CHICAGO, April 28 Amazon.com Inc islaunching a marketplace on Tuesday that will connect individualbu...

1. Amazon.com launches new marketplace for U.S businesses |
Reuters
CHICAGO, April 28 Amazon.com Inc is
launching a marketplace on Tuesday that
will connect individual
businesses with suppliers, giving it access to
a fast-growing
market worth more than $8.2 trillion in the
United States.
Amazon Business will give U.S. businesses
from biotechnology
companies to oil and gas firms exclusive
pricing and discounts
for buying in bulk, free two-day shipping for orders over $49,
tax exemption and the option to get products delivered with an
Amazon guarantee.
A business marketplace will extend Amazon's role as a
middleman for third-party vendors, which account for about 40
percent of its sales.
It would also help Amazon gain an edge in the fast-growing
business-to-business (B2B) online marketplace, which is likely
to account for about 12 percent of B2B sales in the United
States by 2020, according to estimates by Forrester Research.
Forrester estimates a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of
7.7 percent in B2B ecommerce over the next five years
"Now, business customers have access to products that are

2. only available to businesses as well as business exclusive
pricing on a number of products," Amazon Vice-President Prentis
Wilson told Reuters.
He said multiple users would be allowed to use accounts with
purchase and approval controls already set in their procurement
systems, which is essential for business customers.
Amazon Business will be rolled out nationwide across
categories including office supplies, IT equipment, janitorial
supplies, healthcare products, large industrial equipment,
education and food service supplies.
Hard-to-find items such as traffic signs, industrial deep
fryers, antibodies, 55-gallon steel drums and dent pullers will
be some of the products available on the platform.
Last month, the company launched a home services marketplace
that connects customers with electricians, plumbers and painters
in a move to have its services tied to every product sold on its
website.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Chicago; editing by David Clarke)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/28/amazoncom-m
arketplace-idUSL1N0XP08420150428