Jeep seems to be under the impression that what users really want is to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a new vehicle, only to be subjected to full-screen ads on their radio touchscreens every time they stop. It’s almost as if Jeep believes as if buyers don’t actually own their vehicles, and Jeep should be able to nickle and dime them for all they’re worth.

The issue was first spotted on 4XE forums, a user posted a question about how to stop the ads.

Short of smashing a brick through the screen, does anyone know how to stop the radio from displaying a damn Mopar Extended Warranty ad on the Uconnect screen every time I come to a stop? 4 ads in less than 12 miles today. I can’t believe they’ve graduated from telemarketing phone harassment to actually displaying this crap on the screen in the vehicle while your driving.

Unfortunately, they were not exaggerating or making up the problem. Zach Shefska tweeted an image of one of the ads.

Amazingly, a Jeep employee responded to the original 4XE forum post, suggesting that the user “click the large [X] in the corner to close” the ad.

Thank you for tagging us and we are certainly sorry to hear of the frustration this has caused you. At this time, we advise that customers click the large [X] in the corner to close out and clear stored notifications from the vehicle. It should also be noted that ads are part of your contractual agreement with Sirius XM, but we are working on the frequency. Thank you for your patience.

Here’s another thought for Jeep: Don’t shove ads down users throats in a vehicle they own.

The Bigger Issue

The bigger issue is corporations’ belief that everything and anything should be turned into a subscription server, regardless of whether the customer owns the product or not.

To be clear, it is 100% understandable that a company offering a free service should be able to—and in fact need to—bundle ads with that service. For example, Google provides industry-leading email services to countless individuals for free. It would be unreasonable to expect them not to sell ads and monetize data.

Once a customer purchases a product, however, they are now the owner of that product. The manufacturer’s rights end, or at least they should. That is especially the case when said product costs tens of thousands of dollars.

Unfortunately, Jeep is no the only example of this enshittification of the automotive industry. BMW famously wanted to charge $18 a month for customers to use heated seats in their vehicles. Again, to be perfectly clear, the hardware was already in place and the customer had purchase the vehicle, but BMW thought they should be able to charge a monthly fee to access some of its features, before public outcry caused the company to reverse course.

Similarly, Ford has filed for a patent to listen to everything that is send in a vehicle’s cabin and then then serve customized ads based on the conversations. Fortunately, the company has yet to roll out such a feature, and one can hope the patent filing is a defensive move to prevent any other company from deploying such a feature, but it is concerning nonetheless.

The issues have prompted some lawmakers to introduce legislation that would ban subscription services designed to unlock non-updated features. For example, a subscription is an understandable requirement for satellite radio, or for GPS updates, but should not be required to unlock heated seats or other features that do not require ongoing maintenance and updates.

In the meantime, until legislation does more to protect consumers, Jeep and parent company Stellantis take the title for worst example of enshittification in the auto industry.

If you are a business executive or merchandising manager, this shift offers an exciting opportunity to expand your product offerings, increase customer retention, and streamline vendor management. Instead of dealing with complex inventory challenges, you can focus on growing your marketplace and increasing your revenue. 

The Multi-Vendor Marketplace Advantage

Whether you are looking to expand your product offerings, reduce operational costs, or create a more efficient sales ecosystem, the multi-vendor marketplace model provides several key advantages.

• Market Reach: With access to a broader range of products, your marketplace can attract more customers and keep them engaged. Competitive pricing and a diverse selection enhance the shopping experience, making meeting customer needs easier and encouraging repeat purchases.
• Efficiencies: Since vendors manage their own inventory and logistics, your operational costs decrease while efficiency improves. This decentralized approach allows you to scale quickly, expanding into new product categories without significant overhead expenses or supply chain complexities.
• Competition: A commission-based revenue model ensures a steady income stream while vendors compete to offer the best deals. This competition drives prices down for customers, increasing overall sales volume and making your marketplace a go-to destination for shoppers.
• Automation: A centralized management system simplifies order processing, vendor coordination, and logistics. With efficient automation tools, you can ensure timely deliveries, improve vendor accountability, and maintain a profitable marketplace that runs smoothly.

Building Customer Trust and Loyalty

Building customer trust and loyalty requires a thorough approach that extends beyond basic marketplace functionality. Your trust-building strategies should include adding trust signals, robust vendor verification processes, transparent policies, and extensive customer protection measures. 

After all, customers need to feel confident that they are buying from reputable sellers, and vendors must trust that the platform supports fair and secure transactions.

Scaling Operations With Technology

Efficient technology solutions are essential for growing and managing a successful multi-vendor marketplace. As any experienced multi-vendor marketplace operator will tell you, without the right infrastructure, operations can become fragmented, leading to delays, inefficiencies, and dissatisfied customers. In other words, a strong digital foundation allows you to automate key processes, optimize inventory management, and ensure seamless vendor coordination. 

Platforms like Nautical Commerce enable marketplaces to scale without the complexity of managing individual vendor logistics. The platform offers a centralized system where vendors can easily update product listings, track sales, and manage fulfillment, reducing manual intervention and improving efficiency.

Maximizing Vendor Success Strategies

To improve vendor success in your multi-vendor marketplace, you must implement all-encompassing strategies that address selection, onboarding, and ongoing performance management.

Start by establishing a streamlined vendor onboarding process with standardized procedures and clear communication channels, ensuring your vendors understand expectations from day one. Please monitor vendor performance through key metrics, including order accuracy, delivery speed, and product quality.

You’ll want to utilize automation tools for tracking these KPIs and provide regular feedback to help vendors improve their operations. In addition, implement technology solutions that enable automated catalog management, real-time inventory updates, and efficient order routing.

Offer your vendors access to valuable data analytics and marketing tools. This will allow them to optimize their strategies and maintain competitiveness in your marketplace. Finally, vendors should also leverage the right tools to optimize their listings to stay ahead, ensuring their products rank well and reach the right customers.

Growth Through Collaborative Marketing

Traditional marketing often relies on individual efforts, but collaborative marketing expands your reach by leveraging vendor partnerships and shared resources. By working together, you can create a more dynamic and cost-effective strategy that benefits both your marketplace and your vendors.

Encouraging vendors to engage directly with customers and participate in joint promotional campaigns strengthens your brand presence and builds trust. A successful marketplace thrives on active participation from vendors and customers alike, creating a sense of community and credibility. You can enhance visibility through strategic email marketing, influencer collaborations, and coordinated social media efforts—all without significantly increasing costs.

Remember, your vendors serve as powerful brand ambassadors, bringing their existing customer base to your platform while promoting the overall marketplace. Their success directly contributes to your growth, making collaboration a mutually beneficial strategy.

Drive Your Marketplace Success

Embracing multi-vendor commerce presents a unique opportunity to enhance scalability, foster stronger vendor relationships, and unlock new revenue streams. By leveraging integrated vendor management systems and strategic marketing collaborations, brands can develop cutting-edge marketplaces that drive mutual success. 

As e-commerce continues to evolve, how will your brand adapt to capitalize on this trend? 

Consider consulting industry experts or exploring advanced marketplace software to reassess your current e-commerce strategy and position your brand for a prosperous future.

Cryptocurrency is also one of the newest alternative investments, allowing investors to take advantage of the ethereum price chart and see substantial returns. In general, high-net-worth individuals are the ones to hold alternative investment assets due to these assets’ lack of regulation, complex nature, and high-risk level, and they are fairly illiquid as opposed to their conventional counterparts. Below, we will explore alternative investments in detail, discussing the different types available and their pros and cons, and provide a few tips on approaching these investments. Read on!

What are the different types of alternative investments? 

Alternative investments provide unique rewards and risks, so it’s essential to understand them and see how they fit your needs and your risk level. You can choose among the following:

• Cryptocurrency is digital currency powered by the blockchain, which records each transaction as a block of data and forms a chain to illustrate a clear ownership timeline. When choosing a crypto to invest in, it’s necessary to conduct research, as there are thousands of options available, and some of them are most profitable, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. While cryptocurrencies have downsides and are volatile, they offer strong wealth potential.
• Real estate. When looking to invest in real estate, the option is to go for investment properties, which consist of office buildings, residential apartment buildings, or mixed-use buildings. Real estate is suitable for investors seeking to gain value from properties alongside the increase in rental rates, which offer valuation to the properties. However, becoming a landlord and managing this investment alternative requires work. 
• Hedge funds. Hedge funds are among the most desirable options for investors, and they are categorized by different strategies, such as event drive, relative value, macro, equity hedge and more. Such strategies represent actively managed bets seeking to beat the average returns in clients’ favor.  
• Commodities. These assets don’t have a similar market behavior to stocks and bonds in terms of fluctuations, and they can involve agriculture like corn, metals like gold, and energy like crude oil, to name a few. They can represent an inflation hedge, coming to maturity at various times of the year, and they can also be sold in future markets. 
• Private equity. Compared to publicly traded shares in enterprises, private equity investments focus on non-publicly traded companies. Capital is invested in these companies, which can be used for different purposes, like making an acquisition, bolstering a balance sheet, expanding on current capital, or buying new technology.  
• Art and collectibles. Some investments can double as hobbies, such as entertainment memorabilia, art, high-end watches, and other collectibles, which have historical depth or can gain value over time as related parties ( like the associated athlete or the artist) become more historic. 

