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{{Short description|American multinational technology company}}
{{for|other companies|Amazon (disambiguation)#Organizations}}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{Merge from|.amazon|discuss=Talk:Amazon (company)#Proposed merge of .amazon into Amazon|date=February 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox company
{{Infobox company
| name = Amazon.com, Inc.
| name = Amazon.com, Inc.
Line 11: Line 5:
| logo_caption = Logo since 2000
| logo_caption = Logo since 2000
| image = Amazon Spheres 05.jpg
| image = Amazon Spheres 05.jpg
| image_caption = The [[Amazon Spheres]], part of the [[Doppler (building)|Amazon headquarters]] in Seattle, U.S.
| image_caption = The [[Amazon Spheres]], part of the [[Doppler (building)|Amazon headquarters campus in Seattle]]
| trade_name = Amazon
| trade_name = Amazon
| former_name = Cadabra, Inc. (1994–1995)
| former_name = Cadabra, Inc. (1994–95)
| type = [[Public company|Public]]
| type = [[Public company|Public]]
| traded_as = {{ubl|{{NASDAQ|AMZN}}|[[Nasdaq-100]] component|[[S&P 100]] component|[[S&P 500]] component}}
| traded_as = {{ubl|{{NASDAQ|AMZN}}|[[NASDAQ-100]] component|[[S&P 100]] component|[[S&P 500]] component}}
| ISIN = US0231351067
| ISIN = US0231351067
| industry = {{hlist| [[E-commerce]]| [[Cloud Computing]]| [[Artificial intelligence]]| [[Consumer electronics]]| [[Entertainment]]| [[Digital distribution]]| [[Self-driving cars]] | [[Supermarket]]
| industry = {{hlist| [[Cloud computing]]| [[e-commerce]]| [[artificial intelligence]]|[[consumer electronics]]|[[digital distribution]]| [[self-driving cars]]
}}
}}
| founded = {{start date and age|1994|07|05}}<br />[[Bellevue, Washington]], U.S.
| founded = {{start date and age|1994|07|05}}<br>[[Bellevue, Washington]], U.S.
| founder = [[Jeff Bezos]]
| founder = [[Jeff Bezos]]
| hq_location_city = [[Seattle, Washington]] and [[Arlington, Virginia]]
| hq_location_city = [[Seattle, Washington]]
| hq_location_country = U.S.
| hq_location_country = U.S.
| area_served = Worldwide
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = {{unbulleted list|Jeff Bezos<br />(executive chairman)|[[Andy Jassy]]<br />(president and [[Chief executive officer|CEO]])}}
| key_people = {{unbulleted list|[[Jeff Bezos]] ([[President (corporate title)|President]], [[Chief executive officer|CEO]], and [[Chairman]])|[[Andy Jassy]] ([[Chief Executive Officer|CEO]]-elect)|Brian Olsavsky ([[Vice president|Senior VP]] and [[Chief financial officer|CFO]])}}
| products = {{hlist|[[Amazon Echo|Echo]]|[[Amazon Fire tablet|Fire Tablet]]|[[Amazon Fire TV|Fire TV]]|[[Fire OS]]|[[Amazon Kindle|Kindle]]}}
| products = {{hlist|[[Amazon Echo|Echo]]|[[Amazon Fire tablet|Fire Tablet]]|[[Amazon Fire TV|Fire TV]]|[[Fire OS]]|[[Amazon Kindle|Kindle]]}}
| services = {{plainlist|
| services = {{hlist|[[Amazon (company)#Website|Amazon.com]]|[[Amazon Alexa]]|[[Amazon Appstore]]|[[Amazon Music]]|[[Amazon Prime]]|[[Amazon Prime Video]]|[[Amazon Web Services]]}}
* [[Amazon.ca|Amazon.com]]
| revenue = {{increase}} {{US$|386.064 [[1,000,000,000|billion]]|link=yes}}
* [[Amazon Alexa]]
| revenue_year = 2020
* [[Amazon Appstore]]
| operating_income = {{increase}} {{US$|22.9 billion}}
* [[Amazon Luna]]
| income_year = 2020
* [[Amazon Music]]
| net_income = {{increase}} {{US$|21.331 billion}}
* [[Amazon Pay]]
| net_income_year = 2020
* [[Amazon Prime]]|[[Amazon Prime Video]]
| assets = {{increase}} {{US$|321.2 billion}}
* [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]]
| assets_year = 2020
* [[Ring (company)|Ring]]
| equity = {{increase}} {{US$|93.404 billion}}
* [[Amazon Web Services]]
| equity_year = 2020
}}
| num_employees = {{increase}} 1,298,000 (Dec. 2020)<ref name=A10K/><br>U.S.: 810,000 (Oct. 2020)<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/27/technology/pushed-by-pandemic-amazon-goes-on-a-hiring-spree-without-equal.html. Retrieved December 20, 2020.</ref>
| revenue = {{nowrap| {{increase}} [[US$]]469.822 billion (2021)<ref name=10K2021>{{cite web |url=https://sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001018724/000101872422000005/amzn-20211231.htm |title=Form 10-K: Amazon.com.inc |publisher=United States Securities and Exchange Commission |access-date=4 February 2022}}</ref><ref name=Annual8K2021>{{cite web|title=Amazon.com, Inc. 2021 Form 8-K Report |url= https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0001018724/34bc6b9b-884c-4f1a-a264-90174aebf4c3.pdf |website= cloudfront.net |accessdate=4 February 2022|date=31 December 2021}}</ref> }}  
| subsid = {{Hlist|[[A9.com]]|[[AbeBooks]]|[[Alexa Internet]]|Amazon.com Services|[[Amazon Air]]|[[Amazon Books]]|[[Amazon Fresh]]|[[Amazon Game Studios]]|[[Amazon Lab126]]|[[Amazon Logistics]]|[[Amazon Pharmacy]]|[[Amazon Publishing]]|[[Amazon Robotics]]|[[Amazon Studios]]|[[Amazon Web Services|AWS]]|[[Audible Inc.|Audible]]|[[Body Labs]]|[[Book Depository]]|[[ComiXology]]|[[Digital Photography Review]]|[[Goodreads]]|[[Graphiq]]|[[IMDb]]|[[PillPack]]|[[Ring Inc.|Ring]]|[[Souq.com]]|[[Twitch Interactive]]|[[Whole Foods Market]]|[[Woot]]|[[Zappos]]}}
| revenue_year =  
| website = {{URL|amazon.com}}
| operating_income = {{increase}} US$24.879 billion (2021)<ref name=10K2021/>
| footnotes = <ref name=A10K>https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1018724/000101872421000004/amzn-20201231.htm#i75de98b9097f40f3b5884e541f532421_73. Retrieved February 6, 2021.</ref><ref name="ar2017">{{cite book |title=Annual report 2019 |date=December 31, 2019 |publisher=Amazon |location=Seattle, Washington |url=https://ir.aboutamazon.com/static-files/63a014ac-bd47-42ce-b548-022a90d96e9a |access-date=May 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226214255/https://ir.aboutamazon.com/static-files/63a014ac-bd47-42ce-b548-022a90d96e9a |archive-date=February 26, 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="BS">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/amzn/financials|title=Amazon.com, Inc. Common Stock (AMZN) Financials|website=www.nasdaq.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://ir.aboutamazon.com/node/32656/html |title=Form 10-K |date=December 31, 2018 |website=Amazon.com |access-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420134020/https://ir.aboutamazon.com/node/32656/html |archive-date=April 20, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="sos">{{cite web|url=https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov |title=California Secretary of State Business Search |website=Businesssearch.sos.ca.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/amazon-bought-whole-foods-year-ago-heres-changed-191428325.html |title=Amazon bought Whole Foods a year ago. Here's what has changed | publisher=[[Yahoo! Finance]]}}</ref>
| income_year =  
| net_income = {{increase}} US$33.364 billion (2021)<ref name=10K2021/>
| net_income_year =  
| assets = {{increase}} US$420.549 billion (2021)<ref name=10K2021/>
| assets_year =  
| equity = {{increase}} US$138.245 billion (2021)<ref name=10K2021/>
| equity_year =  
| num_employees = {{increase}} 1,622,000 (March 2022)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/AMZN/profile?p=AMZN |title=Amazon profile |website=finance.yahoo.com |access-date=20 May 2022}}</ref><ref name=10K2021/><br />U.S.: 950,000 (June 2021)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-employees-number-1-of-153-us-workers-head-count-2021-7 |title=1 out of every 153 American workers is an Amazon employee |work=Business Insider |last=Reuter |first=Dominick |date=30 July 2021 |access-date=4 February 2022}}</ref>
| subsid = {{collapsible list|[[A9.com]]|[[AbeBooks]]|[[Alexa Internet]]|[[Amazon.com]]|[[Amazon Air]]|[[Amazon Books]]|[[Amazon Fresh]]|[[Amazon Games]]|[[Amazon Lab126]]|[[Amazon Logistics]]|[[Amazon Pharmacy]]|[[Amazon Publishing]]|[[Amazon Robotics]]|[[Amazon Studios]]|[[Amazon Web Services|AWS]]|[[Audible (service)|Audible]]|[[Body Labs]]|[[Book Depository]]|[[ComiXology]]|[[Digital Photography Review]]|Eero LLC|[[Goodreads]]|[[Graphiq]]|[[IMDb]]|[[MGM Holdings]]|[[PillPack]]|[[Ring Inc.|Ring]]|[[Souq.com]]|[[Twitch Interactive]]|[[Whole Foods Market]]|[[Woot]]|[[Zappos]]|[[Zoox Inc|Zoox]]}}
| owner = Jeff Bezos (14.0% voting power, 10.6% economic interest)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018724/000110465921050333/tm2035374-1_def14a.htm#tBOOS|title=tm2035374-1_def14a - none - 7.9375412s|website=www.sec.gov}}</ref>
| website = {{URL|https://www.amazon.com/|amazon.com}}
| footnotes = <ref name=10K>{{cite web | url=https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1018724/000101872421000004/amzn-20201231.htm | title=Amazon.com, Inc. 2020 Form 10-K Annual Report | publisher=[[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov |title=California Secretary of State Business Search | publisher=[[Secretary of State of California]]}}</ref>
}}
}}


'''Amazon.com, Inc.'''<ref>{{cite web |title=Amazon.com, Inc. - Form-10K |url=https://secfilings.nasdaq.com/filingFrameset.asp?FilingID=13184158&RcvdDate=2/1/2019&CoName=AMAZON%20COM%20INC |publisher=[[NASDAQ]] |access-date=March 17, 2019 |date=December 31, 2018}}</ref> ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|æ|m|ə|z|ɒ|n}} {{respell|AM|ə|zon}}) is an American [[Multinational corporation|multinational]] [[technology company]] which focuses on [[e-commerce]], [[cloud computing]], [[digital streaming]], and [[artificial intelligence]]. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economic and cultural forces in the world",<ref>{{cite web|title=Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/amazon-empire/|website=[[PBS]]}}</ref> and is one of the [[List of most valuable brands|world's most valuable brands]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Kantar|title=Accelerated Growth Sees Amazon Crowned 2019's BrandZ™ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brand|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/accelerated-growth-sees-amazon-crowned-2019s-brandz-top-100-most-valuable-global-brand-300863486.html|access-date=May 25, 2020|website=www.prnewswire.com|language=en}}</ref> It is one of the [[Big Tech|Big Five]] American [[information technology]] companies, alongside [[Alphabet Inc.|Alphabet]], [[Apple Inc.|Apple]], [[Meta Platforms|Meta]], and [[Microsoft]].
'''Amazon.com, Inc.''', known as '''Amazon''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|æ|m|ə|ˌ|z|ɒ|n}}), is an [[United States|American]] online business and [[cloud computing]] company. It was founded on July 5, 1994 by [[Jeff Bezos]]. It is based in [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]]. It is the largest Internet-based store in the world by total sales and [[market capitalization]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Jopson|first=Barney|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/61828252-ac1d-11e0-b85c-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1RxkefD8m|title=Amazon urges California referendum on online tax|work=Financial Times|date=July 12, 2011|access-date=August 4, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714230245/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/61828252-ac1d-11e0-b85c-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1RxkefD8m|archive-date=July 14, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NYtimes-bruising">{{cite web|date=August 16, 2015|title=Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/technology/inside-amazon-wrestling-big-ideas-in-a-bruising-workplace.html|work=The New York Times}}</ref> Amazon.com started as an online [[bookstore]]. When it got bigger, it started selling [[DVD]]s, [[Blu-ray]]s, [[compact Disc|CDs]], [[Amazon Video|video]] downloads/streaming, [[MP3]]<nowiki/>s, [[Audible.com|audiobook]]<nowiki/>s, [[software]], [[video game]]s, [[consumer electronics|electronics]], apparel, furniture, food, toys, and jewelry<!--jewelry is US spelling-->. It also makes [[consumer electronics]] like [[Amazon Kindle|Kindle]] [[e-reader]]s, [[Kindle Fire|Fire]] [[tablet computer|tablet]]s, [[Fire TV]], and [[Amazon Echo|Echo]]. It is the world's largest provider of [[cloud computing]] services.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.srgresearch.com/articles/microsoft-cloud-revenues-leap-amazon-still-way-out-front|title=Microsoft Cloud Revenues Leap; Amazon is Still Way Out in Front - Synergy Research Group|authors=Synergy Research Group, Reno, NV|work=srgresearch.com}}</ref>  Amazon also sells products like [[USB]] cables using the name AmazonBasics.


Amazon was founded by [[Jeff Bezos]] from his garage in [[Bellevue, Washington|Bellevue]], Washington,<ref>{{cite web |title=Amazon's John Schoettler has helped change how we think of corporate campuses |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210309155633/https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2020/11/17/skyline-shaper-john-schoettler.html |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2020/11/17/skyline-shaper-john-schoettler.html |date=November 17, 2020 |last1=Guevara |first1=Natalie |website=bizjournals.com |access-date=March 9, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> on July 5, 1994. Initially an online marketplace for books, it has expanded into a multitude of product categories: a strategy that has earned it the moniker The Everything Store.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kakutani|first=Michiko|date=2013-10-28|title=Selling as Hard as He Can|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/books/the-everything-store-jeff-bezos-and-the-age-of-amazon.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029073241/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/books/the-everything-store-jeff-bezos-and-the-age-of-amazon.html |archive-date=2013-10-29 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-20|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> It has multiple [[Subsidiary|subsidiaries]] including [[AWS|Amazon Web Services]] (cloud computing), [[Zoox (company)|Zoox]] ([[Self-driving car|autonomous vehicles]]), [[Kuiper Systems]] (satellite Internet), [[Amazon Lab126]] (computer hardware [[Research and development|R&D]]). Its other subsidiaries include [[Ring (company)|Ring]], [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]], [[IMDb]], and [[Whole Foods Market]]. Its acquisition of Whole Foods in August 2017 for {{USD}}13.4&nbsp;billion substantially increased its footprint as a [[physical retailer]].<ref name="wf" />
Amazon has separate retail websites for the [[United States]],  [[Argentina]], [[Brazil]], [[United Kingdom]], [[France]], [[Ireland]],  [[Canada]], [[Colombia]],  [[Germany]],  [[Australia]], [[Italia]],  [[Netherlands]], [[Spain]], [[Portugal]], [[Japan]],  [[Poland]],  [[Mexico]],  [[Sweden]], [[Turkey]], the [[United Arab Emirates]], and [[Republic of India]]. Amazon also offers international shipping to some countries for some of its products.<ref name="Amazon.com-Jan-2013-10-K">{{cite web|url=http://pdf.secdatabase.com/1562/0001193125-13-028520.pdf|title=Amazon.com, Form 10-K, Annual Report, Filing Date Jan 30, 2013|publisher=SEC database|access-date=February 26, 2013}}</ref> In 2016, Dutch, Polish, and Tamil languages versions of the German Amazon website were launched.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://amazonprime.fromabroad.org/now-can-visit-amazon-de-dutch/|title=Now you can visit Amazon.de in Dutch|date=2016-10-04|website=Amazon news|access-date=2016-10-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.pb.pl/4640577,78781,amazon-jedna-noga-w-polsce|title=Amazon jedną nogą w Polsce|access-date=2016-10-19|archive-date=2016-10-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019144126/http://www.pb.pl/4640577,78781,amazon-jedna-noga-w-polsce|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://ecommercenews.eu/amazon-germany-now-available-turkish/|title=Amazon Germany now available in Turkish|date=November 10, 2016|access-date=February 20, 2017}}</ref>


