The positive impact for customers is that they can order anything
they want and have it delivered the next day. The desire for this level
of service has spread to other online retailers who are competing for
business as well. The spread has effectively changed the standard for
e-commerce and created a customer centric phenomenon where
instant gratification is finally available to buy. The negative
implications aren’t as obvious, they are out of sight and out of mind.
The negatives include the impacts to people and planet when you
promise to deliver same day or next day. The supply chain must
answer that demand, and to do so creates unsustainable business
practices.
Amazon makes it easy to shop and it takes away some of the critical
thinking that consumers used to engage in when planning a purchase.
Questions like who made the item, where did they make it, are there
labor protections for workers, and is the factory operating
sustainably? While I think that customers are truly responsible for
wielding their buyer power responsibly, I don’t think it’s their job to
conduct a research project each time they want to make a purchase.
Organizations need to be transparent in their business practices.
“According to one study, 57% of consumers are ready to boycott
brands which don’t appear to share their social beliefs” (Soomo,
2020). Consumers need to know what they are supporting with their
purchases so they can contribute to better sustainability practices.
The Green Button Project from our reading seems like a great start to
this process. Making information and options available can give
sellers a competitive advantage with socially responsible buyers.
Reference
Barr, B. (2021, July 2). Five ways businesses can use Amazon's mission
statement as a growth strategy. Entrepreneur. Retrieved February 9,
2022, from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/373491 a
Soomo Learning. (2020). People, planet, and profit.
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