What are the pros and cons of alternative investments? 

Alternative investments have low correlations with conventional ones, like bonds or stocks, due to their unique nature, and as a result, they represent a massive opportunity for investors who want to diversify their portfolios. Given that alternatives are riskier investments, they offer a higher potential return than traditional investments. Furthermore, they have different structures and forms and enable investors to select the option that’s best suited for them based on their risk appetite, preferences, and investment goals. Alternative investments give you the opportunity to tap into markets that cannot be accessed through traditional investments, which is genuinely appealing to many investors ( for example, a baseball enthusiast may be more excited to buy an autographed baseball). Selling a collectible can be more challenging because the market is less liquid, and thus, there are fewer buyers. However, this can be viewed as a benefit because it boosts price stability and lowers the likelihood of panic selling. 

However, alternative investments present downsides. First and foremost, they have higher fees due to their limited accessibility, which can reduce investors’ returns. Furthermore, it can be challenging to acquire market data on their pricing or historical trends because they are not commonly publicly traded. While public companies comply with reporting rules, some types of alternative investments come with increased fraud risk, as they aren’t subjected as much to regulatory oversight. Since they are also more complex than traditional investments, they can be challenging for some investors to understand, leading to uninformed or inappropriate decisions. 

What are the best practices when diving into alternative investments? 

If you’re considering getting started with alternative investments, we recommend taking the following steps to make the most of your journey:

• Understand alternative investment classes. Since these types of investments have differences in market expectations, structure, and regulations, investors should research each one by taking advantage of resources like courses, webinars, and similar educational opportunities. Doing so will offer them insight into how the asset class functions and allow them to decide how each one aligns with their goals. 
• Find a trusted provider. When looking for a trusted provider, you should focus on aspects like fit, integrity, and value. Above all else, your provider should have your best interest in mind, and make you aware of all the risks involved when it comes to an unstable investment option. Furthermore, they shouldn’t overlook the exorbitant fees that could hinder your wealth accumulation. It’s essential to ensure the provider is trustworthy and transparent and that they have investment selections of excellent quality, so don’t overlook this aspect. 
• Track the performance of the investments. Finally, it’s highly recommended that a benchmark be created to track the performance of the selected funds. However, if you’re a beginner, this could feel like wading in a pool of confusing numbers and figures, so use educational resources before you feel comfortable with assessing the performance of your investments – there are many webinars and published reference materials you can take advantage of, and even 1:1 expert instruction. Once you understand how the investments operate, you can interpret the data and gain clarity on how the fund is stacking up to the rest with similar strategies. 

The bottom line

 Alternative investments have excellent benefits, but they also pose challenges that you must understand before you get started with a specific asset class. Take the time to do your research and opt for alternative investments only if you believe they are a good fit for you and you can tolerate the high risk levels they involve.  

This deep dive explores the latest innovations in the supply chain industry, highlighting the role of technology, the impact of recent global events, and the visionary companies leading the charge. Through expert insights and real-world examples, we’ll examine how supply chain innovation is reshaping industries and setting the stage for the future of global trade.

The Importance of Supply Chain Innovation

The supply chain has always been critical to business success, but recent global events have underscored just how vital a resilient and adaptable supply chain is to survival. The COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions, and natural disasters have all exposed vulnerabilities in traditional supply chain models, prompting companies to rethink their strategies.

“Supply chain innovation is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity,” says Evan Kirstel, a leading B2B tech influencer. “Companies that fail to adapt will find themselves unable to compete in an increasingly complex global market.”

One of the key drivers of supply chain innovation is the growing demand for speed and efficiency. Consumers expect faster delivery times, greater transparency, and a seamless shopping experience, whether they’re ordering groceries online or purchasing electronics from overseas. To meet these expectations, companies are leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and blockchain to optimize their supply chains and enhance customer satisfaction.

Technology: The Engine of Supply Chain Transformation

Technology is at the heart of supply chain innovation, enabling companies to streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve visibility across the entire supply chain. AI and machine learning, for example, are being used to predict demand, optimize inventory levels, and even automate decision-making processes.

One of the standout examples of technology-driven supply chain innovation is Gatik, a company that specializes in autonomous delivery vehicles. “Gatik is helping major retailers meet the evolving demands of consumers in today’s supply chain,” says Sam Dundee, VP of Finance at Gatik. “Our autonomous solution is creating more efficient and sustainable delivery networks, reducing the need for human intervention and cutting down on delivery times.”

Similarly, blockchain technology is being adopted to increase transparency and security in the supply chain. By providing a decentralized and immutable ledger, blockchain allows all parties involved in the supply chain to track the movement of goods in real time, ensuring that products are authentic and have not been tampered with. This is particularly important in industries such as healthcare, where the integrity of the supply chain can directly impact patient safety.

“Blockchain is a game-changer for supply chain management,” says Chris Anderson, Director of Technical Program Management at Vuemed. “It not only improves traceability but also helps companies comply with regulatory requirements and reduce the risk of fraud.”

Resilience and Sustainability: The New Pillars of Supply Chain Strategy

In addition to efficiency and transparency, resilience and sustainability have become key priorities for supply chain leaders. The disruptions caused by the pandemic highlighted the importance of having a supply chain that can withstand unexpected shocks and quickly adapt to changing circumstances.

Companies are now focusing on building more resilient supply chains by diversifying their supplier base, increasing inventory buffers, and investing in advanced analytics to predict and mitigate risks. For example, UPS’s Supply Chain Solutions team played a crucial role in helping a young Boy Scout named Sebastian by quickly clearing a specialized battery-powered ATV through customs. This case demonstrates how supply chain resilience can have a direct and meaningful impact on people’s lives.

“Supply chain resilience is about more than just avoiding disruptions—it’s about being able to respond quickly and effectively when they do occur,” says a UPS representative. “Our goal is to ensure that our customers’ goods reach their destination, no matter what challenges arise.”

Sustainability is another critical focus area, as companies seek to minimize their environmental impact and meet the growing demand for eco-friendly practices. From reducing carbon emissions to minimizing waste, sustainability initiatives are becoming integral to supply chain strategies. Gatik’s autonomous delivery vehicles, for instance, are designed to be energy-efficient, reducing the carbon footprint of last-mile deliveries.

“Sustainability and efficiency go hand in hand,” Dundee explains. “By optimizing delivery routes and using energy-efficient vehicles, we’re able to reduce our environmental impact while also cutting costs for our customers.”

Real-World Applications: Innovations in Action

Supply chain innovation is not just a theoretical concept—it’s being implemented in real-world scenarios, with impressive results. Companies across various industries are leveraging the latest technologies to overcome challenges and improve their supply chain operations.

In the healthcare sector, PwC’s SAP S/4HANA and Industry Edge for Life Sciences are helping companies deliver tangible benefits through enhanced supply chain management. “Our clients are seeing real-world results from these innovations,” says Ayman El Dah, a representative from PwC. “From improving patient outcomes to reducing operational costs, the impact of supply chain innovation is significant.”

The logistics industry is also witnessing a transformation, with companies like Fr8topia offering innovative solutions to protect freight from damage during transit. By ensuring that loads are not transloaded to other trucks, Fr8topia is helping customers maintain the integrity of their shipments and reduce the risk of loss.

“Protecting freight is a top priority for us,” says a Fr8topia representative. “Our approach ensures that goods arrive at their destination in the same condition they were shipped, which is crucial for maintaining customer trust.”

The Future of Supply Chain Innovation

As we look to the future, it’s clear that supply chain innovation will continue to play a critical role in shaping global commerce. The ongoing adoption of AI, automation, and blockchain will further enhance the efficiency, transparency, and resilience of supply chains, while new technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G connectivity will open up even more possibilities.

“We’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible with supply chain innovation,” says Kirstel. “The next few years will see even more advancements, as companies continue to push the boundaries of what’s achievable.”

One area to watch is the development of “smart” supply chains, where IoT devices provide real-time data on the location, condition, and status of goods. This information can be used to make more informed decisions, reduce waste, and improve overall supply chain performance.

Moreover, the integration of 5G technology will enable faster and more reliable communication between supply chain partners, leading to greater collaboration and more efficient operations. “5G will be a game-changer for the supply chain industry,” says Anderson. “It will enable real-time visibility and control, allowing companies to respond to changes in demand and supply conditions with unprecedented speed and accuracy.”

