned one of four listing conditions: \u2018Like New,\u2019 \u2018Very Good,\u2019 \u2018Good\u2019 or \u2018Acceptable,\u2019\u201d Pillai added.
\nGrade and Resell joins the other options available to sellers using FBA in the U.S., which include Product Support, which aims to avoid returns by providing customers with help on product setup and other issues; FBA Returnless Resolutions that lets sellers grant refunds without requiring the customer to physically return the item; and FBA Donations that allows sellers to donate eligible products to families and individuals in need, per the post.
\n\u201cIf a customer decides to return an item, we make returns convenient and easy \u2014 working backwards from customer and selling partner needs to streamline the returns process,\u201d Pillai wrote in the post.
\nEasy and convenient return and refund procedures are likely to attract customers, according to the PYMNTS Intelligence and Adobe collaboration, \u201cThe Online Features Driving Consumers to Shop With Brands, Retailers or Marketplaces.\u201d
\nThe report found that 47.1% of consumers take easy and convenient return and refund procedures into account when shopping on an online marketplace. The same is true of 27.9% of consumers shopping on a retailer\u2019s website or mobile app other than the brand\u2019s site and 25% of those shopping on a brand\u2019s website or mobile app.
\nThe post Amazon Adds \u2018Grade and Resell\u2019 Option for Sellers\u2019 Product Returns appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Amazon now offers the independent sellers using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) in the United States a new option for managing product returns: Grade and Resell.\nThis optional program, which was previously available only to retail brands, provides a resell channel that helps sellers recover value on returned inventory and gives customers a greater selection of preowned and open-box products, Amazon said in a Thursday (Sept. 19) blog post.\nIn this program, items that are returned to Amazon\u2019s return centers are inspected and then offered for resale, according to the post.\n\u201cBefore an item can be sold through Grade and Resell, we conduct a comprehensive inspection to thoroughly test the condition of each item and provide a detailed description of its condition to make it easier for customers to make a more informed purchase decision,\u201d Gopal Pillai, vice president, worldwide returns and reCommerce at Amazon, wrote in the post. \u201cFor electronic items, we will power on, test and factory-reset as part of the evaluation.\n\u201cBased on the quality check, each item will be assigned one of four listing conditions: \u2018Like New,\u2019 \u2018Very Good,\u2019 \u2018Good\u2019 or \u2018Acceptable,\u2019\u201d Pillai added.\nGrade and Resell joins the other options available to sellers using FBA in the U.S., which include Product Support, which aims to avoid returns by providing customers with help on product setup and other issues; FBA Returnless Resolutions that lets sellers grant refunds without requiring the customer to physically return the item; and FBA Donations that allows sellers to donate eligible products to families and individuals in need, per the post.\n\u201cIf a customer decides to return an item, we make returns convenient and easy \u2014 working backwards from customer and selling partner needs to streamline the returns process,\u201d Pillai wrote in the post.\nEasy and convenient return and refund procedures are likely to attract customers, according to the PYMNTS Intelligence and Adobe collaboration, \u201cThe Online Features Driving Consumers to Shop With Brands, Retailers or Marketplaces.\u201d\nThe report found that 47.1% of consumers take easy and convenient return and refund procedures into account when shopping on an online marketplace. The same is true of 27.9% of consumers shopping on a retailer\u2019s website or mobile app other than the brand\u2019s site and 25% of those shopping on a brand\u2019s website or mobile app.\nThe post Amazon Adds \u2018Grade and Resell\u2019 Option for Sellers\u2019 Product Returns appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-09-19T20:30:09-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-09-19T20:30:09-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Amazon-returns-1.jpg", "tags": [ "Amazon", "ecommerce", "FBA Donations", "FBA Returnless Resolutions", "Fulfillment by Amazon", "Gopal Pillai", "Grade and Resell", "News", "Product returns", "Product Support", "PYMNTS News", "ReCommerce", "Retail", "return and refund", "third party vendors", "What's Hot" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=2101692", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/amazon/2024/amazon-teams-with-paypal-buy-with-prime-shoppers-jump-50-percent/", "title": "Amazon Teams With PayPal as Buy With Prime Shoppers Jump 50%", "content_html": "Amazon launched a new integration with PayPal amid a surge in Buy with Prime use.
\nThe eCommerce giant revealed several enhancements to its merchant and shopper offerings at its Accelerate seller conference, according to a Wednesday (Sept. 18) press release.
\nAmong the enhancements, participating brands using the Buy with Prime API can now offer PayPal at checkout once shoppers log in to their Amazon account, per the release.
\nBeginning in 2025, Prime members will be able to perform a one-time link of their Amazon account to their PayPal account. That means Prime shipping benefits will be available automatically whenever they use PayPal while shopping with Buy with Prime on participating merchants\u2019 sites, according to the release.
\nBuy with Prime debuted in 2022 as a way for merchants to sell listed products directly from their websites. This year, Amazon has seen a more than 45% annual increase in Buy with Prime orders through merchant websites, with merchants seeing an average 16% increase in revenue per shopper after offering Buy with Prime, the release said.
\nAmazon has also seen more than 50% more Prime members shopping with Buy with Prime, with a 300% increase in the number of orders for Buy with Prime merchants during this year\u2019s Prime Day 2024 event, according to the release.
\nPYMNTS examined the evolution of Buy With Prime earlier this year, noting that what began \u201cas a straightforward opportunity for merchants to sell listed products directly from their websites has morphed into a powerhouse of possibilities.\u201d
\n\u201cThe evolution includes automated marketing integration and partnerships with heavy hitters like Shopify and Salesforce Commerce Cloud, presenting merchants with fresh avenues for revenue and elevating the Prime membership experience for customers,\u201d PYMNTS wrote in January.
\nAlso Wednesday, Amazon announced the addition of a fully managed option to the supply chain services it offers to sellers, available for domestic pickups next month, with a global rollout expected by the year\u2019s end.
\n\u201cSellers simply provide product details and pickup locations, and Amazon oversees the rest, including carrier pickup, inventory consolidation, strategic replenishment and placement into fulfillment centers nearest to customers, and continuous analytically driven optimization based on demand, inventory levels and costs,\u201d said Dharmesh Mehta, vice president of worldwide selling partner services at Amazon. \u201cIt\u2019s as easy as pushing a button, and sellers reap the benefits of working capital gains, increased sales and a lot less effort.\u201d
\nThe post Amazon Teams With PayPal as Buy With Prime Shoppers Jump 50% appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Amazon launched a new integration with PayPal amid a surge in Buy with Prime use.\nThe eCommerce giant revealed several enhancements to its merchant and shopper offerings at its Accelerate seller conference, according to a Wednesday (Sept. 18) press release.\nAmong the enhancements, participating brands using the Buy with Prime API can now offer PayPal at checkout once shoppers log in to their Amazon account, per the release.\nBeginning in 2025, Prime members will be able to perform a one-time link of their Amazon account to their PayPal account. That means Prime shipping benefits will be available automatically whenever they use PayPal while shopping with Buy with Prime on participating merchants\u2019 sites, according to the release.\nBuy with Prime debuted in 2022 as a way for merchants to sell listed products directly from their websites. This year, Amazon has seen a more than 45% annual increase in Buy with Prime orders through merchant websites, with merchants seeing an average 16% increase in revenue per shopper after offering Buy with Prime, the release said.\nAmazon has also seen more than 50% more Prime members shopping with Buy with Prime, with a 300% increase in the number of orders for Buy with Prime merchants during this year\u2019s Prime Day 2024 event, according to the release.\nPYMNTS examined the evolution of Buy With Prime earlier this year, noting that what began \u201cas a straightforward opportunity for merchants to sell listed products directly from their websites has morphed into a powerhouse of possibilities.\u201d\n\u201cThe evolution includes automated marketing integration and partnerships with heavy hitters like Shopify and Salesforce Commerce Cloud, presenting merchants with fresh avenues for revenue and elevating the Prime membership experience for customers,\u201d PYMNTS wrote in January.\nAlso Wednesday, Amazon announced the addition of a fully managed option to the supply chain services it offers to sellers, available for domestic pickups next month, with a global rollout expected by the year\u2019s end.\n\u201cSellers simply provide product details and pickup locations, and Amazon oversees the rest, including carrier pickup, inventory consolidation, strategic replenishment and placement into fulfillment centers nearest to customers, and continuous analytically driven optimization based on demand, inventory levels and costs,\u201d said Dharmesh Mehta, vice president of worldwide selling partner services at Amazon. \u201cIt\u2019s as easy as pushing a button, and sellers reap the benefits of working capital gains, increased sales and a lot less effort.\u201d\nThe post Amazon Teams With PayPal as Buy With Prime Shoppers Jump 50% appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-09-18T15:37:55-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-09-18T15:37:55-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Amazon.jpg", "tags": [ "Amazon", "Amazon Prime", "buy with prime", "ecommerce", "News", "partnerships", "PayPal", "PYMNTS News", "Retail", "What's Hot" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=2101641", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/amazon/2024/amazon-adds-fully-managed-option-to-supply-chain-services/", "title": "Amazon Adds Fully Managed Option to Supply Chain Services", "content_html": "Amazon\u00a0has added a fully managed option to the lineup of supply chain services it offers to sellers.
\nThe new fully managed\u00a0Supply Chain by Amazon\u00a0solution will be available to all U.S. sellers for domestic pickups in October and will be expanded to global pickups by the end of the year, the company said in a Wednesday (Sept. 18)\u00a0blog post.
\nThe option offers a turnkey solution automating the movement of products through Amazon\u2019s supply chain services, according to the post.
\n\u201cSellers simply provide product details and pickup locations and Amazon oversees the rest, including carrier pickup, inventory consolidation, strategic replenishment and placement into fulfillment centers nearest to customers, and continuous analytically driven optimization based on demand, inventory levels and costs,\u201d Dharmesh Mehta, vice president, worldwide selling partner services at Amazon, wrote in the post. \u201cIt\u2019s as easy as pushing a button, and sellers reap the benefits of working capital gains, increased sales and a lot less effort.\u201d
\nSellers can select to use this fully managed Supply Chain by Amazon option or to continue to choose which supply chain services they want to use and manage decisions on product movement on their own, per the post.
\nThe fully managed option joins the range of supply chain services Amazon offers to sellers, according to the post. Supply Chain by Amazon allows sellers to leverage the company\u2019s logistics, warehousing, distribution, fulfillment and transportation to move products from manufacturers to customers.
\nHundreds of thousands of sellers use at least one of these services, and the number of sellers who use more than one of the services tripled in the first half of 2024, per the post.
\n\u201cWith Amazon\u2019s years of supply chain expertise, we can keep products in stock, at the right locations, to deliver to customers at the fastest speed ever,\u201d Mehta wrote in the post. \u201cFor sellers, rapid delivery is a big boost to their businesses because it drives increased sales conversion, and in fact, sellers are seeing that by using the fully managed option and having Amazon improve their delivery speed, their sales are increasing by an average of 20%.\u201d
\nAmazon launched Supply Chain by Amazon in September, saying this comprehensive set of supply chain services will allow sellers to focus on product development and business growth, while Amazon takes care of the complexity of logistics.
\nFor all PYMNTS B2B coverage, subscribe to the daily B2B Newsletter.
\nThe post Amazon Adds Fully Managed Option to Supply Chain Services appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Amazon\u00a0has added a fully managed option to the lineup of supply chain services it offers to sellers.\nThe new fully managed\u00a0Supply Chain by Amazon\u00a0solution will be available to all U.S. sellers for domestic pickups in October and will be expanded to global pickups by the end of the year, the company said in a Wednesday (Sept. 18)\u00a0blog post.\nThe option offers a turnkey solution automating the movement of products through Amazon\u2019s supply chain services, according to the post.\n\u201cSellers simply provide product details and pickup locations and Amazon oversees the rest, including carrier pickup, inventory consolidation, strategic replenishment and placement into fulfillment centers nearest to customers, and continuous analytically driven optimization based on demand, inventory levels and costs,\u201d Dharmesh Mehta, vice president, worldwide selling partner services at Amazon, wrote in the post. \u201cIt\u2019s as easy as pushing a button, and sellers reap the benefits of working capital gains, increased sales and a lot less effort.\u201d\nSellers can select to use this fully managed Supply Chain by Amazon option or to continue to choose which supply chain services they want to use and manage decisions on product movement on their own, per the post.\nThe fully managed option joins the range of supply chain services Amazon offers to sellers, according to the post. Supply Chain by Amazon allows sellers to leverage the company\u2019s logistics, warehousing, distribution, fulfillment and transportation to move products from manufacturers to customers.\nHundreds of thousands of sellers use at least one of these services, and the number of sellers who use more than one of the services tripled in the first half of 2024, per the post.\n\u201cWith Amazon\u2019s years of supply chain expertise, we can keep products in stock, at the right locations, to deliver to customers at the fastest speed ever,\u201d Mehta wrote in the post. \u201cFor sellers, rapid delivery is a big boost to their businesses because it drives increased sales conversion, and in fact, sellers are seeing that by using the fully managed option and having Amazon improve their delivery speed, their sales are increasing by an average of 20%.\u201d\nAmazon launched Supply Chain by Amazon in September, saying this comprehensive set of supply chain services will allow sellers to focus on product development and business growth, while Amazon takes care of the complexity of logistics.\nFor all PYMNTS B2B coverage, subscribe to the daily B2B Newsletter.\nThe post Amazon Adds Fully Managed Option to Supply Chain Services appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-09-18T13:17:46-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-09-18T22:19:56-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Amazon-supply-chain-automation.jpg", "tags": [ "Amazon", "B2B", "B2B Payments", "commercial payments", "ecommerce", "News", "online shopping", "PYMNTS News", "Supply Chain", "supply chain management", "What's Hot", "What's Hot In B2B" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=2100603", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/amazon/2024/amazon-promotes-early-holiday-shopping-prime-big-deal-days-return/", "title": "Amazon Promotes Early Holiday Shopping as \u2018Prime Big Deal Days\u2019 Return", "content_html": "Amazon is resuming \u201cPrime Big Deal Days\u201d next month before the holiday shopping season.
\nThe eCommerce giant\u2019s semi-annual sales event returns Oct. 8 and 9, with Amazon offering early holiday deals, according to a Tuesday (Sept. 17) press release.
\n\u201cWhether Prime members are hoping to cross items off their gift lists early, looking forward to hosting joyful gatherings or scoring something special for themselves, Prime Big Deal Days is here for all their holiday needs and more,\u201d Jamil Ghani, vice president of Prime Worldwide, said in the release.
\nAmong the deals are discounts of up to 55% on Amazon devices, early deals from small businesses, and deals on travel offerings from companies like Carnival and Avis.
\nWhile this holiday shopping season is expected to be slower compared to last year, it will be driven by eCommerce sales, according to consulting firm Deloitte. The company projected last week that eCommerce sales will increase between 7% and 9% this season, to the tune of $289 billion and $294 billion.
\n\u201cOur forecast indicates that eCommerce sales will remain strong as consumers continue to take advantage of online deals to maximize their spending,\u201d said Michael Jeschke, principal at Deloitte Consulting, and the firm\u2019s retail and consumer products lead.
\nMeanwhile, the August installment of PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s \u201cNew Reality Check: The Paycheck-to-Paycheck Report,\u201d the \u201cHigher Perception of Inflation Drives Paycheck-to-Paycheck Consumers to Trade Down\u201d edition, examined consumers\u2019 deal-seeking behavior. It found that 63% of consumers live paycheck to paycheck, and their spending power is waning.
