What You Need to Know About Amazon News This Past Week
As Amazon steadily grows its empire and constantly makes moves, Directional Cue will keep you in the know. To get updates on the noteworthy and newsworthy happenings at Amazon this week, visit us here weekly to see what’s new in Amazon news.
Summing It All Up
From new advertisements for Prime Wardrobe as Amazon Fashion expands, to a growing partnership with Sears and two new Amazon Go Stores, Amazon certainly knows how to stay in the weekly headlines. On the business side, Amazon is diving deeper into digital advertising to go up against Google and Facebook, and they’re working on plans for a free ad-supported video service. For Sellers, they’ve released the deadline for holiday Lightning Deals, launched a beta version of an internal Amazon reporting tool, and given video posting access to all registered brands.
Now, let’s get into the details:
This Week for Everyone
New Amazon Prime Wardrobe TV Ads
More customers can stay trendy with Prime Wardrobe. Remember when Directional Cue reported that Prime Wardrobe expanded its consumer base by inviting more Prime customers to shop? This past week, Amazon debuted cute and relatable TV ads to entice even more Prime Wardrobe shoppers. This will also help fashion brands participating in Prime Wardrobe to get exposure. And, it could potentially entice more clothing brands to sell on Amazon. Many have been hesitant in the past due to the lack of an experiential shopping experience on the platform.
Amazon and Sears Expand Tire Partnership
Summer is over, but road trips don’t have to be. Now, Amazon offers a convenient option to stay ready for the road all year long. In case you missed it, the Amazon tire program with Sears expanded. Now, customers can purchase tires from Amazon and get them installed and balanced at Sears locations nationwide – including those in Hawaii and Alaska. Shipping to the Sears store is included.
This is another example of Amazon partnering with retail stores and a clear move by Sears to try to fight off irrelevancy with any opportunity that comes their way. It has, at least in the short term, resulted in a spike in Sears shares.
Amazon Opens New Amazon Go Stores
If ever in the Seattle area, take the opportunity to visit an Amazon Go Store.
The second and third Amazon Go Stores opened recently within days of each other. Currently, all Amazon Go Stores are in the Seattle area but expect more check-out-free stores to open nationwide in the near future as Amazon’s infiltration of grocery – and retail – continues.
This Week in Business
Amazon Takes on Google and Facebook with Digital Ad Market Expansion
Amazon is rapidly gaining territory in the extremely profitable space of digital ads and hopes to stiffly compete with the digital ad giants, Google and Facebook. Their gigantic platform makes it an enticing space for all companies (even those without products on Amazon) to advertise there.
Amazon Plans a Free Ad-supported Video Service
Amazon delves further into digital advertising. Reports are that Amazon plans an ad-supported streaming service, which would be free for the public. This new streaming service puts Amazon in direct competition with streaming services such as Hulu, Netflix, and Roku. Free Dive (as the free streaming service is rumored to be called) would be available exclusively through Amazon Fire TV and would license old movies and tv shows.
Amazon has entered a complex business space. However, Amazon’s ecosystem, which includes its unique access to user information and shopping habits, will likely help it surpass the competition.
This Week for Sellers
Amazon Announces Deadlines for Holiday Promotions
In most of the U.S., it still feels like summer. Yet, it’s never too early for Amazon Sellers to prepare for the change in season – the lucrative holiday season.
Amazon Sellers should enter their Lightning Deal submissions before midnight on September 21st, 2018 to be included for 2018 Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions.
Sellers interested in submitting Lightning Deals should check eligibility status on the Lightning Deals Dashboard in the Recommendations category.
Amazon Launches Attribution Beta for Sellers
Most Amazon Sellers have been starving for data to better assess performance in the Amazon marketplace. Now, help has arrived. Via Amazon’s new Attribution Tool (in beta mode), Amazon Sellers now have a detailed way to track the performance of their advertising spend across the various Amazon channels. Amazon Sellers can use this knowledge to maximize their return on investment and optimize ad spend.
“For the first time, you can measure the impact of display, search, and video media channels based on how consumers discover, research, and buy your products on Amazon.”
– Amazon
Amazon Releases Video Capability Alongside Enhanced Brand Content Details Page
Amazon continues to optimize the selling environment. Sellers with registered brands can use the more in-depth Enhanced Brand Content builder as usual or can now upload video to convey product specifics to prospective customers.
“The EBC video feature enables you to upload one video to the main image block of your detail page… The uploaded video will also appear in the ‘Related video shorts’ widget on the detail page.”
– Amazon
Thank you for catching up on what happened in ‘Amazon News This Week’. See you next week for everything you need to know about the marketplace.