Amazon Has Literally Gone Bananas

The e-tailer is getting fruity with a potassium-packed publicity stunt.

learn more about Kim Lachance Shandrow

By Kim Lachance Shandrow

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Amazon is handing out bananas for free in Seattle. Yes, you read that right.

Two days ago, the e-tailer set up a banana giveaway stand manned by Amazon employees outside the company's Emerald City headquarters. Exactly why is a riddle we're still trying to unpeel, though it reeks of a pretty peculiar publicity stunt.

Bright orange jacket-wearing "banistas" seated inside Amazon's canopied "Community Banana Stand" dole out the starchy fruit -- and random banana facts -- to anyone who meanders by, even if they don't work for Amazon, according to Geekwire.

Related: Amazon Prime Day Highlighted by Disappointment

A chalkboard near the stand, open daily from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. local time, reads:

A banana a day keeps the doctor away. Take one. Not just for Amazonians, but for anyone in the community. Enjoy!

Well, ok then. So what if there's no such thing as a free lunch at Amazon? At least it treats its Amazonians (and pedestrians in the immediate vicinity of its HQ) to fresh, healthy and cheap fruit on the fly.

Related: Publicity Stunt Du Jour: Spend the Night at IKEA Thanks to Airbnb

Amazon hopes the pop-up is here to stay. "Bananas are a great healthy snack with built-in compostable packaging," an Amazon spokesperson told Geekwire in a statement. "We hope the community likes it, and if they do, we'll keep doing it."

As you might recall, the company's reputation took a trouncing on the heels of a damning New York Times article earlier this year. Published on Aug. 15, the deep dive depicted Amazon as a ruthless workplace, as our own Nina Zipkin put it, "where frequent criticism, tears in cubicles and a constant refrain of "Amazon is where overachievers go to feel bad about themselves,' are part of the employee experience."

If this is just a publicity stunt to show the public Amazon isn't so hard on its workers after all, it seems a bit bananas to us.

Related: Amazon's Jeff Bezos Opens Line of Communication with Employees In Wake of Damning Article About Company Culture

Kim Lachance Shandrow

Former West Coast Editor

Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times. She has also written for Government Technology magazine, LA Yoga magazine, the Lowell Sun newspaper, HealthCentral.com, PsychCentral.com and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Coop. Follow her on Twitter at @Lashandrow. You can also follow her on Facebook here

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

Everyone Wants to Get Close to Their Favorite Artist. Here's the Technology Making It a Reality — But Better.
The Highest-Paid, Highest-Profile People in Every Field Know This Communication Strategy
After Early Rejection From Publishers, This Author Self-Published Her Book and Sold More Than 500,000 Copies. Here's How She Did It.
Having Trouble Speaking Up in Meetings? Try This Strategy.
He Names Brands for Amazon, Meta and Forever 21, and Says This Is the Big Blank Space in the Naming Game
Thought Leaders

The Collapse of Credit Suisse: A Cautionary Tale of Resistance to Hybrid Work

This cautionary tale serves as a reminder for business leaders to adapt to the changing world of work and prioritize their workforce's needs and preferences.

Business News

'Could This Be True?': Blockbuster Might Be Teasing a Surprise Comeback

The company has shuttered all of its locations except for one in Bend, Oregon.

Starting a Business

Is Your Start Up Safe? Here Are 7 Reminders On How To Protect It

Your start-up company is your baby. Whether you have a company or are thinking about starting one, don't forget these seven ways that it can be easily attacked without proper precautions.

Business News

I'm a Former Google Recruiter. Here's How to Land a Job in Tech — and What Can Blow Your Interview

A former Google recruiter says layoffs may be trendy, but tech workers are always needed. Here's how to land a job at a major tech company.

Starting a Business

5 Ways Entrepreneurship Can Help Teenagers Overcome Negative Peer Pressure

Here are some of the positives teenage entrepreneurship can have concerning peer pressure.

Business News

Gen Z Loves the Toyota Camry. Here's What Car Brands Boomers Love Most

S&P Global Mobility provides data on what types of each age group likes the most, based on car registration.