Embracing the Supply Chain Revolution

The supply chain is the backbone of global commerce, and its importance cannot be overstated. As the world becomes more interconnected and consumer expectations continue to rise, the need for innovation in supply chain management has never been greater.

Companies that embrace supply chain innovation will be well-positioned to thrive in this new era of commerce, while those that fail to adapt risk being left behind. Whether it’s through the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, the implementation of sustainable practices, or the development of more resilient supply chains, the opportunities for growth and success are immense.

“Supply chain innovation is not just about keeping up with the competition—it’s about leading the way,” Kirstel concludes. “The companies that invest in their supply chains today will be the ones shaping the future of global trade tomorrow.”

As we move forward, the supply chain will continue to evolve, driven by technological advancements, changing consumer behaviors, and the need for greater efficiency and sustainability. By staying ahead of these trends and embracing innovation, companies can ensure that their supply chains remain strong, agile, and ready to meet the challenges of the future.

Try Before You Buy was first introduced in 2017, under the name Prime Wardrobe, and was an Amazon Prime-exclusive feature. As pointed out by CNBC the service was similar to Rent the Runway, Stitch Fix, and similar services. Amazon has posted a notice at the top of the Try Before Your Buy webpage informing users that it is ending.

Prime Try Before You Buy will end on 01/31/2025. Shop Amazon Fashion to find our full selection of fashion items.

In a statement to CNBC, Amazon said AI-powered features have largely made Try Before You Buy redundant.

“Given the combination of Try Before You Buy only scaling to a limited number of items and customers increasingly using our new AI-powered features like virtual try-on, personalized size recommendations, review highlights, and improved size charts to make sure they find the right fit, we’re phasing out the Try Before You Buy option, effective January 31, 2025,” a spokesperson told CNBC.

Try Before You Buy’s demise is not unexpected, especially given CEO Andy Jassy’s efforts to streamline the company and reduce costs. Since taking over as CEO, Jassy has made clear that unpopular and unprofitable services will not be allowed to continue being a drain on the company.

As Amazon’s statement makes clear, there were issues scaling the service to a large number of customers. Combined with the abilities AI provides, Try Before You Buy’s fate was sealed.

At exactly 12:00 AM, January 1, Max removed the entire TWW series. Unlike Netflix, Amazon, and other streaming services, some customers complained of receiving no notification that the series was scheduled to leave the platform, surprising users when the show disappeared mid-episode for some.

Customers who reached out to Max were reportedly told they could still watch TWW, but doing so would require an Amazon Prime account, since Amazon and Max have a content deal. There’s one big caveat, as Reddit user “mdDoogie3” posted on the series’ subreddit.

The representative told me I could watch it on Prime with my HBO Max subscription. Awesome; day saved, right?

Right?

Nope. When I go to Prime it shows it as available, “Free with your HBO Max Subscription.” Except when I click through, assuming it’ll give me the choice to sign up or sign in, it only gives me the choice to buy HBO for another $16.99 a month. I check on my TV, my tablet, AND my computer. Then I call Prime.

Turns out, even if you already have an HBO Max account, you have to pay for another on Prime Video to access the same content you could access yesterday on the HBO Max account you already pay for.

This is just Max trying to drive up revenue by forcing people to pay for two subscriptions instead of one. Calling HBO Max back right now to give them an earful. Everyone else should too.

Max Takes Streaming to An All-New Low

When streaming services were first introduced, they promised an alternative to expensive cable and satellite TV packages that forced customers to pay for channels they weren’t interested in order to get the channels they wanted.

Unfortunately, as time has proven, streaming services have become just as bad as the services they were supposed to improve upon and/or replace. Content is constantly cycling from one platform to another or disappearing as a result of expired content deals. Because users are paying for a subscription service, they are at the mercy of the platforms, unable to save or retain shows or movies beyond their removal.

Max is apparently taking things to an all-new low, forcing customers to pay for an Amazon Prime account to access popular content that unceremoniously disappeared with no warning. As the Reddit user found out, it’s even worse for existing Max users, as a Prime account doesn’t given them access. They must either pay for a second account to access the content they are interested in, or cancel their existing Max subscription and lose their watch lists and viewing history, before signing back up for a new Max subscription via Amazon.

Ultimately, Max’s behavior exemplifies why people are growing to hate streaming services and increasingly returning to DVDs and other types of recordings.

This article dives deep into how cobots are revolutionizing manufacturing, enabling both mass production and customization, and shaping the industry’s future.

What Are Cobots?

Cobots are a specialized subset of robots built to work in close collaboration with humans. Unlike traditional industrial robots, which require strict isolation for safety, cobots are equipped with advanced sensors, software, and design features that allow them to operate safely around people.

Key Features of Cobots

• Safety by Design: Cobots are built with safety protocols, such as force-limiting sensors and collision detection. If a cobot encounters unexpected resistance, it automatically stops, reducing the risk of accidents.
• User-Friendly Programming: Most cobots come with intuitive interfaces that enable operators to “teach” tasks by simply moving the robot arm or using graphical drag-and-drop programming. This ease of use makes them accessible even to those without technical expertise.
• Modular and Portable: Their lightweight and modular nature means cobots can be easily moved between tasks or production lines, ensuring they remain useful across various applications.

By combining safety, adaptability, and simplicity, cobots are bridging the gap between human capabilities and robotic precision.

The Evolution of Manufacturing

Manufacturing has undergone significant changes since the early 20th century. The assembly line, pioneered by Henry Ford, revolutionized mass production by enabling the rapid manufacture of identical products.

The Modern Shift Toward Customization

Consumer preferences have evolved dramatically, demanding personalized goods that reflect individual tastes. For example:

• In the automotive industry, buyers now expect the ability to customize interiors, colors, and features.
• In consumer electronics, personalization options like engraved devices and custom configurations are in high demand.

Traditional manufacturing systems, designed for efficiency rather than adaptability, often struggle to meet these demands. Cobots are filling this gap by enabling manufacturers to seamlessly switch between production runs and cater to smaller, customized orders without significant downtime or retooling.

How Cobots Enable Customization and Flexibility

Cobots are driving a new era of manufacturing by allowing companies to adopt agile production methods.

Rapid Reprogramming

The ability to quickly reprogram cobots makes them ideal for industries with high variability. For example:

• A food packaging company can switch from producing single-serve packets to family-size containers in minutes by adjusting cobot tasks.
• In the textile industry, cobots can be reprogrammed to stitch different patterns or handle diverse fabric types based on demand.

Enhancing Human-Robot Collaboration

Cobots excel in “co-botting” scenarios where humans and robots work together to achieve tasks that require a blend of skills. For instance:

• Humans can handle the creative aspects of assembling a luxury product, while cobots take care of repetitive or precise tasks, such as drilling or polishing.
• Cobots can act as an extra pair of hands, holding components in place while workers perform complex assembly.

Real-World Applications

The versatility of cobots is evident in various industries:

• Automotive: Cobots assemble custom car components, including specialized interiors and advanced electronics, with remarkable precision.
• Electronics: In smartphone manufacturing, cobots handle delicate components like circuit boards, ensuring minimal error and waste.
• Healthcare: Cobots are used in manufacturing medical devices, such as custom prosthetics, with exacting specifications.

Productivity and Efficiency on Assembly Lines

Cobots are not only ideal for customization; they are also game-changers for traditional mass-production processes.

Cobots can operate continuously, unlike human workers who require breaks. This enables higher production rates without compromising on quality.

Cobots’ precise programming minimizes human error, ensuring tasks are performed consistently. This reduces material wastage, saving costs and improving sustainability.

Overcoming Challenges in Cobot Adoption

While the benefits of cobots are clear, their adoption comes with hurdles.

Some workers fear that automation could replace their jobs. However, studies show that cobots often complement human labor rather than replace it. For example, by automating mundane tasks, cobots free up employees to focus on creative or strategic roles.

For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the initial investment in cobots can seem daunting. However, many companies recoup these costs quickly through increased efficiency, reduced downtime, and improved product quality.

The integration of machine learning and artificial intelligence is enabling cobots to “learn” from their environments and improve performance over time. This innovation makes cobots even more appealing but requires investment in training and infrastructure.

Conclusion

The rise of cobots represents a paradigm shift in manufacturing, offering solutions to modern challenges like customization, efficiency, and adaptability. By integrating collaborative robot technology, manufacturers can streamline operations, meet consumer demands, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

As cobots continue to advance, they promise not just to transform manufacturing but to reshape industries across the board. For businesses willing to invest in this technology, the opportunities are boundless. The question isn’t whether to adopt cobots, but how quickly you can make them a part of your operations.

