The 8,000 free bananas that Amazon hands out every day are disrupting the banana business for local vendors. “The brainchild of CEO Jeff Bezos, there are now two stands on its corporate campus staffed with ‘banistas’ led by ‘bananagers’ who give out bananas to anyone and everyone nearby, whether that’s one banana for breakfast or a dozen,” says Consumerist.com.
So far, the company has doled out more than 1.7 million bananas, according to The Wall Street Journal, but many people are no longer buying bananas from nearby shops, or they’re walking into restaurants, banana in hand, and leaving the peel behind them.
“For example, the manager of one cafe says he believes people are grabbing a free Amazon banana to put on their morning yogurt, instead of paying the eatery $1 for a sliced banana. Instead, the cafe is now offering banana-flavored items to tempt fruit lovers,” says Consumerist.com.
Even though there have been requests for other kinds of fruit, Amazon isn’t likely to diversify. Bananas don’t require a permit, since they come with their own hygienic peel.