Amazon has earned a reputation as a disruptor of well-established industries through technological innovation and mass scale.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fortune Global 500 List 2018: See Who Made It|url=http://fortune.com/global500/list/|access-date=January 8, 2019|website=Fortune}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/312481|title=Why Amazon and Jeff Bezos Are So Successful at Disruption|last=Furth|first=John F.|date=May 18, 2018|website=Entrepreneur|language=en|access-date=May 16, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/299129|title=Amazon's Lesson About Disruption: Rattle Any Market You Can|last=Bylund|first=Per|date=August 29, 2017|website=Entrepreneur|language=en|access-date=May 16, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielnewman/2018/10/24/alibaba-vs-amazon-the-battle-of-disruptive-innovation-beyond-traditional-e-commerce/|title=Alibaba vs. Amazon: The Battle Of Disruptive Innovation Beyond Traditional E-Commerce|last=Newman|first=Daniel|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=May 16, 2019}}</ref> As of 2021, it is the world's largest [[Online shopping|online retailer]] and [[Online marketplace|marketplace]], [[smart speaker]] provider, [[cloud computing]] service through AWS,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.srgresearch.com/articles/microsoft-cloud-revenues-leap-amazon-still-way-out-front |title=Microsoft Cloud Revenues Leap; Amazon is Still Way Out in Front|publisher=Synergy Research Group|location=Reno, Nevada|work=srgresearch.com}}</ref> [[Live streaming|live-streaming]] service through Twitch, and [[largest Internet company by revenue|Internet company]] as measured by [[revenue]] and [[market share]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Jopson |first=Barney |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/61828252-ac1d-11e0-b85c-00144feabdc0.html |title=Amazon urges California referendum on online tax |work=Financial Times |date=July 12, 2011 |access-date=August 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714230245/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/61828252-ac1d-11e0-b85c-00144feabdc0.html |archive-date=July 14, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2021, it surpassed [[Walmart]] as the world's largest retailer outside of [[China]], driven in large part by its paid subscription plan, [[Amazon Prime]], which has over 200&nbsp;million subscribers worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|title=Amazon Prime now has 200 million members, jumping 50 million in one year|url=https://news.yahoo.com/amazon-prime-has-200-million-members-142910961.html|access-date=2021-12-20|website=news.yahoo.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2021-04-15|title=Amazon Prime Tops 200 Million Members, Jeff Bezos Says|url=https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/amazon-prime-200-million-jeff-bezos-1234952188/|access-date=2022-02-14|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|language=en-US}}</ref> It is the [[List of largest employers in the United States|second-largest private employer in the United States]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/23/amazon-climbs-into-list-of-top-five-largest-us-stocks-by-market-cap.html|title=Amazon climbs into list of top five largest US stocks by market cap|last=Cheng|first=Evelyn|date=September 23, 2016|website=CNBC|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref>
==Subsidiaries ==
Amazon owns over 40 smaller companies, including [[Zappos]], [[Shopbop]], Diapers.com, Kiva Systems (now Amazon Robotics), [[Audible (store)|Audible]], [[Goodreads]], Teachstreet and [[IMDb]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.jobs/team-category/subsidiaries|title=Amazon Jobs – Work for a Subsidiary|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140801055637/http://www.amazon.jobs/team-category/subsidiaries|archive-date=August 1, 2014|url-status=dead|access-date=October 27, 2014}}</ref>


Amazon also distributes a variety of downloadable and streaming content through its [[Amazon Prime Video]], [[Amazon Music]], [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]], and [[Audible (store)|Audible]] units. It publishes books through its publishing arm, [[Amazon Publishing]], film and television content through [[Amazon Studios]], and has been the owner of film and television studio [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] since March 2022. It also produces [[consumer electronics]]—most notably, [[Amazon Kindle|Kindle]] [[e-reader]]s, [[Amazon Echo|Echo]] devices, [[Kindle Fire|Fire]] [[tablet computer|tablets]], and [[Fire TV]]s.
== Other reading ==
 
{{refbegin}}
Amazon [[Criticism of Amazon|has been criticized]] for customer data collection practices,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/04/30/amazons-facial-recognition-technology-is-supercharging-local-police/|title=Amazon's facial-recognition AI is supercharging police in Oregon.|last=Harwell|first=Drew|date=April 30, 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=June 30, 2019}}</ref> a toxic work culture,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kantor |first1=Jodi |last2=Streitfeld |first2=David|author-link=Jodi Kantor|author-link2=David Streitfeld|title=Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/technology/inside-amazon-wrestling-big-ideas-in-a-bruising-workplace.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=February 15, 2020}}</ref> [[tax avoidance]],<ref name="fortune">{{cite web|last=Stampler|first=Laura|date=February 14, 2019|title=Amazon Will Pay a Whopping $0 in Federal Taxes on $11.2 Billion Profits|url=http://fortune.com/2019/02/14/amazon-doesnt-pay-federal-taxes-2019/|access-date=February 20, 2019|website=Fortune|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Jr|first=Tom Huddleston|date=2019-02-15|title=Amazon will pay $0 in federal taxes this year — and it's partially thanks to Trump|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/15/amazon-will-pay-0-in-federal-taxes-this-year.html|access-date=2022-02-14|website=CNBC|language=en}}</ref> and [[anti-competitive practices|anti-competitive]] behavior.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal|last=Khan|first=Lina|date=January 2017|title=Amazon's Antitrust Paradox|url=https://www.yalelawjournal.org/note/amazons-antitrust-paradox|journal=Yale Law Journal|volume=126|issue=3|pages=564–907}}</ref><ref name="baum" />
* {{cite book |url=http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9781591843757,00.html |title=One Click: Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon.com |last=Brandt |first=Richard L. |publisher=Portfolio Penguin |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-59184-375-7 |location=New York |access-date=2018-08-31 |archive-date=2013-02-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130222035928/http://www.us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9781591843757,00.html |url-status=dead }}
{{TOC limit|2}}
* {{cite book |title=21 Dog Years |url=https://archive.org/details/21dogyearsdoingt00dais |last=Daisey |first=Mike |publisher=Free Press |year=2002 |isbn=0-7432-2580-5 |author-link=Mike Daisey }}
 
