Amazon launched Amazon Pharmacy to US customers to deliver prescription medications right at their homes.

This week, e-commerce giant Amazon has announced its launching of the Amazon Pharmacy in the United States. It is the company’s new offering to customers in which they can have their prescription medications delivered to their address. With the new service from Amazon, customers can have their prescriptions bought online, like with Amazon’s mobile app or through a desktop.

Amazon into Pharmacy

Amazon will allow users to create a secure pharmacy profile, which they can utilize to add information about them, such as their health insurance or prescriptions. Meanwhile, for Prime subscribers, Amazon gives them free two-day delivery for orders through Amazon Pharmacy. It is actually unlimited and is part of their membership. Moreover, Amazon said it would deliver the prescription medications in discreet packaging. It is now available in 45 states in the US, and the number will increase over time.

Introducing Amazon Pharmacy.

Prescribed by your doctor, delivered by us. https://t.co/tGNwM0I9IY pic.twitter.com/6pko1sRTvj

— Amazon (@amazon) November 17, 2020

In a press release, the company also said that the new service could simplify price comparisons on medications for customers. That’s on top of giving convenience for pharmacy transactions and filling prescriptions. And Amazon is not new to the pharmaceutical segment. Two years ago, it bought Pillpack, which helps customers manage their multiple everyday medications.

‘Seamlessly’

CNBC noted that the announcement coincided at a time of a pandemic. Today, more and more people become worried about contracting the COVID-19, so they take in medications. And Amazon Pharmacy offers them a chance to do this without the customers leaving home.

In a statement, Amazon Pharmacy’s VP, TJ Parker, said that they brought their customer obsession to an “inconvenient” industry. “We work hard behind the scenes to handle complications seamlessly so anyone who needs a prescription can understand their options, place their order for the lowest available price, and have their medication delivered quickly.”

Prime Benefits

Aside from free delivery, the Jeff Bezos-led firm will also provide savings for Prime members without health insurance. Customers can expect up to 80 percent of discounts on generic brands and up to 40 percent on branded medications for those without insurance. They can find these price reductions on their checkout. Also, these discounts are available for over 50,000 participating pharmacies in the US.

Amazon Prime VP Jamil Ghani said that they intend for their Prime members to make their life more convenient and more comfortable. “We understand the importance of access to affordable medication, and we believe Prime members will find tremendous value with the new Amazon Prime prescription savings benefit.”

The post Amazon Pharmacy Allows Delivery of Prescription Medications to Customers’ Homes first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold

Amazon announces that it will add men’s fashion to its Personal Shopper feature that costs $4.99 a month.

Amazon previously introduced its Personal Shopper by Prime Wardrobe for women’s clothing last year. Now, the e-commerce giant brings the service to men’s clothing with new brands from inside and outside Amazon.

Personal Shopper, Now for Men Also

Prime members would now be able to get menswear in Amazon’s Personal Shopper service. The feature serves as a part of its Prime Wardrobe program.

Basically, with a monthly subscription of $4.99 per month, customers will have the chance to try out up to eight pieces of clothing in the comfort of their own homes. Amazon will send to Prime members the clothes they would prefer. Moreover, customers will only have to pay for the ones they want to keep.

This year, Amazon adds men’s clothing to the service with over a thousand brands. New fashion brands for the guys include Levi’s, Lacoste, Adidas, Scotch & Soda, and Carhartt, Business Insider reports. Additionally, Amazon’s own in-house labels will also join the lineup.

Expanding the Service

Last year, Amazon introduced the Personal Shopper service, but only offering clothing for ladies. Since then, hundreds of thousands of customers have signed up for the service, a company spokesperson said. Moreover, Amazon has also sold over a billion of fashion items from mobile orders last year. But monthly users of the personal shopping service only amount to tens of thousands, Amazon said.

And with the pandemic, online transactions became more attractive to shoppers. The health crisis, while it had hurt many businesses, buoyed sales from online retailers, including the e-commerce behemoth. 