The Allegations

The lawsuit alleges that since June 2022, Amazon has excluded zip codes 20019 and 20020, located east of the Anacostia River, from its fastest delivery services. Instead of using its own delivery trucks, Amazon has relied on slower third-party carriers like UPS and the U.S. Postal Service, despite charging these residents the standard Prime subscription fee. This has resulted in significantly longer wait times for deliveries for approximately 48,000 Prime members, contradicting the service promises made to them.

Attorney General Schwalb remarked, “While Amazon has every right to make operational changes, it cannot covertly decide that a dollar in one ZIP code is worth less than a dollar in another. We’re suing to stop this deceptive conduct and make sure District residents get what they’re paying for.”

Amazon’s Defense

Amazon has responded to these allegations by asserting that the decision to adjust delivery methods in these areas was driven by safety concerns for their drivers. in a statement to The Verge, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said there have been “specific and targeted acts against drivers delivering Amazon packages,” necessitating a strategic shift. Further, Nantel took issue with the AG’s claims, saying, Amazon is “always transparent with customers during the shopping journey and checkout process about when, exactly, they can expect their orders to arrive.”

Historical Context

This lawsuit is not Amazon’s first run-in with D.C. legal authorities. In 2021, under former Attorney General Karl A. Racine, Amazon was the target of an antitrust lawsuit. The complaint accused Amazon of leveraging its market dominance to control pricing and disadvantage sellers not utilizing its shipping services, highlighting the company’s broader practices in its marketplace.

The earlier case by Racine was indicative of a growing scrutiny on how Amazon manages its marketplace to potentially favor its logistics operations over competitors. While the resolution of that lawsuit is still pending, it demonstrated D.C.’s proactive stance in regulating tech giants.

Community Impact

The current legal action underscores issues of service equity in urban settings. The affected zip codes in Wards 7 and 8 are predominantly Black and have historically been underserved, adding layers of racial and economic justice to the dispute. The exclusion from promised Prime benefits not only inconveniences residents but also potentially impacts local commerce and daily life, where timely deliveries can be critical.

Broader Implications for Amazon

This lawsuit poses a significant challenge to Amazon’s brand integrity, especially regarding the uniform application of its Prime service commitments. Amazon has marketed Prime membership as a premium service with perks like expedited shipping, which are now questioned for not being equally accessible across all demographics.

The outcome of this lawsuit could influence how Amazon and similar companies operate in diverse urban areas, possibly leading to stricter regulations or encouraging further legal actions from other affected groups or regions.

Looking Ahead

As this legal battle unfolds, attention will be on Amazon’s response both in court and in corporate policy. Will there be an acknowledgment of service disparities, or will adjustments be framed purely as safety measures? The approach Amazon takes could set new standards for how tech giants manage service delivery and consumer expectations.

The lawsuit will also test the boundaries of consumer protection laws in the digital commerce era, where service promises must match the reality of delivery across all communities. For consumers, this could mean greater accountability from corporations, ensuring that service commitments are fulfilled equitably.

In summary, this legal action by the D.C. Attorney General against Amazon transcends simple delivery logistics, touching on themes of fairness, transparency, and equitable consumer treatment. As developments continue, the implications for Amazon’s practices and the wider e-commerce industry will be closely watched.

The buying group comprises initiators, influencers, decision-makers, and users who determine the success of B2B transactions. All the participants and stakeholders in the B2B operations make the landscape even more complex for sellers.

As a result, the marketing team has a hard time pinpointing who to target with marketing campaigns since 67% of the stakeholders aren’t known directly and therefore “invisible.” The marketing team can still read the invisible stakeholders through the strategies below.

Building Authority Through Strategic Links

Marketers in B2B operations can build authority through strategic links for effective marketing. Any business looking to sell products to “invisible” decision-makers has to establish itself as an authority in the industry.

This builds trust and confidence that can be leveraged in marketing the products. Once marketers understand that potential clients transitioned to the digital space, they can use the best strategic links to reach their targets.

Strategic link-building can improve marketing in various ways:

• Improved Digital Visibility: Many decision-makers are in the digital space now and businesses can enhance their domain authority to attract the decision makers. If reputable websites with authority in a particular industry link to a business website, it would make the business website more visible to search engines like Google.
• Foster Business Cooperation: Aside from improving the discovery of business products, building links to other businesses creates a connection with authority figures in the industry. This builds trust among decision-makers and improves B2B operations.
• Creates Credibility: A website with backlinks to authoritative sites establishes itself as a credible website that decision-makers can trust. It also makes the website easy to index and appear higher on SERPs.
• Efficient Targeted Marketing: Most importantly, building links to niche websites allows the business to make its products and services visible to a segment of decision-makers in the digital space. Industry-specific blogs can link to the business website, allowing people interested in a particular niche to discover the products and services.

The Invisible Decision Maker Persona

B2B operations are complex because of the invincible decision-maker persona. These are individuals who decide whether their buying group will purchase products from a particular business. The decision-maker person comprises four positions with clear roles:

• Initiators: The players could be the frontline workers in a business. They experience a problem firsthand and want a solution which might be a product sold by another business.
• Influencers: They are industry experts and know the best products to combat the problems faced by the initiators.
• Economic Buyers: These people know the financial implications of buying the required products to solve the problem at hand.
• Technical Buyers: The technical team ensures that the products that will solve the problem at hand meet the required technical specifications.

Digital Footprints of Hidden Buyers

Discovering the digital footprints of hidden buyers through marketing agencies like Seeders can transform B2B operations. Online visitors usually leave a trail of data that businesses can use to market their products and services to other businesses or decision-makers.

Businesses can find active digital footprints, which are details provided by users when signing up, filling out forms, or subscribing to newsletters on the internet. At the same time, businesses can leverage inactive digital footprints to reach hidden buyers.

Cookies and websites that track user behaviour can provide insight into the identity of hidden buyers, allowing businesses to target them with marketing campaigns. Understanding the digital footprints helps the business in many ways, including identifying users who could pose a risk to fraud or identity theft.

The Multi-Thread Engagement Strategy

Using the digital footprint alone can’t achieve the desired results; the business has to complement the strategy with a transformative approach that builds relationships with more than a few stakeholders.

An approach using the multi-thread engagement strategy navigates the complexities of B2B operations and improves the success of marketing campaigns. A business that diversifies its perspective on B2B operations has a 30% more chance of closing deals.

Technology Stack for Visibility

Businesses can also leverage tools and technologies to reach the hidden key players in B2B operations. A centralised data management tool can transform how a business connects with existing buyers and potential customers.

The system allows the business to track transactions and consumer preferences with ease since all data is in the central management system. The business can easily analyse the collected data and determine the best practices to meet customer expectations.

Even more important, stacking technology optimises B2B operations by automating the workflow. Some incredible tools can eliminate repetitive tasks such as email marketing by automating such marketing efforts.

A selection of good technology tools can help the business reach more hidden players thereby improving the success of B2B operations.

Risk Mitigation Factors

As a business attempts to reach hidden decision-makers, it wants to remain risk-free in the digital space. Every business, especially in the B2B operation, requires good risk mitigation strategies to continue safe business operations.

Marketing risk is one of the factors to consider. Particularly, the business wants to keep up with changes in interest in the products or solutions they provide. But most importantly, the business wants to stay safe from cybersecurity risks.

Cybersecurity is the number 1 risk many businesses have to deal with. Malicious digital users can use social engineering and malware to fetch company data that can give away sensitive information that could spell financial ruin.

Therefore, every business should train employees to identify phishing emails that can ruin B2B operations.

Action Framework

Reaching the hidden decision-makers requires an elaborate action framework. The first step is researching to identify potential decision-makers. After identifying the decision makers in a targeted business or organisation, it’s important to identify the roles played by each party.

The business then tailors engagement that targets each party for an effective marketing strategy. A multi-approach marketing is more effective; it requires the business to use email, social media, webinars, and events.

Conclusion

Businesses in B2B operations can increase their net profit margins by reaching 67% of the invisible decision-makers. However, reaching these key players requires strategies that many businesses might not already be using.

As many potential clients move to the digital space, businesses can also transition and tap into backlink-building strategies to increase online visibility. Additionally, can leverage tools to manage data collected about invisible decision-makers.

The business will increase marketing success by utilising these strategies among others.

Shapiro shared insights from a compelling case study at the Amazon Ads Unboxed 2024 event in Austin, Texas, revealing how balancing demand generation with demand capture, leveraging Amazon’s Demand Side Platform (DSP), and breaking down internal silos can be the keys to sustainable success.

Listen to our conversation on how brands can drive e-commerce growth!

The Stalled Growth Story

The story of stalled growth is a familiar one to many brands. From 2018 through 2020, businesses experienced a significant surge in ecommerce activities, fueled by increased consumer adoption of platforms like Amazon. As Ashleigh Shapiro put it, “We saw the most adoption of ecommerce across the board, from consumers to marketers, during the pandemic.” The growth seemed almost unstoppable, with brand managers setting ever higher goals for revenue and market share.