\n\u201cSpecifically, 60% of those who live paycheck to paycheck without issues paying bills and 72% of those who do so with issues paying bills said their income has not increased to offset inflation at all,\u201d PYMNTS wrote in September. \u201cAs such, these shoppers are making more conservative budgeting decisions. Ninety-two percent of paycheck-to-paycheck consumers in the former category and 97% of those in the latter said they have taken actions to cope with price increases when buying retail products. Plus, 94% and 96%, respectively, have done so for grocery products.\u201d
\nThe post Amazon Promotes Early Holiday Shopping as \u2018Prime Big Deal Days\u2019 Return appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Amazon is resuming \u201cPrime Big Deal Days\u201d next month before the holiday shopping season.\nThe eCommerce giant\u2019s semi-annual sales event returns Oct. 8 and 9, with Amazon offering early holiday deals, according to a Tuesday (Sept. 17) press release.\n\u201cWhether Prime members are hoping to cross items off their gift lists early, looking forward to hosting joyful gatherings or scoring something special for themselves, Prime Big Deal Days is here for all their holiday needs and more,\u201d Jamil Ghani, vice president of Prime Worldwide, said in the release.\nAmong the deals are discounts of up to 55% on Amazon devices, early deals from small businesses, and deals on travel offerings from companies like Carnival and Avis.\nWhile this holiday shopping season is expected to be slower compared to last year, it will be driven by eCommerce sales, according to consulting firm Deloitte. The company projected last week that eCommerce sales will increase between 7% and 9% this season, to the tune of $289 billion and $294 billion.\n\u201cOur forecast indicates that eCommerce sales will remain strong as consumers continue to take advantage of online deals to maximize their spending,\u201d said Michael Jeschke, principal at Deloitte Consulting, and the firm\u2019s retail and consumer products lead.\nMeanwhile, the August installment of PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s \u201cNew Reality Check: The Paycheck-to-Paycheck Report,\u201d the \u201cHigher Perception of Inflation Drives Paycheck-to-Paycheck Consumers to Trade Down\u201d edition, examined consumers\u2019 deal-seeking behavior. It found that 63% of consumers live paycheck to paycheck, and their spending power is waning.\n\u201cSpecifically, 60% of those who live paycheck to paycheck without issues paying bills and 72% of those who do so with issues paying bills said their income has not increased to offset inflation at all,\u201d PYMNTS wrote in September. \u201cAs such, these shoppers are making more conservative budgeting decisions. Ninety-two percent of paycheck-to-paycheck consumers in the former category and 97% of those in the latter said they have taken actions to cope with price increases when buying retail products. Plus, 94% and 96%, respectively, have done so for grocery products.\u201d\nThe post Amazon Promotes Early Holiday Shopping as \u2018Prime Big Deal Days\u2019 Return appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-09-17T09:33:53-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-09-17T09:33:53-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Amazon-eCommerce.jpg", "tags": [ "Amazon", "Amazon Prime", "Consumer Spending", "ecommerce", "economy", "holidays", "News", "PYMNTS News", "Retail", "What's Hot" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=2100313", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/amazon/2024/amazon-plans-to-have-fewer-managers-more-days-in-office/", "title": "Amazon Plans to Have Fewer Managers, More Days in Office", "content_html": "Amazon plans to reduce the number of managers in each of its organizations and to require employees to work primarily in an office.
\nThe company is making these changes as part of its efforts to \u201coperate like the world\u2019s largest startup,\u201d Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wrote in a message shared with the company\u2019s employees and posted online Monday (Sept. 16).
\nIn the case of managers, Amazon aims to flatten organizations by asking each of its S-teams, or senior leadership teams, to increase the ratio of individual contributors to managers by at least 15% by the end of the first quarter of 2025, according to the message.
\nAs the company grew its teams over the last several years, it also added managers and more layers than it had before, per the message. This has led to more meetings and more managers reviewing topics before they move forward.
\n\u201cIf we do this work well,\u201d Jassy said of the move to have having fewer managers, \u201cit will increase our teammates\u2019 ability to move fast, clarify and invigorate their sense of ownership, drive decision-making closer to the front lines where it most impacts customers (and the business), decrease bureaucracy, and strengthen our organizations\u2019 ability to make customers\u2019 lives better and easier every day,\u201d Jassy wrote.
\nAmazon began a series of layoffs in November 2022, with Jassy saying at the time that the company had hired rapidly over the previous several years. In January 2023, he said the number of layoffs would amount to more than 18,000.
\nOn the issue of working from an office, Amazon is going to return to the practices it had before the pandemic, according to the message. That means employees being in the office except in \u201cextenuating circumstances\u201d like when their child is sick, there\u2019s an emergency at home, they\u2019re visiting customers or partners, or they need a day or two to finish coding in a more isolated environment, Jassy wrote.
\nOver the last 15 months, employees have been back in the office at least three days a week, per the message. But now it will no longer be \u201ca given\u201d that they can work remotely two days a week. This change will take effect Jan. 2.
\nJassy wrote in the message that working from an office will make Amazon\u2019s teams \u201cbetter set up to invent, collaborate, and be connected enough to each other and our culture to deliver the absolute best for customers and the business.\u201d
\nIt was reported in July 2023 that Amazon was ramping up its return-to-the-office mandate by requiring employees working remotely or in smaller remote offices to return to the company\u2019s \u201cmain hub\u201d locations.
