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marketing

Oprah is Coming to Amazon Speakers for Christmas

Amazon and Oprah have collaborated to promote Oprah’s Favorite Things for a few year on the Amazon web site, and this year it’s taking it a step further. Oprah is the first celebrity to lend her voice to Echo devices – but before you get too excited, you won’t be able to hear Oprah’s voice for regular commands. Alexa will still handle all the day-to-day stuff. To hear Oprah’s voice, you will need to say “Alexa, let’s shop Oprah’s favorite things”, which will prompt Oprah to suggest an item on her now-famous list and give you an explanation as to why she included the item this year. Alexa will then come back on to ask you if you’d like to purchase the item, to which you’ll be able to reply with either “yes” or “no”. If you answer in the affirmative, Alexa will go ahead and order for you, and if your response is negative, Oprah will suggest another item.

I think it’s cool that customers will get a chance to ‘chat’ with Oprah, but I don’t really see this new feature as particularly efficient – especially for holiday (or every day) shopping. First because instead of offering a choice of category, or even allowing you to ask for a specific item, you’ll need to go through each item one by one – and there are 102 items on the list this year, so it’s safe to assume that if you want to hear about them all, it’ll take some time. I’m also not sure if you can ‘pause’ where you are in the list so you can get through it in several shorter sessions, or if Oprah starts back at the beginning when you’re ready to resume your ‘shopping’.

There’s also the fact that when I’m looking for a gift (as opposed to re-ordering toilet paper or some other household item that I now well) I like to see what I’m getting. The Amazon speakers are great when you know exactly what you want, but having no visual on a potential present is a big drawback for me. Thankfully, the list is still available on Amazon’s website as well as on its app, so I won’t have to rely on my Echo to peruse Oprah’s favorite things.

Dec 16, 2017 0 comment

eCommerce marketing

Amazon Cuts Third-Party Sellers’ Prices – at its Own Expense

written by Don Eminizer

In a bold move that it hopes will help it face competition this holiday season, Amazon is offering discounts on third-party seller items – and eats the cost. Items bearing the mention ‘Discount provided by Amazon’ show a reduced price for buyers, but third-seller parties are still getting the full amount for their sales. What’s surprising is that Amazon doesn’t seem to have informed its third-party sellers of this new feature, and it isn’t clear how the retail giant is selecting discounted items, either.

One such reseller noted on Amazon’s forum that “I do not know if this is new or if I just never noticed it before”, while another wonders “How does Amazon decide which 3ed [sic] party sellers to provide discount to, how do we get Discount provided by Amazon?” and a third adds “Perhaps Amazon is identifying items that it wants to corner the market on, so is hastening the depletion of 3P seller inventory? That, or a well-fed chimp in Amazon’s operations center picks a name out of a hat.”, which goes to show that Amazon has somewhat surprised – if not confused – at least some of its resellers. According to Engadget, “The discounts are less than 10 percent, and appear to only be applied for sellers that use Amazon’s fulfillment service”.

Amazon’s description of its new feature is explained as such:

This item is sold by a third-party seller. The discount is provided by Amazon.
This is a limited time discount.
Discount does not apply to digital content.
Discount good while supplies last or until withdrawn by Amazon.
Shipping charges and taxes may apply to pre-discounted prices.
Amazon reserves the right to modify or cancel the discount at any time.
If any of the products or content related to this discount are returned, your refund will equal the amount you paid for the product or content, subject to applicable refund policies.

Most resellers seem happy with the new features, but a few aren’t big fans – especially those third-party sellers that arrangements with other retailers that requires them to keep consistent prices on products sold on Amazon and elsewhere. Thankfully for those resellers, Amazon gives the option to opt out of ‘Discount provided by Amazon’ if they so wish.

Dec 10, 2017 0 comment

marketing

Blue Apron is Still Sliding

written by Don Eminizer

Blue Apron’s shares took a big hit when Amazon purchased Whole Foods back in June, and the cooking kit business is having a hard time bouncing back. Investors were wary back then, and it seems they haven’t gotten over it just yet: Blue Apron’s shares were down an additional 9 percent by mid-day Thursday, making the total landslide since June an overwhelming 58 percent on the stock market.

It isn’t all bad news though. Blue Apron managed to increase its revenue by 3 percent this quarter, taking in a respectable $210.6 million, a much better figure than the $210.6 million analysts were predicting. Unfortunately, its losses clocked in at 47 cents per share as opposed to the 42 cents per share Wall Street was expecting. But shares isn’t the only factor affecting Blue Apron’s success. The company increased the cost of its kits by 13 percent from last year, explaining that it did so “primarily as a result of increased costs associated with the launch of new operational infrastructure to support the company’s product expansion initiatives, including its new Linden, New Jersey facility.” Perhaps because of the price increase, Blue Apron is also struggling to retain customers and reach new ones, which also doesn’t help its cause in the long term.