However, by 2022, as life began to normalize, consumer behaviors evolved, and spending patterns began to change. “We noticed a consistent trend month-over-month throughout 2022 where growth started to decline, and demand tapered off,” Shapiro recalled. The challenge was real: how do you maintain growth when the tailwinds of lockdowns and increased online spending begin to fade? Shapiro and her team at Code3 took this challenge head-on, adopting a disciplined approach that hinged on what she calls “controlling the controllables.”

Controlling the Controllables

Shapiro’s approach began with a simple yet crucial idea: brands must focus on controlling what they can control—especially in a world still reeling from economic shifts and uncertainty. The macroeconomic factors were certainly impactful—inflation, election year, and shifts in consumer priorities—but as Shapiro noted, “There’s also a substantial number of things that are within our control.” These controllables included optimizing media mix, adapting to changing consumer demand, and deploying the right creative messaging.

One of the most important tools used by Shapiro’s team to recalibrate was the Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC). Shapiro mentioned that it was “widely renowned as a huge unlock for brand scale.” AMC, along with audience overlap reports, helped reveal that the decline in growth wasn’t due to a lack of market interest. Instead, it pointed to an over-reliance on demand capture at the expense of demand generation—a crucial distinction that guided the subsequent steps taken by the brand.

Balancing Demand Generation with Demand Capture

The core insight that emerged from Shapiro’s analysis was that the brand had become overly dependent on capturing existing demand, particularly during high-intensity periods like Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday. “When you lean heavily on demand capture, you miss out on expanding the total pool of potential customers,” Shapiro explained. The key was to shift focus back to demand generation—identifying new customers and engaging them earlier in their buying journey.

Using tools like forecasting, brand search reporting, and audience overlap analysis, the team mapped out gaps where the brand was missing potential customers. “We realized there was a substantial number of consumers actively seeking out our product category that we were simply not reaching,” said Shapiro. To bridge this gap, they deployed Amazon’s DSP, which provided end-to-end measurement capabilities and enabled a shift to a more holistic media mix. This included running streaming TV and online video campaigns directly through Amazon’s DSP, allowing the team to reach consumers across the funnel with better measurement and attribution.

Breaking Down Internal Silos

Another major hurdle in revamping the growth trajectory was the fragmentation between different teams. Shapiro highlighted how many brands have separate Amazon, branding, and digital teams, each managing different budgets and running campaigns in silos. “Consumers perceive your brand as one entity. They don’t differentiate between your Amazon efforts and your direct-to-consumer efforts,” she pointed out. To address this, Code3 worked on integrating efforts across different channels, ensuring that branding and demand-generation efforts were consistent throughout.

By bringing together disparate teams and creating a unified approach, the brand could finally leverage Amazon not just as a platform for demand capture but also as a brand-building tool. “Amazon can be so much more. When you unlock it through the DSP, you’re not just capturing demand—you’re creating it,” said Shapiro. The transition involved tough conversations and required proving the effectiveness of a more balanced budget to decision-makers, but the impact was clear.

Measuring Success: The Importance of a Full Funnel Approach

The results of these efforts spoke for themselves. The brand achieved double-digit growth in 2022, and this momentum continued into 2023. The success hinged on effectively measuring key performance indicators that mattered most: incremental reach and branded search rate. “Your ability to drive success is only as good as your ability to measure it,” Shapiro emphasized.

Branded search rate—the volume of branded searches as a proportion of total impressions—became a key metric in tracking brand health. Despite increasing top-of-funnel activities that typically result in a diluted branded search rate, the brand’s search rate increased by 108%. “This was a huge nod to us hitting the right audience with our awareness efforts,” said Shapiro.

The integration of multiple ad types also played a critical role in enhancing conversion rates. Shapiro illustrated how consumers exposed to a mix of sponsored ads, DSP ads, and streaming TV campaigns exhibited conversion rates significantly higher than those exposed to just one ad type. “When a consumer sees all three ad types, their conversion rate increases to 2.5%, compared to just 0.35% with sponsored ads alone,” she explained, underscoring the value of a multi-channel, multi-touchpoint strategy.

Thought Starters for Brands Facing Stalled Growth

For brands currently struggling with stagnation, Shapiro shared three thought starters:

1. Evaluate Your Budget Mix: Are you investing enough in demand generation, or are you overly focused on demand capture metrics like ROAS? A balanced approach can unlock long-term growth.
2. Fully Leverage Tools and Insights: Tools like AMC and audience overlap reports can provide deep insights into where opportunities lie and help refine targeting.
3. Create a Full-Funnel Strategy: While performance metrics like ROAS are important, so is ensuring that you are reaching potential consumers at all stages of the funnel. “The comfort of a strong ROAS can often hinder the need for a broader, top-of-funnel strategy,” noted Shapiro.

Embrace Change and Stay Ahead

The ecommerce world continues to evolve, with macroeconomic shifts, changing consumer behaviors, and a rapidly developing technology environment. Brands that successfully navigate these waters will be those that adapt to changes, leverage the tools available to understand their customers, and maintain a balanced approach to both capturing and generating demand.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all answer,” said Shapiro, “but by controlling the controllables, integrating internal teams, and thinking full-funnel, brands can not only overcome stagnation but set themselves on a path for scalable, sustainable growth.”

Here’s the story of how a 177-year-old hardware company became an e-commerce superstar.

Catch our conversation on how mass customization in e-commerce can drive sales!

The Elusive Promise of Mass Customization

“When I talk to ecommerce platforms, they all say they can do mass customization,” said Morrow. “I don’t actually think anybody can do it very well. It’s very hard.” Despite its overuse as a buzzword, mass customization represents a critical strategy for ecommerce platforms to cater to diverse customer needs without compromising operational efficiency. The journey that Orgill, a $4 billion hardware distributor with a 177-year history, has undertaken to make mass customization a reality offers a window into how this concept can lead to substantial business growth if executed thoughtfully.

Orgill’s business model—supplying over 6,000 independent hardware stores, farm stores, and lumberyards across North America—is predicated on supporting small retailers who often compete against big-box giants like Home Depot and Lowe’s. Unlike these retail behemoths, Orgill’s customers are independent operators who rely on personalized support to meet the unique demands of their local markets. Morrow’s role as Director of Ecommerce is to help these small businesses succeed online, a task that involves bridging the gap between the latest technology and the specific, often niche needs of each independent retailer.

A Homegrown Start: Lessons in Complexity

When Morrow joined Orgill about a decade ago, the company had an in-house ecommerce platform that was, in his words, “full of holes and looked awful.” The initial reaction to shut down the platform and replace it with a mass-market solution seemed like the obvious fix. Orgill switched to Volusion, a templated platform that promised mass customization capabilities, and initially seemed to be a fit for Orgill’s needs. However, it soon became clear that simply providing templated websites wasn’t enough to meet the diverse requirements of Orgill’s clients.

“We found out pretty fast that it wasn’t that easy,” Morrow admitted. Retailers began requesting more integrations—connections to their point-of-sale systems, enhanced product data, and other custom needs that a standardized solution simply couldn’t provide. “We had hundreds of sites launched, but every one of them needed something different,” said Morrow. The rigid, one-size-fits-all approach wasn’t flexible enough for the small independent retailers Orgill served.

The Importance of Listening to Customers

Faced with mounting challenges, Orgill went back to basics. Morrow emphasized the value of listening to customers to understand their actual needs rather than simply imposing solutions. “The first lesson I’ll leave you with today is: don’t assume you know what’s best. Go and talk to your customers,” Morrow urged. In Orgill’s case, customer feedback revealed two main pain points: the need for better product data and challenges with integrating point-of-sale systems.

Product data was particularly crucial. “These guys have people sitting there, keying their lives away in spreadsheets,” Morrow explained. Orgill’s solution was to build an extensive product information management (PIM) system, which they affectionately called the “industry pin.” By subsidizing this heavily for their dealers, Orgill ensured that even small, independent stores could compete with much larger retailers by having a rich, searchable database of the products they sold—including items not purchased directly from Orgill.

Customization Through Collaboration: The Rise of Composable Commerce

The next step was finding an ecommerce platform capable of accommodating mass customization in a practical, scalable way. Orgill ultimately partnered with Unilog, a B2B platform that was tailored to handle the specialized needs of independent retailers. However, Morrow noted that heavily customized enterprise projects like this can become a “rat’s nest of requirements” that evolve continuously and often involve costly upgrades.

“Only build what you must,” advised Morrow, sharing Orgill’s hard-learned lesson. The key to success lay not in building a proprietary ecommerce system from scratch but in using flexible solutions that allowed for integration and scalability without reinventing the wheel.