Currently, only Amazon mobile app Prime members in the US can take advantage of the personal shopping experience feature. More perks include free shipping of to-be-returned items.

Personal Shopping Market

Amazon’s Personal Shopper directly competes with a similar business called Stitch Fix. Stitch Fix also operates almost the same way as Amazon’s personal shopping service.

The expanded personal shopper service puts Amazon in direct competition with Stitch Fix, a clothing subscription company with a similar buy-what-you-like model. https://t.co/FfL57if8Rc

— CNN Business (@CNNBusiness) September 29, 2020

Also, Stich Fix charges its customers with a $20 fee, then credited towards any items customers will buy. Moreover, the clothing subscription company claimed that its active client base grew to 3.5 million.

Recently, customers favored activewear as they seek for comfort and function. Possibly, it led to Amazon supplementing its personal shopping subscription with men’s clothing.

The post Amazon Introduces Men’s Clothing to Its Personal Shopping Service first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold

An Amazon spokesperson said that the company would extend until mid-2021 the remote work setup of those employees that can effectively do their jobs at home.

Amazon joins the growing list of companies that extended their work-from-home scheme to their employees, or at least for those who can. A spokesperson for the e-commerce giant said on Tuesday, October 20, that their staff with jobs that can be done at home may continue to do so until June next year.

Work From Home

According to a statement, Amazon said: “We continue to prioritize the health of our employees and follow local government guidance.”

"Employees with work that can effectively be done from home can continue to do that work from home through June 30, 2021," an Amazon spokesperson said https://t.co/7RuMkBTvtI

— CNN Business (@CNNBusiness) October 22, 2020

Particularly, it would scope corporate roles with jobs that “can effectively be done from home.”

It is not the first time Amazon has prolonged its remote work arrangement for its employees. Previously, it extended the setup until January 8, Business Insider reports.

Work From Site

But there are still employees who need to report to work in person. Amazon requires its frontline workers to go to work, except for certain conditions. It includes the following: testing positive for COVID-19, when exhibiting symptoms of the virus, and when mandated to isolate.

And Amazon has reportedly received complaints on how they handle their frontline staff amid the health crisis. The company has also gained allegations of letting employees work in unsafe conditions.

However, the company spokesperson said that Amazon had spent “significant funds” to ensure that those who need to come to the office are safe. The firm’s efforts include maintaining physical distances, thorough sanitation, regular checking of temperatures, and providing face coverings and hand sanitizers.

More Remote Work Setups

More companies are extending their remote work arrangement to their employees. Google’s owner, Alphabet, said last July that it wants to give flexibility to their workers, extending the work-from-home scheme until next year. Other firms that also announced an extension of remote work include Twitter, which contemplated making the arrangement indefinite. Microsoft also said it intends to adopt a “hybrid workplace,” which will let staff work from home half of the time, even after the pandemic.

The post Amazon to Extend Work From Home Scheme for Some Employees Until June 2021 first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Rob Sterling

E-commerce titan Amazon pushes its green efforts further with its introduction of custom electric vehicles for delivering packages in the near future.

As part of Amazon’s sustainability efforts called “The Climate Pledge,” the company unveiled its first electric delivery vehicle. The e-commerce behemoth partnered with carmaker Rivian to build the custom EV to deliver shipments to customers worldwide.

Going Electric

Amazon has revealed its 100 percent electric delivery vehicle it had made in partnership with carmaker Rivian. Particularly, the company plans to send the custom-made vehicles to the roads by next year. Moreover, Amazon intends to use 10,000 of those units in 2022 with a goal of raising that figure to 100,000 by 2030.

“When we set out to create our first customized vehicle with Rivian, we knew that it needed to far surpass any other delivery vehicle. We wanted drivers to love using it and customers to feel excited when they saw it driving through their neighborhood and pulling up to their home,” the company’s global fleet and products director, Ross Rachey, said.

