*It would be interesting if more related data could be shared with users for different services. This makes me think of voice activated data requests and how they often miss the mark currently. Over time these will get better. Will user frustration prevent some of the late early adopters for becoming work of mouth for their friends and family?
Amazon
PopSockets CEO calls out Amazon’s ‘bullying with a smile’ tactics
PopSockets CEO calls out Amazon’s ‘bullying with a smile’ tactics:
“… executives from Sonos, Basecamp, and Tile, who all took turns airing a list of grievances against major tech players such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. They all recounted, in manners specific to their respective companies, how the major tech players have used their market dominance to squeeze smaller competitors in allegedly anticompetitive ways. “
*Are some of today’s big tech firms abusing their suppliers?
What If your only options were Amazon, Walmart and Third Wave stores? – WayfinD
What If your only options were Amazon, Walmart and Third Wave stores? – WayfinD:
“Third Wave retailers take the best of mom & pop shops and mass retailers to create an experience that is emotional, meaningful and provides a social ethos. It’s a combination of local service and product knowledge coupled with innovation, co-creation and a significant brand expression. It’s where quality reigns over price and customers feel an emotional connection to the brand within a physical or online space.”
*Something to think about. Especially as it seems Amazon is really growing across many retail categories. Walmart is huge but Amazon is growing rapidly.
Shifting Consumer Options
How Google Plans to Take Down Amazon’s Echo (EXCLUSIVE)
To Google, the Echo isn’t just another speaker. It’s part of a bigger move away from text- and app-based interfaces that require users to seek out information to voice-based systems that offer more natural interaction. In other words: It’s what’s next after Google’s search bar — and it’s made by a competitor.
*Competing in a time of great change.
Got a Hot Seller on Amazon? Prepare for E-Tailer to Make One Too – Bloomberg
Got a Hot Seller on Amazon? Prepare for E-Tailer to Make One Too – Bloomberg: “Rain Design’s experience shows how Amazon is using insights gleaned from its vast Web store to build a private-label juggernaut that now includes more than 3,000 products”
*Competition sometimes comes from unexpected places. The retailer is closer to the customer and owns a direct relationship that is hard for a manufacturer to compete with. Think of it as the middleman cutting out the supplier.
Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader
There have been many books—on a large and small scale—about Steve Jobs, one of the most famous CEOs in history. But this book is different from all the others.
Becoming Steve Jobs takes on and breaks down the existing myth and stereotypes about …
*This book looks like a winner.
Audible – Valid Credit Card – Was Just Visiting to Cancel My Subscription
What a pleasant surprise to find. I was just coming to cancel my subscription that renews each month on the first. Today is May 26.
As Publishers Fight Amazon, Books Vanish – NYTimes.com
As Publishers Fight Amazon, Books Vanish – NYTimes.com:
“No firm in American history has exerted the control over the American book market — physical, digital and secondhand — that Amazon does.”
*Removed my saved credit cards from Amazon and unsubscribed from their email marketing newsletters.
Marketing Emails from Amazon
Not sure why I didn’t turn these off earlier.
Amazon’s Prime Pantry service lets you ship 45 pounds of groceries for a $6 fee
Amazon’s Prime Pantry service lets you ship 45 pounds of groceries for a $6 fee: “Amazon’s dead-set on killing off the grocery store, with a same-day delivery service and even a Dash gadget for restocking items around the house. Now the retailer’s going one step further, taking on Costco and Walmart with a new program called Prime Pantry.”
(Via.) Techmeme
*This could be the tip of the iceberg on how online retailing will change the game in the grocery business.
I’ve been thinking about how packaging would change if it was not on store shelves needing to scream at customers as they wheel their cart around the store. Packaging could be designed to fit in and be combined in cubes that fit in standard box sizes. What items are bought together? Maybe these items would have packages that enable more efficient shipping.
Keep an eye out for packaging news from the food and CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) industries.
D.L. Damore 