Most recently, Orgill adopted a composable commerce strategy, partnering with Elastic Path to create a modular system that allowed them to develop and deploy features more rapidly. Composable commerce, as a concept, allows for the independent deployment of services and features, which means faster updates and more adaptability—crucial for meeting the needs of 6,000 diverse retailers. “The number one problem in our industry is: how fast can you move?” Morrow noted. “Composable commerce lets us do that.”

Balancing Mass Customization with Scalability

For Morrow, one of the key insights in Orgill’s journey was the importance of balancing customization with scalability. “Even with mass customization, you have to find a balance,” he said. The concept of mass customization can often lead to the desire to accommodate every individual request, but this isn’t feasible from an operational standpoint. “You can’t do it all. It’s impossible. You have to find out what are the right features to put out to your customer.”

Morrow emphasized that the ultimate goal is scalability—mass customization must still be scalable to be effective. For Orgill, this has meant deploying modular solutions that can be adapted based on the needs of the retailer while maintaining a core set of functionalities that are consistent across the board.

The Future of Mass Customization in Ecommerce

As Orgill continues its ecommerce evolution, its journey illustrates both the challenges and opportunities inherent in mass customization. The key takeaway is that mass customization is not about delivering an endless array of individualized options but rather about building flexible systems that can cater to a range of needs while maintaining efficiency.

“Scalability is what we’re really after at the end of the day,” Morrow concluded. “Mass customization is about configuring everything so that you can deploy it at scale. A lot of people lose sight of that and think it’s just about making every single site unique, but without scalability, it’s not mass—it’s just customization.”

With composable commerce and a focus on modular solutions, Orgill is positioning itself as a leader in the mass customization space—demonstrating that even traditional industries can leverage cutting-edge ecommerce strategies to achieve substantial growth. As more companies look towards mass customization to meet consumer demands, Orgill’s journey serves as a compelling case study in both the pitfalls and the potential of this complex but promising approach.

The Census Bureau’s report showed that retail sales rose 0.4% in October, surpassing the 0.3% expectation, with significant year-over-year growth in eCommerce sales. Walmart, it appears, is uniquely poised to capitalize on this growth.

Listen to our chat on Walmart’s strategy to beat Amazon at its own e-commerce game!

Jharonne Martis, Director of Consumer Research at LSEG, highlighted that the most striking aspect of the October data was the 7% year-over-year increase in eCommerce sales. While Amazon continues to benefit significantly from its Prime Deal Days, it is not the only retailer capitalizing on the surge in online spending. “Other retailers piggyback off that promotion and offer their own deals,” Martis explained. “It’s telling us that consumers are still gravitating toward those online deals.” She added that price sensitivity remains a major factor, with consumers only spending on discretionary items when they see substantial discounts.

According to Martis, Walmart is giving Amazon “a lot of competition” by allowing customers to shop on their own terms. “They’re giving the consumer the ability to shop the way they want to, whether it be ordering it on your mobile and picking it up at the store on your way home, or just having it delivered right there from the store to your house. Walmart is definitely giving Amazon a lot of competition,” she told Yahoo Finance.

Omnichannel Excellence

Walmart’s ability to cater to consumer preferences—whether in-store pickup, fast home delivery, or browsing via mobile—has created an ecosystem that not only rivals Amazon’s logistical efficiency but also offers something Amazon lacks: a hybrid shopping experience. This omnichannel approach has resonated with a wide range of consumers. During the pandemic, Walmart gained a large number of new shoppers who were seeking convenience, including many upper-middle-class and affluent consumers trading down. These gains have since solidified into a loyal customer base, contributing to Walmart’s competitive advantage.

“Walmart gained so many shoppers during the pandemic, and then on top of that, they gained even more shoppers over the past two years who were looking to trade down,” Martis noted. “That translates into loyalty, with consumers coming to Walmart as a one-stop shop. As a result, they are likely to do very well over the next two quarters.”

This strategic adaptability is visible in Walmart’s expansion of its grocery and apparel offerings, both in-store and online. By transforming physical stores into fulfillment centers, Walmart has been able to manage delivery times effectively, giving them an edge in an increasingly convenience-driven market. Analysts predict that this capability will prove especially advantageous during the busy holiday shopping season.

Holiday Season Outlook: Value Reigns Supreme

With the holiday season approaching, Martis stressed that Walmart’s value proposition will be critical. “The consumer is very value-oriented, which is why Walmart has become the one-stop shop,” she said. As inflation continues to affect purchasing power, shoppers are turning to retailers that offer competitive pricing and flexibility—two areas where Walmart excels.

The October retail sales data indicates strong consumer resilience, which analysts believe will continue into the holiday season. Yet, this resilience is contingent on the availability of good deals. Martis highlighted that many retailers, including Walmart, are being cautious with discounts. “Retailers are not giving consumers the discounts they want,” Martis said. “Unless you’re getting that magic 40% off, shoppers are holding back.” She added that while Amazon and Walmart have been stingy with discounts, Walmart’s broader inventory, including grocery and essential goods, allows it to maintain foot traffic and cart size even when promotions are conservative.

Tariffs and Challenges

The potential impact of tariffs is another factor that looms over the retail sector. Martis noted that around 20% of retailers have mentioned tariffs in their earnings calls, highlighting concerns about rising costs. However, Walmart’s considerable buying power and diversified supply chain give it more flexibility to navigate these challenges compared to smaller competitors.

“Walmart is very powerful. They can either choose to change suppliers to avoid impacting their gross margins or absorb costs to stay competitive,” Martis explained. She added that Walmart and other major retailers have diversified their supplier networks in response to the disruptions of the pandemic, making them more resilient to geopolitical shifts.

The Battle for the Consumer

As the eCommerce battle between Amazon and Walmart heats up, it has become a battle not just of logistics and pricing, but of value and convenience. Walmart is capitalizing on its unique assets—a vast network of physical stores, a loyal customer base, and a focus on consumer choice—to level the playing field with Amazon.

“It’s more of a battle between the retailer and the consumer right now,” Martis observed. “The consumer is value-oriented and looking for all those deals, but the retailer is still being cautious.” With Walmart well-positioned to continue its momentum, the competition between the retail giants will be worth watching as we head into the holiday season.

The eCommerce landscape is evolving, and Walmart’s approach to blending digital and physical retail experiences is proving to be a formidable challenge to Amazon’s online-only model. As consumers continue to seek both value and flexibility, Walmart is betting that its omnichannel strategy will give it the edge. “Walmart is definitely giving Amazon a lot of competition,” Martis reiterated—and with every holiday sale, discount, and pickup order, Walmart continues to close the gap.

The Happy at Work podcast explores the intersection of organizational culture, positive psychology, and employee branding to create thriving workplaces.

Dive into our conversation on Harley-Davidson’s eCommerce Evolution!

A Career Built on a Passion for Retail

Jackson’s journey to becoming the Director of eCommerce at Harley-Davidson is one marked by extensive experience in retail, from merchandise buying at Talbots to leading eCommerce efforts at Puma, Alex and Ani, and J. Jill. “I’ve always been obsessed with watching people shop and understanding what they do,” Jackson explained. This curiosity has driven her across multiple leadership roles, giving her a breadth of experience that she now brings to Harley-Davidson. Today, she is leading the company’s new initiative—HD Collections, an apparel concept that aims to reach beyond Harley’s traditional motorcycle enthusiasts.

Her time at brands like Puma and J. Jill helped Jackson understand the nuances of blending online and offline retail experiences. “When I moved to Puma, eCommerce was just starting to bud, and it was an incredible opportunity to explore how to engage consumers through new online channels,” she noted. At J. Jill, Jackson transitioned from creating assortments to focusing entirely on selling them online, which opened her eyes to the power of data and digital storytelling. “It was a whole new data set for me, a different way of looking at how we tell stories to our customers,” she added.

The Importance of Culture and Authenticity

Jackson’s experiences have made her a strong advocate for finding the right company culture—one where authenticity is valued. “For me, authenticity is key. Anytime I’ve tried to adjust how I lead or how I work with others to fit into a culture that wasn’t aligned with who I am, it has been a fail,” Jackson explained candidly. Finding a company culture that aligns with personal values is a cornerstone of Jackson’s professional success and is advice she regularly imparts to younger professionals.

Jackson described how important it is for companies to create an environment where team members feel empowered to make decisions. “If a person isn’t making a move because they are afraid their manager won’t like it, that’s when creativity is squashed,” she said. Her management philosophy is based on empowerment: “If there’s not a distinct risk to the business, I go with my team’s ideas 99.9% of the time because now they’re invested in the outcome.” This belief in empowering team members, allowing them to take risks, and supporting them even when things don’t go as planned is central to how Jackson builds trust within her team.

