TJI Research Media Citations This Week

Posted on by Justin Smith

Here’s a roundup of selected TJI Research citations from across the media world for the week ending December 14, 2018:

11 New Amazon Exclusive Apparel, Grocery, and Health Brands Launch in the US & UK

Posted on by Justin Smith

As we get closer to the holidays, we are seeing new Amazon Exclusive brands continue to launch.

This week we saw 11 new brands launch in the US & UK across the apparel, grocery, and health categories. They are:

 

  • Aarzoo – women’s clothing (UK)
  • Bioda – septic additives
  • Boutique23 – women’s dresses and tops
  • Broad Street Roasters – coffee
  • California Living – seasonings
  • Cashmeren – sweaters
  • Comfort Zone – insoles
  • Elevate Tea – tea
  • Healthy Spirit – incontinence pads
  • LederPelle – wallets
  • XES Underwear – women’s intimate apparel (UK)

These have been added to the TJI Amazon Brand Database.

To track Amazon’s ongoing private brand efforts, subscribe to TJI Intel, our Amazon briefing service.

Even Amazon Private Label Brands Go Out of Stock Sometimes

Posted on by Justin Smith

It’s a challenge that all Amazon sellers face: run out of stock for any length of time, and your search ranking will likely suffer and take time and effort to recover.

Well, running out of stock happens to Amazon’s own brands too. Earlier this week, Amazon’s Presto! Ultra-Soft Toilet Paper was “Temporarily out of stock.”

It’s back now, with the top ranking in organic search results for “toilet paper” per our spot tests.

TJI Amazon Briefing for December 13, 2018

Posted on by Justin Smith

Good afternoon! Today’s TJI Amazon Briefing covers the latest in e-commerce, private label, physical retail, grocery, advertising, streaming, AWS, Alexa, healthcare, politics, and community issues.

Executives, entrepreneurs, analysts, and professionals rely on TJI. A TJI Intel subscription is only USD $149/month, or $995/year, for an individual subscriber.
We deliver the information and insights that executives and analysts need to understand what Amazon is doing and where it is going. Subscribe or Learn More

Amazon Launches Inkast Denim Co., a New Private Label Apparel Brand for India

Posted on by Justin Smith

As Amazon continues its global private brand expansion, today we are seeing yet another new Amazon private label brand in India, this time in casual apparel. The new brand is called Inkast Denim Co.

We are seeing several Inkast Denim-brand items now listed on Amazon’s India retail site. For example, this Inkast Denim Co. Men’s Skinny Fit Jeans is listed at INR 1,079.00 (about USD $15.10).

Amazon’s description of the brand notes, “Inkast Denim Co. offers a mix of classic as well as contemporary denim styles in a variety of washes. Designed for all casual occasions, Inkast offers the authentic denim look with high emphasis on quality, craftsmanship and fit.”

Inkast Denim Co. is Amazon’s fifth private label apparel brand launched in India that we have found, as noted on our TJI Amazon Brand Database. Amazon has also launched the Arthur Harvey, House & Shields, Myx, and Symbol private label apparel brands in India.

Amazon also sells a variety of apparel under its “Our Brands” program for Amazon Exclusive brands in India, such as Cloth Theory, Diverse, Indigo, Womanista, and more.

Amazon has also launched a private label food brand in India called Vedaka, in addition to bringing many of its global private label brands to the country, including AmazonBasics, Presto!, and Solimo.

India continues to be a strategic priority for Amazon in the coming years. Amazon ran a huge Great Indian Festival deal event in India in October that included substantial discounts and financing offers to gain more traction in the country. Amazon is also ramping up its advertising sales efforts in India.

Not only is Amazon investing in its retail efforts in India, but it is also looking to expand its portfolio of services products there. For instance, Amazon is rumored to be pursuing selling health and life insurance in India.

Continue to follow TJI as we track Amazon’s growing efforts around the world.

Amazon Launches Movian, a New Private Label Furniture Brand for Europe

Posted on by Justin Smith

As Amazon continues its global private brand expansion, today we are seeing another new Amazon private label brand in Europe, this time for furniture. The new brand is called Movian, and is reminiscent of Ikea furniture in both style and price.

We are seeing several dozen Movian-brand furniture items now listed on Amazon’s EU retail sites. For example, this Movian Adour Modern Oval Coffee Table is listed at £47.99. Amazon’s description of the item notes its “Stylish Scandinavian wood legs.” The name “Movian” also looks and sounds similar to a conjugation of the Spanish verb for “move.”

Movian is Amazon’s second private label furniture brand launched in Europe that we have found, as noted on our TJI Amazon Brand Database. Amazon launched Alkove, its other European furniture brand which offers higher-end leather furniture, only a month ago.

Amazon also sells Infinikit and Furniture 247 brand furniture under its “Our Brands” program for Amazon Exclusive brands. Amazon has also been selling home goods under the Rivet and Stone & Beam brands in Europe for the past few months, but Amazon has yet to launch furniture under those brands in Europe yet that we have seen.

Globally, furniture has been one of Amazon’s fastest growing private label categories this year. In addition to the launch of Ravenna Home, Amazon’s two largest private label furniture brands in the US, Rivet and Stone & Beam, have seen significant SKU growth this year. In mid-August, Amazon’s new exclusive home decor brand “Now House by Jonathan Adler” launched as well.

In addition to its growing European private label efforts, Amazon is doing more physical retail experiments in Europe as well. Last month, Amazon opened holiday pop-ups across several European capital cities, including Milan, Paris, Madrid, Berlin, London, and Amsterdam. Amazon Fashion ran its first pop-up in London a couple months ago as well.

Continue to follow TJI as we track Amazon.

New Small-Format Amazon Go, Store #8, Opens Inside Amazon Offices in Seattle

Posted on by Justin Smith

Amazon opened its 8th Amazon Go store in the world this morning inside one of its offices in Seattle. Unlike other Amazon Go stores that have launched to date, which are on the order of 2,000 square feet, this new Amazon Go store is only 450 square feet.

Amazon Go Vice President Gianna Puerini gave CNN a tour of the new space, which unlike other Amazon Go stores is only open to employees and their guests. It is located on the 6th floor of the Macy’s building at 300 Pine St, we believe.

Puerini says the concept behind the compact format stores is that they can go into spaces like lobbies of office buildings and hospitals as well as communal office space. You can bring it in in pieces and assemble it on-site, she told Reuters. This experimental store is adjacent to an employee cafe. It uses the same technology as other Amazon Go stores, and stocks grab-and-go items like Whole Foods brand fruit, yogurt, and snacks.

Rumors have been circulating lately that Amazon is looking at putting Amazon Go stores in airports as well. That would be a new twist on the urban locations Amazon has developed so far in Seattle, Chicago, and San Francisco. Airport locations would be a good way for Amazon to spread awareness of the Go concept to a national audience more quickly.

Amazon is also rumored to be looking at space in the West End of London for its first Amazon Go in the UK.

We’ve updated our TJI Amazon Physical Retail Map to reflect the new Amazon Go store launching today.

TJI Amazon Briefing for December 11, 2018

Posted on by Justin Smith

Good afternoon! Today’s TJI Amazon Briefing covers the latest in e-commerce, physical retail, healthcare, logistics, streaming, HR, legal, politics, and Alexa…

Executives, entrepreneurs, analysts, and professionals rely on TJI. A TJI Intel subscription is only USD $149/month, or $995/year, for an individual subscriber.
We deliver the information and insights that executives and analysts need to understand what Amazon is doing and where it is going. Subscribe or Learn More

Interesting Amazon Job Listings: Prime Air Flight Safety Officer, Amazon Go Culinary Product Developer, Alexa Automotive, & More

Posted on by Justin Smith

To get a sense of where Amazon is going, we regularly look at where they’re hiring. Here are 11 interesting areas in which Amazon is growing headcount this week:

1. Prime Air Flight Safety Officer

Amazon Prime Air is seeking flight flight safety officers with sound judgment and strict flight discipline. Success will require attention to detail, strong decision making, a safety-oriented attitude, and enthusiasm for Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) technology.

2. Culinary Product Developer – Fresh Food, Amazon Go

We are looking for an entrepreneurial, creative, collaborative food professional to join our commercialization team. You will work on all stages of product development with a specific focus on food manufacturing. As a primary point of contact for both internal and external vendors you will leverage your experience in culinary development, specification creation, and production execution.

3. Principal Product Management, Alexa Automotive

The Amazon Alexa Automotive team is looking for an industry veteran to lead our product management team. This person will lead the product team to drive Alexa, the voice controlled AI behind the Amazon Echo, into automobiles.

4. Head of Business – Healthcare, Asia Pacific and Japan, AWS

Would you like to be a key member of the Asia Pacific and Japan AWS business team focused on increasing adoption of Amazon Web Services in Healthcare? Do you have the business savvy and the technical background necessary to help establish Amazon as a key technology platform provider in the Asia Pacific and Japan Public Sector customer segment? You will have the exciting opportunity to help drive the growth and shape the future of an emerging technology in this highly strategic market segment.

