Amazon and the chopping block

Amazon.com is known for developing Kindles, not kitchen implements. That's why I was a bit surprised to find that Amazon recently patented the design for a chopping block. That's right -- a chopping block. Amazon is known for selling cooking gadgets, not inventing them. So what gives? It may be part of Amazon's big push into private label goods -- lower-cost house brands aimed at bargain-hungry shoppers.

The patent was granted Aug. 18 and describes a round chopping block with slots for knives in the side. When you search for "chopping block" on Amazon, a bamboo chopping block matching the patent description is the first result that pops up -- sold under Amazon's Pinzon house brand.

Amazon has been expanding its Pinzon line of kitchen tools, linens and furniture in recent months. The company has other private labels, including Strathwood (outdoor furniture and decor), Pike Street (bed and bath), and Denali (power tools). With the private label strategy, Amazon is following the path of brick-and-mortar chains like Costco, Wal-Mart and Target, which offer their own lower-cost house brands.

Will Amazon be designing other household products? Hard to say. If the company needs more cutting board inspiration, perhaps it can look to the Kindling, the "wooden wireless reading device" that turned up on eBay earlier this year.

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About Eric Engleman

ERIC ENGLEMAN is senior technology staff writer for TechFlash and the Puget Sound Business Journal, covering online retail giant Amazon.com. Engleman tracks Amazon's increasingly complex business, spanning ecommerce, Kindle, cloud computing, and more. He's been covering technology and other industries for the Business Journal since 2003.

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