Skip to main content

Amazon does it all, including these 8 services you may have never heard of

Did you know that Jeff Bezos is building a giant clock inside a mountain?  By now, you have probably heard more than a few crazy news stories about what Amazon and its CEO have been up to. From acquiring Whole Foods to advanced smart home technology, the online retail giant has its hands in just about everything — including a wide variety of services.

If knowing the unknown is something that piques your interest, take a look at a few of our favorite lesser-known Amazon services. You might as well take full advantage of that Amazon Prime subscription while you have it.

Amazon Warehouse
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How many products do you think get returned to Amazon every day? Considering the complex nature of the average consumer, that number has got to be off the charts. The real question is, what do they do with all of those products after they are returned?

That’s where the Amazon Warehouse comes in. With a huge variety of deep discounts on open-box products, it’s surprisingly easy to find savings on slightly used goods. If you’re looking to save a buck or two and don’t care if someone touched it before you, we highly recommend you take a look.

AmazonFresh
Amazon Go
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You may have already heard mention of AmazonFresh, but do you really know what it is? To keep it simple, AmazonFresh is a grocery delivery service. If you’re an Amazon Prime subscription, you can purchase this service for an additional $15 a month to get groceries delivered straight to your door.

This service is only available in some areas, but the idea of not having to go to the grocery store can be pretty tempting.

Amazon Handmade
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Did you think Etsy was the only place to find something original online? You thought wrong. Amazon actually has an entire section dedicated to handmade jewelry, knickknacks, clothing, and more. There are even some items you can have personalized just for you.

If you’re looking for a custom shot glass or a piece of jewelry with your name all over it, Amazon Handmade has what you need.

Amazon Coupons
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re someone who finds themselves shopping on Amazon fairly often, then you probably noticed the occasional coupon here and there. What you may not know is that Amazon has an entire page dedicated to sorting and browsing thousands of online coupons.

You can sort by section, price, brand, and even expiration date to find the savings you’re looking for. Amazon Coupons have a tendency to expire and be replaced fairly often, so there are always fresh discounts to be found.

Amazon Plants Store
Amazon Spheres plants
Amazon

Did you ever think Amazon would be shipping living things to your door? It’s your reality now. With a wide variety of succulents, shrubs, annuals, and much more, you no longer have to go to a store to grab a plant for your home or garden.

The next time you need to spruce up your patio with a little extra greenery, don’t forget to check the Amazon Plants Store. Chances are it has exactly what you are looking for.

Amazon Restaurants
Jacek Nowak/123RF

We’re sure you have heard of Uber Eats, GrubHub, and a few other popular food delivery services, but have you heard of Amazon Restaurants? It is much like any of the other delivery services, but with the power of Amazon backing each delivery.

We prefer to use Amazon Restaurants for all of our food delivery because they are the only service willing to deliver food from restaurants all the way across town.

Amazon Sample Boxes
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Do you like getting free samples? If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you have the option to get sample boxes sent straight to your door. You do have to use your own money to pay for each sample box, but you receive an equal credit back for a future purchase.

If you’re already planning on buying things on Amazon, you might as well get a free sample box or two while you’re at it.

Amazon Vine Program
What is Amazon Vine?
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Have you ever heard of Amazon Vine? The Vine program that gives consumers free stuff as a reward for an honest review of the products. These products are often things that have yet to be released and need a bit of consumer backing to get started.

Amazon Vine is by invitation only, but you can get noticed by getting a reputation as someone who writes honest and fair in-depth product reviews.

Looking for more great stuff? Our curated deals page has everything you need, or you can sign up for our deals newsletter for weekly updates.

Topics
Jacob Kienlen
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jacob Kienlen is a culture writer for The Manual and Amusement Muse and an SEO Strategist for Digital Trends. Born and raised…
These Linkind smart bulbs are 37% off, and have one of the best apps I’ve used
Linkind A19 E26 color smart bulbs matter support -- smart bulb deal

I know some people think that a lot of smart home tech is frivolous, and some of it is, I'll agree, but there are certain things that make daily life a little better. For example, I have security cameras, a video doorbell, smart lights, a smart garage door, and all of these things make living in my home convenient. With my lights, for example, I can create on-off schedules and I don't have to get up to use them. After a long day, that's a welcome feature, believe me. It's especially helpful with Christmas lights and decorative lights -- like the ones I have set up to automatically turn on at sunset on my patio.

With a smart video doorbell, I can answer my door, converse with parcel delivery teams, and shoo off solicitors -- we get a lot of them where I live. But among all of those experiences and devices, one of my biggest qualms is with the apps you use to interact with this tech.

Read more
Get a portable HD projector for only $300 from Amazon’s Cyber Week sale
The Xgimi MoGo 2 portable projector placed outdoors.

If you're thinking about getting a projector instead of taking advantage of Cyber Week TV deals, but you don't want to handle a big and bulky device, the good news is that there are portable models like the Xgimi MoGo 2. It's on sale from Amazon with a 25% discount, which brings its price down to a more affordable $300 from its original price of $400. You'll have to act fast if you're interested in this offer though, as there's no telling how much time is remaining before you miss out on the savings of $100.

Why you should buy the Xgimi MoGo 2 portable projector
Xgimi has several entries in our list of the best projectors, including the Xgimi MoGo 2 Pro as the best portable 1080p projector. The Xgimi MoGo 2 is its more affordable version, and while it's not as powerful as the Xgimi MoGo 2 Pro with 1920 x 1080 resolution, it's still a pretty worthwhile purchase, especially with Amazon's discount. The Xgimi MoGo 2 is capable of up to 1280 x 720 resolution, but at the same maximum brightness of 400 ISO Lumens as its cousin, and it also offers Intelligent Screen Alignment and Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance, which makes setting up the projector much easier.

Read more
The powerful Xgimi Horizon smart projector is 30% off from Amazon
The Xgimi Horizon projector on a white background.

Families who are looking for projector deals that will transform their living room into their personal movie theater should look no further than Amazon's offer for the Xgimi Horizon. From its original price of $999, it's on sale for a more reasonable price of $700 following a 30% discount. There's no telling how much time is remaining on this bargain. So, if you don't want to miss out on the $299 in savings, the only way to make sure of that is to go ahead with your purchase for this projector right now.

Why you should buy the Xgimi Horizon projector
Xgimi is one of our most trusted brands for projectors with its multiple entries in our roundup of the best projectors, which include the Xgimi Horizon Ultra and the Xgimi Horizon Pro. The Xgimi Horizon is slightly less powerful than these two models, but it's still an incredible addition to any living room with its native Full HD resolution and support for up to 4K Ultra HD resolution at 60Hz. You won't even need to connect it to speakers for the full cinematic experience, as it comes with built-in dual 8W Harman Kardon speakers.

Read more