Amazon is getting into everyone’s business. From its own one-hour delivery service challenging the top shipping companies to its new retail stores offering the same competitive low prices as its online site to its own version of Etsy for handmade products merchants.
Now it will be encroaching on more markets with its newly planned private label products and a new online video service that will rival YouTube.
Insiders have leaked Amazon’s plans to roll out new lines of private-label brands such as perishable foods like nuts, spices, tea, coffee, baby food and vitamins, as well as household items such as diapers and laundry detergents.
Recognizing that people are very comfortable with skipping name brands and taking the lead of private label products at Walmart and Target, Amazon sees a great new market opportunity.
The new brands will be available first to its Prime customers and will have names like Happy Belly, Wickedly Prime and Mama Bear. Look for the first products this June!
On the video front, Amazon announced recently that it is launching a “self-service” program for video creators called Amazon Video Direct.
It will let creators earn money from royalties and advertising for videos they upload, based on minutes streamed. While Amazon told Bloomberg the platform was meant for “professional” creators, the only requirements are that a video be in HD format and include closed captioning.
This is similar to the process Amazon uses for Kindle Direct Publishing, which lets authors self-publish e-books directly to Amazon.
Look out YouTube! We see a lot of bloggers hopping on this train because unlike YouTube, most of Amazon’s customer base are already warm leads and primed for shopping. Also, it seems like it will be seamless to drop Amazon affiliate linked products in the videos and make it easier to earn commission.
