2024 Amazon News

With just a weekto go before Christmas Day, the Teamsters union has launched a strike against Amazon. The timing is no coincidence.

“If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon’s insatiable greed,” said Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien. “We gave Amazon a clear deadline to come to the table and do right by our members. They ignored it.”

The work stoppage began early Thursday at Amazon facilities in New York, Atlanta, Southern California, San Francisco and Skokie, Ill. The union said members at other facilities are prepared to join them.

Teamsters local unions are also putting up primary picket lines at hundreds of Amazon Fulfillment Centers nationwide. Amazon warehouse workers and drivers without collective bargaining agreements have the legal right to honor these picket lines by withholding their labor, the union said.

The company’s response

Amazon said the Teamsters union represents a small percentage of its drivers, most of whom are not employed by Amazon but by third-party partners.

“For more than a year now, the Teamsters have continued to intentionally mislead the public – claiming that they represent ‘thousands of Amazon employees and drivers’. They don’t, and this is another attempt to push a false narrative,” Amazon said in a statement.

Amazon said it does not expect the strike to affect its operations, even at one of the busiest times of the year.

Earlier this year, a report came out highlighting the health and safety risks that Amazon employees face during high-volume times of year – the holidays, Prime Day sales, etc. 

Now, Senator Bernie Sanders (I – Vt.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), is leading a group of legislators with the release of a report entitled, “The Injury-Productivity Trade-off: How Amazon’s Obsession with Speed Creates Uniquely Dangerous Warehouses.” 

Senator Sanders has been conducting an ongoing investigation of Amazon’s warehouses since June 2023, working with current and former Amazon employees to get a better understanding of the safety measures in place. 

Ultimately, this work has led the Senators to a clear conclusion: Amazon prioritizes speed and efficiency, not their employees’ safety and well-being. This leads to high rates of injury, which the company has disregarded. 

What’s happening at Amazon?

Since this investigation began in June 2023, the HELP Committee has interviewed nearly 500 current and former Amazon employees. They’ve conducted over 135 virtual and in-person interviews, which translated to over 1,400 documents, photos, and videos to support the interview topics. 

While the full report is 160 pages, the HELP Committee has outlined 10 primary findings in its investigation: 

1. Amazon manipulates its workplace injury data to portray its warehouses as safer than they actually are.

2. Contrary to its public claims, Amazon imposes speed and productivity requirements on workers, commonly called “rates.” 

3. Amazon forces workers to move in unsafe ways and to repeat the same movements hundreds and thousands of times each shift, resulting in extremely high rates of musculoskeletal disorders.

4. Although Amazon has safety procedures in place, the company’s required rates make those procedures nearly impossible to follow.

5. Amazon’s failure to ensure safe working environments—based in large part on its unsustainable rates and productivity quotas—results in debilitating injuries. 

6. Amazon has studied the connection between speed requirements and worker injuries for years, but it refuses to implement injury-reducing changes because of concerns those changes might reduce productivity.

7. Amazon actively discourages injured workers from receiving outside medical care, putting injured workers further at risk. 

8. Workers who need short-term or permanent workplace accommodations for work-related injuries and disabilities experience significant challenges obtaining appropriate accommodations.

9. Amazon terminates workers injured in the company’s warehouses who are on approved medical leave.

10. Amazon deflates the injury numbers it records for federal regulators.

What does Amazon say?

In the Senators’ report, they say that they’ve reached out to Amazon several times to learn more about the company’s injury protocol, the quotas the company imposes on workers, how injured workers are treated, and more. According to their account, Amazon has presented very little to the Committee as it relates to these issues. 

Amazon, however, has released its own statement in response to the recent report, adamantly denying the claims. 

“We’re disappointed that Sen. Sanders has published a pre-conceived and one-sided narrative instead of a factual report. We’d hoped this report would have taken into account the thousands of pages of information, data, and details we provided throughout this investigation, and the conclusions drawn would be based on facts,” the company said. 