* {{cite book |title=Amazon.com [[for Dummies]] |last=Friedman |first=Mara |publisher=Wiley Publishing |year=2004 |isbn=0-7645-5840-4}}
== History ==
* {{cite book |title=Amazonia: Five Years at the Epicenter of the Dot.Com Juggernaut |url=https://archive.org/details/amazonia00marc |last=Marcus |first=James |publisher=W. W. Norton |year=2004 |isbn=1-56584-870-5 }}
{{main|History of Amazon}}
* {{cite book |title=Amazon.com – Get Big Fast: Inside the Revolutionary Business Model That Changed the World |url=https://archive.org/details/amazoncomgetbigf00spec |last=Spector |first=Robert |publisher=HarperCollins |year=2000 |isbn=0-06-662041-4 }}
[[File:Amazon Hyderabad campus.jpg|thumb|The company's largest campus outside the United States was inaugurated in [[Hyderabad]], India in September 2019.]]
* {{cite book |title=[[The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon]] |last=Stone |first=Brad |publisher=Little Brown and Co |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-316-21926-6 |location=New York |oclc=856249407 |author-link=Brad Stone (journalist)}}
 
{{refend}}
Amazon was founded by [[Jeff Bezos]] in July 1994, who chose [[Seattle]] for its abundance of technical talent, as [[Microsoft]] was in the area.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3NBQcAqyu4&t=223 The David Rubenstein Show: Jeff Bezos], Bloomberg Markets and Finance, September 19, 2018,</ref> [[MacKenzie Scott|Mackenzie Scott]] was also instrumental in its founding, and drove across the country with Bezos to start it. When Scott graduated, she applied to work for [[D. E. Shaw & Co.]], a quantitative hedge fund in New York City, as a research associate to "pay the bills while working on her novels".<ref name="Abadi">{{cite web|last=Abadi|first=Mark|title=MacKenzie Bezos played a big role in the founding of Amazon and drove across the country with Jeff to start it|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/how-mackenzie-bezos-met-jeff-bezos-2019-1|access-date=December 24, 2020|website=Business Insider}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Cain|first=Áine|title=Meet MacKenzie Bezos, who stands to become one of the world's richest women after her divorce, was one of the first Amazon employees and has written 2 award-winning novels|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/mackenzie-bezos-career-2017-11|access-date=December 24, 2020|website=Business Insider}}</ref> Bezos, then a vice-president at the firm, met her when he interviewed her.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hubbard|first=Lauren|date=April 4, 2019|title=Who Is Jeff Bezos's Ex-Wife, Novelist MacKenzie Bezos?|url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/money-and-power/a26345596/mackenzie-bezos-facts/|access-date=December 24, 2020|website=Town & Country|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Abadi"/>
 
Amazon went [[public company|public]] in May 1997. It began selling music and videos in 1998, and began international operations by acquiring online sellers of books in the United Kingdom and Germany. The following year, it began selling video games, consumer electronics, home improvement items, software, games, and toys.
 
In 2002, it launched [[Amazon Web Services]] (AWS), which provided data on website popularity, Internet traffic patterns, and other statistics for marketers and developers. In 2006, it grew its AWS portfolio when [[Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud|Elastic Compute Cloud]] (EC2), which rented computer processing power, provided [[Simple Storage Service]] (S3), and rented data storage via the Internet, also became available. That year, Amazon also started'' Fulfillment by Amazon ''which allowed individuals and small companies to sell items through the company's Internet site. In 2012, Amazon bought [[Amazon Robotics|Kiva Systems]] to automate its inventory management business. It purchased the [[Whole Foods Market]] supermarket chain in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Amazoncom|title=Amazon.com - History & Facts|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=January 3, 2019}}</ref>
 
On February 2, 2021, Amazon announced that Jeff Bezos would step down as CEO to become executive chair of Amazon's board in Q3 of 2021. Andy Jassy, previously CEO of AWS, became Amazon's CEO.<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=February 2, 2021|title=Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will step down as CEO|url=https://fox8.com/news/amazon-founder-jeff-bezos-will-step-down-as-ceo/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210202233026/https://fox8.com/news/amazon-founder-jeff-bezos-will-step-down-as-ceo/|archive-date=February 2, 2021|access-date=February 2, 2021|website=[[Fox8]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Haselton|first=Todd|date=February 2, 2021|title=Jeff Bezos to step down as Amazon CEO, Andy Jassy to take over in Q3|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/02/jeff-bezos-to-step-down-as-amazon-ceo-andy-jassy-to-take-over-in-q3.html|access-date=February 2, 2021|website=CNBC|language=en}}</ref>
 
== Board of directors ==
[[File:Jeff Bezos 2016.jpg|thumb|upright|Amazon founder [[Jeff Bezos]] in 2016]]
 
{{As of|2020|September|df=US}}, Amazon's board of directors is:<ref>{{cite web |title=Officers & Directors |url=https://ir.aboutamazon.com/board-of-directors|website=Amazon |access-date=March 29, 2019}}</ref>
* [[Jeff Bezos]], executive chairman, Amazon.com, Inc.
* [[Andy Jassy]], president and CEO, Amazon.com, Inc.
* [[Keith B. Alexander]], CEO of IronNet Cybersecurity, former [[Director of the National Security Agency|NSA director]]
* [[Rosalind Brewer]], group president and COO, [[Starbucks]]
* [[Jamie Gorelick]], partner, [[Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr]]
* [[Daniel P. Huttenlocher]], [[Dean (education)|dean]] of the Schwarzman College of Computing, [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]
* [[Judy McGrath]], former CEO, [[MTV Networks]]
* [[Indra Nooyi]], former CEO, [[PepsiCo]]
* [[Jon Rubinstein]], former chairman and CEO, [[Palm, Inc.]]
* [[Thomas O. Ryder]], former chairman and CEO, [[Reader's Digest Association]]
* [[Patty Stonesifer]], president and CEO, [[Martha's Table]]
* [[Wendell P. Weeks]], chairman, president and CEO, [[Corning Inc.]]
 
== Merchant partnerships ==
In 2000, U.S. toy retailer [[Toys "R" Us]] entered into a 10-year agreement with Amazon, valued at $50&nbsp;million per year plus a cut of sales, under which Toys "R" Us would be the exclusive supplier of toys and baby products on the service, and the chain's website would redirect to Amazon's Toys & Games category. In 2004, Toys "R" Us sued Amazon, claiming that because of a perceived lack of variety in Toys "R" Us stock, Amazon had knowingly allowed third-party sellers to offer items on the service in categories that Toys "R" Us had been granted exclusivity. In 2006, a court ruled in favor of Toys "R" Us, giving it the right to unwind its agreement with Amazon and establish its independent e-commerce website. The company was later awarded $51 million in damages.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://qz.com/1080389/a-dot-com-era-deal-with-amazon-marked-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-toys-r-us/|title=Toys R Us bankruptcy: A dot-com-era deal with Amazon marked the beginning of the end |website=Quartz|language=en|access-date=November 11, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4769896.stm|title=Toys R Us wins Amazon lawsuit|work=[[BBC News]]|date=March 3, 2006|access-date=December 1, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-06-12-amazon-toys_N.htm|title=Amazon to pay Toys R Us $51M to settle suit|last=Metz|first=Rachel|date=June 12, 2009|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=December 1, 2012|agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>
 
In 2001, Amazon entered into a similar agreement with [[Borders Group]], under which Amazon would comanage Borders.com as a co-branded service.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2001/04/11/companies/amazon/index.htm|title=Amazon/Borders form online partnership|website=CNN Money|date=April 11, 2001|access-date=November 11, 2018}}</ref> Borders pulled out of the arrangement in 2007, with plans to also launch its own online store.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/How-Amazon-factor-killed-retailers-like-6378619.php|title=How 'Amazon factor' killed retailers like Borders, Circuit City|date=July 13, 2015|work=SFGate|access-date=November 11, 2018}}</ref>
 