5. Senior Category Manager, Private Label

The Amazon Consumables Private Label team is creating a global portfolio of premium consumables products to meet Prime customers’ daily needs. We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Category Manager with a healthy obsession for the rapidly evolving world of consumer packaged goods, online grocery delivery, and product innovation to join our team and help us change the everyday lives of our global customers. The Category Manager will identify/evaluate new category opportunities and manage our ongoing P&Ls.

6. Senior Product Marketing Manager, Amazon Pay Web and Mobile

We are seeking an accomplished product marketing leader to create, drive, and implement the go-to-market strategy for Amazon Pay’s web and mobile offerings for merchants.

7. Principal Product Manager – Technical, Alexa Shopping

As a Principal Product Manager for Alexa Shopping, you will have an enormous opportunity to impact the customer experience, design, architecture, and implementation of cutting-edge products and services. You will drive product strategy and definition, and collaborate with engineering to develop and launch features

8. Amazon Air Program Manager, Network Planning

Air Network Planner (Planner) will be responsible for the effective design of Amazon’s aviation transportation network. Through data analysis, modeling, collaboration with internal stakeholders and industry research our Planners will contribute to the design of an optimal Amazon Air transportation network maximizing asset utilization.

9. Sr. Program manager, Data Center Capacity Planning

Data center capacity planning owns the supply plan for data center power and space in response to the customer forecasts. We own initiatives to model and improve the utilization of our power, cooling and space infrastructure in our data centers so that we are generating capacity at the lowest possible cost.

10. Sr. Program Manager, Space Planning – Amazon Go

Amazon Go is looking for an exceptionally motivated and talented Sr. Program Manager with a strong customer focus, analytical skills and entrepreneurial spirit to join the Amazon Go space planning team.

11. Sr. Global Commodities Manager – Prime Air

We’re looking for an outstanding Senior Global Commodity Manager (Sr. GCM). The Sr. GCM is responsible for developing, communicating, and executing sourcing strategies relative to their respective hardware development areas and develop and execute the necessary contractual framework. This role will manage the business relationship with our key suppliers to ensure full supply chain support to deliver on time, high quality and cost effective materials.

 

Amazon Launching First Private Label Toys for Toddlers and Kids

Posted on by Justin Smith

Amazon’s private label efforts have grown substantially this year, with launches ranging from furniture to groceries. Today, we’re seeing what looks like the impending launch of several new AmazonBasics brand private label toys for toddlers and kids. It’s the first time we’ve seen Amazon launch private label children’s toys.

The toys are not shipping yet, but their product pages are now live on Amazon.com. We would generally expect the toys to start shipping in the coming days or weeks. The new toy products we are seeing are:

Update: Since our post, Amazon has apparently taken down the toys listed above from Amazon.com. We would not expect the items to start shipping until after Amazon restores the listings.

While we’re only seeing a few product listing pages for AmazonBasics toys now, if the past is any indication, we would expect Amazon to methodically ramp up its private label toy inventory.

The battle for holiday toy sales is particularly intense this year after Toys R Us closed its stores this summer. Four weeks ago, Amazon mailed out its first printed holiday toy catalog to millions of customers. Amazon said that customers ordered over 18 million toys on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Toy brands like Melissa & Doug and Little Tikes are sure to keep a keen eye on how Amazon rolls out its selection of private label toys for young children. While Amazon is starting in the toddler category, we could see Amazon moving into several categories of toys for older children as well.

While many toys are sold on brand and with officially licensed IP, Amazon should be able to gain traction for private label items relatively quickly in those areas that don’t depend as heavily on brand.

In general, Amazon continues to ramp up its private label and exclusive brand selection across retail categories. Amazon is hiring both in the US and internationally to support this effort, and is growing the volume of exclusive private brands it offers through the Amazon Accelerator program.

Amazon’s holiday catalog featured several dozen Amazon Exclusive toys by our count. In addition, brands that received at least one full page in the catalog included Lego, Marvel, Disney Pixar, Barbie, Baby Alive, Fingerlings, Melissa & Doug, Duplo, Fisher-Price, vtech, Play-Doh, Hasbro Gaming, Nerf, Hot Wheels, Playmobil, k’nex, Bose, and Star Wars.

Amazon is featuring Amazon Exclusive toys in its new Amazon 4-star retail stores as well.