Thread by @ideafaktory, Is Amazon poaching top products from marketplace partners? http://bit.ly/1LN0Apq To survive platform risk [...]

Is Amazon poaching top products from marketplace partners? http://bit.ly/1LN0Apq
To survive platform risk read this: http://bit.ly/1LN0Apt

#Amazon's #platform #strategy has been transparent for years. Especially insipid when used against #SmallBusiness.

Must Reads:

- The #TrojanMule Strategy: http://IdeaFaktory.com/mule

- Surviving Platform Risk: https://www.ideafaktory.com/platform-risk-devours-digital-entrepreneurs/ https://mobile.twitter.com/matthewstoller/status/1097933143980556289

Another day, another way Amazon proves why #platformrisk grows with market dominance.

Merchants, inoculate yourselves. Surviving Platform Risk: https://www.ideafaktory.com/platform-risk-devours-digital-entrepreneurs/

Amazon Just Took a Brutally Cold-Blooded Decision That's a Huge Warning To Customers http://flip.it/4sISp2

Amazon Just Took a Brutally Cold-Blooded Decision That's a Huge Warning To Customers

Never imagine that today's Amazon will be tomorrow's.Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek.Amazon has done a wonderful job of...

https://www.ideafaktory.com/platform-risk-devours-digital-entrepreneurs/

Didn't know this was in merchant contracts w/Amazon. Very similar to what Grubhub/Seamless (maybe others) have in contracts - not allowing restaurants to sell directly for less than on their platform. Hmmm... https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/11/18260700/amazon-anti-competitive-pricing-agreements-3rd-party-sellers-end

Amazon silently ends controversial pricing agreements with sellers

As lawmakers begin to question Big Tech’s power

https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/11/18260700/amazon-anti-competitive-pricing-agreements-3rd-party-sellers-end

The bigger Amazon's market share, the more scrutiny platform manipulations like this will get. https://mobile.twitter.com/Techmeme/status/1158478034510471168

https://mobile.twitter.com/Techmeme/status/1158478034510471168

Inching towards FTC regulatory zone... https://twitter.com/pymnts/status/1158867852201549824

https://twitter.com/pymnts/status/1158867852201549824

If I had to guess how "Amazon Choice" products get selected:
- 4

minimum review, adjusted for fakes
- Amazon's net margin
- frequency of return
- stock availability

What's missing? https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-amazon-com-senate-idUSKCN1V21VK

U.S. senators ask Amazon CEO if 'Amazon's Choice' deceives consumers

Two U.S. senators asked Amazon.com Inc Chief Executive Jeff Bezos on Monday how the "Amazon's Choice" badge on certain products is determined and whether the mark deceives consumers into purchasing...

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-amazon-com-senate-idUSKCN1V21VK

Amazon's choice label is a tactic (carrot) to optimize Amazon's profit. Only tangentially related to consumer benefit. https://digiday.com/retail/amazon-offered-vendors-amazons-choice-labels-return-ad-spending-lower-prices/

Amazon offered vendors 'Amazon's Choice' labels in return for ad spending and lower prices - Digiday

Amazon has previously offered vendors the ability to "bid" for an Amazon’s Choice badge by lowering prices and spending more money on advertising.

https://digiday.com/retail/amazon-offered-vendors-amazons-choice-labels-return-ad-spending-lower-prices/

The @FTC case against Amazon might just be this thread

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/460905-ftc-launches-amazon-antitrust-probe-report

FTC launches Amazon antitrust probe: report

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reportedly launched an investigation to determine whether Amazon controls an inappropriately large share of the retail market.

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/460905-ftc-launches-amazon-antitrust-probe-report

https://mobile.twitter.com/geoffreyfowler/status/1179050073566498817