The magic of retail these days is not that different from what it was 50 years ago. It always centers on knowing and understanding shoppers better than they know themselves. That means either positioning the higher-margin cereals at eye level or knowing what products will move best in different months. Amazon has been positively brilliant about this online, but we’re now seeing proof that it can bring it in the physical world, too.

Here’s what Amazon did. It announced a promotion with Hyundai, where a Prime membership entitles a shopper to an Elantra test drive. This isn’t about the fact that any bum can get a free Elantra test drive without Amazon’s help (car salespeople aren’t too picky in this economy). This is about how that test drive happens.

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