Amazon allegedly” ran a methodical crusade”of copying other companies’ products in India and gamed hunt results to promote its own performances. Reuters attained thousands of runners of internal documents including emails and business plans that detail the practices.
A private brands platoon in India (which works on the company’s own products) used data from Amazon’s business in the country to find and target goods and produce brummagem performances, the agency reported. The thing was to find “ reference” or “ standard” wares and copy them. A document from 2016 detailed a plan for an Amazon brand called Solimo, which is acclimatized toward the Indian request. The end was to “ use information fromAmazon.in to develop products and also work theAmazon.in platform to request these products to our guests.”
The document indicated that the private brands group aimed to form hookups with the manufacturers of the standard particulars, because those companies use “ unique processes which impact the end quality of the product.” The platoon sought to gain perceptivity from the manufacturers and use the so- called” Ethnical Knowledge”in its own performances to” completely match quality with our reference product.”
After it made the copycats, the company manipulated hunt results with a system called “ search sowing” so that AmazonBasics and Solimo particulars would pop up near the top of the runner, according to the document. The company also”aggressively” used a fashion called “ hunt sparkles on PC, Mobile and App to specifically promote Solimo products on applicable client quests from‘All Product Hunt’and Order hunt,” per the document. Sparkles are the banners placed above hunt results.
“As Reuters hasn’t participated the documents or their provenance with us, we’re unfit to confirm the veracity or else of the information and claims as stated,”an Amazon prophet told Engadget in a statement.”We believe these claims are factually incorrect and unwarranted.”
“Amazon identifies selection gaps grounded on client preferences at an aggregate position only and shares this information with all merchandisers,”the prophet added.”Amazon’s policy rigorously prohibits the use or sharing ofnon-public, dealer-specific data for the benefit of any dealer, including merchandisers of private brands. This policy applies slightly across our company to all workers — our internal brigades admit regular trainings on its operation and we completely probe any reports of workers acting contrary to this policy.”
This is far from the first time we have heard reports of Amazon allegedly copying other companies’ products. Over the times, the company has been indicted of copying the Instant Pot, Allbirds lurkers and a camera bag from Peak Design to name a many. A 2020 Wall Street Journal disquisition also indicated that Amazon studied deals data of third- party products on its platform to inform the design and pricing of its own goods.
Controllers in India, the US and Europe have targeted Amazon over allegedanti-competitive practices. Reuters points out that an disquisition in India is looking into whether the company unfairly promoted its own ingrained goods.