Blue Apron’s CEO, Matt Salzberg, isn’t throwing in the towel just yet. He said in a statement that “We’re pleased to share that all Blue Apron customers now have access to our expanded product offering and that the transition of volume to our new Linden, New Jersey fulfillment center is complete,” and added “we are now focused on optimizing our operations so that we can drive progress on our product roadmap in order to further our mission to make incredible home cooking accessible to everyone.”

I like Blue Apron, but I for one will remain very, very cautiously optimistic about its chances at long-term success. After all, investors are right to be unnerved by the new Amazon/Whole Foods situation, and there are many other cooking kit businesses out there that can compete right alongside Blue Apron for customers and investors. Let’s hope that it can get back on its feet, but keep our options open just the same.

Dec 2, 2017 0 comment

iPad iPhone marketing Mobile Apps

AR View is Amazon’s New Virtual Shopping Feature

written by Don Eminizer

Not to be left behind by the likes of IKEA and Target, Amazon is rolling out its new AR View feature today for iOS devices running Apple’s latest OS, iOS 11, and iPhones 6S or higher. The new feature will let customers choose from thousands of items available on Amazon’s web site and, using their smartphone’s camera, see how they would look in their own living space. It’s a neat feature and one that is becoming increasingly popular. What’s different in Amazon’s case is that it doesn’t limit product selection to bigger items like furniture – customer can visualize anything from ‘Toys and Games’ to ‘Electronics’. Other categories include ‘Home Décor’, ‘Living Room’, ‘Bedroom’ and ‘Kitchen’. I’m not sure that people really need to visualize a Tonka truck sitting in their living room though, but the ‘Toys and Games’ category could potentially be useful for larger items such as the Hot Wheels garage that I never should have bought my son last Christmas. Seriously, the thing is huge.

But back to Amazon. I like that the app offers categories because it makes it easier to navigate through relevant items. I can see myself visualizing how a large mixer will look on my kitchen counter and whether the beside lamps will match with my beside tables. This feature is most definitely better than what Amazon was offering before, namely its ‘AR Stickers’. They looked like a cartoon version of the items you selected and frankly, the white border around them made it almost impossible to get a really good idea of how the items would look in your home.

I am once again left with only one criticism regarding these blooming virtual shopping capabilities: when I buy furniture, especially whey I buy a couch I intend to sit on for long periods of time, I want to know whether or not it’s comfortable. A couch means nothing to me if it looks fantastic but isn’t a pleasure to sit on. In the case of retailers who have brick and mortar stores, one could argue that we could pay the store a visit to test the couch before buying it. In Amazon’s case, that could prove to be a little tricky.

Nov 22, 2017 0 comment

Gaming marketing

‘PowerPass’ is GameStop’s New Game Rental Service

written by Don Eminizer

With the increasing amount of ways one can get their hands on pretty much any game virtually, it’s a wonder that GameStop hasn’t gone the way of Blockbuster and the like. Unfortunately, GameStop has suffered quite the blow in the past few years as evidenced by its shares being down 8 percent and a 3.4 drop in video game retail at the end of this year’s second quarter. So it’s doing what any business that wants to stay in business would: coming up with alternatives.

What GameStop hopes will bring business back is its new PowerPass program that, for $10 a month ($60 for a 6 month long subscription) will allow gamers to rent as many games as they wish, as long as they’re only renting one at a time. There’s a nice little bonus incentive that will let subscribers keep one free game at the end of every subscription, too. The games GameStop will be renting out (and letting users keep as a thank you for subscribing) will all be pre-owned.

This isn’t the first business model of its kind – I am reminded of GameFly, to which my son was subscribing for a few years – but it might still be worth a shot for GameStop. It should be noted here that Netflix also briefly considered adding video games to their rental feature (which was launched for DVDs only initially) because of user demand, but later abandoned its unborn Qwikster program, presumably because of the increasing shipping costs associated with the venture. Redbox also offers video game rentals, so GameStop will have to step up to the plate if it hopes to be able to compete with at least two well-established video game renting companies.

