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