On October 18, 2011, Amazon.com announced a partnership with [[DC Comics]] for the exclusive digital rights to many popular comics, including ''[[Superman]]'', ''[[Batman]]'', ''[[Green Lantern]]'', ''[[The Sandman (Vertigo)|The Sandman]],'' and ''[[Watchmen]]''. The partnership has caused well-known bookstores like Barnes & Noble to remove these titles from their shelves.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/19/technology/bookstores-drop-comics-after-amazon-deal-with-dc.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018234650/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/19/technology/bookstores-drop-comics-after-amazon-deal-with-dc.html |archive-date=2011-10-18 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Bookstores Drop Comics After Amazon Deal With DC|last=Streitfeld|first=David|date=October 18, 2011|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 20, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
 
In November 2013, Amazon announced a partnership with the [[United States Postal Service]] to begin delivering orders on Sundays. The service, included in Amazon's standard shipping rates, initiated in metropolitan areas of [[Los Angeles]] and [[New York, New York|New York]] because of the high-volume and inability to deliver in a timely way, with plans to expand into [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]], [[Houston]], [[New Orleans]] and [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] by 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last=Barr |first=Alistair |title=Amazon starts Sunday delivery with US Postal Service |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/11/11/amazon-sunday-delivery-usps/3479055/ |work=USA Today |access-date=November 25, 2013 |date=November 11, 2013}}</ref>
 
In June 2017, [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] agreed to sell products through Amazon in exchange for better policing of counterfeit goods.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/30/nike-amazon-confirmed/ |title=Nike confirms 'pilot' partnership with Amazon |website=Engadget|access-date=July 3, 2017}}</ref><ref name=CNBC>{{cite web |last1=Cosgrove |first1=Elly |last2=Thomas |first2=Lauren |title=Nike won't sell directly to Amazon anymore |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/13/nike-wont-sell-directly-to-amazon-anymore.html |website=[[CNBC]] |language=en |date=13 November 2019}}</ref> This proved unsuccessful and Nike withdrew from the partnership in November 2019.<ref name=CNBC/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Zimmerman |first1=Ben |title=Council Post: Why Nike Cut Ties With Amazon And What It Means For Other Retailers |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2020/01/22/why-nike-cut-ties-with-amazon-and-what-it-means-for-other-retailers/ |website=[[Forbes]] |language=en}}</ref> Companies including [[IKEA]] and [[Birkenstock]] also stopped selling through Amazon around the same time, citing similar frustrations over business practices and counterfeit goods.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Muldowney |first1=Decca |title=As demand for bikes surged, Amazon got in the way |url=https://www.theverge.com/22618306/pacific-northwest-components-bike-company-quit-amazon-support-indie-shops |website=[[The Verge]] |language=en |date=23 August 2021}}</ref>
 
In September 2017, Amazon ventured with one of its sellers JV Appario Retail owned by Patni Group which has recorded a total income of US$&thinsp;104.44&thinsp;million ([[Indian rupee|₹]]&thinsp;759&thinsp;[[crore]]) in financial year 2017–2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://inc42.com/buzz/amazons-jv-appario-retail-clocks-in-104-4-mn-for-fy18/|title=Amazon's JV Appario Retail Clocks In $104.4 Mn For FY18|last=Bhumika|first=Khatri|date=September 27, 2018|website=Inc42 Media}}</ref>
 
{{as of|2017|October|11|df=US}}, [[AmazonFresh]] sold a range of [[Booths Supermarkets|Booths]] branded products for home delivery in selected areas.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/10/11/booths-teams-amazon-sell-south-first-time/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/10/11/booths-teams-amazon-sell-south-first-time/ |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Booths teams up with Amazon to sell down South for the first time |date=October 11, 2017 |newspaper=Telegraph |access-date=October 11, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
 
In November 2018, Amazon reached an agreement with [[Apple Inc.]] to sell selected products through the service, via the company and selected Apple Authorized Resellers. As a result of this partnership, only Apple Authorized Resellers may sell Apple products on Amazon effective January 4, 2019.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/9/18079340/amazon-apple-iphone-ipad-watch-beats-deal-selling-products-online|title=Amazon strikes deal with Apple to sell new iPhones and iPads|work=The Verge|access-date=November 11, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-pumps-up-its-amazon-listings-with-iphones-ipads-and-more/|title=Apple pumps up its Amazon listings with iPhones, iPads and more|date=November 10, 2018|work=CNET|access-date=November 11, 2018|language=en}}</ref>
 
== Logistics ==
 
Amazon uses many different transportation services to deliver packages. Amazon-branded services include:
* [[Amazon Air]], a cargo airline for bulk transport, with last-mile delivery handled either by Amazon Flex, Amazon Logistics, or the [[United States Postal Service]].
* [[Amazon Flex]], a [[smartphone app]] that enables individuals to act as independent contractors, delivering packages to customers from personal vehicles without uniforms. Deliveries include one or two hours [[Prime Now]], same or next day [[Amazon Fresh]] groceries, and standard Amazon.com orders, in addition to orders from local stores that contract with Amazon.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://flex.amazon.com/faq |access-date=December 31, 2020 |title=Frequently asked questions about Amazon Flex}}</ref>
* '''Amazon Logistics''', in which Amazon contracts with small businesses (which it calls "Delivery Service Partners") to perform deliveries to customers. Each business has a fleet of approximately 20–40 Amazon-branded vans, and employees of the contractors wear Amazon uniforms. As of December 2020, it operates in the United States, Canada, Italy, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://logistics.amazon.com/marketing/faq |access-date=December 31, 2020 |title=Amazon Logistics / Frequently Asked Questions}}</ref>
* [[Amazon Prime Air]] is an experimental drone delivery service.
 
Amazon directly employs people to work at its warehouses, bulk distribution centers, staffed "[[Amazon Hub]] Locker+" locations, and delivery stations where drivers pick up packages. As of December 2020, it is not hiring delivery drivers as employees.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=December 31, 2020 |url=https://www.amazon.jobs/en/search-jobcategory |title=Find jobs by job category}}</ref>
 
Rakuten Intelligence estimated that in 2020 in the United States, the proportion of last-mile deliveries was 56% by Amazon's directly contracted services (mostly in urban areas), 30% by the United States Postal Service (mostly in rural areas), and 14% by [[United Parcel Service|UPS]].<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/10/14/amazon-prime-day-usps-ballots/ Prime Day, early holiday sales create new potential for USPS ballot delivery tie-ups]</ref> In April 2021, Amazon reported to investors it had increased its in-house delivery capacity by 50% in the last 12 months (which included the first year of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]]).<ref>{{cite news |title=Amazon is spending big to take on UPS and FedEx |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/30/amazon-is-spending-big-to-take-on-ups-and-fedex.html |date=30 Apr 2021 |author=Annie Palmer}}</ref>
 
== Products and services ==
{{Main|List of Amazon products and services}}
Amazon.com's product lines available on its website include several media ([[book]]s, DVDs, music CDs, [[VHS|videotapes]] and software), apparel, baby products, [[consumer electronics]], [[Cosmetics|beauty products]], gourmet food, groceries, health and personal-care items, industrial & scientific supplies, kitchen items, [[jewelry]], watches, lawn and garden items, musical instruments, [[Sports equipment|sporting goods]], tools, automotive items, and toys & games.{{Citation needed|date=May 2017}} In August 2019, Amazon applied to have a liquor store in [[San Francisco]], CA as a means to ship beer and alcohol within the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-liquor-license-storefront-san-francisco-2019-8|title=Amazon is looking to open a brick-and-mortar liquor store in San Francisco|last=Leskin|first=Paige|website=Business Insider|access-date=August 29, 2019}}</ref> Amazon has separate retail websites for some countries and also offers international shipping of some of its products to certain other countries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pdf.secdatabase.com/1562/0001193125-13-028520.pdf |title=Amazon.com, Form 10-K, Annual Report, Filing Date Jan 30, 2013 |publisher=SEC database |access-date=February 26, 2013}}</ref> In November 2020, the company started an online delivery service dedicated to prescription drugs. The service provides discounts up to 80% for generic drugs and up to 40% for branded drugs for Prime subscribe users. The products can be purchased on the company's website or at over 50,000 bricks-and-mortar pharmacies in the United States.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/f45c4956-108f-4b69-b115-c73cfc55f0e3|title= Amazon launches online pharmacy in challenge to traditional retailers|work=[[Financial Times]]|author=Harry Dempsey|date=November 17, 2020|access-date=November 17, 2020}}</ref>
 
