A new book reveals how Amazon used 'shady' strategies at its bookstores to drive up Prime subscriptions
For years, Walmart and Amazon operated mainly in separate spheres – one a massive brick-and-mortar retailer, the other an online giant. But in the late 2010s, each began aggressively moving into the other's domain. To many in the technology industry, Amazon's chances of success in physical retail seemed high.
That's why, at least on the surface, it was curious when Amazon announced in March 2022 a major retrenchment in physical retail: the Once the pandemic hit, and the bookstores reopened after a months-long shutdown, some store leaders urged store managers to increase the percentage of customers who agreed to sign up at checkout for a free trial of one of these services. Prior to the pandemic, store customers could view one of the free trial offers on a screen in front of them.
"A consistent pattern like this does real damage to a brand's reputation and business," he wrote."But more to the point, it is unethical; to trick or defraud a person into receiving something they didn't choose is wrong and shouldn't be something we allow or condone at Amazon." But Deagle declined to comment on how or why such behavior was occurring well into the following year.
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