With brief, occasional, italicized and sometimes gratuitous commentary…
• From Gizmodo:
"Amazon’s prime members plateaued last year according to a Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) report released this week. The number of subscribers has been in decline since July of last year, according to the CIRP, which claimed in the first six months of the year, Amazon Prime did not add net new members in the U.S.
"Amazon spokesperson Maggie Sivon said in an emailed statement to Gizmodo that the CIRP’s reports are false. 'Just because an analyst firm reports something doesn’t make it true or fact, and in this case, the research is not accurate,' she said. 'Prime membership continues to grow as the value members receive continues to increase'."
I don't want to give too much credence to the research report - it may or may not be true. But … it does add to a narrative of vulnerability at Amazon, which could be problematic in terms of stock price and, perhaps, Andy Jassy's long-term job security.
• From the Wall Street Journal:
"Federal authorities have cited Amazon.com Inc. for safety violations at three of its warehouses.
"The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Wednesday it had issued citations to the company after inspections at facilities in Florida, Illinois and New York. It said workers at those sites were exposed to ergonomic hazards or hazards with equipment, including having to perform tasks that could lead to lower back injuries and other muscle-related conditions … The company faces a fine of about $60,000 for the violations, the agency said. The Labor Department opened an investigation after referrals from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York."
The Journal notes that "an Amazon spokeswoman said the company would appeal the decisions, which 'don’t reflect the reality of safety at our sites'."
