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Nike confirms 'pilot' partnership with Amazon
Nike's Q4 earnings report is notable today because CEO Mark Parker confirmed reports that the company will start selling some items directly on Amazon. In the US, we're executing a new pilot with Amazon with a limited Nike product assortment. As we do with all of our partners, we're looking for ways to improve the Nike consumer experience on Amazon by elevating the way the brand is presented and increasing the quality of product storytelling. We're in the early stages, but we look forward to evaluating the results of the pilot. For Nike, part of the reason for the arrangement is so that it can help fight the distribution of counterfeit items, however, his comment about a "limited product assortment" leaves me wondering what exactly will be available on Amazon.
Amazon is the latest to offer clothes-by-mail to try on at home
Amazon just announced its latest service -- Prime Wardrobe. Adding to its growing list of fashion-focused offerings, the service makes shopping for clothes online a commitment-free experience, one of the few advantages brick-and-mortar stores still had on online retailers.
Amazon’s ready to own the future of grocery shopping
"When I look at the menu," Jeff Bezos allegedly said, "you're the thing I don't understand, the thing I've never had." He was explaining to Matt Rutledge, founder of Woot, why Amazon had bought his online anti-retailer for $110 million. Bezos justified the purchase of the site the same way he'd ordered octopus for breakfast in a famous meeting, as described by D Magazine. Rutledge understood the point: If Amazon doesn't understand something, it will use its financial clout to buy it and dissect it in search of its je ne sais quoi.
Amazon has the tech to thwart comparison shoppers in its stores
Amazon's low prices, exclusive discounts and quick delivery have lured customers away from traditional brick and mortar stores for years, but their reach has been mostly limited to the online sphere. Until now, that is. Amazon has just been granted a patent to control what you see (and what you don't) on your phone when you're inside one of their physical stores.
Amazon’s Dash Wand lets you order groceries with your voice
You may remember the Amazon Dash, a small handheld device that made it easier for you to buy even more stuff. Now, Amazon has released a new version of the device, the Dash Wand, that is functionally free for Prime members.
Amazon offers cash back for keeping your gift card topped up
Amazon knows how to keep you topping up your gift card balance: offer a little money in return. It's introducing a Prime Reload perk that gives American shoppers 2 percent cash back whenever they reload their balance using a debit card. That's not a huge amount, but it could add up if you're a frequent Amazon shopper (rather likely if you pay for Prime). It's certainly your best option if you don't like the idea of signing up for a Prime Rewards Visa card just to get a return on your purchases.
Amazon's drone deliveries could include shipping label parachutes
It's hard to believe it's been almost three years since Amazon announced its plan to deliver packages via drone. The first air delivery occurred last December in the UK and the retailer continues to refine the concept with futuristic ideas to perch the flying couriers on streetlights and deploy them from flying warehouses. In a new patent discovered by GeekWire, Amazon's next step is an "Aerial Package Delivery System," a delivery label that includes one of those parachutes that could make shipping via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that much easier.
Amazon opens its first drive-through grocery store
Need to pick up some supplies but can't be bothered to walk across a parking lot for them? Amazon's got you covered. In Seattle on Thursday, the company opened a grocery store that doesn't require you leave your vehicle, promising customers will only have to "drive in... and drive out."
Amazon Echo Look is a voice-controlled camera for fashion tips
Amazon's Echo smart speakers just went in an unusual (but potentially very helpful) new direction. Meet Echo Look, an Alexa-powered camera designed around taking your own fashion photos and videos. If you want to show off your daily wardrobe, you just have to ask the Look to take a snapshot -- you don't have to take a selfie in front of a mirror to get a full-length picture. And since it includes a depth-sensing camera, it can blur the background to make shots pop. The real party tricks come when you're not sure about your outfit, however.
Amazon is opening a Manhattan bookstore this spring
Amazon is opening a brick-and-mortar bookstore in the middle of Manhattan sometime this spring, the company told the WSJ in an email. That confirms a rumor from last summer that it would launch a New York City location, though the retail giant is opening it sooner than expected and in a different spot. Rather than being at the upcoming Hudson Yards development, projected to open in late 2018, it'll be located at Time Warner Center in Midtown at the edge of Central Park.
Amazon Go is a grocery store with no checkout lines
It looks like those rumors of Amazon convenience stores were true. The online shopping giant unveiled Amazon Go today, its spin on brick and mortar retail. It uses computer vision, a whole bunch of sensors and deep learning to let you walk into a store, sign in with an Amazon Go app, fill up your bags and leave without stopping for a checkout line. Amazon is calling it a "Just Walk Out Shopping" experience, a self-descriptive name if there ever was one. The company is starting out with a large store in Seattle, but it's clearly meant to serve as a model for other locations and retail stores.