\nThe post Amazon Plans to Have Fewer Managers, More Days in Office appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Amazon plans to reduce the number of managers in each of its organizations and to require employees to work primarily in an office.\nThe company is making these changes as part of its efforts to \u201coperate like the world\u2019s largest startup,\u201d Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wrote in a message shared with the company\u2019s employees and posted online Monday (Sept. 16).\nIn the case of managers, Amazon aims to flatten organizations by asking each of its S-teams, or senior leadership teams, to increase the ratio of individual contributors to managers by at least 15% by the end of the first quarter of 2025, according to the message.\nAs the company grew its teams over the last several years, it also added managers and more layers than it had before, per the message. This has led to more meetings and more managers reviewing topics before they move forward.\n\u201cIf we do this work well,\u201d Jassy said of the move to have having fewer managers, \u201cit will increase our teammates\u2019 ability to move fast, clarify and invigorate their sense of ownership, drive decision-making closer to the front lines where it most impacts customers (and the business), decrease bureaucracy, and strengthen our organizations\u2019 ability to make customers\u2019 lives better and easier every day,\u201d Jassy wrote.\nAmazon began a series of layoffs in November 2022, with Jassy saying at the time that the company had hired rapidly over the previous several years. In January 2023, he said the number of layoffs would amount to more than 18,000.\nOn the issue of working from an office, Amazon is going to return to the practices it had before the pandemic, according to the message. That means employees being in the office except in \u201cextenuating circumstances\u201d like when their child is sick, there\u2019s an emergency at home, they\u2019re visiting customers or partners, or they need a day or two to finish coding in a more isolated environment, Jassy wrote.\nOver the last 15 months, employees have been back in the office at least three days a week, per the message. But now it will no longer be \u201ca given\u201d that they can work remotely two days a week. This change will take effect Jan. 2.\nJassy wrote in the message that working from an office will make Amazon\u2019s teams \u201cbetter set up to invent, collaborate, and be connected enough to each other and our culture to deliver the absolute best for customers and the business.\u201d\nIt was reported in July 2023 that Amazon was ramping up its return-to-the-office mandate by requiring employees working remotely or in smaller remote offices to return to the company\u2019s \u201cmain hub\u201d locations.\nThe post Amazon Plans to Have Fewer Managers, More Days in Office appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-09-16T19:26:53-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-09-16T19:26:53-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Amazon-work-from-home.jpg", "tags": [ "Amazon", "Andy Jassy", "ecommerce", "Layoffs", "News", "PYMNTS News", "remote work", "Retail", "What's Hot", "work from home" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=2100172", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/amazon/2024/amazon-files-lawsuit-targeting-allegedly-false-trademark-infringement-notices/", "title": "Amazon Files Lawsuit Targeting Allegedly False Trademark Infringement Notices", "content_html": "Amazon\u2019s Counterfeit Crimes Unit filed a lawsuit against companies and individuals it alleged obtained invalid trademarks or filed fake complaints to have Amazon remove their competitors from the Amazon store.
\n\u201cThis lawsuit sends a clear message that Amazon will pursue all measures to hold bad actors accountable and support our selling partners,\u201d Kebharu Smith, director of Amazon\u2019s Counterfeit Crimes Unit, said in a Monday (Sept. 16) press release. \u201cThe defendants in this case knowingly deceived Amazon\u2019s selling partners, customers and store, or they helped to facilitate the deceptive conduct.\u201d
\nThe lawsuit named multiple defendants that Amazon alleged obtained invalid trademarks, used those trademarks to gain access to the Amazon Brand Registry, and then submitted false infringement notices to have their competitors removed from the store, according to the release.
\nThe Brand Registry is a free service launched by Amazon in 2017 that helps brands protect their brand and intellectual property (IP) rights, the release said. The company\u2019s Counterfeit Crimes Unit is a global team that partners with law enforcement, brands and other stakeholders to combat counterfeiters.
\nAmazon\u2019s lawsuit also named two other defendants, alleging that they facilitated this scheme and collected fees from their clients to do so, per the release.
\n\u201cThis lawsuit intends to shut down defendants\u2019 operation, preventing them from harming others across the entire retail supply chain,\u201d Smith said in the release.
\nAmazon filed its first lawsuits targeting allegedly abusive notice submitters in 2023 and said the new lawsuit marks a new offensive against the practice, according to the release.
\nSince the company\u2019s Counterfeit Crimes Unit was launched in 2020, the team has pursued litigation and criminal referrals to law enforcement against 21,000 companies and disposed of 7 million counterfeit products, per the release.
\nWhen announcing the launch of the unit in 2020, Amazon said it blocked 2.5 million possible bad actor accounts and that there were over 6 billion suspected bad listings during the previous year.
\nThe Counterfeit Crimes Unit has invested in advanced machine learning techniques to improve its proactive controls and counterfeit detection systems, Amazon said in November.
\nThe post Amazon Files Lawsuit Targeting Allegedly False Trademark Infringement Notices appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Amazon\u2019s Counterfeit Crimes Unit filed a lawsuit against companies and individuals it alleged obtained invalid trademarks or filed fake complaints to have Amazon remove their competitors from the Amazon store.\n\u201cThis lawsuit sends a clear message that Amazon will pursue all measures to hold bad actors accountable and support our selling partners,\u201d Kebharu Smith, director of Amazon\u2019s Counterfeit Crimes Unit, said in a Monday (Sept. 16) press release. \u201cThe defendants in this case knowingly deceived Amazon\u2019s selling partners, customers and store, or they helped to facilitate the deceptive conduct.\u201d\nThe lawsuit named multiple defendants that Amazon alleged obtained invalid trademarks, used those trademarks to gain access to the Amazon Brand Registry, and then submitted false infringement notices to have their competitors removed from the store, according to the release.\nThe Brand Registry is a free service launched by Amazon in 2017 that helps brands protect their brand and intellectual property (IP) rights, the release said. The company\u2019s Counterfeit Crimes Unit is a global team that partners with law enforcement, brands and other stakeholders to combat counterfeiters.\nAmazon\u2019s lawsuit also named two other defendants, alleging that they facilitated this scheme and collected fees from their clients to do so, per the release.\n\u201cThis lawsuit intends to shut down defendants\u2019 operation, preventing them from harming others across the entire retail supply chain,\u201d Smith said in the release.\nAmazon filed its first lawsuits targeting allegedly abusive notice submitters in 2023 and said the new lawsuit marks a new offensive against the practice, according to the release.\nSince the company\u2019s Counterfeit Crimes Unit was launched in 2020, the team has pursued litigation and criminal referrals to law enforcement against 21,000 companies and disposed of 7 million counterfeit products, per the release.\nWhen announcing the launch of the unit in 2020, Amazon said it blocked 2.5 million possible bad actor accounts and that there were over 6 billion suspected bad listings during the previous year.\nThe Counterfeit Crimes Unit has invested in advanced machine learning techniques to improve its proactive controls and counterfeit detection systems, Amazon said in November.\nThe post Amazon Files Lawsuit Targeting Allegedly False Trademark Infringement Notices appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-09-16T16:02:14-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-09-16T16:02:14-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/amazon-5.jpg", "tags": [ "Amazon", "ecommerce", "fraud", "Lawsuits", "legal", "News", "PYMNTS News", "Retail", "What's Hot" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=2096673", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/amazon/2024/amazon-debuts-discounts-private-label-grocery-customers/", "title": "Amazon Debuts Discounts and Private Label for Grocery Customers", "content_html": "Amazon introduced grocery discounts for Prime members at Amazon Fresh and a new private-label brand called Amazon Saver.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re always looking to make grocery shopping easier, faster and more affordable for our customers,\u201d Claire Peters, worldwide vice president of Amazon Fresh, the company\u2019s grocery arm, said in a news release Tuesday (Sept. 10).