Navigating Harley-Davidson’s eCommerce Evolution

Harley-Davidson, a company that is synonymous with freedom, adventure, and the open road, has always had an incredibly loyal customer base. As Jackson pointed out, it is one of the most tattooed logos in the world. “Even if you don’t ride, there is something about the spirit of Harley-Davidson that resonates,” Jackson noted. This brand loyalty is a huge asset as the company expands its focus beyond motorcycles to include high-quality apparel that appeals to a broader audience.

Jackson is currently leading the charge on HD Collections, a new eCommerce initiative that launches in March. “This is all about extending Harley-Davidson’s brand affinity beyond just motorcycles,” she said. The project consists of three distinct apparel lines:

• High Fashion: Launched during Fashion Week, this collection takes the high-quality leather Harley is known for and reimagines it as lifestyle fashion.
• Originals: This line modernizes traditional Harley logos and styles, using contemporary fabrics and designs to appeal to today’s consumers.
• Authorized Vintage: Featuring curated pre-loved products, Authorized Vintage offers a nostalgic nod to Harley’s storied past, combining authenticity with exclusivity.

“It’s a high-touch, high-storytelling initiative, and it’s designed to include more people who may not own a bike but really love the spirit of what Harley-Davidson has to offer,” Jackson explained. The initiative includes collaborations with influencers and designers to further expand the brand’s reach.

Building Trust and Empowering Teams

Jackson emphasized the role that culture and support play in achieving success. She shared an anecdote from her early days at Harley-Davidson that underscored the collaborative nature of the company’s culture. “I was barely two weeks in when I had to present the HD Collections line to the CEO,” Jackson recalled. “I didn’t even know the people I was working with very well, but my chief digital officer assured me: ‘This presentation will be built for you. People will walk you through their parts, and we got you.’ That level of support made me feel like I was part of the team from day one.”

The company’s remote-first policy has also helped level the playing field, according to Jackson. “We’re all on the same playing field now, and that sense of equality has fostered a new level of collaboration and transparency,” she said. With the decision to go 100% remote, Harley-Davidson has not only embraced the future of work but is reimagining its physical spaces in Milwaukee to give back to the community, creating new opportunities for engagement.

Embracing Agility Over Perfection

One of the key cultural tenets Jackson and her team embrace is the notion of “done is better than perfect.” In a retail environment that is constantly changing, agility is critical. “We move fast, and getting something done is more important than getting it perfect the first time,” Jackson said. This mindset has allowed Harley-Davidson’s eCommerce team to remain nimble and responsive to new challenges, whether it’s launching new collections or addressing customer needs.

Advice for the Next Generation

As a mentor to young professionals, Jackson is passionate about sharing the lessons she has learned along the way. Her key piece of advice is to understand that career growth is rarely linear and that resilience is key. “I’ve been laid off, I’ve been let go, I’ve made mistakes,” Jackson said. “But I learned from every one of those experiences. You have to look at yourself in the mirror every day and like what you see. When you mess up, that’s your chance to fix it.” She also encourages people to be proactive in their learning and development. “You are responsible for your own growth,” she said, emphasizing the importance of seeking out opportunities and not waiting for them to come to you.

Jackson’s journey—from an assistant buyer to the Director of eCommerce at one of the most iconic brands in the world—serves as an inspiring reminder of the importance of staying true to yourself, continuously seeking opportunities, and fostering a culture of collaboration and trust. As Harley-Davidson continues to expand into the digital space, it is clear that the company’s focus on authenticity and empowerment will remain central to its strategy, both in how it serves its customers and in how it supports its employees.

Amazon has been under increasing pressure from Chinese e-commerce platform Shein, which similarly specializes in low-cost goods. Haul appears to be a direct answer to threat, adopting a similar sales model.

Listen to our discussion about Amazon Haul deals!

The company announced a beta of Haul in a press release:

We’re introducing an experience in the Amazon shopping app and mobile website called “Amazon Haul” that provides customers in the U.S. a place to discover even more affordable fashion, home, lifestyle, electronics, and other products with ultra-low prices and typical delivery times of one to two weeks. Amazon Haul offers a wide selection of products—all priced $20 and under—backed by Amazon’s A-to-z Guarantee, which protects customers when they buy in our store whether they are sold by Amazon or one of our selling partners. Amazon Haul is now rolling out in beta and available to U.S. customers when they next update their Amazon Shopping app.

Amazon Haul has its own shopping experience, search, cart, and checkout so customers can build up a great haul of items at low prices. All items are priced $20 or less with the majority priced $10 and under, and some items as low as $1. Customers can enjoy even more savings when they add more items to a single order, with 5% off orders $50 and over, and 10% off orders $75 or more.

Customers can find Haul deals by searching for “Haul” in the search bar in the Amazon app, or by navigating to Amazon Haul in the main menu. Haul deals can also be found at www.amazon.com/haul. The company says customers can be confident buying Haul deals, as all products are screened to ensure they “safe, authentic, and complaint with applicable regulations.”

“Finding great products at very low prices is important to customers, and we continue to explore ways that we can work with our selling partners so they can offer products at ultra-low prices,” said Dharmesh Mehta, vice president of Worldwide Selling Partner Services at Amazon. “Amazon Haul aims to help make shopping for fashion, home, lifestyle, electronics, and other products even more fun, easy, and affordable, all backed by Amazon’s A-to-z product guarantee so customers can shop with confidence that the products they’re purchasing are safe, authentic, and in the condition expected. It’s early days for this experience, and we’ll continue to listen to customers as we refine and expand it in the weeks and months to come.”

During the company’s Q3 earnings call (via Yahoo Finance), Ek was asked when customers would see the Super Premium plan. Instead of giving a time frame, Ek reiterated the importance of the high-end plan, especially as the market continues to mature.

Yeah. So overall, just as a reminder, we have talked about this in the past quarters as well. We are excited about this and just to set expectations, we are moving from this one-size-fits-all markets that quite often happens in early development where you have fewer SKUs to then as you keep growing into more and more mature marketplaces, you add more SKUs to address more of the market.

Ek goes on to say he believes this is where Spotify currently is, and that the Super Premium plan will help drive further growth.

That is sort of how you should think about the evolution of Spotify. And this higher-priced music tier of Spotify is certainly one that I think will have a lot of growth for the music industry and something that consumers will love to.

Ultimately, however, Ek refused to give any specifics on exactly when the company would unveil Super Premium.

I can’t really talk about specifics for it. But again, I can talk about the principle that’s driving this. The principles for us is always the same, which is how do we create something consumers love but that also delivers value back to creators? And you can go back to vinyl buyers. You can go back to all of these super fans that already exist to look for clues in what — or some of the things are that they value.

Some of those things are proximity to artists. Some of those things are, of course, better sound quality and a bunch of other things. I can’t get into specifics but I think I’ve left enough breadcrumbs for you guys to get excited by.

Spotify has been promising a HiFi, lossless audio plan for years, first teasing it back in 2021. Unfortunately, while virtually all of its rivals offer lossless audio, the company has failed to deliver on its promise. Ek’s response gives users little reason to hope it will be launched anytime soon.

In this blog post, I will share the most effective marketing strategies for E-commerce sites, which can help you attract customers and boost your sales of sleep accessories.

Marketing Strategies for the Sleep Industry

In the section below, I combine all the top effective marketing strategies for sleep industry that you can adopt to boost your e-commerce site’s sleep sales.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Establishing a website for your e-commerce store to sell sleep products is not enough for people to find your e-commerce company easily on search engines. For this, you should optimize your product page for search engines that can help you improve your visibility.

SEO includes on-page, off-page, and technical optimization, ensuring your site appears at the top of search engines when users enter a relevant query and find the necessary information. You can use keyword research for your e-commerce site and add relevant phrases and keywords within the product page, meta description, and title to enhance your site visibility on search engines.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is one of the best marketing strategies for the sleep industry, and it helps you build brand authority and support SEO for your e-commerce sites. You can make blogs to publish informative and relevant content related to sleep products and attract readers to purchase products from your e-commerce store. You can target those important and relevant keywords in your blogs that do not naturally fit into your product and category pages.

Content marketing is the best way for you to guide about your product to visitors through their queries, build trust, increase brand visibility, offer solutions, and lead people to purchase from your e-commerce store. Content marketing does not involve writing content; it also includes videos, downloadable guides, and user-driven content to strengthen your brand’s reputation, especially when highlighting unique features like “grounded bedding” for better sleep quality.

Social Media Marketing

Millions of people use social media every month, through which brands and e-commerce sites can build strong connections with their followers and attract interested audiences to purchase related products from your e-commerce site, like sleep, beauty, electronics, and more. Businesses can use social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to attract and engage huge active audiences.

You can encourage customers to share their reviews, comments, and suggestions about your company’s products to help build trust and attract more interested audiences to purchase from your site. Markets should also identify the right platform and use it correctly to attract the right audience.