Amazon.com has a number of products and services available, including:
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Amazon Fresh]]
* [[Amazon Prime]]
* [[Amazon Alexa|Alexa]]
* [[Amazon Appstore|Appstore]]
* [[Amazon Drive]]
* [[Amazon Echo|Echo]]
* [[Amazon Kindle|Kindle]]
* [[Kindle Fire|Fire tablets]]
* [[Amazon Fire TV|Fire TV]]
* [[Amazon Prime Video|Video]]
* [[Kindle Store]]
* [[Amazon Music|Music]]
* [[Amazon Music Unlimited|Music Unlimited]]
* [[Amazon Digital Software & Video Games]]
* [[Amazon Studios]]
* [[AmazonWireless]]
* [[Amazon Academy]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/amazon-launches-amazon-academy-for-jee-competitive-exams-preparation/articleshow/80247313.cms?from=mdr|title = Amazon launches Amazon Academy for JEE, competitive exams preparation|newspaper = The Economic Times}}</ref>
{{div col end}}
 
In September 2021, Amazon announced the launch of Astro, its first household robot, powered by its Alexa smart home technology. This can be remote-controlled when not at home, to check on pets, people, or home security. It will send owners a notification if it detects something unusual.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Molloy |first1=David |title=Amazon announces Astro the home robot |work=BBC News |date=September 28, 2021 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58727057 |access-date=29 September 2021}}</ref>
 
== Subsidiaries ==
{{See also|List of Amazon locations}}
 
Amazon owns over 40 subsidiaries, including [[Amazon Web Services]], [[Audible (store)|Audible]], Diapers.com, [[Goodreads]], [[IMDb]], Kiva Systems (now [[Amazon Robotics]]), [[Shopbop]], Teachstreet, [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]], [[Zappos]], and [[Zoox (company)|Zoox]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.jobs/team-category/subsidiaries|title=Amazon Jobs – Work for a Subsidiary|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140801055637/http://www.amazon.jobs/team-category/subsidiaries|archive-date=August 1, 2014|url-status=dead|access-date=October 27, 2014}}</ref>
 
===A9.com===
[[A9.com]], a company focused on researching and building innovative [[technology]], has been a subsidiary since 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.pcworld.com/techlog/archives/002876.html|title=Amazon's A9 Search as We Knew It: Dead!|last=McCracken|first=Harry|date=September 29, 2006|website=[[PC World]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716052029/http://blogs.pcworld.com/techlog/archives/002876.html|archive-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=dead|access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref>
 
===Amazon Maritime===
Amazon Maritime, Inc. holds a [[Federal Maritime Commission]] license to operate as a [[NVOCC|non-vessel-owning common carrier]] (NVOCC), which enables the company to manage its shipments from China into the United States.<ref>Steele, B., [https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/26/amazon-shipping-ocean-freight/ Amazon is now managing its own ocean freight], [[engadget.com]], January 27, 2017, accessed January 29, 2017</ref>
 
===Annapurna Labs===
In January 2015, [[Amazon Web Services]] acquired [[Annapurna Labs]], an Israel-based microelectronics company reputedly for US$350–370M.<ref name="reut_Amaz">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-annapurna-m-a-amazon-com-idUSKBN0KV0SG20150122|title=Amazon to buy Israeli start-up Annapurna Labs|work=Reuters|date=January 22, 2015|access-date=January 24, 2015|archive-date=September 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915065319/http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/22/us-annapurna-m-a-amazon-com-idUSKBN0KV0SG20150122|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="extr_Amaz">{{cite web|url=http://www.extremetech.com/computing/198140-amazon-buys-secretive-chip-maker-annapurna-labs-for-350-million|title=Amazon buys secretive chip maker Annapurna Labs for $350 million|work=ExtremeTech|access-date=January 24, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Hirschauge|first=Orr|date=January 22, 2015|title=Amazon to Acquire Israeli Chip Maker Annapurna Labs|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/amazon-in-advanced-talks-to-buy-israels-annapurna-labs-1421936575|access-date=October 20, 2020|issn=0099-9660}}</ref>
 
===Audible.com===
[[Audible.com]] is a seller and producer of spoken audio entertainment, information, and educational programming on the Internet. Audible sells digital [[audiobooks]], radio and television programs, and audio versions of magazines and newspapers. Through its production arm, Audible Studios, Audible has also become the world's largest producer of downloadable audiobooks. On January 31, 2008, Amazon announced it would buy Audible for about $300&nbsp;million. The deal closed in March 2008 and Audible became a subsidiary of Amazon.<ref>{{cite news |work=PC World |author=Sayer, Peter |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/31/AR2008013101662.html |title=Amazon buys Audible for US$300 million |date=January 31, 2008}}</ref>
 
===Beijing Century Joyo Courier Services===
Beijing Century Joyo Courier Services is a subsidiary of Amazon and it applied for a [[Freight forwarder|freight forwarding]] license with the [[Federal Maritime Commission|US Maritime Commission]]. Amazon is also building out its logistics in [[Trucking industry in the United States|trucking]] and [[air freight]] to potentially compete with [[United Parcel Service|UPS]] and [[FedEx]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/01/29/is-logistics-about-to-get-amazoned/ |title=Is Logistics About To Get Amazon'ed? |date=January 29, 2016 |publisher=AOL |work=TechCrunch}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://fortune.com/2016/01/14/amazon-china-earns-its-ocean-shipping-license/ |title=Amazon China Has Its Ocean Shipping License – Fortune |author=David Z. Morris |date=January 14, 2016 |work=Fortune}}</ref>
 
===Brilliance Audio===
Brilliance Audio is an audiobook publisher founded in 1984 by Michael Snodgrass in [[Grand Haven, Michigan|Grand Haven]], Michigan.<ref name="brilliance">{{cite web |url=http://www.brillianceaudio.com/company_overview |title=Company Overview |publisher=Brilliance Audio |access-date=February 14, 2014}}</ref> The company produced its first 8 audio titles in 1985.<ref name="brilliance" /> The company was purchased by Amazon in 2007 for an undisclosed amount.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.taume.com/World-Business/Business-Finance/Amazon_com-Acquires-Brilliance-Audio-1358 |title=amazon.com Acquires Brilliance Audio |work=Taume News |date=May 27, 2007 |access-date=May 28, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070704192411/http://news.taume.com/World-Business/Business-Finance/Amazon_com-Acquires-Brilliance-Audio-1358 |archive-date=July 4, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="gigaom">{{cite web |url=http://gigaom.com/2007/05/23/419-amazon-acquires-audiobook-indie-brilliance-audio/ |title=Amazon Acquires Audiobook Indie Brilliance Audio |work=Gigaom |author=Staci D. Kramer |date=May 23, 2007 |access-date=February 14, 2014}}</ref> At the time of the acquisition, Brilliance was producing 12–15 new titles a month.<ref name="gigaom" /> It operates as an independent company within Amazon.
 