\nThe new campaign includes a \u201csignificant expansion\u201d of Amazon\u2019s exclusive Prime savings program at Amazon Fresh, both in-store and online, letting shoppers get discounts of up to 50% off eight to 15 rotating items, such as fresh produce or pantry staples, the release said.
\nThe company is also adding Amazon Saver to its existing private-label offerings, which include Amazon Kitchen and 365 by Whole Foods Market. The new offering is a \u201cno-frills\u201d brand with most items priced under $5, per the release.
\nThe announcement follows last week\u2019s news that Amazon is expanding its footprint in the third-party grocery delivery space, allowing consumers in Seattle to order same-day grocery delivery from local merchant Metropolitan Market on Amazon\u2019s marketplace.
\nOn the opposite side of the country, Amazon is expanding its grocery delivery partnership with mid-Atlantic-based supermarket chain Weis Markets to six new locations.
\n\u201cThe move comes as Amazon looks to grow its presence in grocery \u2014 the one retail category in which it trails behind competitor Walmart by a wide margin,\u201d PYMNTS noted in that report.
\nThe most recent edition of PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s Whole Paycheck Report, \u201cWalmart Holds Grocery Lead Over Amazon Despite Overall Share Declines,\u201d showed that as of the second quarter of the year, Walmart drew a share of consumer grocery spending seven times the size of Amazon\u2019s, at a respective 20% and 2.7%.
\nMeanwhile, PYMNTS examined consumers\u2019 appetites for private labels last month in an interview with Bobby Watts of supermarket giant Ahold Delhaize USA.
\n\u201cThey\u2019re not as brand loyal as they used to be,\u201d Watts said. \u201c\u2026 I think it\u2019s [because of] two things. I definitely think that economic pressures are causing consumers to make choices \u2026 based on price or promotion or value. But we also see \u2026 the younger generation has grown up in a world where everything is instantaneous, and things are moving at such a fast pace that they\u2019re willing now to experiment more and test different brands, whereas the other demographics may not be as apt to do so.\u201d
\nThe post Amazon Debuts Discounts and Private Label for Grocery Customers appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Amazon introduced grocery discounts for Prime members at Amazon Fresh and a new private-label brand called Amazon Saver.\n\u201cWe\u2019re always looking to make grocery shopping easier, faster and more affordable for our customers,\u201d Claire Peters, worldwide vice president of Amazon Fresh, the company\u2019s grocery arm, said in a news release Tuesday (Sept. 10).\nThe new campaign includes a \u201csignificant expansion\u201d of Amazon\u2019s exclusive Prime savings program at Amazon Fresh, both in-store and online, letting shoppers get discounts of up to 50% off eight to 15 rotating items, such as fresh produce or pantry staples, the release said.\nThe company is also adding Amazon Saver to its existing private-label offerings, which include Amazon Kitchen and 365 by Whole Foods Market. The new offering is a \u201cno-frills\u201d brand with most items priced under $5, per the release.\nThe announcement follows last week\u2019s news that Amazon is expanding its footprint in the third-party grocery delivery space, allowing consumers in Seattle to order same-day grocery delivery from local merchant Metropolitan Market on Amazon\u2019s marketplace.\nOn the opposite side of the country, Amazon is expanding its grocery delivery partnership with mid-Atlantic-based supermarket chain Weis Markets to six new locations.\n\u201cThe move comes as Amazon looks to grow its presence in grocery \u2014 the one retail category in which it trails behind competitor Walmart by a wide margin,\u201d PYMNTS noted in that report.\nThe most recent edition of PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s Whole Paycheck Report, \u201cWalmart Holds Grocery Lead Over Amazon Despite Overall Share Declines,\u201d showed that as of the second quarter of the year, Walmart drew a share of consumer grocery spending seven times the size of Amazon\u2019s, at a respective 20% and 2.7%.\nMeanwhile, PYMNTS examined consumers\u2019 appetites for private labels last month in an interview with Bobby Watts of supermarket giant Ahold Delhaize USA.\n\u201cThey\u2019re not as brand loyal as they used to be,\u201d Watts said. \u201c\u2026 I think it\u2019s [because of] two things. I definitely think that economic pressures are causing consumers to make choices \u2026 based on price or promotion or value. But we also see \u2026 the younger generation has grown up in a world where everything is instantaneous, and things are moving at such a fast pace that they\u2019re willing now to experiment more and test different brands, whereas the other demographics may not be as apt to do so.\u201d\nThe post Amazon Debuts Discounts and Private Label for Grocery Customers appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-09-10T09:58:00-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-09-10T09:58:00-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Amazon-Saver.webp", "tags": [ "Amazon", "Amazon Fresh", "Amazon Saver", "food and beverage", "grocery", "News", "PRIME", "PYMNTS News", "What's Hot" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=2079768", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/amazon/2024/amazons-just-walk-out-expands-as-nfl-season-kicks-off/", "title": "Amazon\u2019s Just Walk Out Expands as NFL Season Kicks Off", "content_html": "Amazon\u00a0is bringing its checkout-free commerce technology to more schools and stadiums.
