September 12, 2023
August 5, 2022
Every once in a while there comes a new business innovation that changes the whole landscape of its industry, and sometimes the shake-up is so significant that other industries are forced to adapt too. Henry Ford created the moving assembly line in 1913; photography and film were forever changed when the digital camera was invented in 1975 by engineers at Eastman Kodak, and now, online and offline retailers must keep up with Amazon.
The e-commerce giant has fundamentally altered the way we look at retail, and retailers the world over face the challenge of following in Amazon’s wake. That’s as true for digital retailers as it is for traditional (and non-traditional) brick-and-mortar shops, who face not only Amazon’s e-commerce dominance, but the company’s growing interest in physical retail. Here, we take a look at some of the forms this is taking, and ask what it means for consumers – and the competition.
Amazon Go is a convenience store chain that is operated by Amazon. As of 2020, there are already 26 store locations in Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, and New York City with ambitious plans for more in the US and beyond.
Amazon Go stores are equipped with “just walk out shopping”, a state-of-the-art technology that allows customers to take what they wish to purchase and simply walk out the door without stopping to checkout, pay, or even wait in line. Each customer will have a virtual cart that will automatically detect when products are taken from or returned to the shelves. Once you exit the store with your purchases, Amazon will send you a receipt and charge your Amazon account.
Amazon Bookstore is the brick-and-mortar incarnation of Amazon’s origin story – an online bookstore. The first location opened in Seattle in 2015 and further stores have since opened across America. Though this could easily be perceived as a retrograde step, being Amazon, there’s a fresh spin on everything in the store. Instead of the traditional bookstore organization of having the book spines out in a row, each book is displayed with its cover facing the customer and with plenty of space around it, echoing the way it would be displayed online. Likewise, instead of the typical bookstore categorization of ‘science fiction’, ‘romance’, ‘mystery’ etc, the Amazon Bookstore lists categories such as “Books people finished within three days on their kindle” and “Books that are rated 4.8 and above.” The Amazon Bookstore shopping experience is structured to encourage customers’ use of their mobile device and Amazon app. In fact, prices are often not even displayed, so one must use the mobile app to scan the book’s barcode and discover the cost.
A storefront stocked with a compilation of Amazon’s best sellers and favorites. Amazon 4-Star uses online sales data and ratings to curate a shopping experience that consumers will love. Inventory is sorted into categories such as “frequently bought together,” “most wished for,” and “best sellers.” Customers can also test out all kinds of Amazon devices inside an Amazon 4-Star location.
In 2017, Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion effectively shaking up the entire grocery game as the world knew it. Since Amazon’s purchase, Whole Foods has not utterly dominated the grocery industry like many believed it would, but it has caused a great shift in how many grocery chains operate. Since 2017 numerous big-name grocers have begun offering online ordering and curbside pickup, likely spurred on to keep up with Whole Foods. Although Whole Foods has sense seemed to fall off as one of Amazon’s top priorities, it is still a major player in the grocery scene, and it has made a significant impact on how many consumers shop for groceries on a daily basis.
Amazon Pop Up stores are stand-alone kiosks that are often found in malls and markets alike – they feature Amazon devices such as Kindle readers, Fire tablets, and Echo speakers and a selection of other top brands that Amazon sells. Although Pop Up stores can be found in 20 states, it appears that these kiosks’ are slipping away from Amazon’s retail agenda moving forward as many have closed in recent months.
Remember when the future of retail was online? Well, now it appears that some of the biggest names, including Amazon, in the e-retail space have decided that they cannot go without at least some brick and mortar retail locations. Jeff Bezos and Amazon have always been laser-focused on industry disruption, but one of the biggest keys is knowing when the market is ready to be disrupted. Amazon disrupted and changed the retail market game when it began its hugely successful online store in 1994; it was time for a change, and Amazon brought that to be. Now, Amazon is stepping into physical retail because the market is ready for it. Bezos knows that retail shoppers are growing frustrated with the status quo shopping experience, and Amazon believes it can improve how things are done.
The future of retail is blended; in fact, many shoppers have specific preferences for what they like to buy online versus what they would rather purchase in a physical store. Take the fashion retail market into consideration – Amazon has made strides in getting a corner on the market, but it is clear that many individuals feel much more comfortable making clothing purchases where they can see, feel, and try items on before they buy! It’s apparent that Amazon has realized the need for a presence online and at brick and mortar locations, which will ultimately allow Amazon to get a massive hold on many industries, including fashion.
