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Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

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Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#61

Post by johnqpub »

ryanmcbride wrote: post #45
monitron wrote: post #6

I would compare this to a supermarket allocating shelf space to maximize its profits, either by placing its own brands front and center or by featuring brands that have made a deal for prime shelf placement. I don't see this as scandalous or even new. Coincidentally, Amazon brand products are usually pretty good in my experience, so this might not be a terrible outcome for users who have already decided to come shop…

EDIT: I didn't explain this well at all because I couldn't find the episode and haven't listened since it came out, I highly suggest someone better than me find the episode because it makes much more sense and has WAY more information than me. There was a planet money episode about this exact comparison the other day. Basically it comes down to: When a grocery store puts something on it's shelves, the store itself bo…

>When a grocery store puts something on it's shelves, the store itself bought it from the manufacturer. They have already made their money. On Amazon, manufacturers don't make money when the item is listed, they make it only if and when a customer buys the product.

That's not how it works for a some perishable products in grocery stores. For example, bread is stocked daily by the bakeries themselves. Same thing with potato chips.

If a grocery store has their in house bakery up front right when you walk in selling bread, and the vendors bread is all the way in the back, is that unfair to the vendor?

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#62

Post by PorterDuff »

ummonk wrote: post #47
PorterDuff wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would argue that a grocery store is a combination store and marketplace in that case. Stores have plenty of in-house brands, they also have racks of goods that are stocked and sold by third parties wherein they get a cut. To be fair, I think I would be more comfortable comparing Amazon to Sears in it's heyday.

What store / grocery store has goods stocked by third parties? (Rather than purchased from the third party by the grocery store)?

All of the ones around here do. Used DVD racks still exist. Soft drink vending machines. Seasonal items. Newspaper racks.

In the case of items actually run through the register, I'm not sure how that's dealt with from an accounting standpoint. I do know that the stores have the ability to return 100% of unsold goods in those cases.

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#63

Post by ChrisLTD »

josefresco wrote: post #51

Side rant: Where is my Amazon branded phone case?!? This weekend I placed a half dozen searches for "iphone 11 case" and was only presented with super shady, low quality vendors. Floveme? Tendam? Donse? Spigen? and my favorite: Vapesoon. Is it just too early for the legit brands to have a case ready? Or am I doing it wrong?

Spigen is a legit brand

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#64

Post by johnqpub »

josefresco wrote: post #51

Side rant: Where is my Amazon branded phone case?!? This weekend I placed a half dozen searches for "iphone 11 case" and was only presented with super shady, low quality vendors. Floveme? Tendam? Donse? Spigen? and my favorite: Vapesoon. Is it just too early for the legit brands to have a case ready? Or am I doing it wrong?

Spigen is a completely legit brand.

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#65

Post by ptruesdell »

josefresco wrote: post #51

Side rant: Where is my Amazon branded phone case?!? This weekend I placed a half dozen searches for "iphone 11 case" and was only presented with super shady, low quality vendors. Floveme? Tendam? Donse? Spigen? and my favorite: Vapesoon. Is it just too early for the legit brands to have a case ready? Or am I doing it wrong?

Can't speak for the others, but Spigen is a well known and generally well-trusted brand.

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#66

Post by josefresco »

ChrisLTD wrote: post #63
josefresco wrote: post #51

Side rant: Where is my Amazon branded phone case?!? This weekend I placed a half dozen searches for "iphone 11 case" and was only presented with super shady, low quality vendors. Floveme? Tendam? Donse? Spigen? and my favorite: Vapesoon. Is it just too early for the legit brands to have a case ready? Or am I doing it wrong?

Spigen is a legit brand

Cool, thanks for that! Beyond Speck and OtterBox I actually couldn't name any other legit brands. I had an easier time finding seemingly "legit" brands via Google.

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#67

Post by chaostheory »

ryanmcbride wrote: post #45
monitron wrote: post #6

I would compare this to a supermarket allocating shelf space to maximize its profits, either by placing its own brands front and center or by featuring brands that have made a deal for prime shelf placement. I don't see this as scandalous or even new. Coincidentally, Amazon brand products are usually pretty good in my experience, so this might not be a terrible outcome for users who have already decided to come shop…

EDIT: I didn't explain this well at all because I couldn't find the episode and haven't listened since it came out, I highly suggest someone better than me find the episode because it makes much more sense and has WAY more information than me. There was a planet money episode about this exact comparison the other day. Basically it comes down to: When a grocery store puts something on it's shelves, the store itself bo…

> When a grocery store makes its own novel product and puts it on the shelf, it's taking a risk. If they make those products, but they don't sell, they just lost a bunch of money. Or, if their product is a competing one with an existing product, they know that products like that can sell, but now they have to focus on outselling the original product. When Amazon makes its own product, most of the risk has been removed.

The grocery store's risk on store branded products is about the same as Amazon's risk for Amazon brand products. They have the data to know what sells and what doesn't, they have control of the store layout, and they also have pricing data. There's really no major differentiation besides the physical store front and how manufacturers "rent" space.

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#68

Post by josefresco »

johnqpub wrote: post #64
josefresco wrote: post #51

Side rant: Where is my Amazon branded phone case?!? This weekend I placed a half dozen searches for "iphone 11 case" and was only presented with super shady, low quality vendors. Floveme? Tendam? Donse? Spigen? and my favorite: Vapesoon. Is it just too early for the legit brands to have a case ready? Or am I doing it wrong?

Spigen is a completely legit brand.

Thanks! For those curious, here's their Amazon brand store: https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/2A847EF6-D682-42A6-8564-E...

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#69

Post by Konnstann »

berdon wrote: post #26
simplecomplex wrote: post #2

Of course. Good for them. It’s their fucking store! > Amazon has adjusted its product-search system to more prominently feature listings that are more profitable for the company Unthinkable. A store trying to make a profit selling things. How crazy.

Is this only being down voted because of tone? I am curious if there actually are any laws relevant to this situation. As far as I can tell, this is exactly like Walmart or BigBoxCo pushing their own brands. It's not illegal and, generally, it's not even a bad thing for the consumer (in the short term). It really feels like most of the people taking issue with this are doing so because of their personal sentiments ra…

I have lukewarm feelings on the issue, but the difference to me is that BigBoxCo isn't selling counterfeit products in their stores, which means their brands have to compete on price/quality with the rest of the store, even if they are "pushed". With Amazon, the presence of counterfeit items, especially due to shared inventory, etc. means that even if I wanted another brand, I can't guarantee that I will even get a genuine item. This gives Amazon brands a huge advantage they wouldn't have at a big box store.

Re: Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products

#70

Post by ikeboy »

jastanton wrote: post #56
password1 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Otherwise, Amazon feels like AliExpress with faster shipping and better English. It literally is. All these products are cheap stuff that marketers find on aliexpress. They buy them in bulk, stamp a logo on it, import in the US/EU, stock in logistic centers and then sell on Amazon. It's the same stuff, but it comes from an English seller and a warehouse in US/EU. It's exactly the same thing that Amazon does with it…

The one difference is that the Amazon Basics products seem to have a quality bar higher than the other random re-labeled products.

They recalled a quarter million power banks because they were catching fire.

Everybody uses the same factories and Amazon doesn't have better quality control than anyone else.

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