In its Insider newsletter, Amazon is sending monthly shopping horoscopes to its users, pointing out the best products and Prime benefits for them.
What if your shopping list was aligned with your horoscope for the day? Amazon will now help its Prime members do just that. In its Insider newsletter, the US tech giant is sending monthly shopping horoscopes to its users, pointing out the best products and Prime benefits on the basis of customers' zodiac signs.
Anna Katz, a Seattle-based ghostwriter, is working with Amazon on these horoscope predictions. Katz has a master's degree from Seattle University in existential phenomenological therapeutic psychology. Prime members have been receiving these updates for the past three months. They suggest to customers where to put their money and time in the next month.
For example, for its April predictions, it suggested that people with the Aries sunsign should sit back and relax this month "perhaps on a comfy new sofa, wrapped in a cozy new blankie from Amazon Home", saying that "a new understanding will emerge" on doing so.
The newsletter advised an Aquarian to stop worrying about existential questions like who he is or what the purpose of life is because "Alexa Shopping and Prime Pantry are always there to answer life's simpler questions like 'What do I do when I run out of hot sauce?'".
"This month is all about synchronicity, with things showing up right when they’re needed. You might run into that old friend or forgotten idea at the perfect moment—eat well at Whole Foods Market or through AmazonFresh to ensure you have the energetic wherewithal to connect the dots," the Scorpio horoscope said.
While this looks like a strange marketing strategy, it might just work in the US. Americans reportedly spent $2.2 billion on 'mystical services' in 2018. The horoscope and other mystic services industry has grown steadily over the past five years in the US. Sanctuary, a digital astrology startup, was launched in March 2019 and raised $1.5 million in venture capital. Amazon is tapping into astrology to sell its stuff to more traditional customers who turn to horoscopes for guidance and advice.
