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Amazon dabbles in transparency

12/4/2014

Amazon has introduced a line of “ethically sourced” products for Amazon Prime members.


Amazon Elements will consist of premium products with “transparent origins,” the company said. Amazon Elements will offer Prime members an upgraded level of information about products: when and where items were made, why each ingredient was included, where the ingredients were sourced and more.


“Our obsession with customers and drive to continuously innovate on their behalf has led us to create Amazon Elements. The two things customers told us they want are premium products that meet their high standards, and access to information so they can make informed decisions, Amazon Elements offers both,” said Sunny Jain, consumables VP at Amazon.com. "We’ve leveraged our strengths in technology to bring customers an unprecedented level of information about these products, all with just the click of a button. We’re excited to offer Amazon Prime members added selection, beginning with diapers and baby wipes.”


Elements is notable for a couple of other reasons: It’s yet another extension for Amazon into own-branded goods, and it’s another example of how the company is pushing its premium loyalty program.


Amazon says customer demand motivated it to break into the category: “The two things customers told us they want are premium products that meet their high standards, and access to information so they can make informed decisions. Amazon Elements offers both,” Jain said. “We’ve leveraged our strengths in technology to bring customers an unprecedented level of information about these products.”


Each Amazon Elements product page will have an unprecedented level of information ranging from where items were sourced, to facts about why each ingredient was used to make the product. Plus, each Amazon Elements package has a unique code that can be scanned using the Amazon mobile shopping app to track its specific ingredients and their origins, its date and place of manufacture, date of delivery, “best by” date and more.


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