8 ms·

This is more or less what Amazon is known for - experimentation, A/B testing and dumping ideas quickly. I'm pretty in awe that Amazon seems to have (at least)

This is more or less what Amazon is known for - experimentation, A/B testing and dumping ideas quickly. I'm pretty in awe that Amazon seems to have (at least) three bricks and mortar retail concepts on the go at the same time : Go, pop up stores and Whole Foods, and is only now deciding to cut one of them. Amazon's commitment to going with the data goes so so deep.

SteveCoast 8y ago
I think it's 5: Go, pop-up, 4-star, bookstore, whole foods.
- turtlebits 8y ago
  Also the 365 grocery stores.
  - plumeria 8y ago
    Those have been discontinued.
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
    - stephenhuey 8y ago
      I was about to correct you since one opened near my house, but it sounds like all 9 of the 365 stores will be converted to a regular Whole Foods by the end of the year: https://www.eater.com/2019/2/27/18243123/whole-foods-365-stores-rip https://www.eater.com/2019/2/27/18243123/whole-foods-365-sto...
- erichurkman 8y ago
  I do hope 4-star works out. It's worked great for me a few times for last minute decent gifts (including for a kid and difficult to buy for relative).
heymijo 8y ago
What about Amazon makes it successful with having multiple versions of the same concept at one time compared to Google's* lack of success doing the same? *At least my impression of Google and their structure/incentive system that pushes different groups to pursue the same thing and not succeed at any. Messaging is at the forefront in my mind.
- nickpsecurity 8y ago
  It's their strong customer and product focus. I answered in more detail in another thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19286649 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19286649
- k_sh 8y ago
  Follow-through. Google is infamous for this sequence of events, time and time again: 1. We made this great new thing that's gonna change the way you verb! Hope you enjoy it! 2. (1-5 years of product stagnation) 3. Hey, thanks for the all the good times. We're closing the thing at the end of the year. Amazon (for all their warts) is much more adept at keeping customer experience in their crosshairs.
  - Judgmentality 8y ago
    > Amazon (for all their warts) is much more adept at keeping customer experience in their crosshairs. Except when it comes to selling counterfeit merchandise. This is more than just a nitpick, they are cannibalizing their core business. What I don't know, and I assume they do know, is how bad is the problem. Is it impacting 1% of customers who ultimately leave their platform (which could easily be offset by other factors), or are we at the tip of the iceberg and they're going to continually lose marketshare with time?
    - stone-monkey 8y ago
      Obviously they must know it's a problem, but it seems to be a constant arms race fighting with the counterfeiters, especially with their current business model. It seems pretty clear Amazon is moving away from being a direct retailer of items and instead fulfilling orders for other stores. Moreover, they're leaving it in the hands of these storefronts to differentiate themselves by having them pay extra to separate their stock from other warehouse goods. Lastly, it seems as if the end goal is for the retail store to become a platform for a new wave of direct to consumer manufacturers, which you see in the form of Anker, that trending Orolay jacket, etc.
throwaway5752 8y ago
Can't speak for anyone else, but hopefully they will not mess with Whole Foods much. They picked up some baggage with that one, and if they drastically changed things ... to put it in their language this would not be a Type 2 decision.
- blakejustblake 8y ago
  Welp, so much for that hope. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/mar/06/whole-foods-amazon-cuts-minimum-wage-workers-hours-changes https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/mar/06/whole-foods-...
- setpatchaddress 8y ago
  They have ruined Whole Foods. Anecdata: the local store is now filthy, filled with unhappy employees, and no longer carries a broad selection of items. But hey, bananas are cheaper. The "customers" are mostly local delivery services now.
  - wyclif 8y ago
    What changes at the corporate level caused those effects in the stores?
Wistar 8y ago
I saw in WSJ that Amazon is planning to open an all-new "cheaper than Whole Foods" grocery-store business with the first store in Los Angeles to open by year-end. https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-to-launch-new-grocery-store-business-sources-say-11551461887?mod=hp_lead_pos4 https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-to-launch-new-grocery-st...
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
shagie 8y ago
> Amazon also assured landlords that its decision to close pop-up stores wasn’t a sign that it is pulling back from its expansion into bricks-and-mortar retail, one landlord said. > “The pop-up stores were designed to ascertain demand, and Amazon can leverage that data for prototypes of other stores,” said Mr. Charles Lanier, director of real estate at Plaza Associates Inc., a private commercial-property landlord that operates Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, N.C., which contains an Amazon pop-up. > Amazon is innovating at a fast pace, he said, adding, “We’re big fans of the brand.”
gordon_freeman 8y ago
I think Amazon doesn't need those pop-up stores now as much since they could easily use Whole Foods stores to display and sell their hardware devices. They also have other options as well to sell devices such as their Amazon Books physical stores.
- azinman2 8y ago
  They already do, at least here in SF
  - cafard 8y ago
    There are Amazon devices in the Washington, DC, Whole Foods stores.