“But, the false information in this report doesn’t change reality: Our safety progress is well documented, and we’re proud of it. We’re grateful to our 1.1 million frontline employees and 9,000 health and safety professionals around the world who work hard every day to ensure a safe, comfortable, and inclusive working environment.” 

Amazon is a lot of things, from the nation’s largest online retailer to a technology company. Now, it’s also a Hyundai dealer.

The company has announced that people in 48 U.S. cities can go online to browse, order, finance, and schedule pickup of a new Hyundai vehicle from their local participating dealer without ever leaving the Amazon site. 

The new business line is called Amazon Autos, giving customers a simple way to purchase a new Hyundai. And it might not stop with Hyundais.

“We continue to add more Hyundai dealerships, and next year, we will roll out additional manufacturers, brands, cities, and new functionality,” Amazon said in a statement.

Using Amazon Auto, car buyers will be able to browse and search for available vehicles at their local dealer by make, model, trim, color, and features. They will also be able to get an instant valuation and trade in their existing vehicle toward the price of the new car.

Amazon says buyers will get transparent, upfront pricing and even be able to apply for financing, completing the purchase online and scheduling a pick-up time at the local dealer.

Why go through Amazon?

But most large car dealers have their own websites with most or all of those features. Why go through Amazon Autos?

“We’re partnering with dealers and brands to redesign car shopping—making it more transparent, convenient, and customer-friendly," said Fan Jin, global head of Amazon Autos. 

Jin said Amazon Autos, is enhancing simplicity and ease in the car-buying processing. At the same time, the company says it’s connecting dealers with Amazon’s customer base.

“We're excited to have Hyundai as our exclusive launch partner and look forward to welcoming more brands and expanding our selection to customers as the program grows,” Jin said.

In a significant legal move, District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb has filed a lawsuit against Amazon, accusing the retail giant of misleading thousands of District residents into paying for Prime delivery benefits they are not receiving. 

Members of Amazon Prime receive free shipping, in most cases in two days or less. But the lawsuit, filed under the District's consumer protection law, alleges that since 2022, Amazon has secretly excluded two ZIP codes, 20019 and 20020, from its fastest delivery services, while continuing to charge the full Prime subscription price to approximately 48,000 affected members.

According to the complaint, Amazon, in June 2022, internally decided to halt the use of its branded delivery trucks in the specified ZIP codes, opting instead to rely on third-party services like UPS and the US Postal Service, known for slower delivery speeds. 

‘Delivery exclusion’

This decision, termed a delivery “exclusion,” was not communicated to the affected Prime members, leaving them unaware of the service change, the complaint alledges.

"Amazon is charging tens of thousands of hard-working Ward 7 and 8 residents for an expedited delivery service it promises but does not provide," said Schwalb. "While Amazon has every right to make operational changes, it cannot covertly decide that a dollar in one ZIP code is worth less than a dollar in another."

Schwalb did not initially reveal how his office determined that Amazon is purposefully slowing deliver to these areas, but the attorney general points to Amazon’s delivery performance before and after June 2022. 

In 2021, Schwalb said over 72% of Prime packages in the affected areas were delivered within two days. By 2023, this figure dropped to 25% in ZIP code 20019 and 24% in 20020. Meanwhile, Schwalb said delivery speeds across other District areas have improved, with over 74% of packages delivered within two days.

Schwalb said Amazon has yet to publicly respond to the attorney general’s office about the lawsuit. However, CBS News reports Schwab was informed by Amazon of the change, made out of concern for driver safety.

Schwalb said Amazon was legally obligated to tell affected customers aboutt the change.

Amazon recently launched Amazon Haul, a low-price shopping section, which saw its biggest success on Black Friday thanks to a massive 50% discount on all items.

The promotion, highlighted on the Amazon app, drew shoppers in large numbers. However, many items sold out quickly, and the momentum slowed over the weekend due to limited stock.

