Amazon (Sub)Prime, Part II

This is the second in a two-part series looking at how Amazon handles its inventory. In part one, we explained how the process of “commingling” goods from multiple sellers helps Amazon achieve the fast and affordable shipping rates it is known for, while simultaneously exposing its network to infiltration from fake-goods suppliers. In this second part, we wonder whether steps being taken to mitigate these issues are inadvertently transforming Amazon's core model into a more conventional and expensive one.