I’m old school. I like to have the physical copy of my games. I even go to second-hand shops looking for games that you can’t find all that easily anymore – games for the Atari 2600, the original NES and Playstation and even the Nintendo 64. But for younger generations, the attraction to a nice, physical gaming collection is elusive. They’re used to buying stuff online, never leaving the comfort of their couch, and it isn’t clear if yet another video game rental service will reach enough of the younger generations to save GameStop.

Nov 15, 2017 0 comment

marketing Mobile Apps

myCheckout is Target’s Latest Customer Service App

written by Don Eminizer

We’re hearing a lot of good things about Target lately, and myCheckout is yet another one. It’s a very simple thing, but one that I wish more stores would look into. Basically, myCheckout will allow Target employees to order items for customers when said items are out of stock, so that customers don’t have to check back in later. So, for example, if you’re shopping at Target for shoes but can’t find your size, or are looking for that particular brand of coffee but the store is out of stock, you can find a target employee who, using a handheld mobile device, will locate exactly what you want online. You will then whip out your credit card, which the employee will insert inn the device, pay for your items and go back home to await delivery. Customers who opt for this option will receive an email notification, just like they would had they ordered the item themselves from home. Or, if you need the item right away, the Target employee will be able to tell you if it’s available in any other nearby Target so you can go and buy it from there.

I often find that it’s the little things that many business don’t really think about that make the biggest difference. I mean, this new service from Target is just so convenient! How often has this scenario happened to all of us? More often that I’d like, and Target’s solution to this problem is both clever and shows just how far it’s ready to go to make life easier for its customers. Of course, customers can order online themselves if they so wish, but if you’re already in the store shopping for supplies, why not get the ordering done right there and be done with it? It makes total sense.

The service was already being tested in select Target stores since last spring and this testing period has already processed over 10,000 transactions. Target says that its myCheckout service will be implemented across all stores in time for the holiday season which, again, makes a lot of sense and will indubitably make shopping for the holidays much easier for Target customers.

Nov 2, 2017 0 comment

marketing Mobile Apps

Target’s New AR App Lets You Furnish Your Home Virtually

written by Don Eminizer

I find shopping for furniture to be a mostly frustrating process. Yes, it’s great to be getting a new couch or bed, but once you’ve found something you like, you have to make sure it’ll fit in the space you saved for it, figure out if it’ll go well with your other furniture and general décor, and on more than one occasion, even after measuring carefully and making a final decision, I found myself either not liking the final look of the room or realizing that I didn’t measure that carefully after all. In short, shopping for furniture is a pain that doesn’t always leads to good or satisfying results.

This is why I’m glad to hear that Target has taken some of the hassle out of furniture shopping by introducing an app that allows shoppers to take a picture of a room in their home and drag pieces of the retailer’s furniture to see how they would look in any space. The app also allows users to move and rotate furniture to their heart’s content, making it easy to see 1) if the furniture will fit in the space and 2) if it will go well with the rest of the house. Brilliant.

This new app comes on the heels of other high-tech new features for Target, who recently introduced, in collaboration with Pinterest, an app that allows users to take a picture of an object they like and see what similar objects are available at Target. It is perhaps important to mention that this new app is only available through mobile web as, according to a Target spokesperson, “…by using mobile web, it’s a simple experience — guests can easily snap pictures using their phone, they don’t have to use any additional hardware or apps. We just felt like it was a really straightforward experience.”

There are currently only 200 pieces of furniture to choose from at the moment, but Target is confident that there will be many, many more added to the app by 2018. The app also allows customers to add whatever piece of furniture to their cart, making the whole process fast and easy. The only downside to shopping virtually is that one would have no idea how comfortable their new couch or chair might be, but I suppose one could make their way to the store to try them on after they’ve ascertained that the piece will be a welcome addition to their home.

Oct 30, 2017 0 comment

marketing Mobile Apps

Amazon Key Will Allow Couriers to Deliver Your Packages Right in Your House

written by Don Eminizer

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Walmart’s testing of store-to-fridge delivery, which would allow Walmart employees to gain access to your home while you’re out to put your groceries away for you – an idea that I thought was novel but left me skeptic because Walmart did not require you to have a security camera to supervise the process. Amazon is now taking this idea a step further with its new Amazon Key service, which will allow couriers to deliver your packages right inside your front door if you’re not home, instead of relying on a ‘safe’ place of your choosing outside your house. And Amazon, unlike Walmart, does require you to have a camera to make sure nothing is stolen or untoward – more specifically, Amazon’s Cloud Cam. Here’s how it works.

