Amazon Launches Local Seller Program to Take Advantage of Local Delivery Options

eCommerce
Written By Rick Watson

#Amazon launched an interesting local seller program which my friend Hendrik Laubscher reminds me is a straight copy of Wish and Alibaba.

Why are they doing this?

I think there are two big reasons.

1 - The rise of curbside and hyper-local delivery. Amazon is all about commercialization at scale, and what has greater scale than allowing their millions of sellers to deliver to buyers nearby?

2 - Speaking of the last point, Amazon has virtually no answer to #Target and #Walmart's curbside and BOPIS programs, which are becoming an increasingly major part of eCommerce in North America. (Amazon #retail not coming fast enough)

3 - The idea of Amazon FBA has reached its limits. No possible way Amazon can store everything, and SFP only seems to be really viable for a small % of sellers, from previous reports I've read.

4 - Huge data play for Amazon to determine what types of products consumers are willing to pickup and deliver quickly. It will inform their own expansion.

btw if you didn't realize I had a podcast, come check it out. #WatsonWeekly - your essential #eCommerce digest - comes out every Monday morning. I won't cover it this Monday, but probably the next one :)

#podcast

Rick Watson

Rick Watson founded RMW Commerce Consulting after spending 20+ years as a technology entrepreneur and operator exclusively in the eCommerce industry with companies like ChannelAdvisor, BarnesandNoble.com, Merchantry, and Pitney Bowes.

Watson’s work today is centered on supporting investors and management teams incubating and growing direct-to-consumer businesses. Most recently, in partnership with WHP Global, Rick was a critical resource in architecting the WHP+ platform, a new turnkey direct to consumer digital e-commerce platform that powers AnneKlein.com and JosephAbboud.com.

Watson also hosts a weekly podcast, Watson Weekly, where he shares an unbiased, unfiltered expert take on the retail sector’s biggest players.

In the past year alone, Rick has spoken at many in-person and virtual events as well as podcasts on topics ranging from retail/ecom to supply chain/logistics and even digital grocery including CommerceNext IRL, ASCM Connect, and Retail Innovation Conference.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/
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