Ever wonder how many brands sold on Amazon are owned by Amazon? This tool can help
Amazon itself sells more than 12 million products but factor in Marketplace sellers, and that number jumps to more than 350 million. And this is the site’s busiest time of year.
With all the different products and sellers, how do you know what you’re actually going to receive? You might not be aware, but Amazon actually owns a number of brands besides Amazon Basics and Essentials and has other brands exclusive to its site. If you want to know who you’re actually buying from, a handy new browser extension can help.
Here’s the backstory
An investigation by The Markup into Amazon’s offerings and algorithms uncovered that Amazon brands are more likely to appear in search results, which isn’t all that surprising. But that’s not all.
Amazon tends to be slightly mysterious in revealing which brands are exclusively affiliated with or owned by Amazon. While a product could have an Amazon affiliation, they might promote themselves under an entirely different name.
Following the investigation, The Markup decided to create a browser extension to clarify this information, so shoppers have a better idea who they are buying from.
Amazon Brand Detector
Amazon Brand Detector is available as an extension for both Chrome and Firefox.
Once installed, visit Amazon and run a search. Let’s keep it to something generic like “desk,” which will return thousands of results. Click on the Amazon Brand Detector icon your browser’s tool bar and it’ll get to work.
Workplace of the future: 4 ways offices will change post COVID-19
As we roll into summer, good news is starting to emerge from the fog of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many states are on the verge of reopening their economies, which means business as usual is about to resume.
🧑⚖️ Minding my own bid-ness: Christie’s is auctioning off some insanely rare items from the collection of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Highlights include an Apple-1 from Steve Jobs’ desk (valued up to $800,000) and a signed letter from Albert Einstein to then-President Franklin Roosevelt (worth an estimated $6 million). Full details here if you have a few million lying around.
I have a new plant on my desk at work — a little pothos. I can’t let it sit there parched all weekend, so I went looking for a solution. Found some good ones!
Water pots:These ingenious little plastic pots ($13.99 for five) have a water reservoir at the bottom, a cotton wick that sucks up the water and a watering hole for top‑ups.
Electric: Be an indoor irrigator with this automatic watering system (40% off). This seemed like overkill for my little pothos, but maybe not for your indoor garden or a big plant!
Bulbs: Fill up these pretty hollow glass lollipops ($13.99 for two), flip ‘em over quickly, stab them into the soil, and your plant will slowly siphon out the water. This is the one I got!
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⌨️ Your keyboard needs cleaning — I can just tell (because mine does, too). Here are a few clever ways to get the job done.
Li’l vac: Oh, this thing is sweet — a little blue box that vacuums up crumbs, dirt, dust and glitter from between your keys. It has a detachable nozzle so you can use it on your desk, too, and it charges via USB. It’s 15% off ($10.70).
Li’l brush: “Sweep up” this retractable laptop brush from OXO, which makes useful stuff that lasts. It has a built-in microfiber pad for polishing your screen and a cap to keep the brush clean when you throw it in your bag.
Big can: Grab a can of air to clear out every nook and cranny with a miniature windstorm. I love this stuff, and it’s cheap. This one is 20% off ($7.99). Whoosh!
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
One of my favorite little pleasures is returning to the car after a long hike, popping open my cooler and grabbing an ice-cold drink — ah-h-h. Recreate that bliss at the beach, on a boat or even at your desk with these little coolers — all chosen for their awesomeness by the folks at Consumer Reports.
Best status-cooler alternative: YETI, Stanley and Hydro Flask coolers make all the best-of lists — and their coolers can cost over $200. The nine-can Titan ($32.99) has features that rival the status coolers (deep-freeze insulation, padded and adjustable shoulder strap, a no-zip flip top) without the name-brand markup.
Best backpack cooler: If you can’t (or don’t want to) wait to get back to your car before popping open a cold one, swap out your regular daypack with this backpack cooler ($29.99). Its waterproof interior can hold up to 28 cans and keep ‘em cold for 16 hours. The outside pockets hold your keys, phone and granola bars.
Best for the golf course: A cooler so genius that it was on “Shark Tank,” the Caddyswag ($25.99) fits six cans of seltzer or soda or whatever and slides perfectly into your golf bag’s external pocket. This will be a slam dunk Father’s Day present for a lot of you, I’m sure.
Best for style: A hip cooler? Yup. They call it retro, but I just call it cool. Igloo’s neon ‘90s cooler (17% off, $24.99) is hot pink, teal and highlighter yellow with a carrying handle and a shoulder strap. Keep nine LaCroix ice cold for enjoying anywhere you want to be refreshed and stylin’.
Best for lunch: PackIt’s freezable lunch bag ($23.99) is both a bag and an ice pack all in one. The bag flattens down to practically nothing so you can store it in even the most packed freezer, then just grab it, pack it and you’re on your way. Cool color options, too.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