In 1984, Brilliance Audio invented a technique for recording twice as much on the same cassette.<ref name="blake">{{cite book |title=Information Literacies for the Twenty-First Century |chapter=Something New Has Been Added: Aural Literacy and Libraries |publisher=G. K. Hall & Co. |author=Virgil L. P. Blake |year=1990 |pages=203–218}}</ref> The technique involved recording on each of the two channels of each stereo track.<ref name="blake" /> It has been credited with revolutionizing the burgeoning audiobook market in the mid-1980s since it made unabridged books affordable.<ref name="blake" />
 
===ComiXology===
[[ComiXology]] is a [[Cloud computing|cloud]]-based digital comics platform with over 200&nbsp;million comic downloads {{as of|2013|September|lc=y}}. It offers a selection of more than 40,000 comic books and graphic novels across Android, iOS, Fire OS and Windows 8 devices and over a web browser. Amazon bought the company in April 2014.<ref>{{cite news |title=Amazon Buys ComiXology, Takes Over Digital Leadership |work=Bloomberg BusinessWeek |url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-04-11/amazon-buys-comixology-takes-over-digital-leadership-of-comic-book-world |author=Stone, Brad |date=April 11, 2014}}</ref>
 
===CreateSpace===
CreateSpace, which offers self-publishing services for independent content creators, publishers, film studios, and music labels, became a subsidiary in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.createspace.com/|title=Independent Publishing with CreateSpace|website=CreateSpace: An Amazon Company|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131126161130/https://www.createspace.com/|archive-date=November 26, 2013|url-status=dead|access-date=January 22, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.createspace.com/AboutUs.jsp|title=About CreateSpace : History|website=CreateSpace: An Amazon Company|access-date=January 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706210134/https://www.createspace.com/AboutUs.jsp|archive-date=July 6, 2017}}</ref>
 
===Eero===
Eero is an electronics company specializing in mesh-networking Wifi devices founded as a startup in 2014 by Nick Weaver, Amos Schallich, and Nate Hardison to simplify and innovate the smart home.<ref>{{cite news|work=CNBC Tech|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/11/amazon-is-acquiring-home-wifi-start-up-eero.html|title=Amazon is acquiring home Wi-Fi start-up Eero|author=Novet, Jordan|date=February 11, 2019}}</ref> Eero was acquired by Amazon in 2019 for US$97&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news|title=How Amazon's $97 million Eero acquisition screwed employees and minted millionaires|work=Mashable|url=https://mashable.com/article/amazon-eero-wifi-router-sale|author=Kraus, Rachel|date=April 5, 2019}}</ref> Eero has continued to operate under its banner and advertises its commitment to privacy despite early concerns from the company's acquisition.<ref>{{cite news|title=What Amazon's purchase of Eero means for your privacy|work=TechCrunch|url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/12/amazon-eero-privacy|author=Whittaker, Zack| date=February 12, 2019}}</ref>
 
===Goodreads===
{{Main|Goodreads}}
[[Goodreads]] is a "[[social cataloging]]" website founded in December 2006 and launched in January 2007 by Otis Chandler, a software engineer, and entrepreneur, and Elizabeth Khuri. The website allows individuals to freely search Goodreads' extensive user-populated database of books, annotations, and reviews. Users can sign up and register books to generate library catalogs and reading lists. They can also create their groups of book suggestions and discussions. In December 2007, the site had over 650,000 members, and over a million books had been added. Amazon bought the company in March 2013.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/29/business/media/amazon-to-buy-goodreads.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329013203/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/29/business/media/amazon-to-buy-goodreads.html |archive-date=2013-03-29 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Amazon to Buy Social Site Dedicated to Sharing Books|last=Kaufman|first=Leslie|date=March 28, 2013|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 20, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
 
===Health Navigator===
In October 2019, Amazon finalized the acquisition of Health Navigator, a startup developing [[Application programming interface|APIs]] for online health services. The startup will form part of Amazon Care, which is the company's employee healthcare service. This follows the 2018 purchase of [[PillPack]] for under $1&nbsp;billion, which has also been included into Amazon Care.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shu |first1=Catherine |title=Amazon acquires Health Navigator for Amazon Care, its pilot employee healthcare program |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/10/23/amazon-acquires-health-navigator-for-amazon-care-its-pilot-employee-healthcare-program/ |website=Tech Crunch |access-date=October 31, 2019}}</ref>
 
===Junglee===
Junglee is a former online shopping service provided by Amazon that enabled customers to search for products from online and offline retailers in India. Junglee started as a virtual database that was used to extract information from the Internet and deliver it to enterprise applications. As it progressed, Junglee started to use its database technology to create a single window marketplace on the Internet by making every item from every supplier available for purchase. Web shoppers could locate, compare and transact millions of products from across the Internet shopping mall through one window.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/ie/daily/19980814/22650774.html |title=Junglee boys strike gold on the net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217162934/http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/ie/daily/19980814/22650774.html |archive-date=December 17, 2013 }}</ref>
 
Amazon acquired Junglee in 1998, and the website Junglee.com was launched in India in February 2012<ref>{{cite web |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/amazon-india-launch-idINDEE81108G20120202 |title=Amazon Launches Online Shopping Service In India |publisher=reuters.com |date=February 2, 2012}}</ref> as a comparison-shopping website. It curated and enabled searching for a diverse variety of products such as clothing, electronics, toys, jewelry, and video games, among others, across thousands of online and offline sellers. Millions of products are browsable, the client selects a price, and then they are directed to a seller. In November 2017, Amazon closed down Junglee.com and the former domain currently redirects to Amazon India.<ref>{{cite web |title=Amazon brings the curtains down on Junglee.com, finally |url=https://www.vccircle.com/amazon-brings-the-curtains-down-on-junglee-com-finally/ |website=vccircle.com |access-date=February 1, 2018}}</ref>
 
===Kuiper Systems{{anchor|Project Kuiper}}===
{{Main|Kuiper Systems}}
Kuiper Systems LLC, is a subsidiary of Amazon, set up to deploy a [[broadband]] [[satellite internet constellation]] with an announced 3,236 [[Low Earth orbit]] [[satellite]]s to provide satellite based Internet connectivity.<ref name="cnbc20190404">{{cite news|last=Sheetz|first=Michael|date=April 4, 2019|title=Amazon wants to launch thousands of satellites so it can offer broadband internet from space|work=[[CNBC]]|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/04/amazon-project-kuiper-broadband-internet-small-satellite-network.html|access-date=April 4, 2019}}</ref><ref name="sn20190404">{{cite news|last=Henry|first=Caleb|date=April 4, 2019|title=Amazon planning 3,236-satellite constellation for internet connectivity|work=[[SpaceNews]]|url=https://spacenews.com/amazon-planning-3236-satellite-constellation-for-internet-connectivity/|access-date=April 5, 2019}}</ref><ref name="ars20190708">
{{cite news|last=Brodkin|first=Jon|date=July 8, 2019|title=Amazon plans nationwide broadband—with both home and mobile service|work=ars Technica|url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/07/amazon-follows-spacex-into-satellite-broadband-asks-fcc-to-ok-launch-plan/|access-date=July 9, 2019|quote=''Kuiper is wholly owned by Amazon, and its president is Rajeev Badyal, a former SpaceX vice president who was reportedly fired because SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was unsatisfied with his company's satellite-broadband progress.''}}</ref>
 
===Lab126===
{{main|Amazon Lab126}}
Lab126, developers of integrated consumer electronics such as the [[Amazon Kindle|Kindle]], became a subsidiary in 2004.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2012/09/19/amazon-research-unit-lab-126-agrees-to-big-lease-that-could-bring-sunnyvale-2600-new-workers/|title=Amazon research unit Lab 126 agrees to big lease that could bring Sunnyvale 2,600 new workers|last=Avalos|first=George|date=September 19, 2012|work=The Mercury News|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref>
 
===Ring===
{{main|Ring Inc.}}
Ring is a [[home automation]] company founded by Jamie Siminoff in 2013. It is primarily known for its WiFi powered [[smart doorbell]]s, but manufactures other devices such as security cameras. Amazon bought Ring for US$1&nbsp;billion in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/27/amazon-buys-ring-a-former-shark-tank-reject.html|title=Amazon buys Ring, a former 'Shark Tank' reject|last=Montag|first=Ali|date=February 27, 2018|website=CNBC|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref>
 