Customer Loyalty Programs

Loyal customers are highly valuable because they are already familiar with your brands and services when they first purchase. You can use customer loyalty programs to generate high revenue, build customer loyalty, and gain attention over time. Using this marketing strategy for the sleep industry, you can incentivize their loyal customers to encourage them to make repetitive purchases, which are valuable for boosting sales.

You can use many loyalty programs, but e-commerce sites should choose compatible ones that can provide value to their customers. Through these programs, e-commerce sites can provide special offers, discounts, and gifts to their customers to strengthen their connection with them.

Workshops and Seminars

Offering workshops or seminars is also one of the best marketing strategies for the sleep industry. It helps them build credibility by guiding the audience through sleep health and essential accessories. This enables you to create curiosity and encourage people to purchase your products. In this strategy, you can directly communicate with the audience, provide them with answers to their questions, and better understand their problems to curate sleep products that give them comfort.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is another good approach for the sleep industry to guide customers about your new products and services. You can use this strategy to provide up-to-date and relevant information to new and existing customers about your sales, discounts, offers, new releases, products and new blog content.

This strategy allows e-commerce sites to attain long-lasting benefits through customer retention and repeat purchases. Marketing teams can establish a solid customer base by understanding customers’ browsing histories and buyer purchases through personalized communications and providing them with personalized recommendations.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is the growing strategy for brands to inspire and attract specific audiences through someone that has trusted fan following on their social media accounts like tiktok, Instagram, YouTube and more. E-commerce sites can collaborate with influencers to help their brands reach a more wide audience.

E-commerce brands and companies can send their free sleep-related products to influencers in exchange for sharing their reviews, promotions and feedback with their audience to increase their brand reach. Companies can provide products or sponsor charges to influencers, depending on their requirements and needs. You can use influencer marketing as a vital strategy for the sleep industry by building a solid connection with influencers.

Pay-Per-Click Advertising

You can use various less costly marketing strategies for the sleep industry. Still, if you want to you’re your services and boost sales, you should pay to advertise their products to get them in front of an interested audience. You should use pay-per-click (PPC) strategies that help you ensure your page appears at the top of search engines, with users entering relevant queries about your products, such as the most comfortable mattresses for sleep, etc.

This approach includes Ads and offers landing pages, which help support your SEO marketing efforts and put your e-commerce site in front of an interested audience. Marketing teams can display their advertisements on search engines and social media channels to target the right audience.

Wrap up

Using effective marketing strategies for the sleep industry has become essential for E-Commerce sites. These strategies can help them reach a broad audience, boost their sales, increase and retain new customers, and turn them into loyal customers. These strategies can also help you design better products for your e-commerce sites than your competitors to drive traffic to your online sites.

Using these approaches and targets, you can create an effective marketing plan for your sleep industry e-commerce store and convert visitors into paying customers. So, follow these best strategies for your e-commerce site to establish your brand as unique and apart from your competitors, attract new customers, and increase your sales over time.

Amazon has been working to cut the time it takes to deliver products, with drone delivery cutting that down to as little as an hour or less. The company says customers near Tolleson, Arizona will benefit from the service.

With this new location, we’re fully integrating into Amazon’s delivery network, meaning, for the first time, our new MK30 drones will deploy from facilities next to our Same-Day Delivery site in Tolleson. These smaller sites are hybrid—part fulfillment center, part delivery station. They allow us to fulfill, sort, and deliver products all from one site so we can get packages out to our customers even quicker.

Our Same-Day Delivery sites are situated close to the large metro areas they serve, which means customers get their orders faster. And with connections to the larger Amazon fulfillment centers nearby, we are able to offer Same-Day Delivery on millions of items.

Interestingly, the drone Amazon uses has been approved for Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations, significantly extending the range of deliveries.

Safety is our top priority. Our new drone, the MK30, has received FAA approval to begin operations to customers. Our approval includes the ability to fly Beyond Visual Line of Sight, using our sophisticated on-board detect and avoid system. This is an historic, first-of-its-kind approval for a new drone system and a new operating location following a rigorous FAA evaluation of the safety of our systems and processes.

This approval allows us to start making Prime Air deliveries to customers in the West Valley Phoenix Metro Area of Arizona. Customers will have access to the over 50,000 everyday essentials—including household products, beauty items, and office/tech supplies—our largest selection of items ever to be available for fast drone delivery at a service fee.

“As Amazon embarks on the national expansion of its Amazon Drone Delivery Program, we’re proud to have their innovative presence in our community. By bringing this service to new communities, they’re not just delivering goods; they’re delivering opportunities and economic growth for all,” said Juan F. Rodriguez, mayor of Tolleson, earlier this year. “Amazon’s commitment to innovation exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit that drives our city forward.”

“This kind of delivery is the future, and it’s exciting that it will be starting in the Phoenix Metro Area,” said Kate Gallego, mayor of Phoenix, earlier this year. “The shift toward zero-emission package delivery will help us reduce local pollution and further cement our city as a hotbed for the innovative technology of tomorrow.”

Jassy has been working to cut costs across the company since taking over as CEO. According to NBC News, the latest cut appears to be Amazon Today.

Amazon Today is a service that provided same-day delivery from brick-and-mortar stores. Amazon Today employees found out last Monday that the service would be shutting down, and that some of them would be laid off. As NBC News points out, some 300 employees work on the team, but it is unclear how many will be laid off.

Amazon Today was an important part of the company’s efforts to speed up delivery, giving brick-and-mortar businesses a way to quickly deliver goods to customers who ordered via Amazon.

The service will largely shut down by December 2, but some businesses will be able to continue using the service for deliveries through January 24.

Amazon has been working to improve its fulfillment operations, phasing out single use plastics for more sustainable alternatives. Air pillows, while useful, comprise a large portion of those single use plastics. In a blog post, the company revealed how much progress it has made in eliminating them.

Across our European fulfillment network we replaced our single-use plastic delivery bags and air pillows with 100% recyclable paper and cardboard packaging that can be recycled in household recycling in 2022. In Europe, this—combined with other initiatives—has helped us avoid more than 1 billion single-use plastic delivery bags since 2019. Meanwhile, in India, we removed single-use, thin-film plastic packaging originating from Amazon’s fulfillment network in the country since 2020. In Japan, except for some services such as chilled or frozen products, we stopped packing items in single-use plastic delivery bags for orders from Amazon fulfillment centers.

As of October 2024, we’ve removed all plastic air pillows from our delivery packaging used at our global fulfillment centers. As part of this transition,we were able to quickly expand our use of paper filler made from 100% recycled content across North America to replace plastic air pillows, our biggest reduction in plastic packaging in North America to date.

The company is also creating new types of paper-based packaging to ensure products can be delivered safely.

We continue to innovate to create new paper-based packaging for our products. This includes the new paper-padded envelope with a shock-absorbent, 100% paper-based lining, available in Europe. The ridged lining keeps products in the envelope safe, and absorbs stress put on the package during its journey to customers’ homes. This new paper-padded envelope is 100% recyclable in household recycling.

The company’s transition to paper-based packaging also includes retooling its machines to work with paper instead of plastic.

We have retrofitted more than 120 of our automated packing machines that made plastic bags to now create made-to-fit paper bags across the U.S. We implemented this in more than 20 fulfillment centers, helping us avoid more than 130 million plastic bags this year. Through our testing and learning, we have developed a new generation of this machine. Updates allow for us to pack larger products, helping to increase the number of products that can be packaged in paper bags by 20%. New sensors on the machine help us measure all dimensions of a product, allowing us to create more correctly sized packaging, reducing the amount of paper we use. Variations of this automated, packaging technology, which cuts made-to-fit paper bags for individual items, are being used in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia.

As the largest e-commerce company in the world, Amazon has provided a good example demonstrating that it is possible to use sustainable methods and stop using plastics.

India is one of the world’s largest markets, making it a critical factor for the world’s top electronics makers. Unfortunately, that may be about to change, with the country planning to limit the very exports many countries are relying on to spur future growth.

According to Reuters, New Delhi wants to use import controls as a way to force companies to rely more heavily on India’s manufacturing. India has been working to challenge China as the go-to country for electronics manufacturing, and import limits could be a deciding factor in companies choosing to set up operations in the country.

There’s no set date for any such provisions to go into effect, with the government set to begin consulting with various parties next week. Any resulting rules could still be months away.

Another challenge is the limits global treaties place on electronics tariffs, meaning New Delhi will have to get creative in order to impose import restrictions without violating those treaties. One possible option is to set minimum quality standards that manufactures must meet in order to import their products.

“We are working on such restrictions as global treaties stop us from any tariff action on laptops and tablets. It leaves us with few policy options to limit imports,” an official said.

If India does pass import controls, it could cause significant disruption—both to companies and India’s IT industry.