Key Highlights:

• Black Friday Boom: Amazon Haul gained traction on Black Friday, with 2,700 products becoming best-sellers in smaller categories like jewelry boxes and pepper mills.
• Stock Issues: Products, mostly sold by China-based third-party sellers, were shipped from warehouses in China. Many sold out because sellers underestimated demand, impacting Cyber Monday sales.
• Limited Success: Despite its strong start, Amazon Haul's sales remain small compared to competitors like Temu, a popular direct-from-China shopping platform.

Challenges for Amazon Haul:

• Competition with Temu: Amazon Haul has far fewer sellers and products compared to Temu, which boasts 500,000 sellers and heavily markets itself.
• Short-Lived Promotion: The 50% discount and app promotion have ended, causing demand to drop significantly.

Amazon Haul has begun running ads on Facebook and Instagram, but it’s unclear if this new section will sustain long-term growth or compete effectively with established platforms like Temu.

A scaled-down lookalike

On the surface, Amazon Haul looks like Temu, but in reality, it is a scaled-down version of Temu in terms of its number of sellers, catalog size, and category coverage. Marketplace Pulse research shows it has hundreds to Temu’s 500,000 sellers.

“Haul feels more like an algorithmically disorganized wholesale catalogue than the hyperpromotional “shop like a billionaire!” manipulation machines on which it’s based,” wrote John Herrman, a tech columnist at Intelligencer, in a report published on MarketplacePulse, a newsletter that follows Amazon. 

Amazon’s FreeVee platform has been a free, ad-supported streaming service for consumers since it was first introduced in 2019. 

Now, Amazon has decided to phase out the streaming platform, instead focusing on ramping up its Prime Video offerings. 

“We have built Prime Video into a first-stop entertainment destination where customers can personalize their viewing experience by streaming exclusive Prime member entertainment produced by Amazon MGM Studios, licensed movies and series, content from other services as an add-on subscription, live sports, blockbuster movies and series to rent or buy, FAST Channels, and the complete Amazon Freevee content offering,” an Amazon spokesperson said. 

“To deliver a simpler viewing experience for customers, we have decided to phase out Freevee branding. There will be no change to the content available for Prime members, and a vast offering of free streaming content will still be accessible for non-Prime members, including select Originals from Amazon MGM Studios, a variety of licensed movies and series, and a broad library of FAST Channels – all available on Prime Video.”

What happens now?

Over the next few weeks, Amazon will start directing viewers away from FreeVee and over to Prime Video. 

Consumers will be able to access all of the FreeVee originals, as well as all other content from the platform, on Prime Video. The goal is to have all streaming content in one location, making Prime Video accessible to more than just Prime members. 

FreeVee has been available in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Austria, and the shows and movies will still be available for viewers. Now, FreeVee streamers will head to Prime Video – even if they don’t have a Prime membership – and access the “Watch for Free” content. 

The decision to shut down FreeVee comes just about a year since Amazon announced it would debut a tier of Prime Video that featured ad-supported content – essentially taking the place of free, ad-supported streamer. 

Prime members can get ready to save the next time they need to fill their car’s gas tank. 

Amazon announced its latest perk for Prime members – a $0.10/gallon savings on gas that will be available at nearly 7,000 gas stations across the country. 

“With free shipping on more than 300 million items, free access to remarkable video, sports, and music content, free food delivery, and substantial savings on grocery delivery and medications, Prime is an incredible value for members,” said Jamil Ghani, vice president of Amazon Prime. “We’re constantly looking to add more value for Prime members and perhaps the broadest and most popular additional benefit we could offer is fuel savings — we’re excited to give this to Prime members.”

Where can consumers save? 

Prime members will get the $0.10/gallon savings at select bp, Amoco, and ampm gas stations across the country. 

The first step to start saving is to visit amazon.com/fuelsavings. Once there, Prime members must activate the offer for the fuel savings. After the initial activation, this step won’t need to be completed again. 

Then, consumers will be guided to link their Prime accounts with earnify, a free loyalty program from bp that Prime members can use to earn points and save more every time they fill their cars. 

