First it sold books. Next it sold toys and electronics. Then it acquired Whole Foods in a $13.7 billion deal. Now it’s on the fast track to dominate just about every other industry.
On the heels of another massive Amazon Prime Day, new research from customer experience firm WD Partners explores the brave new world of 21st century commerce—outlining Amazon’s rapid growth and proactive strategy.
Who knew back in 1994 that this online bookshop upstart would write a story of its own—a story that everyday consumers may have no choice but to play a part in? And now, we’re in the first chapter of a new retail story—one that may not only redefine retail, but all of commerce in the 21st century.
Welcome to the Amazon Century.
The company once dismissed as a low-margin competitor is not merely gaining share and profits—it is rendering once indomitable competitors almost entirely defenseless. Amazon has become the low-margin commodity retailer, the everything store, the competitor every other retail brand must reckon with—an entity that may be becoming more monopoly than traditional retailer. How did we get here?
In the latest issue of WayfinD magazine, WD compares Amazon’s growth to that of traditional retailers, discusses the outlook for traditional retail jobs, and predicts Amazon’s future opportunities and contributions to the landscape of consumer culture.
In this Amazon-centered issue, WD explores the impact digital voice assistants like Alexa, Siri and Google Home are having on the consumer journey and what it means for brands. The growth of these data-enabled shopping assistants, coined “conversational commerce,” is analyzed in The Customer You’ve Never Met article.
Lastly, the issue investigates the possibility of a limited, three-option future for consumers: what if there comes a day when the only options are Amazon, Walmart, and Third Wave stores?—perhaps, a later chapter in the Amazon story.
