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Amazon Tries To Figure Out the Packaging Box Problem It Created (t.co)
Have you noticed that your tiniest ecommerce items, which used to be shipped in a box, are now arriving in a padded envelope? WSJ reports: Amazon is trying to ship each order in one correctly sized package instead of multiple boxes, responding to rising shipping costs and consumers' concern about the environmental impact (Editor's note: the link may be paywalled) and general nuisance of all that cardboard. That means adding bubble envelopes, tweaking algorithms and negotiating with manufacturers to make smaller packaging specifically for online sales, not store shelves. [...] This year, Amazon added machines in its warehouses that create padded mailers on demand to fit smaller items, all of which used to go into the company's smallest-sized box. Almost half of all of Amazon's products fit into the new mailers and poly bags, says Kim Houchens, director of customer packaging experience. Her team has been working to improve algorithms that help decide which size box and how many items should be packed together in each shipment. The algorithms use machine learning to test out new combinations -- for example, shipping a breakable item in a smaller box with less cushioning. The algorithm can scan customer reviews and other data to see if it worked and adjust as needed.
love the quote" The algorithms use machine learning to test out new combinations -- for example, shipping a breakable item in a smaller box with less cushioning. The algorithm can scan customer reviews and other data to see if it worked and adjust as needed."
so peoples packages are now used for "testing"... well that lamp broke... oh well, try something new....that poor person at the end of it now has a broken lamp to deal with.
It's not a typo if you understood the meaning!
I would think the cardboard packages are much more reusable and recyclable than the plastic lined paper envelopes.
Amazon should be leading the way into sustainable packaging, even multi use returnable packaging.
When ordering multiple items from Amazon, from what I can tell the algorithm is "throw all items in bon with a few inflated tubes and let everything fend for itself".
To be fair as this article says, some things have stated coming individually packaged and in better shape. But even recently we've received a number of items that had a few dings from being loose in package. Were I ordering anything like an action figure I didn't want a card even slightly bent on, I'd be super leery of Amazon still.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Why is the link to a t.co URL? So Slashdot's not only doing slashvertisements but also click tracking now?
If only there was a place you could go to buy goods at your convenience precisely when needed, avoiding the shipping step... That would be amazing!
Well when they invent such a thing then I'll change my buying habits because the options now are anything but convenient. As it is I have FAR too busy a schedule to want to want to spend hours getting in my car, driving to a random location on a map, browsing through merchandise on a scavenger hunt, paying an exorbitant markup, and being unable to do something else more productive with my time.
Oh and stores still ship stuff they just use YOUR vehicle to do the shipping instead of theirs. So unless you have a store with a star trek transporter I don't know about it's still getting shipped and probably less efficiently.
Dang, my wife loves the free cardboard boxes for various purposes.
How is a free cardboard box that is more environmentally friendly than plastic wrap a "problem"?
I wonder what reviews might lead an algorithm to decide that it's necessary to ship a gel wrist rest for keyboards like this:
https://i.imgur.com/t9gCMCM.jp...
I was so dumbfounded by the size and the packaging material, I didn't even realize that the box was double-walled until I tried tearing it up to throw it into recycling.
(Though to be fair and ruin part of the joke, that was an Amazon marketplace seller who didn't user amazon for shipping.)
The problem is that Amazon's not just trying to ship the items well. They're trying to cut corners to the absolute cheapest possible.
Like ordering vitamins that come in a glass bottle to see them come broken in a padded mailer. They knew it would do fine in a corner crush resistant box with a little padding. But they wanted to see if they could save money over returns/replacements by cutting costs to the absolute minimum.