The earnify app, while not required to get the Prime discount, also has a station locator for consumers to utilize to know exactly which gas stations will honor the Prime discount. It can also be used to activate the pump at your local gas station and complete your fueling transaction. 

Prime members will save at the pump regardless of which fuel type they select, and there are no minimums or maximums on how much or how little gas is required to redeem the savings. 

Amazon anticipates this new fuel perk will save Prime members $70 per year on gas. 

Doing more for electric vehicles

In addition to the fuel savings, Amazon announced that it will be doing more for electric vehicles (EVs) in the new year. 

While more information will be announced in the coming months, the company plans to offer a similar savings benefit for Prime members with EVs at select bp stations across the country. This would mean EV drivers will save on charging their cars with their Prime memberships. 

A Massachusetts judge has ruled that Meta must face a lawsuit accusing it of using Instagram features to intentionally addict young users and hiding the platform’s harmful effects on teens' mental health.

Meta's defense, claiming protection under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, was rejected. The court found that the case focuses on Meta's business practices, not user content.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell says the ruling allows the state to hold Meta accountable for its impact on youth. Meta disputes the claims.

Suffolk County Judge Peter Krupp said that Section 230 does not apply to false statements Meta allegedly made about the safety of Instagram, its efforts to protect its young users’ well-being or its age-verification systems to ensure people under age 13 stay off the platform.

He said the state was “principally seeking to hold Meta liable for its own business conduct,” not content posted by third parties.

A Meta spokesperson said the “evidence will demonstrate our commitment to supporting young people.”

That ruling came after a federal judge in California rejected a request by Meta to dismiss lawsuits by more than 30 states accusing it of fueling mental health problems among teens by making its social media platforms addictive.

A new report suggests that safety agencies need to do more to address ergonomic hazards in warehouses and delivery companies, where worker injuries are rising.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed safety in e-commerce warehouses like Amazon and last-mile delivery, highlighting issues like overexertion, slips, trips, and falling objects.

The transportation and warehousing sector had the highest serious injury and illness rate of all 19 sectors in 2022. OSHA cited last-mile delivery and warehouse employers for over 2,500 workplace violations between the fiscal years of 2018-2023. Eleven of these citations were related to ergonomic hazards, the report shows.

With technology and productivity pressures potentially increasing injury risks, the report found that the guidelines used by the Occupational Health and Safety Agency (OSHA) are outdated and its training insufficient.

Recommendations include improving training, updating guidance, and ensuring follow-up with businesses to address ergonomic hazards.

Amazon singled out

Other studies have found that Amazon warehouse workers suffer serious injuries at a higher rate than those at rival companies

In 2020, there were 5.9 serious injuries for every 100 Amazon warehouse workers, which is nearly 80% higher than the serious injury rate at non-Amazon warehouses

OSHA inspectors found Amazon workers to be “at high risk for lower back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders” due to factors such as heavy lifting and awkward postures.

Amazon is responsible for handling the recall of defective or dangerous products that were sold by other businesses on its website, a U.S. product safety regulator said Tuesday, marking the latest move by the government to hold the e-commerce giant accoutable.

In a unanimous vote, the Consumer Product Safety Commission ruled that Amazon was a "distributor" of more than 400,000 products that were defective or failed to meet federal safety standards. The ruling means Amazon is legally responsible for the recalls of these products, including providing means to return or replace the purchases.

The products in question are faulty carbon monoxide detectors, hairdryers without electrocution protection and children’s pajamas violating federal flammability rules. They sold on Amazon.com and were part of the company's Fulfilled by Amazon program, in which outside businesses partner up to deliver their goods and offer two-day shipping.

In court, Amazon argued it wasn't a distributor of the products and bore no responsibility for their safety through its shipping partnership with outside businesses. The CPSC decided otherwise.

Amazon responds

Amazon will appeal the decision, a spokesperson told ConsumerAffairs, adding the company already alerts shoppers about dangerous goods. 

