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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

#271

Post by vinay427 »

bluedino wrote: post #155
roywiggins wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It makes sense- if Anker's batteries start exploding, nobody will buy Anker's batteries again, and that's a significant part of their brand. If Amazon's batteries start exploding, it's not quite the same magnitude. People will still shop at Whole Foods.

Samsung doesn't have a problem selling phones

Samsung also has a very long track record of producing cell phones that are deemed safe which neither Anker nor Amazon can match in batteries. You either need an extensive positive record to easily bounce back or need to be willing to write it off as an auxiliary business (e.g. if Amazon had battery issues).

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

#272

Post by bduerst »

spike021 wrote: post #214

Honestly, what's the big deal? Google prioritizes certain websites/results when I enter queries too, it doesn't mean I'm required to click on them. What ever happened to people spending a few extra minutes looking for the result they want? If the first few aren't correct for you then move on. Unless you're spending an extra 30+ minutes because the search doesn't work correctly at all then there's no issue here.

The issue is that Amazon is prioritizing their own products/labels, not that prioritization just happens (which is basic search query functionality).

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

#273

Post by TheRealDunkirk »

toasterlovin wrote: post #148
pixelpoet wrote: post #140

ANTITRUST! If Microsoft can get hammered for packaging Internet Explorer with Windows (and probably rightly so, given the market conditions at the time), there is a direct analogy to be made here. Pick what you want to be: if you want to be the greatest goods index and shipment company in the world, fantastic. But you have to accept that you cannot sneak some of your own other-products to the top using that power. In…

No, there is not a direct analogy because Amazon is not a monopoly . They aren't even the largest retailer.

That was the wonderful realization I came to a few months back. They're not even close to the only game in town. It's pretty amazing that they marketed this attitude that they were the de facto online marketplace, based on the goodwill of "free" 2 day shipping, and a highly-curated catalog (at first) for so, so long, until the problems have become more hassle than I'm willing to deal with. I've dropped Prime, and just avoid the whole thing now.

At this point, I'd literally rather drive over to a physical store than try to decipher whether I'm getting crap from them, and whether that crap is coming on a slow boat from the orient, every, single time I try to buy something. The future is CURATION. That's what the physical store does for me, by nature of the fact that their shelf space is limited. Amazon would be wise to throw 90% of the items off their platform, and stop being a storefront for every jerk with a computer and some junk lying around. Leave that crap for Ebay!

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

#274

Post by nacs »

avgDev wrote: post #230
helpPeople wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've seen Amazon prices go up while Walmart Online has been cheaper for household items. On speciality electronics, I don't think anyone would be surprised to know Amazon is more expensive. It's an ancedote sure, but back in 2012, we shopped only at Amazon. Now they are no longer King.

I think Amazon can be quickly replaced. I was attracted to Amazon only because of lower prices. That was it and now it is no longer the case. As soon as another big player steps up and offers lower prices and simple UI there won't be a need for me to shop on Amazon.

Except its not just the lower prices that are important -- the quick order processing and shipping are a huge reason why Amazon is succeeding.

Living near a metro area, I can get items from Amazon items within 24-48 hours (with Prime). Sometimes it even arrives later the same day.

Plus the whole free shipping (as long as you're Prime) thing..

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

#275

Post by gundmc »

spike021 wrote: post #214

Honestly, what's the big deal? Google prioritizes certain websites/results when I enter queries too, it doesn't mean I'm required to click on them. What ever happened to people spending a few extra minutes looking for the result they want? If the first few aren't correct for you then move on. Unless you're spending an extra 30+ minutes because the search doesn't work correctly at all then there's no issue here.

Google was fined several billion dollars by the EU for prioritizing their own products in search.

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

#276

Post by BinaryIdiot »

Kalium wrote: post #204
falcrist wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I cannot for the life of me understand why Sears didn't become a major online retailer. They not only had a physical catalog system that could be fairly easily converted into an online catalog, they have physical stores that could be used as pickup points and warehouses for customers who don't want to wait until things are mailed. In the UK there's a company called Argos that worked ENTIRELY as a catalog store. Their…

Among other things, Sears was afraid of cannibalizing their in-store sales and didn't understand the potential of the internet. They had a very B&M-centered mindset.

For sure. Even when they went online the experience was _bad_. Ordering would almost never ship when it said it would and one time I ordered something for pick-up at a store and when I got to the store an employee their said another employee took the tags off of what I purchased and sold it to a customer.

They missed the internet and when they tried to get into it, they just failed at every turn.

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

#277

Post by nacs »

jedberg wrote: post #110
dmarlow wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I too have noticed this. I recently bought a new keyboard and mouse and got them both at best buy for cheaper.

When I spilled water on my keyboard, I actually walked into a Fry's and got a better deal than anything online, for a genuine Microsoft keyboard.

Frys is one of the few retail places that consistently beats Amazon. I recently built a PC and almost every part was cheaper in Fry's than Amazon.

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

#278

Post by cglong »

hbosch wrote: post #236

There was a post on HN a while back about Apple boosting it's own apps in their App Store search. Likewise, I am sure that Google prefers to show results from it's own companies (e.g. if I google the word "spreadsheet", my first result is for Google Sheets). This is all the same thing, no? Edit: I'll add that I'm not saying it isn't an anti-competitive practice, I'm sure it is. But I am saying that it's a bit silly t…

It's worth noting Microsoft's own email offering is third on a Bing search for "email": https://www.bing.com/search?q=email

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

#279

Post by twsted »

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…

> I'm not saying any of this is fair or unfair, because I'm not an economist so I don't believe I have a full understanding of the situation.

It’s unfair.

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

#280

Post by chungus_khan »

stickfigure wrote: post #251
emiliobumachar wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tangential, but MS got hammered for a package of practices, including worst stuff (IMO, IIRC), such as exclusivity deals, i.e. hiking Windows prices or outright refusing to sell Windows to PC manufacturers unless they ditched Linux from all product lines. For some reason, the browser bundling is what stuck to the public consciousness.

The objection to MS bundling a browser with Windows looks weirder and weirder with each passing year. Every PC and mobile OS today bundles a browser, and would seem totally broken and useless if it didn't. Hell, one currently popular OS is a browser.

Something that's easy to forget is that web browsers generally cost money (or were at best adware like Opera) back then. Microsoft bundling IE in gave them an advantage because users didn't have to pay additional money for a web browser in addition to windows, and so were very unlikely to bother with something like Netscape. These days browsers are considered more valuable as platforms than as products, so nobody really sells them like that anymore.
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