#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