“In the event of a product recall in our store, we remove impacted products promptly after receiving actionable information from recalling agencies," the spokesperson said. "Our recalls alerts service also ensures our customers are notified of important product safety information fast, and the recalls process is effective and efficient.

“We stand behind the safety of every product in our store through our A-to-z Guarantee, regardless of whether it is sold by Amazon or by one of our selling partners. We have proactive measures in place to prevent unsafe products, and we continuously monitor the listings in our store. If we discover an unsafe product available for sale, we address the issue immediately, and refine our processes,” the spokesperson added.

In 2021, the CPSC sued Amazon to force the recall of the hazardous products sold on its website, including 24,000 faulty carbon monoxide detectors that failed to alarm.

"When we were initially notified by the CPSC three years ago about potential safety issues with a small number of third-party products at the center of this lawsuit, we swiftly notified customers, instructed them to stop using the products, and refunded them," the Amazon spokesperson said.

The lawsuit led to the CPSC's ruling, which consumer advocacy groups applauded as a step forward for product safety.

'Necessary step'

“The only way to ensure the safety of consumers from dangerous or defective products is to hold every party involved responsible, from manufacturers to distributors and retailers," said Michelle Barry, president of nonprofit Safe Infant Sleep, in a statement. "This decision represents a significant and necessary step towards achieving that goal, reinforcing the principle that public safety must come before profit."

The CPSC said Amazon must now provide plans on how it will notify the public about the hazardous products and how shoppers can get refunds or replacements.

"The Commission will consider these plans and then issue a second order on notification and remedies," the CPSC said.

When you think “Amazon,” you probably think Alexa, Prime, Prime Video, and the Kindle. But now, the king of everything online has cooked up something that’s a little QVC, a little TikTok and a little reality TV.

It’s adding something called Amazon Live – a new integrated way for consumers to browse, shop, and engage with content they’re watching on the TV screen just by using their mobile phone or tablet.

Amazon brings together celebrities like Lala Kent (Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules and Give Them Lala Beauty), Kandi Burruss (Real Housewives of Atlanta), and Paige DeSorbo (Summer House) to herd shopaholics to its interactive, shoppable, and free ad-supported FAST Channel on Prime Video and Freevee.

If all goes according to plan, Amazon’s “shop the show” technology will enable customers to seamlessly browse, shop, and engage with content they are watching on the TV screen just by using their mobile device.

Shop the show

The interactive component is what Amazon is banking on to make Amazon Live unique. It’s there that customers can add items to their shopping cart and wrap up their purchases in a click or two without ever leaving what they’re watching.

When someone is watching Amazon Live on their TV, all they have to do is open the Amazon Shopping app on their phone, type “shop the show” into the search bar, and they’ll be whisked off to a shopping carousel highlighting the featured products they see on TV in real-time or chat with others about what they’re seeing on-screen. 

"I love Amazon Live because it allows me to connect with my audience in a genuine and authentic way," said DeSorbo. “Watching Amazon Live is like shopping with a friend who is also a personal stylist. I get to share my honest opinions, demonstrate products, and help customers discover their next great find."

To see what the channel is like, just go to the “Live TV” tab on Prime Video, Fire TV, or through the Freevee app. The feature is also available at Amazon.com/live on desktop and mobile.

Amazon shoppers have gotten used to the surplus of Prime Day sales events – one typically in mid-summer and another in the first weeks of fall. 

Now, Amazon will host a new sales event – the Big Spring Sale. Starting at 3 a.m. ET on Wednesday, March 20, and running through 3 a.m. ET on Monday, March 25, the Big Spring Sale is an opportunity for shoppers to save on thousands of items.  

“You’ll find discounts on warm-weather essentials like spring fashion, outdoor furniture, lawn and garden essentials, cleaning and organizing products, and more," the company said in a statement.

The sale is open to all customers

The Big Spring Sale differs from the Prime Day sales in a few ways. For starters, it’s much longer. Prime Day is usually a 48-hour period full of sales for shoppers. The Big Spring Sale will give shoppers six days to make the most of the savings. 