The New Electric Delivery Vehicles

In a blog post, the company described the different features of the electric vehicle. Firstly, the Amazon EVs will have state-of-the-art sensor detection, different highway and traffic assist technologies, and larger windshields. 

According to Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, they put safety and functionality as a priority while optimizing the vehicle for delivery. “We thought through how drivers get in and out of the van, what the work space feels like, and what the work flow is for delivering packages.”

Additionally, the delivery vehicles will also include the voice assistant, Alexa. It will provide drivers with hands-free traffic and route updates.

“We combined Rivian’s technology with our delivery logistics knowledge,” Rachey added.

Green Pledge by Amazon

Rachey also said, “We hope our custom electric vehicle helps create a sense of urgency in the industry to think big about embracing sustainable technology and solutions.”

The transition to electric delivery vehicles serves as a step for the company to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. In its blog post, the company claims that it operates hundreds of EVs worldwide. Also, the tech giant said it invested in electric vehicle charging stations, and possibly for expansion in the future. Furthermore, Amazon noted that some of its urban centers already utilize e-cargo bikes, like in New York City.

The post Amazon Unveils New Custom Electric Vehicle for Future Delivery Fleet first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold

Amazon, UPS, and FedEx all said that they are going to open thousands of jobs as demand for online orders and deliveries continue to rise.

As the holiday season nears and the coronavirus makes it impossible for people to go shopping, retailers and couriers prepare as they anticipate a continuous growth in demand. Now, companies like Amazon, UPS, and FedEx intend to hire tens of thousands of workers to address the surge in orders and packages.

FedEx Adds More Staff

At the start of September, FedEx said that it plans to add about 70,000 seasonal hires. Previously, the delivery company has already supplemented thousands more of workers to meet the demand as online orders skyrocketed in the pandemic.

In addition, the courier said it will also expand the availability of its services. FedEx intends to increase Sunday delivery services to the majority of Americans by September. However, the company also said it would increase shipping rates by next year.

UPS Workforce

Likewise, United Parcel Services (UPS) announced last week that it aims to hire 100,000 more staff. The reason also stems from the expected increase in orders during the holidays.

The holidays are coming and we're hiring 100k positions to help. Read on for more information on available roles and the perks of working for us.

— UPS (@UPS) September 9, 2020

UPS plans to open more roles for both full-time and part-time positions. Particularly, it would include package handlers, drivers, and driver helpers, ABC News reported. Moreover, the Atlanta-based courier company reckoned that seasonal hires can eventually lead to an all-year job. Furthermore, UPS claims that 35 percent of its permanent employees came from seasonal package-handling jobs.

Like FedEx, UPS also saw increased orders during the health crisis, which prompted them to add 39,000 more workers.

Amazon to Hire More as it Expands

Meanwhile, this week, e-commerce giant Amazon also desires to up its workforce. The company intends to hire 100,000 more workers. However, Amazon said this does not relate to the holiday season. These new hires would actually fill the company’s 100 new facilities, including warehouses and package sorting centers, Amazon said. 

Also, Amazon announced a Career Day, which would give free coaching sessions to job seekers. It also said that it had 33,000 vacancies for corporate and tech roles across its US operations.

The post These Companies Are Hiring Thousands More Workers Amid Anticipated Rise in Online Orders first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Rob Sterling

Even Amazon is hopping on the electric wave. On Thursday, the company unveiled its first all-electric delivery van. Built by EV startup Rivian, the van will use cutting-edge technology. Amazon says that it plans to roll out 10,000 vans in 2022. By 2030, Amazon expects 100,000 electric vans on the streets. 

Amazon’s Electric Van

In a statement, Amazon’s Ross Rachey said they want customers to get excited about seeing an electric van outside their homes.  

