The Ever-Evolving, Jeff Bezos, “King of Essentials”

How Amazon’s “Crisis Response Warehouses” Stay One Step Ahead of COVID-19

If Jeff Bezos could have predicted in 1995, when he launched his Amazon “everything store”, that a global pandemic would take place just 25 years later, undoubtedly, he might have still taken the journey he has to build his online superstore. When he launched Amazon, only selling books, his vision was always an explosive e-commerce domination. Bezos knew from the very beginning that he wanted Amazon to be exactly what it is today–literally the most “essential” online store in the country.

Now, with the novel COVID-19 affecting every household and business across the globe, Bezos is poised with a few short-term solutions that reflect his visionary mindset.

1. Propping up a country that is on its knees through massive job growth.

This past week, Bezos addressed his workers in “A message to all Amazon employees” publicly on his personal Instagram Page, that Amazon will be hiring 100,00 new roles for those laid off due to the global virus pandemic. Always one step ahead, Bezos finds himself not only at the helm of his ship steering his workers through the high seas of unpredictability, but he is positioning his warehouses as primary “essential-fulfillment centers”, communicating to third-party sellers who use FBA to either sell these items or take a back seat on his now “crisis-response” platform.

2. Pivoting when business priorities need to shift.

Last week, Bezos implemented a massive sweep of changes to his third-party business model in an attempt to meet the nationwide need for household supplies and cleaning products. He took an unprecedented measure–by telling sellers who sell on his platform that he would no longer accept “non-essential” items in his warehouses until April 5.

“We are seeing increased online shopping, and as a result some products such as household staples and medical supplies are out of stock,” reads an announcement on Amazon’s official forum for sellers. “With this in mind, we are temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies, and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so that we can more quickly receive, restock, and deliver these products to customers.”

Amazing Freedom’s Pivot Strategy for Getting “Lean & Mean”

Sellers who enjoyed the convenience of managing their inventory through the ease of FBA, are now faced with restructuring their business models as well in the midst of the rising tide of uncertainty.

Here at Amazing Freedom, we are using this time to drill down into the financials of our business to make it leaner and meaner by culling unprofitable SKUS. If you are a seller in the now “non-essential products” category and are 100% FBA, we highly recommend shifting to FBM, if you can.

At our warehouse with the clients we work with, and with our own products, we are shipping Merchant Fulfilled due to the delayed shipping time Amazon is displaying to customers for non-essential products.

We are also using this time to research new products that we think will do well on the heels of this crazy time we are in. Our Amazon businesses should never remain on autopilot. I challenge you to source new products and never become complacent with one sourcing category or model. This strategy is obviously now hurting many business like ours.

Like Jeff Bezos, we need to begin to push the envelope to try new things that have never be done! This mindset might be a shift for many of us, but it is possible!

Keep After Your Amazing Freedom!

~Andy