Amazon’s new physical retail analytics service gives brands insights about product & ad performance | Amazon debuts fully autonomous warehouse robot
Amazon’s new physical retail analytics service gives brands insights about product and ad performance?
Amazon?announced?last week that it’s launching a new physical retail store analytics service that offer brands insights about the performance of their products, promotions and ad campaigns. The new service, Store Analytics, gives brands anonymised insights about their products in Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores in the United States that use Just Walk Out and Dash Cart technologies.
The company says the new service will give brands access to information about how their products are discovered, considered and purchased, which will then help them make informed decisions about promotions and ad campaigns. Brands will also get access to anonymised data about how their products rank and perform. The service will also provide performance metrics for in-store campaigns, such as digital signage.
On the other hand, these insights will help Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores improve the shopper experience by making the store layout easier for shoppers to find their favourite items and discover new ones. The insights will also help the stores improve the selection and availability of products. Amazon notes that the insights will also help the stores deliver relevant promotions and advertising.
Amazon stressed that the data that is collected is aggregated and anonymised, and doesn’t contain any personal information. The company says it doesn’t share anything that can be linked back to individual shoppers. The data that’s shared only includes totals, averages and percentages about product, promotion and ad campaign performance. For example, Amazon will share the percentage of how often a brand’s product was taken off the shelf and then purchased either during that store visit or later on Amazon.com.
“We never share personal information about shoppers, so the data brands receive will never include details such as their name, individual browsing data, or individual session details like the time of day they shopped or the store at which they shopped,” Amazon said in a blog post. “Further, no video or images of shoppers will be shared with brands as part of this service.”
Shoppers who don’t want the data used for Store Analytics can opt out on the company’s?Store Analytics website. Shoppers who opt out can still use Just Walk Out technology and Amazon Dash Carts in Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores, the company notes.
Amazon’s Just Walk Out Technology uses a combination of cameras, sensors, computer vision techniques and deep learning to allow customers to shop, then leave the store without waiting in line to pay. Since its launch in 2018, Just Walk Out technology is now being used at some?Whole Foods,?Starbucks?and?stadiums.
Tambo's View
First, Amazon's cashier-less stores pushed the boundaries with 'Just Walk Out'?technology. Now, the tech giant is providing?data-driven Store Analytics insights which will be invaluable for brands, allowing them to better understand the path to purchase for their products and helping them to evolve and refine their assortment, merchandising and advertising over time. Amazon has truly succeeded in turning its physical grocery stores into crucial?data hubs?for brands.
Amazon debuts?fully autonomous warehouse robot
You can’t discuss fulfilment robots without mentioning Amazon. Over the past decade, the retail juggernaut has become the 800-pound gorilla in the category, courtesy of several key acquisitions and seemingly endless resources. And while warehouse robotics and automation have been accelerated amid the pandemic and resulting employment crunch, Amazon Robotics has been driving these categories for years now.
This week at its annual Re:Mars conference in Las Vegas, the company celebrated a decade of its robotics division, which was effectively born with its acquisition of Kiva Systems. Over the course of its life, Amazon Robotics has deployed more than 520,000 robotic drive units, across its fulfilment and sort centres. From the outside, it’s been a tremendous success in the company’s push toward same- and next-day package delivery, and its driven the competition to look for their own third-party robotics solutions, bolstering startups like Locus, Fetch and Berkshire Grey.
Amazon Robotics head Tye Brady took to the stage at last week’s event to offer a glimpse of what the future will look like for its in-house automated systems. At the heart of the news are two new robots: Proteus and Cardinal, an autonomous floor system and a robotic arm, respectively. The new robots are being integrated into the same shelf/cell system that’s been in place since Kiva.
Now, however, Proteus brings full autonomy to the floor. The company notes in a blog post, "Proteus autonomously moves through our facilities using advanced safety, perception, and navigation technology developed by Amazon. The robot was built to be automatically directed to perform its work and move around employees — meaning it has no need to be confined to restricted areas. It can operate in a manner that augments simple, safe interaction between technology and people — opening up a broader range of possible uses to help our employees — such as the lifting and movement of GoCarts, the non-automated, wheeled transports used to move packages through our facilities."
The company notes, "Proteus will initially be deployed in the outbound GoCart handling areas in our fulfilment centres and sort centres. Our vision is to automate GoCart handling throughout the network, which will help reduce the need for people to manually move heavy objects through our facility and instead let them focus on more rewarding work."
Cardinal, meanwhile, is a robotic work cell that sorts heavy packages of up to 50 pounds during the shipping process. The company is testing a pilot of the system right now and expects to deploy into its sorting facilities at some point next year.
Also demoed on the stage was the Amazon Robotics Identification system. The device looks a bit like an airport scanner, allowing employees to quickly input packages using “natural movements.” The company notes, “AR ID removes the manual scanning process by using a unique camera system that runs at 120 frames per second, giving employees greater mobility and helping reduce the risk of injury.”
Lastly is another arm-based picking system. It’s effectively a large, mobile, shelf-based system that utilises the arm to retrieve containers to hand to the human employee. The company notes, “Our new Containerised Storage System puts employees in a safer and more ergonomic position through a highly choreographed dance of robotics and software.”