You install a smart lock on your door, and Amazon’s Cloud Cam to your home (if you don’t already have one). When the courier arrives with your package, he or she will scan the bar code, which will activate an access request to the cloud. Once approved, the camera will start recording, the courier uses the app to unlock your door, leaves the package, re-locks your door and leaves. Once the process is complete, you get a notification on your app and a feed of the footage covering the delivery, which puts your mind at ease that all is well back at home. I’m more on board with this idea because 1) you are required to have a camera to cover the process (which is also a good thing for the courier, as if something is missing, or the house burglarized on the day of the delivery, they cannot be blamed) and 2) the courier doesn’t actually enter your house at all, simply reaches inside to drop your package. This, to me, makes more sense than Walmart’s potentially unsecure, almost invasion-of-privacy delivery idea.

What’s also neat about Amazon Key is that it isn’t merely for deliveries: you could use the key to let other people (people you trust, I should specify) like house cleaners, temporary guests or house sitters without wondering who you’ve given a key to and how many of them came back. You decide who can get in and when, and if you find out that someone has stolen from you or you simply don’t want them back, they can’t disappear with your key causing you to have to change the lock.

Oct 30, 2017 0 comment

Android iPad iPhone marketing Mobile Apps

eBay Has A New “Find It On eBay” Function

written by Don Eminizer

It seems like no one wants to be left behind on image searches. In recent weeks, Target has both partnered with Pinterest to add their ‘Lens’ feature to Target’s app, letting customers look for items similar to what they want using pictures, and introduced its new AR tool that allows potential furniture buyers to take a picture of any room in their house and see how a certain piece of furniture fits it. Now, eBay has launched pretty much the same feature as Target and Instagram’s ‘Lens’, with an added feature that is pretty neat. Whenever a shopper goes on line and sees something they like, all they have to do is click “Find it on eBay” and the app will automatically look through its billions of listings to try and find the same item, or will offer items that are as close in similarity with the picture as possible.

It seems that retailers are catching on to the fact that potential customers can be frustrated by word searches; indeed, and I’ve been there myself, it can be difficult and awkward to accurately describe, say, the exact shape of a flower vase or to find any specific object without knowing its brand. When my wife saw the perfect red shoes being worn by a stranger at the mall, she came home to look for them on the great wide web…I can’t begin to tell you how many images Google spit out at her ‘red high heels’ search terms. She never did find the ones she oh so liked, and image search would have been a great help to her at the time – assuming she could have taken a discreet picture of the lucky lady’s pumps.

The feature’s deep learning model (which is called a convolutional neural network, for those who are interested) gets smarter the more image searches it goes through, which means that it gradually gets better at producing results that are close to the original image (assuming that it doesn’t have just the thing you’re looking for, that is).

‘Find it on eBay’ is now live only on eBay’s Android app, but the ‘Image Search’ feature can be used both on Android and iOS devices.

Oct 28, 2017 0 comment

marketing

Uniquely J is Jet.com’s New Brand for Millenials

written by Don Eminizer

Walmart’s Jet.com (who promises 2 day delivery without a membership and free shipping over $35) is launching a new brand of household essential named Uniquely J. What is it that makes this brand ‘millenial-friendly’? Well, a few things. First, the design. Each product is wrapped in a unique pattern that definitely sets it apart. I personally find the designs pretty cool, but there’s also a downside to the packaging: the contents of the packages are displayed in a small square somewhere on the package and make it difficult to know what they are at a glance. One really has to look at the products closely to know what they are.

Another thing that younger consumers might find attractive about Uniquely J’s merchandise is that it speaks to their values when it comes to product sourcing. All the coffee available in the brand will be ‘fair trade’ and ‘organic’, for example. It isn’t yet known how Uniquely J’s products will be shipped or who is going to be manufacturing them, but we know that the brand will make its products available in the next 60 days or so and would span across dozens of household items and food categories. There has been no mention that Uniquely J products will eventually be available in Jet.com’s parent company Walmart’s stores, but I’ve heard that they will be available on Walmart.com in about a year.

Meredith Klein, Director of Public Relations at Jet.com, described Uniquely J in this way to TechCrunch: “From the boldly designed packaging, to the fun, witty label copy and quality ingredients — everything was designed with this metro consumer in mind”. I could find no information on how Uniquely J’s prices will compare to those of brand name items, or even to Walmart’s own labels like Great Value and Sam’s Choice.

This new label comes on the heels of Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods, Target’s new Target Restock service and Amazon’s Prime Pantry feature. The competition in the household essential delivery market is fierce, so Uniquely J will have to be on top of its game if it hopes to get even the tiniest piece of the pie.

Sep 29, 2017 0 comment