SteveCoast 8y ago

I think it's 5: Go, pop-up, 4-star, bookstore, whole foods.

turtlebits 8y ago
Also the 365 grocery stores.
- plumeria 8y ago
  Those have been discontinued.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - stephenhuey 8y ago
    I was about to correct you since one opened near my house, but it sounds like all 9 of the 365 stores will be converted to a regular Whole Foods by the end of the year: https://www.eater.com/2019/2/27/18243123/whole-foods-365-stores-rip https://www.eater.com/2019/2/27/18243123/whole-foods-365-sto...
erichurkman 8y ago
I do hope 4-star works out. It's worked great for me a few times for last minute decent gifts (including for a kid and difficult to buy for relative).

heymijo 8y ago

What about Amazon makes it successful with having multiple versions of the same concept at one time compared to Google's* lack of success doing the same? *At least my impression of Google and their structure/incentive system that pushes different groups to pursue the same thing and not succeed at any. Messaging is at the forefront in my mind.

nickpsecurity 8y ago
It's their strong customer and product focus. I answered in more detail in another thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19286649 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19286649
k_sh 8y ago
Follow-through. Google is infamous for this sequence of events, time and time again: 1. We made this great new thing that's gonna change the way you verb! Hope you enjoy it! 2. (1-5 years of product stagnation) 3. Hey, thanks for the all the good times. We're closing the thing at the end of the year. Amazon (for all their warts) is much more adept at keeping customer experience in their crosshairs.
- Judgmentality 8y ago
  > Amazon (for all their warts) is much more adept at keeping customer experience in their crosshairs. Except when it comes to selling counterfeit merchandise. This is more than just a nitpick, they are cannibalizing their core business. What I don't know, and I assume they do know, is how bad is the problem. Is it impacting 1% of customers who ultimately leave their platform (which could easily be offset by other factors), or are we at the tip of the iceberg and they're going to continually lose marketshare with time?
  - stone-monkey 8y ago
    Obviously they must know it's a problem, but it seems to be a constant arms race fighting with the counterfeiters, especially with their current business model. It seems pretty clear Amazon is moving away from being a direct retailer of items and instead fulfilling orders for other stores. Moreover, they're leaving it in the hands of these storefronts to differentiate themselves by having them pay extra to separate their stock from other warehouse goods. Lastly, it seems as if the end goal is for the retail store to become a platform for a new wave of direct to consumer manufacturers, which you see in the form of Anker, that trending Orolay jacket, etc.

throwaway5752 8y ago

Can't speak for anyone else, but hopefully they will not mess with Whole Foods much. They picked up some baggage with that one, and if they drastically changed things ... to put it in their language this would not be a Type 2 decision.

blakejustblake 8y ago
Welp, so much for that hope. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/mar/06/whole-foods-amazon-cuts-minimum-wage-workers-hours-changes https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/mar/06/whole-foods-...
setpatchaddress 8y ago
They have ruined Whole Foods. Anecdata: the local store is now filthy, filled with unhappy employees, and no longer carries a broad selection of items. But hey, bananas are cheaper. The "customers" are mostly local delivery services now.
- wyclif 8y ago
  What changes at the corporate level caused those effects in the stores?

Wistar 8y ago

I saw in WSJ that Amazon is planning to open an all-new "cheaper than Whole Foods" grocery-store business with the first store in Los Angeles to open by year-end. https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-to-launch-new-grocery-store-business-sources-say-11551461887?mod=hp_lead_pos4 https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-to-launch-new-grocery-st...

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

shagie 8y ago

> Amazon also assured landlords that its decision to close pop-up stores wasn’t a sign that it is pulling back from its expansion into bricks-and-mortar retail, one landlord said. > “The pop-up stores were designed to ascertain demand, and Amazon can leverage that data for prototypes of other stores,” said Mr. Charles Lanier, director of real estate at Plaza Associates Inc., a private commercial-property landlord that operates Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, N.C., which contains an Amazon pop-up. > Amazon is innovating at a fast pace, he said, adding, “We’re big fans of the brand.”

gordon_freeman 8y ago

I think Amazon doesn't need those pop-up stores now as much since they could easily use Whole Foods stores to display and sell their hardware devices. They also have other options as well to sell devices such as their Amazon Books physical stores.

azinman2 8y ago
They already do, at least here in SF
- cafard 8y ago
  There are Amazon devices in the Washington, DC, Whole Foods stores.