What’s most interesting viewing these updates from afar is the integration Amazon has managed across a range of different tasks. Of course, Amazon has the marked advantage of being able to develop its own systems for its own warehouse — that, along with its huge resources, are going to prove extremely difficult for smaller companies to keep up with.
Tambo’s View
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This is welcomed news as Proteus could reduce the need for people to manually move heavy objects leading to fewer physical injuries in Amazon warehouses. It will be interesting to see if Amazon eventually makes these robotics available for purchase on the consumer market for those who are physically less able and in need of assistance at home. While there is great use for these robots behind the scenes, it will be interesting to see if their benefits eventually bleed into the wider consumer market.?
eBay acquires NFT marketplace KnownOrigin for an undisclosed sum
eBay announced last week that it’s acquiring Manchester-based NFT marketplace KnownOrigin. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. eBay says the companies have signed and closed the deal as of June 22nd.
KnownOrigin was founded in 2018 by Andy Gray, David Moore and James Morgan. All three co-founders are joining eBay. The platform enables artists and collectors to create, buy and resell NFTs. eBay say it’s acquiring the entire company, including IP and the team.?
“eBay is the first stop for people across the globe who are searching for that perfect, hard-to-find, or unique addition to their collection and, with this acquisition, we will remain a leading site as our community is increasingly adding digital collectibles,” said eBay CEO Jamie Iannone in a statement. “KnownOrigin has built up an impressive, passionate and loyal group of artists and collectors making them a perfect addition to our community of sellers and buyers. We look forward to welcoming these innovators as they join the eBay community.”
The acquisition comes a month after eBay launched its first collection of NFTs in partnership with web3 platform OneOf. The company’s new “Genesis” NFT Collection will feature 3D and animated interpretations of the iconic athletes featured on Sports Illustrated covers over the years. eBay says the surge in the collectibles market led to its first collaboration in the NFT space.
Although eBay has a significant presence in online shopping, the company will have its work cut out for it competing with dozens of crypto native NFT marketplaces already out there. However, its acquisition of KnownOrigin indicates that the company is getting serious about NFTs.
“We founded KnownOrigin to empower creators and collectors by giving them the ability to showcase, sell, and collect unique, authenticated digital items,” said David Moore, the co-founder of KnownOrigin, in a statement. “As interest in NFTs continues to grow, we believe now is the perfect time for us to partner with a company that has the reach and experience of eBay. With more than twenty-five years building similar communities of passionate individuals, we are excited by the opportunity to bring a whole new audience on this journey. This is the start of a new chapter in the KnownOrigin story and we couldn’t choose a better time to focus on building and innovating with the team at eBay. This partnership will help us attract a new wave of NFT creators and collectors.”
eBay says NFTs represent a significant area of growth for its business. The company’s latest acquisition furthers its push into the world of blockchain technology and digital collectibles
Tambo’s View
As interest in NFTs continues to grow, and while the market is still young, now is the perfect time for eBay to partner with a company like KnownOrigin in a bid to diversify its offering and attract new audiences to its platform. In fact, a trusted and well-known brand like eBay partnering with KnownOrigin could facilitate higher levels of trust in NFTs and crypto wallets more generally as there remains strong opposition to that side of the digital world. Namely, buyers would have more trust that what they're purchasing is an authentic product, collectible or piece of art, as an item's ownership can be traced on the blockchain as well as the listing also being protected and verified by eBay.
You can now share eBay listings on Snapchat in the UK
It was first announced for US sellers, but now the ability to share your eBay listing on Snapchat has officially come to the UK. eBay have collaborated with Snapchat to create a quick, easy way to turn your eBay listings into eye-catching snaps right from the eBay app.
With just one tap, you can create a Snapchat-ready design with listing details, an image, and a tappable link back to your eBay listing. Developed in collaboration with Snapchat, this new template generates a ready-to-share snap; or you can get creative with stickers, text, and effects to make your listing stand out. Potential buyers can also use the feature to share snaps of items they’re excited about with their Snapchat friends.
Snapchat is an app that encourages discovery, storytelling, and connection through fun, fast-paced visual content. With over 332 million daily active users engaging with content, Snapchat is a window into a new audience and new potential for your business.
It’s always interesting to see eBay engaging with new audiences and the ability to share your eBay listing on Snapchat definitely falls into that camp. Snapchat captures a new younger demographic and this is key to the future of eBay, in a similar way to the eBay Love Island venture which exposes pre-loved fashion to a new audience.
The way consumers shop is dramatically changing and retailers need to go to where shoppers hang out online. That means that both your own website and the marketplaces you sell on need to have visibility on new channels if you are going to stay at the forefront of e-commerce.
How to share your eBay listing on Snapchat:
Tambo's View
It's great to see eBay partnering with different businesses in order to reach new audiences and change perceptions about its brand. The eBay brand has been stuck with a reputation of being a platform primarily for second hand household and automobile goods and is now making moves to change these perceptions, diversify its offering, and appeal to new audiences. It's a win-win situation for both eBay as well as its sellers: promoting sale items on social media is an effective way to gain more exposure for listings, put items in front of the right people, and maximise the chances of closing a sale. If the partnership is successful, and we think it will be, then we expect to see a higher numbers of Gen Z buyers and sellers on eBay. For more information on Gen Z and their shopping behaviours on marketplaces, see our 2021 report Add to Cart.
That's all for this week.?For more news on Amazon and updates about Tambo?visit our?blog.