Additionally, this upcoming sale isn’t exclusive to Prime members – all shoppers are encouraged to participate. While there will be exclusive offers for Prime members, all Amazon customers can shop this upcoming sale. 

Some of the early deals Amazon has released ahead of the sale include: 

• Up to 50% off select beauty products

• Up to 50% off select sports and outdoor equipment

• Up to 40% off select home products

• Up to 40% off select spring apparel

• Up to 40% off select electronics

• 19% off Amazon brand coffee pods

• Spend $60, get $15 Amazon Credit on spring cleaning supplies

• Get $15 when you spend $60 on eligible allergy products

• Up to 18% off Samsung tablets

• Up to 40% off Fire TV devices

• Up to 43% off Samsung monitors

• Up to 50% off Blink Outdoor Camera Systems

• Up to 20% off Sonos speakers, soundbars, and subwoofers

• Up to 38% off Sony headphones 

• Up to 37% off iRobot Roomba vacuums and Brava mops

• Up to 50% off Shark Uprights, carpet cleaner, 3-in-1 cleaner, and more

• Up to 50% off Amazon Essentials Men’s and Women’s Apparel and Accessories

Amazon plans to announce new deals during each day of the sales event, and more information on the sale can be found here. 

Here comes Peter Cotton Sale! Retailers across the country have been a little light on major deals lately, but the combination of Easter and Spring is too hard to miss.

And it seems like everyone’s in, too: Amazon and Walmart on the everything-for-everybody front, and Aldi for grocery shoppers.

Here’s a starter list that you may find enticing enough to search for what else these retailers have.

Amazon

Amazon is expected to have a Spring Sale again this year. It hasn’t announced what the exact dates are, but last year was March 27th to 29th and the focus was on tech, home, and beauty so those guesses are probably worth betting on. 

Department by department, Cosmopolitan says it expects deals like these:

Beauty: Braun IPL Silk-Expert Pro 3 for hair removal (46% off), Oral-B iO8 Electric Toothbrush (62% off), Shark SmoothStyle Heated Brush (15% off).

Tech: JBL Tour One M2 Wireless Headphones (price not discounted), RIENOK Bluetooth Speaker (27% off), Bextoo Power Bank (17% off).

Home: COSORI Air Fryer (39% off), Philips Domestic Appliances L'OR Barista Sublime Coffee Capsule Machine (43% off), CitySports Under Desk Treadmill (15% off).

But, Men’sHealth’s retail watchers say that it’s Amazon Warehouse where you’ll find the best-kept secrets.

“What you might not know about it, though, is that the online retailer has a host of deals on pre-used products, hidden ever so neatly in the Amazon Warehouse section,” Ellen McAlpine, commerce editor at Heast, said.

"We found savings up to 57% off in the if-you-know-you-know shopping tab, and we're breaking down everything you should know as you start perusing.”

Hey, this might be a good time to beat the rush on Father’s Day.

Amazon’s not backing away from Easter, though. It’s marked down lots of Easter toys like the Baby Gund Flora Bunny, price-slashed from $45 to $32; the Squishmallows 10" Patty The Cow is going for $20, down from $27; and the LEGO Creator 3-in-1 White Rabbit Animal Toy Building Set is now available for $16, marked down from $20.

Aldi

Aldi is rolling Easter specials out week by week. Here's a list of all the Easter-themed products mentioned in this article, along with their prices at Aldi:

Available on March 13th:

• Southern Grove Trail Mix (Honey Bunny or Spring Time flavor) - $3.99

• Huntington Home Character Rope Easter Baskets (yellow chick, blue bunny, white bunny) - $4.99 each

• 8-Inch Easter Squishmallow (various characters) - $7.99 each

• Clancy's Kettle Corn (carrot cake or vanilla flavor) - $2.29

• Huntington Home Tray Objects (spring-themed signs, figurines, etc.) - $4.99 each

• Bake Shop Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies (12-pack) - $4.79

• Benton's Easter Cookies - $2.99

• Huntington Home Fabric Garland (various Easter themes) - $4.99

Available on March 20th:

• Emporium Selection Easter Truckle Assortment (aged cheddar, lemon honey, raspberry white chocolate cheese) - $3.99

• Reggano Easter Shaped Pasta - $2.49

Available on March 27th:

• Tulips, Lilies, or Hyacinths - $4.89

• 6-Inch Azalea or Hydrangea - $8.49 each

Walmart

You probably already know that you can get your Easter meal fixins’ for a lot less this year than last at Walmart.