Amazon’s Van Specs

That said, Amazon has not shared more details about the electric van. The Verge did not get new information about the van’s “drivetrain, battery, range,” except for exterior cameras. These cameras would give the driver a 360-degree view of the outside. Moreover, the van will also come with the Alexa voice assistant. With Alexa, the driver can use hands-free navigation help. He can also receive weather reports. 

Amazon unveils its new electric delivery vans built by Rivian https://t.co/VGWXL6Z3OM pic.twitter.com/F0rY5meSLT

— The Verge (@verge) October 8, 2020

Amazon and Rivian

In February 2019, Jeff Bezos led a $700 million funding round for Rivian. Two months later, Ford even poured in $500 million to Rivian. Rivian and Ford planned to create an electric car, which Ford would sell. However, COVID-19 stopped that. In July 2020, T. Rowe Price led another $2.5 billion funding round for Rivian. This round also included Amazon.

Amazon had announced the electric van when it pledged to become carbon-neutral by 2040.

The post Amazon Reveals New All-Electric Delivery Vans first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold

The future of shopping is here. Amazon has announced new Amazon One devices that read customers’ palms for identification and payment. Seattle shoppers can already use them in Amazon Go stores. Now, Amazon plans to give it to every partner retailer. 

Amazon One

In Amazon’s statement, VP Dilip Kumar said that the Amazon One makes it easier for people to shop at their cashier-less stores. Shoppers can just walk inside, get their palms scanned, then buy the things they want. Their purchases go right away to their credit cards.

Kumar is Amazon’s Vice President of Amazon’s physical retail operations.

Amazon One Privacy Concerns

If you’re worried about a company getting your biometric data, Amazon said it wouldn’t store them on the Amazon One device. These devices would send them to the AWS cloud for storage. You can also delete your data from Amazon’s servers from an online portal or an Amazon One device itself.

Moreover, you also don’t need an Amazon account to sign up for the service. Just prepare your credit card, phone number, and your palm print.

Amazon might collect basic information from customers based on where they like to shop. However, the company said it wouldn’t store info on what they buy. 

Other Uses for Amazon One

Besides shopping, Amazon also wants people to use Amazon One to enter places like stadiums. The company also wants you to use Amazon One to badge into work. Moreover, Amazon even wants you to use Amazon One as a loyalty card.

However, Gizmodo notes that Amazon One doesn’t offer much upside for customers who use mobile apps or credit cards for shopping.

The post Amazon Introduces a Palm Reader For Retail Shopping first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Irene Hawkins

If you’ve fully invested in an Amazon smart home, you might want to try the new Amazon Sidewalk. According to the company, Sidewalk can help your Amazon devices stay connected even outdoors. 

Amazon Sidewalk

In a blog post, Amazon said that Sidewalk is a “neighborhood network” that should help “your devices work better,” both indoors and in the yard. For example, with Sidewalk, you can still receive motion alerts from your security cameras if your Wi-Fi goes down. If your driveway’s smart lights are too far from your Wi-Fi, Sidewalk can connect them. 

Amazon Sidewalk wants to connect your neighborhood—if you'll let it https://t.co/i2BODzrtIx pic.twitter.com/lFlMTK33ZW

— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) September 22, 2020

How Does Amazon Sidewalk Work?

In 2019, Amazon announced the Sidewalk network. The company said Sidewalk connects your smart devices to your home Wi-Fi even if your devices are out of range.

With Sidewalk, you can control your driveway’s smart lights, your yard’s smart sprinklers, and other devices in your smart yard.

Now, Amazon says you can use your Amazon Ring and Echo devices as Sidewalk Bridges, or network extenders. The Wi-Fi signals should pass through your outdoor Ring or Echo devices. Next, your devices create a shared Sidewalk network. Through Amazon Sidewalk, your smart devices stay connected. 

Can I Get Amazon Sidewalk Now?

Amazon should send an email to Ring owners about joining the Amazon Sidewalk network later this month. Echo owners will receive the email later this year. Check out Amazon’s page for more information.

The post Amazon Announces Amazon Sidewalk first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Irene Hawkins

The United States’ most powerful tech CEOs faced an antitrust hearing in Congress Wednesday. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and Apple’s Tim Cook were at the hearing. The three CEOs defended their companies from charges of abuse of power and putting their rivals out of business. 

Jeff Bezos Goes to Congress

CNN reports that Bezos had never spoken to Congress before. The world’s richest person spoke to lawmakers about Amazon’s use of data. According to lawmakers, Amazon had used data from third-party sellers to boost its own private business. As a result, other sellers got priced out of the market. Bezos said that Amazon has a policy that bans the practice. However, he could not say if Amazon never violated it.

Four of the most powerful figures in tech were hit with tough questions and documents that raised concerns about their competitive tactics during a high-profile antitrust hearing. Here are some of the takeaways. https://t.co/q4yQx9WXyS

— CNN (@CNN) July 30, 2020

Zuckerberg Speaks about Instagram

Lawmakers asked Zuckerberg about Facebook’s deal with Instagram in 2012. That year, Facebook bought Instagram. Lawmakers asked him whether his company bought Instagram because he didn’t want to compete fairly in the market. In response, Zuckerberg admitted that Instagram was a threat. But he added that the Federal Trade Commission approved the deal.  

Tim Cook on the App Store

Tim Cook faced questions about Apple’s removal of screen time and parental control apps on the App Store. After debuting the Screen Time feature on iOS 12, Apple deleted the other apps from the App Store. Cook said that the removed apps posed a risk to user privacy and security. He added that the apps needed personal data or camera access to work.

After the hearing, US lawmakers will recommend ways to stop abusive practices in the future.

The post Tech CEOs Face Congress Grilling In Antitrust Hearing first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold

No need to rush to your wallets, at least not yet. The anticipated Amazon prime Day usually held July is now officially delayed, according to a statement from an Amazon spokesperson. Another pandemic aftermath.

Amazon growth in stocks

One of those businesses that remained relevant during this health crisis is Amazon, as their stock is way higher just this year. It rose to 73 percent, which is above most of the S&P 500 companies, as CNN noted. The pandemic has made the huge e-commerce an essential go-to for people who prefers to shop in the comfort (and safety!) of their homes.

On the other hand, this massive demand resulted to several mishaps for the company, like delays in shipping and shortages in inventory, which they tried to fix. On April, as the coronavirus outbreak is laying waste to many countries all over the world, Amazon has hired 175,000 additional staff for their services, in order to meet the growing demand. The multinational tech company even committed to safeguard the health of their workers by updating many of their processes, including disinfection in their facilities. Amazon was reportedly have met pressure from the public to keep their work environment safe.

Prime Delay 

With the Prime Day that many Americans are looking for since 2015, it could be a challenge for the company to pull it off while maintaining safety of their staff with the virus still on the loose, CNN remarked. However, Amazon has maintained previously that they are imposing measures that shield their employees from the COVID-19.

On Tuesday, Amazon has officially declared that the Prime Day has been pushed back, with no official date yet. A spokesperson for the e-commerce giant told The Verge, “This year, we’ll be holding Prime Day later than usual, while ensuring the safety of our employees and supporting our customers and selling partners.” But Amazon assured that members from all over the globe are also going to experience Prime Day at a much later date.

Earlier the month, CNBC has obtained an e-mail to third –party sellers that indicates October 5 to be the temporary date for the huge annual sales event from Amazon.

‘Incredible Deals’ Since ‘15

A statement obtained by Forbes mentioned that, “Over the last five years, Prime Day has become a special celebration and time for Prime members to shop incredible deals for themselves and for friends and family—and it’s something we look forward to every year.”

Since the pandemic began, talks about possible delays with the Prime Day has been going on, while Amazon never really confirmed it until now.

The post Amazon’s Prime Day is Officially Postponed for Another Day first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Irene Hawkins