The Remazing News Package – LinkedIn Edition

Welcome to our monthly recap of the most important @Amazon and e-commerce news, including AI in online retail. Our evaluation of each update is marked in italics.

News: Amazon

Amazon launches new visual search and shopping features

Amazon saw a 70% increase in visual searches worldwide last year and is now introducing five new image-based search features to its mobile shopping app.

• When searching for an item with a visual description, Amazon will display image suggestions as customers type and they can choose the image that best describes what they are looking for. It is also possible to add text to images on Amazon Lens to specify brand, colour, material, or desired dimensions.
• ‘More like this’ on each product image in the Amazon search results helps find similar products and product videos are now also displayed within the search results.
• In addition, after uploading an image to Amazon Lens, customers can draw a circle around the item they are interested in and search for it specifically.

💬 Amazon's new visual search and shopping features are a direct response to the growing demand for more intuitive and efficient search methods. This shows Amazon’s focus on enhancing the customer experience by speeding up product discovery, improving convenience and enhancing search accuracy.

More news on Amazon:

• Amazon Prime Video Ads expands from 2025
• Prime Deal Days: Amazon celebrates success
• Amazon’s next deal days: “Holiday Beauty Haul“
• Lost Items: Amazon to refund automatically
• Amazon presents AI video generator for ads

News: E-Commerce

Temu: Ban in one country, expansion in another

Temu is facing a ban on its e-commerce app in Indonesia and is therefore focussing on expanding into other countries.

• The Indonesian government has banned the e-commerce app Temu to protect local businesses and ensure fair trade practices.
• Temu's response: The e-commerce giant announces its market entry in Vietnam, expanding its presence in Asia.

💬 Temu’s situation highlights the challenges of balancing global expansion with local trade regulations. However, instead of slowing down, Temu is swiftly shifting focus to new opportunities, with its expansion into Vietnam marking a significant step in its broader Asian strategy.

More news on E-Commerce:

• Marketplaces are dominating cross-border e-commerce
• UK consumers loyal to brands during Black Friday
• Without consent: brands suddenly appear on Shein
• eBay UK goes free to sell for Private Sellers
• The State of Influencer Marketing 2024: Benchmark Report

News: AI in Online Retail

Meta enables companies to create chatbots with advertising

Meta has announced the expansion of its AI-powered business chatbots. The announcement, made at the Meta Connect 2024 developer conference, introduces a new dimension to the company's click-to-message adverts.

• According to Meta, businesses can now set up chatbots embedded in ads to talk to customers, offer support, and facilitate orders.
• Meta claims that AI-powered ads have increased click-through rates. In this respect, more than one million advertisers are already using the AI ad tool, with 15 million ads created using the tools in the past month. 

💬 By allowing businesses to create chatbots embedded directly within ads, Meta is transforming how companies interact with customers. This functionality enables brands to engage users instantly, provide real-time support, and even facilitate transactions—all within the ad itself. The potential for increased engagement is clear but this development also strengthens the role of AI in shaping the future of digital marketing.

More news on AI:

• Amazon Bedrock: Customised chatbots with AI power
• Google Shopping: AI-makeover for personalised searches
• Smart+: TikToks new AI tool to automate advertising campaigns
• Zalando brings AI-powered assistant to all markets
• Snapchat introduces AI tool for video creation