Amazon releases new tech features, integrations for business customers
The Amazon Business business-to-business procurement store is expanding the technological capabilities it offers customers.
In an email to Chain Store Age, Amazon said that is announcing a number of features and capabilities, as well as integrations with partner technology companies, at the Amazon Business Reshape 2024 user conference being held in Dallas Sept. 24-25.
Following is an overview of new features and capabilities and integrations being released to Amazon Business customers:
Features and capabilities
- Hosted catalog: Provides streamlined access to pre-approved items in an e-procurement system. The catalog contains a curated selection of products, including prices, descriptions and images, and is contained directly in a company’s procurement system. Buyers can place orders directly from this catalog, or through the company’s existing Amazon Business integration.
- Amazon account switching: Allows customers to use the same credentials for both personal and business Amazon accounts.
- AB Restock: Managed inventory and vending services that monitor and automatically reorder necessary items, with analytics to optimize spending. Restock’s managed inventory service is currently available to customers in select U.S. cities and continues to expand nationally. Vending services helps businesses control vending machine distribution of products with user quantity limits, while Amazon Business handles the monitoring and restocking of vended items.
- Business giving: Enables companies to gift items using digital vouchers, allowing recipients to choose from a pre-selected product list within a set budget.
- Program dashboard: Offers Business Prime members personalized, real-time analytics and insights into managed spend programs for different categories, helping track KPIs and spending.
- Amazon account switching: Customers obtain the option to use the same login credentials, security settings, and mobile number for both their personal Amazon account and their Amazon Business account.
Integrations
- SAP Ariba/Punch-in: In pilot with general availability scheduled in the U.S. by June 2025), this integration lets customers add items to their Amazon Business cart and seamlessly submit that cart to their company’s SAP Ariba e-procurement system to create a purchase order.
- Coupa Advantage: Amazon Business joins Coupa Advantage, a discount program available to all business spend platform Coupa customers, on Nov. 1, 2024. U.S. customers will have access to special discounts on thousands of selected products, as well as 50% off on the first 12-months of Business Prime plans for customers in the U.S., Canada and EU. Customers will gain access via integrations like Punchout and Integrated Search.
- Oracle NetSuite SuiteProcurement: Amazon Business is one of the first integrated suppliers for NetSuite SuiteProcurement, a new indirect procurement solution designed to help customers track and control purchases from request to payment. SuiteProcurement customers will be eligible for special benefits from Amazon Business, such a 12-month, no-cost Amazon Business Prime Medium membership (valued at U.S. $1,299) that provides business-only pricing and savings, and a 50% discount on membership renewals in subsequent years.
"Amazon Business is changing the way companies of all sizes do their business buying," said Shelley Salomon, worldwide VP of Amazon Business, in the email. "Through our vast selection, deep discounts, and flexible payment options, we’re making things easier for business owners while helping them reduce costs and grow their bottom line. So far this year, our U.S. customers have saved over $400 million from purchasing in bulk with Amazon Business, which is just one of the many ways customers are saving with Amazon Business.”
[READ MORE: Amazon adds tech resources for large business customers]
Amazon Business has more than 6 million business customers, ranging from sole proprietors to multinational enterprises. Features and benefits include a curated site experience, Business Prime, business-only pricing and selection, single or multi-user business accounts, approvals workflow, purchasing system integrations, payment solutions, tax exemptions, and dedicated customer support. Amazon Business is available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan and India.
