亚马逊优惠服务放长线钓大鱼

    Prime服务已经蓄势待发。公司已经与维亚康姆公司（Viacom）签署了扩展视频服务业务的协议。Prime即时视频数量已经达到约15,000个，接近Netflix公司的总视频数20,000个。Kindle用户可借阅的电子书数量也已经比短短数月之前扩大了10倍。今后视频数和图书数量仍将不断增长。

    未来，Prime服务如何发展也是一个有意思的话题。亚马逊目前还未充分开发MP3音乐商店等若干服务领域。提供与流媒体音乐网站Spotify类似的免费服务似乎已是势在必行。此外，产品发货时间也将缩短为次日或当日到达。亚马逊已经在美国的10个城市为Prime用户提供货品当日送达服务，并准备逐步推广至全美。公司在大城市周边又增设了很多货物仓储中心。分析师尼莫强调：“亚马逊的竞争对手要考虑到Prime将来可能做到10万部免费电影次日或当日送达，得做好应对准备。这并不是空谈，Prime目前正在朝着这个方向大步迈进。”

    如果有朝一日，Prime果真实现了这一目标，它的意义将远远超越所谓的消费者忠诚度项目，或者资产负债表上的“顾客购置成本”。Prime服务将在市场上占据无人撼动的绝对优势。

    译者：李玫晓/汪皓

    Now, Prime is poised to grow. Already, the company has expanded its video service, inking a deal with Viacom (VIA). Prime Instant Videos has some 15,000 videos now, within striking distance of Netflix's (NFLX) 20,000 titles. Kindle owners also have a more vast library of books to borrow from -- about ten times larger -- than they even did a few months ago. Both catalogs will only grow with time.

    More interesting yet are the ways Prime could evolve. One of the few content areas Amazon hasn't taken full advantage of yet is its MP3 music store. Offering a Spotify-like, all-you-can-listen service seems inevitable. Meanwhile, shipping times could be trimmed to one-day or same-day service. Amazon already offers same-day shipping in ten U.S. cities for Prime members, a convenience that could be extended across the country as the company builds more fulfillment centers near metropolitan areas. "If you're a competing retailer, it should be in your plans that Prime will someday be a next-day or same-day delivery service with 100,000 free movies -- it's going in that direction," chimes analyst Nemer.

    If that day comes, Prime won't just be a nominal loyalty program or balance sheet customer acquisition cost. It'll be a monolith few can compete with.