Jason Del Rey has been a business journalist for more than 15 years, and writing about Amazon, Walmart and the e-commerce industry for a decade. His book "Winner sells all: Amazon, Walmart, and the battle for our wallets," about the rivalry between Amazon and Walmart, was published in the summer of 2023. Based in part on access to high-level executives from both companies, Del Rey tells a story of innovation and highlights the impact the growth of these two giants has had on consumers, employees and the environment.
In an interview with Techcrunch, Del Rey explains that, despite its success, Amazon has also made mistakes, particularly in bricks-and-mortar retailing and healthcare, and discusses the Amazon Care service and the takeover of PillPack and One Medical. Finally, he looks at the potential challengers Amazon faces, including from Shopify and TikTok, who could pose a threat due to their innovative approaches and strong e-commerce presence. "I think Shopify is a very interesting company," Del Rey says. "The question will therefore be whether they will ever be willing or able to establish a consumer-oriented presence. Amazon is watching the developments very closely."
Learn more about Jason Del Rey at the 74th International Retail Summit, which will take place at the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute under the heading "Retail Challenge: Honouring Values, Embracing Tech" on 12 & 13 September 2024. We'll be discussing the tension between technology, tradition and value-oriented entrepreneurship with thought leaders, pioneers and retailing professionals. Alongside many other speakers, Deann Evans, the EMEA Managing Director of Shopify, will speak at the conference about changing consumer habits in e-commerce.