Wednesday in CE: Trump Blasts Amazon for “Doing Great Damage” to Retail

Part of an early morning Twitter tirade on Wednesday from President Donald Trump included a shot at Amazon. Trump, in very broad terms, slammed the company for “doing great damage to tax paying retailers,” claiming that the company is hurting local towns and costing jobs.

Amazon is doing great damage to tax paying retailers. Towns, cities and states throughout the U.S. are being hurt - many jobs being lost!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 16, 2017

The tweet has a very “Yeah, but,” kind of feel to it as the president has made Jeff Bezos’ company a regular target.

As a publication that gets a firsthand look at the impact of Amazon on brick and mortar retailing, we understand the trouble that the industry is facing. Amazon seems to create new problems and extend its reach into new industries every single day, forcing retailers into uncomfortable positions and pressuring them to innovate at an insanely fast pace.

But as much as we want to sympathize with the President’s sentiments around Amazon, his words have to be taken with a rather large grain of salt. His attacks against Amazon—specifically around tax evasion—come at a time when the company now collects state sales tax from everywhere it applies. And though it may be hurting big box stores, the company has tried to promote the work it’s doing to help small businesses through its platform—work that Trump’s own Small Business Administrator recently praised the company for.

Trump’s history of anti-Amazon remarks likely stems from the fact that Jeff Bezos also owns the Washington Post, a publication that hasn’t been too kind to the President with its headlines, and which Trump has affectionately referred to on numerous occasions as AmazonWashingtonPost.

Drone Delivery

Separating fiction from feasibility in the future of drone delivery https://t.co/xiLq3HGSG9 pic.twitter.com/cMHG1fnum1

— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) August 16, 2017

TechCrunch’s recent write-up on the future of drone technology is a very worthwhile read. The publication explains how drones, which are still in their infancy, could provide far more than just delivery services in the future.

One of the biggest obstacles that drone manufactures have to overcome, though, is gaining the trust of everyone from consumers to regulators.

On the regulatory front, drone manufacturers are already working hard to collect the proper data to demonstrate to policymakers how the industry is improving.

To the other end, “[it] will take time and effort to win the trust of potential customers,” the article states. “More flights are required to make the public aware of this new technology. Right now, consumer drones cause concern for some bystanders — imagine the chaos a fleet would cause. Fortunately, the same data and research that goes into earning regulatory approval will also help win the public’s trust. Consumer drones must first reach a critical mass of usage to let the tech spread beyond early adopters.”

More CE News

• According to reports, Apple has approached Hollywood and opened up its wallet in search of original programming. The Cupertino company is allegedly ready to spend around $1 billion in 2018 on original content.
• As phone manufacturers continue to ship bigger devices, one has taken the opposite approach with a mini iPhone-inspired device. The Soyes 7S sports a 2.54-inch screen and a price tag around $50.
• Facebook is reportedly overhauling the design of its News Feed to make it “more legible, clickable, and commentable.”