Cute Holiday Amazon Gift Ideas That Any Teen Will Love

 

The holidays are coming up soon, and before you know it, you'll be passing out parcels of thoughtfully-curated presents to your friends and family. But let's be real, sometimes Christmas shopping for everyone you love can feel like a marathon — thankfully, there are a few ways to make the gift-giving season a little easier on yourself and your wallet.

Perhaps you’re feeling lazy (hey, no shame) and want to snag a bunch of presents in one big order. Or maybe you’re hoping to discover some unique gift ideas that haven't been done before but are still easy to purchase quickly (gotta take advantage of that Student Prime deal, obvi!) The site that you run to for cute swimsuits and all of the viral TikTok beauty products you could possibly want is also your solution to consolidating your holiday gift shopping — that's right, we're talking about Amazon gift ideas for teens.

Doing your gift shopping on Amazon will help you avoid having to track orders from multiple different companies. Plus, they have a 30-day return policy on most items, so if you order something and then need to swap it for another size or color, you'll be able to easily send it back. So whether you're on the hunt for gift ideas for your cousins and siblings, or whether you're doing some browsing for your own wishlist (making it easier for Santa to purchase things on short notice, duh!), here are some of the best Amazon gift ideas for teens.

Amazon faces UK class action lawsuit over abuse of ‘secretive algorithm’

 

Amazon Inc. faces a UK class action lawsuit over claims the tech giant uses a “secretive algorithm” to abuse its dominant position in the online marketplace.

Amazon has made millions of customers pay more by hiding better deals on its website and mobile app to boost its own products, Hausfeld, the law firm behind the case, alleges. It does this by using a “secretive and self-favoring algorithm in its Buy Box feature.”

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Britain’s opt-out class action regime finally sparked into life last year after new laws allowed US-style claims under competition law. A flurry of cases have been filed recently including against Meta Platforms Inc’s alleged misuse of personal data and overcharging on Alphabet Inc’s Google Play Store. The suit will still need to be officially notified as a class action by a judge.

The suit will be filed against the tech giant at the Competition Appeal Tribunal by October 31, Hausfeld said.

Damages, which are based on economists estimates from potential losses, could be as much as £900 million ($1 billion).

Julie Hunter, a consultant who has worked with consumer rights organizations, will represent the potentially tens of millions of people who could be part of the suit.

Opt-out class action style lawsuits mean someone impacted doesn’t have to be involved in the case to be included or to get a share in any eventual award.

Amazon has been dealing with wider antitrust scrutiny surrounding its Buy Box. The CMA is currently investigating the company’s suspected anticompetitive conduct relating to its Buy Box, while the European Commission is in talks to settle a case on possible bias from the same feature.

“Amazon takes advantage of consumers’ well known tendency to focus on prominently placed and eye-catching displays, such as the Buy Box,” Lesley Hannah, a lawyer at Hausfeld, said.

“Amazon should not be allowed to take advantage of its customers in this anticompetitive way.”

Amazon launches an insurance comparison site in the UK

 

Amazon launched an insurance comparison site today in the U.K. to sell home insurance. The e-commerce giant has partnered with three launch providers — Ageas U.K., Co-op and LV + General Insurance — with more coming next year.

The company said the store will be available to select customers starting today on the web and will roll out to the Amazon U.K. mobile app by the end of the year.

Customers can fill out a questionnaire about their requirements, the type of property and available amenities to get a quote from insurance providers. Users can then compare different offerings with ratings by others to pick the best plan. Amazon provides a checkout experience for insurance on the portal — just like for other consumer goods. It will take a cut from these sales but it didn’t mention any information about the commission percentage.

Image Credits: Amazon

With this new offering, the company will directly compete with other insurance comparison services such as Moneysupermarket, Uswitch and GoCompare.

“Shopping online for home insurance is a well-established experience, and our goal is to exceed customers’ expectations when it comes to the Amazon Insurance Store. This initial launch is just the beginning — we’ll continue to innovate and make refinements, all with the aim of delighting customers and providing the most convenient shopping experience possible,” Jonathan Feifs, general manager of Amazon’s European Payment Products said in a statement.

The e-commerce company sells auto insurance in India with its partner Acko. So it can expand into other insurance categories in the U.K. in the future. Amazon already has financial products such as credit cards and “Buy now, pay later” and installment plan payments with Barclays.

The news comes on the heels of New York-based insurance company Lemonade launching in the U.K. earlier this month. Investors in the insurtech sector opine that while it might be tough to get a high valuation in current conditions the sector is “far from dead.”

Amazon registered a 7% year-on-year growth as it registered $121.2 billion in revenue in Q2 2022 — beating the Wall Street expectation of $113.1 billion. But since the company also booked a $2 billion loss, it will aim to reduce that with new offerings like insurance.

Amazon's Jeff Bezos in economy warning: 'Batten down hatches'

 

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has added his voice to the chorus of voices warning of hardship ahead for the US economy.

On social media, the billionaire wrote that the economy was sending a signal to "batten down the hatches".

Growth in the US has already contracted for two quarters in a row, a milestone that in many countries - though not the US - is considered a recession.

As the US central bank raises interest rates to fight rising prices, many economists expect further slowdown.

The drumbeat of concern recently forced US President Joe Biden to address the issue.

In an interview last week, he said "I don't think there will be a recession. If it is, it'll be a very slight recession".

In the US, a panel of economists is charged with declaring the formal start and end of recessions. They use a number of indicators, in addition to gross domestic product in making the determination.

With midterm elections looming in November, Mr Biden has tried to make the case that the slowdown in economic activity is a healthy shift from the growth surge that followed the pandemic lockdowns.

Job creation remains robust, unemployment rates low, and households finances relatively healthy.

But as inflation has remained much higher than the 2% goal - hitting 8.2% last month - hopes that authorities will be able to get the issue under control without triggering a potentially severe slowdown have waned.

"We have got to get inflation behind us. I wish there were a painless way to do that. There isn't," Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said last month.

• Is the US in a recession?
• US prices rise by more than expected

The US housing sector - which accounts for about 15% of the economy by some estimates - has already slowed sharply, as borrowing costs approach 7% - the highest rate since 2002, prompting job cuts at banks and other property firms.

In updates to investors in recent days, bosses at the biggest US banks warned of darker days ahead.

"In my conversations with CEOs, they tell me they are rethinking business opportunities and would like to see more certainty before committing to longer term plans," Goldman Sachs boss David Solomon said.

"We're tightening economic conditions very, very quickly. And when you tighten economic conditions it has an impact on these things"

Jamie Dimon at JP Morgan, who has previously warned of a "hurricane" ahead, said consumers would likely run through the cushion in their bank accounts by the middle of next year.

Amazon, which will update investors later this month, has also been grappling with a slowdown in its e-commerce business. It has slowed hiring and said it is working to cut expenses.

Mr Bezos stepped down as Amazon chief executive last year but remains chairman of its board. He has been critical of the president's economic policies in the past, faulting Mr Biden for being disingenuous about the forces driving prices higher.

He shared a video of Mr Solomon discussing the need to be cautious, given the economic uncertainties.

"Yep the probabilities in this economy tell you to batten down the hatches," Mr Bezos wrote.