為抵消不斷增長的成本,4月13日,電商巨頭亞馬遜(Amazon)宣布,在現有費用基礎上向使用其物流服務的第三方賣家額外征收5%的“燃油和通脹附加費”。
這家總部位于西雅圖的公司在其網站上表示,這項額外收費將于4月28日生效,適用于服飾和非服飾品類,具體收費標準“可能會有所調整”。
在開征這一新費用之前,亞馬遜在去年11月也曾宣布上調相關費用,并已于今年1月生效。面對索取最新收費細節的請求,亞馬遜并沒有直接回復。然而,在4月13日向賣家發送的通知中,亞馬遜稱其成本自新冠疫情開始之后便因時薪的增加、人員招聘以及倉儲設施的新建而出現了上漲。
亞馬遜稱,自身已經在盡可能地消化成本,而且此次上調費用是為了解決永久成本以及保持競爭力。其競爭對手聯邦快遞(FedEx)和聯合包裹(UPS)都已經開始征收燃油附加費。
亞馬遜在該通知中寫道:“2022年,隨著全球解除新冠疫情限制,我們預計將回歸常態,然而,燃油和通脹則帶來了進一步的挑戰。”
4月12日發布的聯邦數據顯示,美國3月的通脹率飆升至8.5%,是40多年以來的最大增幅。燃油價格在過去12個月中飆升了48%。
盡管亞馬遜將額外收費歸咎于通脹和燃油成本的增長,但反壟斷組織地方自力更生研究所(Institute for Local Self-Reliance)的聯席所長泰西·米切爾對此提出了批評,稱亞馬遜是在借機漲價。
米切爾說:“對于那些不得不依靠其平臺的賣家,亞馬遜一再提升其費用。”他還表示,新征收的費用就是為了“將獨立商戶口袋中的錢裝入亞馬遜自己的腰包。”
亞馬遜的第三方市場在公司業務中占據著非常大的比例,約200萬獨立商戶在平臺上經營著數以百萬計的商品,銷量占到了亞馬遜網站總銷量的一半以上。
去年,這些賣家們向亞馬遜支付了約1030億美元的費用,約占該公司收入的22%。這家線上零售商稱,新的收費標準將適用于4月28日之前預訂,但在28日之后運輸和交付的產品。亞馬遜還將于4月28日發布其今年前三個月的收益報告。
長期以來,亞馬遜通過“秒殺”活動或推出自家山寨產品,來遏制駐扎其平臺的商戶,并提升自家在網站上的份額,這也是它備受詬病的地方。(財富中文網)
譯者:馮豐
審校:夏林
為抵消不斷增長的成本,4月13日,電商巨頭亞馬遜(Amazon)宣布,在現有費用基礎上向使用其物流服務的第三方賣家額外征收5%的“燃油和通脹附加費”。
這家總部位于西雅圖的公司在其網站上表示,這項額外收費將于4月28日生效,適用于服飾和非服飾品類,具體收費標準“可能會有所調整”。
在開征這一新費用之前,亞馬遜在去年11月也曾宣布上調相關費用,并已于今年1月生效。面對索取最新收費細節的請求,亞馬遜并沒有直接回復。然而,在4月13日向賣家發送的通知中,亞馬遜稱其成本自新冠疫情開始之后便因時薪的增加、人員招聘以及倉儲設施的新建而出現了上漲。
亞馬遜稱,自身已經在盡可能地消化成本,而且此次上調費用是為了解決永久成本以及保持競爭力。其競爭對手聯邦快遞(FedEx)和聯合包裹(UPS)都已經開始征收燃油附加費。
亞馬遜在該通知中寫道:“2022年,隨著全球解除新冠疫情限制,我們預計將回歸常態,然而,燃油和通脹則帶來了進一步的挑戰。”
4月12日發布的聯邦數據顯示,美國3月的通脹率飆升至8.5%,是40多年以來的最大增幅。燃油價格在過去12個月中飆升了48%。
盡管亞馬遜將額外收費歸咎于通脹和燃油成本的增長,但反壟斷組織地方自力更生研究所(Institute for Local Self-Reliance)的聯席所長泰西·米切爾對此提出了批評,稱亞馬遜是在借機漲價。
米切爾說:“對于那些不得不依靠其平臺的賣家,亞馬遜一再提升其費用。”他還表示,新征收的費用就是為了“將獨立商戶口袋中的錢裝入亞馬遜自己的腰包。”
亞馬遜的第三方市場在公司業務中占據著非常大的比例,約200萬獨立商戶在平臺上經營著數以百萬計的商品,銷量占到了亞馬遜網站總銷量的一半以上。
去年,這些賣家們向亞馬遜支付了約1030億美元的費用,約占該公司收入的22%。這家線上零售商稱,新的收費標準將適用于4月28日之前預訂,但在28日之后運輸和交付的產品。亞馬遜還將于4月28日發布其今年前三個月的收益報告。
長期以來,亞馬遜通過“秒殺”活動或推出自家山寨產品,來遏制駐扎其平臺的商戶,并提升自家在網站上的份額,這也是它備受詬病的地方。(財富中文網)
譯者:馮豐
審校:夏林
Amazon is taking a step to offset its rising costs, announcing Wednesday it will add a 5% “fuel and inflation surcharge” to fees it charges third-party sellers who use the e-commerce giant's fulfillment services.
The Seattle-based company said on its website that the added fees, which take effect April 28, are “subject to change” and will apply to both apparel and non-apparel items.
The latest fee hike follows one announced in November and went into effect in January. Amazon didn't immediately respond to a request for further details on the recent move. But in a notice sent to sellers Wednesday, the company said its costs had gone up since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic due to increases in hourly wages, the hiring of workers and construction of more warehouses.
It said it had absorbed costs whenever possible, and only increased fees to address permanent costs and to be competitive with other providers. Amazon competitors FedEx and UPS both have fuel surcharges.
“In 2022, we expected a return to normalcy as COVID-19 restrictions around the world eased, but fuel and inflation have presented further challenges,” the company said in the notice.
Federal data released Tuesday showed inflation jumped 8.5% in March, its fastest pace in more than 40 years. Gasoline prices have rocketed 48% in the past 12 months.
Though the company is blaming inflation and rising fuel costs for the surcharge, Stacy Mitchell, co-director for the anti-monopoly group Institute for Local Self-Reliance, criticized Wednesday's announcement, saying Amazon was taking advantage of the moment.
“Amazon keeps increasing its fees on the sellers that have to depend on its platform,” Mitchell said, adding the new fees are a way “to take more money out of the pockets of independent businesses and put it into Amazon’s coffers.”
Amazon's third-party marketplace, where independent merchants list millions of their products, is a huge part of its business. It has about 2 million sellers, and more than half the goods sold on Amazon.com come from these sellers.
Last year, sellers paid Amazon about $103 billion in fees, which made up about 22% of the company's revenue. The online retailer said the new fees will apply to products ordered before April 28 but shipped and delivered after that date. Amazon is also expected to release its earnings report from the first three months of this year on April 28.
Amazon has long faced accusations of undercutting merchants that sell on its platform by making “knock-offs,” or very similar products, and boosting their presence on the site.