Packages move along a conveyor belt at the Amazon Cyber Monday fulfillment center in Robbinsville, New Jersey, on Monday, November 11. 28, 2022.
Stephanie Keith Blumberg | Getty Images
Amazon He said On Wednesday, it plans to shut down its charitable donation program, in the latest example of the company’s broader cost-cutting efforts.
Through the program called Amazon smileThe e-retailer donates a percentage of eligible purchases on the site to the charitable organization of shoppers’ choice. Amazon said it has donated nearly $500 million to charities since launching the program in 2013.
Amazon now plans to end AmazonSmile by February. 20, the company said in a notice to customers posted on its website.
“Nearly a decade later, the software has not evolved to have the impact we originally hoped,” the company said. “With so many eligible organizations – more than a million globally – our ability to make an impact has often been very weak.”
Amazon said the average donation to charity was less than $230.
The company said Amazon will continue to invest in areas where it can “make a meaningful difference,” such as assistance with natural disaster relief, affordable housing initiatives, and community assistance programs.
The move to shut down AmazonSmile comes as CEO Andy Jassy I proceeded On a comprehensive review of the company’s expenses amid a deteriorating economic outlook and slowing growth in the retail division.
Amazon I started The largest layoffs in its history and a hiring freeze across the company’s workforce. As Jassy worked to rein in costs, the company paused warehouse expansion and closed some pilot projects like a telehealth service and a quirky video calling device for kids.
– CNBC’s Laura Kolodny contributed to this article.
Watch: Tech layoffs escalated as Amazon announced it would cut another 18,000 jobs
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