\nThis fall, the company\u2019s Just Walk Out technology will be in the most new stores to open at NFL stadiums in a single season, Amazon\u00a0announced\u00a0Tuesday (Sept. 3).
\nIn addition, Just Walk Out (JWO) is being added to\u00a0more college campuses, with more than 30 university stores around the world using the technology, which allows consumers to scan a credit card before entering the store, with Amazon charging them for the items they pick out.
\n\u201cLast season, NFL game attendance reached a peak of nearly 19 million fans showing up to support their teams, and they don\u2019t want to miss a minute of the action,\u201d Amazon said in a news release. \u201cLong lines for concessions have been a growing complaint of fans who want a speedier and more convenient shopping experience.\u201d
\nTo combat this problem, the company is opening six new JWO locations at Seattle\u2019s Lumen Field: five traditional stores and one enabled with\u00a0radio-frequency identification\u00a0(RFID) which allows the \u201ccheckout-free experience to expand to clothing, hats, fan gear, and more.\u201d
\nThese new stores bring Lumen\u2019s JWO total to 15, the most of any venue around the world, Amazon added.
\nAs noted here last month, Amazon has recently introduced a new\u00a0multimodal artificial intelligence\u00a0(AI) system for JWO, designed to enhance the accuracy and scalability of checkout-free retail environments. Compared to its predecessors, which analyzed shopper actions sequentially, this new AI simultaneously processes data from a variety of sources throughout the store.
\n\u201cWe accomplish this by analyzing data from cameras and sensors throughout the store simultaneously, instead of looking at which items shoppers pick up and put back in a linear sequence,\u201d Amazon said.
\nThe system\u2019s ability to learn and adapt is “particularly noteworthy,” PYMNTS wrote. Trained using a three-dimensional map of the store and a catalog of merchandise images it can understand the placement of fixtures and recognize products.
\n\u201cThis continuous learning capability suggests a future where retail environments become responsive to shopper behaviors,\u201d PYMNTS wrote.
\n\u201cMultimodal AI is a significant game changer,\u201d\u00a0Shawn DuBravac, CEO of\u00a0Avrio Institute, a think tank studying emerging technologies, told PYMNTS. \u201cIt will drive advancements across numerous industries, leading to smarter, more adaptive systems that can understand and respond to the world in a more humanlike manner.\u201d
\nThe post Amazon\u2019s Just Walk Out Expands as NFL Season Kicks Off appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Amazon\u00a0is bringing its checkout-free commerce technology to more schools and stadiums.\nThis fall, the company\u2019s Just Walk Out technology will be in the most new stores to open at NFL stadiums in a single season, Amazon\u00a0announced\u00a0Tuesday (Sept. 3).\nIn addition, Just Walk Out (JWO) is being added to\u00a0more college campuses, with more than 30 university stores around the world using the technology, which allows consumers to scan a credit card before entering the store, with Amazon charging them for the items they pick out.\n\u201cLast season, NFL game attendance reached a peak of nearly 19 million fans showing up to support their teams, and they don\u2019t want to miss a minute of the action,\u201d Amazon said in a news release. \u201cLong lines for concessions have been a growing complaint of fans who want a speedier and more convenient shopping experience.\u201d\nTo combat this problem, the company is opening six new JWO locations at Seattle\u2019s Lumen Field: five traditional stores and one enabled with\u00a0radio-frequency identification\u00a0(RFID) which allows the \u201ccheckout-free experience to expand to clothing, hats, fan gear, and more.\u201d\nThese new stores bring Lumen\u2019s JWO total to 15, the most of any venue around the world, Amazon added.\nAs noted here last month, Amazon has recently introduced a new\u00a0multimodal artificial intelligence\u00a0(AI) system for JWO, designed to enhance the accuracy and scalability of checkout-free retail environments. Compared to its predecessors, which analyzed shopper actions sequentially, this new AI simultaneously processes data from a variety of sources throughout the store.\n\u201cWe accomplish this by analyzing data from cameras and sensors throughout the store simultaneously, instead of looking at which items shoppers pick up and put back in a linear sequence,\u201d Amazon said.\nThe system\u2019s ability to learn and adapt is “particularly noteworthy,” PYMNTS wrote. Trained using a three-dimensional map of the store and a catalog of merchandise images it can understand the placement of fixtures and recognize products.\n\u201cThis continuous learning capability suggests a future where retail environments become responsive to shopper behaviors,\u201d PYMNTS wrote.\n\u201cMultimodal AI is a significant game changer,\u201d\u00a0Shawn DuBravac, CEO of\u00a0Avrio Institute, a think tank studying emerging technologies, told PYMNTS. \u201cIt will drive advancements across numerous industries, leading to smarter, more adaptive systems that can understand and respond to the world in a more humanlike manner.\u201d\nThe post Amazon\u2019s Just Walk Out Expands as NFL Season Kicks Off appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-09-03T12:07:24-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-09-03T12:07:24-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Amazon-Just-Walk-Out-NFL.png", "tags": [ "Amazon", "contactless payments", "just walk out", "Lumen Field", "News", "NFL", "PYMNTS News", "Retail", "Technology", "What's Hot" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=2078828", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/amazon/2024/amazon-hits-reported-checkout-snag-amid-labor-day-sale/", "title": "Amazon Hits Reported Checkout Snag Amid Labor Day Sale", "content_html": "Amazon\u2019s checkout reportedly suffered a technical issue as its Labor Day sale began.
\nThe glitch in the eCommerce site happened Friday (Aug. 30), preventing customers from completing their purchases, CNBC reported, citing reports from customers on social media.
\nThe news network said Amazon\u2019s Web Services division did not report any technical problems when the checkout feature was down.\u00a0
\nAmazon had been promoting discounts for a Labor Day weekend sale, though some members of the X social network said they weren’t able to buy products at a discount due to the glitch. Amazon\u2019s Help account on X replied by suggesting users get in touch with the company.
\nPYMNTS has contacted Amazon for comment but has not yet gotten a reply.
\nAccording to the report, Amazon has cautioned investors that technical troubles could drive down sales and harm perceptions of the company\u2019s products and services. The company\u2019s second quarter sales came to nearly $148 billion, a figure the report described as \u201chealthy.\u201d
\nIn other Amazon news, PYMNTS wrote last week about reports that the company was planning an artificial intelligence (AI) overhaul for its Alexa voice assistant. The company plans to transform the free offering into a paid subscription service, according to a Washington Post report, citing internal company documents.
\n\u201cThe bigger picture here is the evolution of Amazon\u2019s strategy for monetizing its AI services,\u201d Ghazenfer Mansoor, founder and CEO of the AI company Technology Rivers, told PYMNTS. \u201cFor a long time, the company\u2019s approach was simple: offer cheap or free services to attract people, then rely on selling products and advertising. But as the cost of developing and maintaining advanced AI capabilities rises, it makes sense for companies to start exploring other revenue streams.\u201d
\nMeanwhile, PYMNTS also wrote last week about efforts by Amazon and rival Walmart to seize on consumers\u2019 demand for digital restaurant ordering to fuel engagement with their paid memberships, providing dining benefits to make subscriptions more attractive.
\nFor example, Walmart recently announced a partnership with Burger King, its first Walmart+ dining collaboration, while Amazon earlier this year expanded its arrangement with Grubhub to provide Prime members with free Grubhub+ subscriptions on an ongoing basis.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re just trying to make it really simple for our members to not only find out about what value they have in their Prime membership, but also to actually benefit from it on monthly, weekly, daily basis \u2014 however it fits into their busy lives,\u201d Jamil Ghani, vice president of Amazon Prime, said in an interview with PYMNTS at the time.
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\nThe post Amazon Hits Reported Checkout Snag Amid Labor Day Sale appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Amazon\u2019s checkout reportedly suffered a technical issue as its Labor Day sale began.\nThe glitch in the eCommerce site happened Friday (Aug. 30), preventing customers from completing their purchases, CNBC reported, citing reports from customers on social media.\nThe news network said Amazon\u2019s Web Services division did not report any technical problems when the checkout feature was down.\u00a0\nAmazon had been promoting discounts for a Labor Day weekend sale, though some members of the X social network said they weren’t able to buy products at a discount due to the glitch. Amazon\u2019s Help account on X replied by suggesting users get in touch with the company.\nPYMNTS has contacted Amazon for comment but has not yet gotten a reply.\nAccording to the report, Amazon has cautioned investors that technical troubles could drive down sales and harm perceptions of the company\u2019s products and services. The company\u2019s second quarter sales came to nearly $148 billion, a figure the report described as \u201chealthy.\u201d\nIn other Amazon news, PYMNTS wrote last week about reports that the company was planning an artificial intelligence (AI) overhaul for its Alexa voice assistant. The company plans to transform the free offering into a paid subscription service, according to a Washington Post report, citing internal company documents.\n\u201cThe bigger picture here is the evolution of Amazon\u2019s strategy for monetizing its AI services,\u201d Ghazenfer Mansoor, founder and CEO of the AI company Technology Rivers, told PYMNTS. \u201cFor a long time, the company\u2019s approach was simple: offer cheap or free services to attract people, then rely on selling products and advertising. But as the cost of developing and maintaining advanced AI capabilities rises, it makes sense for companies to start exploring other revenue streams.\u201d\nMeanwhile, PYMNTS also wrote last week about efforts by Amazon and rival Walmart to seize on consumers\u2019 demand for digital restaurant ordering to fuel engagement with their paid memberships, providing dining benefits to make subscriptions more attractive.\nFor example, Walmart recently announced a partnership with Burger King, its first Walmart+ dining collaboration, while Amazon earlier this year expanded its arrangement with Grubhub to provide Prime members with free Grubhub+ subscriptions on an ongoing basis.\n\u201cWe\u2019re just trying to make it really simple for our members to not only find out about what value they have in their Prime membership, but also to actually benefit from it on monthly, weekly, daily basis \u2014 however it fits into their busy lives,\u201d Jamil Ghani, vice president of Amazon Prime, said in an interview with PYMNTS at the time.\n\u00a0\nThe post Amazon Hits Reported Checkout Snag Amid Labor Day Sale appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-09-01T18:12:27-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-09-01T18:13:40-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Amazon-checkout.jpg", "tags": [ "Amazon", "Amazon checkout", "Amazon Prime", "Amazon Web Service", "checkout", "ecommerce", "Labor Day", "News", "PYMNTS News", "Retail", "walmart", "What's Hot" ] } ] }