, Columnist
Amazon Flexes Its Well-Defined Muscle on Its Own Labels
Its approach is both potentially great for shoppers and an opportunity to grab even more power for itself.
The only brand that matters.
Photographer: Alex Kraus/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
In my medicine cabinet, I have a jar of petroleum jelly from Walgreens that looks like the iconic Vaseline container. You probably also own store-brand versions of familiar items — also called generics or “private label” products.
The pull tends to be lower cost, but Walmart, Macy’s and other big retailers have been seeking to create private-label products with a unique appeal beyond price. Think about the devotion for Costco’s Kirkland line, or Trader Joe’s store brands.