AmazonSupply Debuts As A E-Commerce Vertical For Industrial Materials, Mechanical Parts And Hardware

Leena Rao

Leena Rao is currently a Senior Editor for TechCrunch. She recently finished graduate school at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, where she studied business journalism and videography. From 2004 to 2007, she helped lead Congresswoman Carloyn Maloney’s community outreach and relations efforts in New York City. She graduated from Columbia University in 2003, where she was... → Learn More

Monday, April 23rd, 2012
AmazonSupply.

Amazon is debuting a new vertical today, called AmazonSupply, which is a new site for mechanical parts and other hardware for business and industrial sectors. Amazon says the site sells over 500,000 items, including bench-top centrifuges commonly found in laboratories, radiation detectors designed for environmental testing, and carbide end mills used to machine titanium.

AmazonSupply aims to fulfill the parts and supply needs of the business, industrial, scientific and commercial. Customers can shop for items by product, material and brand across 14 categories, including Lab & Scientific, Test, Measure & Inspect, Occupational Health & Safety, Janitorial & Sanitation, Office, Fleet & Vehicle Maintenance, Power & Hand Tools, Fasteners, Power Transmission and more.

Amazon says that most orders of $50 or more receive free two-day shipping. In addition, AmazonSupply will offer 365 day returns, and corporate lines of credit and a dedicated customer service center.

The site has some crossover with Inventables, an online marketplace for technical materials and hardware.

Getting into B2B supplies is interesting for Amazon, considering its e-commerce initiatives have been more consumer-focused. With AmazonSupply, the e-commerce giant is expanding to a whole new set of professional and business customers, including those in the construction, mechanics, automobile, and research industries.

Tags: