Lost in translation: Amazon website launch trips over faulty Swedish (updated)
28/10/2020 15:13
(Adds details on launch glitches, shares of rivals)
By Supantha Mukherjee and Helena Soderpalm
STOCKHOLM, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc's AMZN.O
long-awaited launch of its Swedish website on Wednesday was
marred by glitches and translation errors, including mistaking
the Argentinian flag for Sweden's.
The website, which offers customers more than 150 million
products across 30 categories, had used faulty translation from
English to Swedish, allowing offensive words in product
descriptions.
The word valdtakt, which means rape in Swedish, is being
used on several products instead of raps - the correct Swedish
word for a plant.
Some product descriptions use a Swedish word for male
genitals, instead of the word for rooster, and a frying pan has
been listed as a product for women.
Users took to Twitter to point out the errors but Amazon did
not immediately respond to requests for comment.
"Your choice of words is a catastrophe for your launch and
you need a new director for overseas sales. I assume your shares
will plummet in response," said https://twitter.com/lorrie_e/status/1321435741470269446
one Twitter user.
Another user pointed out that the cost of a product listed
on the Swedish website was higher than one on its German
website.
Swedish customers could already shop on Amazon through its
websites in other European countries such as Germany, and get
their purchases shipped in, but this often meant paying high
delivery charges.
Still, shares of budget DIY and homeware retailer Clas
Ohlson CLASb.ST , fashion specialist Boozt AB BOOZT.ST , and
e-books seller Storytel STORYb.ST fell between 2% and 5% on
Amazon's entry.
The new website, amazon.se, will also offer tens of
thousands of products from Swedish businesses, said Alex Ootes,
vice president for EU Expansion at Amazon.
Orders over 229 crowns and shipping from Amazon's
distribution centre would be delivered free of charge, the
company said.
Most deliveries would be made by postal company Postnord and
shoppers will also have the option of priority shipping, with
packages delivered within two days.
Amazon shares were down 2.7% at 1501 GMT.
(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm
Editing by Robert Birsel and Nick Macfie)
((supantha.mukherjee@thomsonreuters.com; +46 70 721 1004;
Reuters Messaging:
supantha.mukherjee.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))