As Amazon continues to move into the brick and mortar retail space, other companies and competition are forced to keep up, and that’s not a bad thing. As we see the rise of Amazon stores, we can plan to see the general culture and operation of the retail market improve all around. Innovation forces change, competition encourages more innovation from other parties, and as retailers all around are forced to act in order to win the consumers’ business, the consumer will benefit!
Amazon isn’t new to occupying physical space. In fact, Amazon’s e-commerce warehouses, package distribution centers, and cloud computing facilities occupied more than 190 million square feet of space in North America at the end of 2019. That’s a lot of space! So if you think about it, moving into storefronts across America won’t necessarily be as big of an adjustment for Amazon as many suspect it will be.
It was also just announced that Amazon plans to open 1,500 warehouses in US suburbs. It wouldn’t be difficult to open up a physical stores on the front of these, so watch this space for more Amazon presence in your local area soon!
September 12, 2023
September 12, 2023
August 5, 2022
Emily…
James comes to Podean with a wealth of marketplace knowledge having worked at Amazon Corporate for 5+ years. He worked in many different roles and groups during his time there from Seller Support to Vendor Management. From recruiting and onboarding 3P sellers to new categories, handling highly escalated executive level contacts, and managing vendor relationships he brings an inside understanding of how Amazon works. James is passionate about online retail and brings a client and customer centered approach as the Head of US Retail Operations. Before his e-commerce focused life, James worked across industries that have always focused and delivered results in customer service, account management, and inventory management.
With more than 15 years of experience Alejandro has led some of the most edgy projects in the LATAM region and has built-up high-performance teams from both agency and brand sides. Working with Havas he put together a Consumer Engagement unit for Pepsi. He led a WPP digital solution for L’Oréal and while working with Mediacom he redesigned Coca-Cola’s media team. Most recently he was a fundamental part of Danone’s media transformation into a brand salience unit. He was born and raised in Mexico City, loves being outdoors, listening to music and spending time with his 7-year-old daughter.
Danielle leads media globally for Podean. She previously led the Amazon and e-commerce division at performance marketing agency, Merkle (part of Dentsu). Danielle has deep expertise across all facets of Amazon advertising – DSP, sponsored ads, audio, out of home and beyond. She has delivered significant growth for some of the world’s largest brands including Nestle, managing tens of millions of advertising spend on their behalf.
Before Podean, Travis Johnson was Founder and President of Dentsu’s Amazon-focused consultancy, Sellwin. Prior joining Dentsu he was Global CEO of Ansible Mobile in New York, and also held CEO positions in Australia for media agencies UM, Initiative and Cadreon. He was an Adweek Media Allstar in 2017 and has won over 50 International Awards across his career.
Maddie leads our client management team and also marketing for Podean. Maddie’s team operates as an extension of our client’s teams – anticipating their needs, thinking proactively, and always delivering on time. Maddie is also responsible for all aspects of Podean marketing, from blogs and email newsletters to PR, content, and advertising.
Lizzy manages the Podean media team across any, and every, media solution offered by Amazon and other marketplaces. Whether it’s search/sponsored ads, DSP display and video, Twitch, audio or activations we have the experts to deliver. Every client that her team has worked on has seen a step-change in media effectiveness and sales versus their previous operations.
Jonathan Hawkins leads Podean’s European operations, working with clients spanning all categories. His team assists brands with every aspect of setup and optimization across the region including supply chain advice, logistics, retail operations, analytics and media management. P Before joining Podean, Hawkins was Commercial Director of Square Up media, owners of media properties including Escapism, Foodism and Square Mile. During his decade at Square Up he led editorial, content and most recently commercialisation and sales with a focus on digital products and ecommerce growth.
We have hand-picked the best and brightest Amazon talent from around the USA and the world. Our delivery team of 6 New York based, and 17 Amazon and marketplace marketing specialists ensure our clients receive the best campaign performance. They are experts in retail management, performance media optimization, but also video, analytics, AMC, voice, creative and higher impact executions.
Ashley has covered all aspects of digital marketing in his career, having led digital media for Initiative Media Australia, then managed a team of cross-functional digital salespeople at Mi9 (MSN) and was most recently the Managing Director of ecommerce conversion optimization software company, Ve. Ashley’s leadership, collaboration skills and entrepreneurial spirit drive the Australian business.
Mark is a 20+ year digital leader and before Podean was EVP at Reprise where he successfully launched IPG’s Amazon Center Of Excellence. Prior to this, Mark led mobile and innovation agency Ansible. Earlier in his career he was the Founder and CEO of Concep, an email and performance marketing agency with offices in the UK, USA and Australia.
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