But the retailer is also going after parents looking to build Easter baskets and offering an Easter basket full of goodies for less than $20. Aside from the curated Easter basket, Walmart has seasonal must-haves, such as inflatable Easter bunnies to decorate the front yard, Peeps plushies and Easter flocked bunnies.

In addition to Easter kinds of stuff, Walmart has spring savings and deals across a wide range of other products. For example, in the household and electronics sections, there are discounts from brands like Dyson, Samsung, Apple, and Nintendo for things such as vacuums, air purifiers, kitchen essentials, and tech gadgets.

If Springtime is sprucing-up time, Walmart is also cutting deals for stylish home décor at affordable prices, perfect for giving your space a refresh for spring.

Clothing deals are also part of Walmart's spring bargains, with lower-than-usual prices on Crocs, Reebok, Packable Puffer Jackets for men, and Athletic Works Color Block for boys, among other items.

Don’t miss the new rage: Giant chocolate bunnies and eggs

It’s not 1964, nor is it The Beatles, but a British invasion is going on that you might want to get hip to. It’s giant-sized Easter eggs and bunnies.

Giant eggs grew 59% (in sales, not size) in the UK, last year, and American chocolatiers and candy sellers are just starting to jump on the bandwagon. 

It’s not to the point where you’re going to find them everywhere, but the impact they can make as a gift might be worth the scramble.

Here are some options for finding giant chocolate Easter eggs or bunnies in the U.S.:

Several online retailers like Amazon offer large chocolate Easter eggs from various brands including Lindt and Toblerone.

Small, artisanal chocolate shops are a good option because they can make giant Easter eggs to order. And some gourmet chocolate companies do up giant Easter eggs as a special occasion treat. Li-Lac Chocolates, based in Brooklyn, New York, makes giant milk or dark chocolate Easter eggs that are 24" tall and weigh 16 lbs.

Just keep in mind that because of the specialty of the item, it may require advance notice and shipping costs can be high for these large and heavy items.

What does the name “Rufus” mean to you? It's a name you don't hear much in this century, but it’s Amazon’s choice for its new AI shopping experience.

And the company swears up and down that it’s just the thing that can uncomplicate all the work you do to find exactly what you’re looking for.

The company points out that this is a “new” Alexa. Alexa may be able to tell you what the weather is, but it can’t answer your question about “Is this jacket machine washable?” or “What’s the difference between lip gloss and lip oil?” Amazon says that questions like that are what Rufus can take care of in no time at all.

“From broad research at the start of a shopping journey such as ‘what to consider when buying running shoes?’ to comparisons such as ‘what are the differences between trail and road running shoes?’ to more specific questions such as 'are these durable?’, Rufus meaningfully improves how easy it is for customers to find and discover the best products to meet their needs, integrated seamlessly into the same Amazon shopping experience they use regularly,” the company said in the announcement.

Here’s how Amazon thinks you’ll love Rufus

Using information from across Amazon and the web, Rufus can reportedly help you:

• Conduct more general product research on Amazon, such as “What to consider when buying headphones?”

• Search for products based on an activity or specific occasion, like “What do I need for a camping trip?”

• Compare categories so you can make more informed decisions

• Find the best recommendations and receive refined results

• Ask product detail questions to help you pick a product or find the perfect gift

Rufus is being launched in waves, beginning with a small subset of customers in the U.S. using its mobile app, and progressively rolling it out to the rest of our U.S. customers in the coming weeks.