===Shelfari===
[[Shelfari]] was a [[social cataloging]] website for books. Shelfari users built virtual bookshelves of the titles which they owned or had read and they could rate, review, [[tag (metadata)|tag]] and discuss their books. Users could also create groups that other members could join, create discussions and talk about books, or other topics. Recommendations could be sent to friends on the site for what books to read. Amazon bought the company in August 2008.<ref name=":0" /> Shelfari continued to function as an independent book social network within the Amazon until January 2016, when Amazon announced that it would be merging Shelfari with [[Goodreads]] and closing down Shelfari.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thereadersroom.org/2016/01/12/amazon-kills-shelfari/|title=Amazon Kills Shelfari|date=January 13, 2016|website=The Reader's Room|language=en|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://thebookmarketingnetwork.com/profiles/blogs/shelfari-is-closing-but-you-can-merge-your-account-with-goodreads |title=Shelfari Is Closing! BUT, You Can Merge Your Account with Goodreads! |author=Holiday, J.D. |date=January 13, 2016 |website=The Book Marketing Network |access-date=January 20, 2016 |archive-date=February 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206034116/http://thebookmarketingnetwork.com/profiles/blogs/shelfari-is-closing-but-you-can-merge-your-account-with-goodreads |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 
===Souq===
{{main|Souq.com}}
 
[[Souq.com]] was the largest [[e-commerce]] platform in the [[Arab world]]. The company launched in 2005 in [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]] and served multiple areas across the [[Middle East]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/28/amazon-to-acquire-souqcom-a-large-e-commerce-site-in-the-middle-east.html|title=Amazon reaches deal to acquire Middle East e-commerce site Souq.com|publisher=CNBC|date=28 March 2017}}</ref> On March 28, 2017, Amazon acquired Souq.com for $580&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018724/000101872417000051/amzn-20170331x10q.htm|title=Document|website=www.sec.gov}}</ref> The company was re-branded as Amazon and its infrastructure was used to expand Amazon's online platform in the Middle East.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/30/amazon-rebrands-souq-launches-new-middle-east-marketplace.html|title=Amazon launches new Middle East marketplace, and rebrands Souq, the company it bought for $580 million in 2017|publisher=CNBC|date=30 April 2019}}</ref>
 
===Twitch===
{{main|Twitch (service)}}
 
[[File:E3 – 2014 (23113432796).jpg|thumb|[[Twitch (service)|Twitch]] at the [[Electronic Entertainment Expo]]]]
 
[[Twitch (service)|Twitch]] is a [[live streaming]] platform for video, primarily oriented towards video gaming content. The service was first established as a spin-off of a general-interest streaming service known as [[Justin.tv]]. Its prominence was eclipsed by that of Twitch, and Justin.tv was eventually shut down by its parent company in August 2014 in order to focus exclusively on Twitch.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/twitch-pulls-the-plug-on-video-streaming-site-justin-tv/ |title=Twitch pulls the plug on video-streaming site Justin.tv |work=CNET|access-date=August 8, 2017 |language=en}}</ref> Later that month, Twitch was acquired by Amazon for $970&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/8/25/6066295/amazon-reportedly-buying-twitch-for-over-1-billion |title=Amazon, not Google, is buying Twitch for $970 million |last=Welch |first=Chris |date=August 25, 2014 |website=The Verge|access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref> Through Twitch, Amazon also owns [[Curse, Inc.]], an operator of video gaming communities and a provider of [[VoIP]] services for gaming.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2016/8/16/12507616/twitch-buys-curse |title=Twitch to acquire Curse |last=Hall |first=Charlie |date=August 16, 2016 |website=Polygon|access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref> Since the acquisition, Twitch began to sell games directly through the platform,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/27/14748896/twitch-sell-games-streamers-cut |title=Twitch will start selling games and giving its streamers a cut |last=McCormick |first=Rich |date=February 27, 2017 |website=The Verge|access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref> and began offering special features for Amazon Prime subscribers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/30/13125824/twitch-prime-amazon-ad-free-game-discounts |title=Twitch will be ad-free for all Amazon Prime subscribers |last=Statt |first=Nick |date=September 30, 2016 |website=The Verge|access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref>
 
The site's rapid growth had been boosted primarily by the prominence of major [[esports]] competitions on the service, leading [[GameSpot]] senior esports editor Rod Breslau to have described the service as "the [[ESPN]] of esports".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/9/30/4719766/twitch-raises-20-million-esports-market-booming |title=Field of streams: how Twitch made video games a spectator sport |last=Popper |first=Ben |date=September 30, 2013 |website=The Verge|access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref> {{as of|2015}}, the service had over 1.5&nbsp;million broadcasters and 100&nbsp;million monthly viewers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/01/29/twitchs-viewers-reach-100-million-a-month/|title=Twitch's Viewers Reach 100 Million a Month|last=Needleman|first=Sarah E.|date=January 29, 2015|website=WSJ|language=en-US|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref>
 
On August 10, 2020, Amazon announced the rebranding of [[Twitch (service)|Twitch Prime]], the live-streaming site, renaming it [[Prime Gaming]] in another attempt to crack the [[video game]] market after failing a big-budget game effort. With Twitch Prime, users will be given a free subscription to Twitch, with free games from small studios and discounts for larger titles like [[Grand Theft Auto]] and [[League of Legends]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/10/technology/amazon-video-games-prime-gaming.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810161018/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/10/technology/amazon-video-games-prime-gaming.html |archive-date=2020-08-10 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=After a Flop, Amazon Makes Another Foray Into Video Games|access-date=August 10, 2020|website=The New York Times}}</ref>
 
On November 2, 2020, [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]] announced a virtual flagship conference and named it GlitchCon instead of TwitchCon to be held on November 14. The main aim of the conference will be to bring its numerous, disparate communities of streamers and fans together where they can be real-life confidants.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/26/21534517/california-verily-testing-google-covid-inequity|title=Twitch announces a virtual TwitchCon next week|access-date=October 2, 2020|website=The Verge}}</ref>
 
===Whole Foods Market===
[[File:Whole Foods Market Cranbrook Village Ann Arbor Michigan.JPG|thumb|[[Whole Foods Market]] store in [[Ann Arbor, Michigan|Ann Arbor]], Michigan]]
 
[[Whole Foods Market]] is an American [[supermarket]] [[chain store|chain]] exclusively featuring foods without artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, and hydrogenated fats.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/quality-standards |title=Quality Standards |publisher=Whole Foods Market |date=<!--undated--> |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->}}</ref>
 
Amazon acquired Whole Foods for $13.7 billion in August 2017.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/08/28/amazon-closes-whole-foods-acquisition-heres-whats-next/ | title=Amazon closes Whole Foods acquisition. Here's what's next | first=Kevin | last=Kelleher | work=[[VentureBeat]] | date=August 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/24/amazon-says-whole-foods-deal-will-close-monday-prime-customers-to-immediately-get-discounts.html | title=Amazon says Whole Foods deal will close Monday, with discounts to begin then | first=Lauren | last=Thomas | work=[[CNBC]] | date=August 24, 2017}}</ref><ref name=wf>{{Cite press release | url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170824006124/en/Amazon-and-Whole-Foods-Market-Announce-Acquisition-to-Close-This-Monday-Will-Work-Together-to-Make-High-Quality-Natural-and-Organic-Food-Affordable-for-Everyone | title=Amazon and Whole Foods Market Announce Acquisition to Close This Monday, Will Work Together to Make High-Quality, Natural and Organic Food Affordable for Everyone | publisher=[[Business Wire]] | date=August 24, 2017}}</ref>
 
=== Other ===
Amazon also has investments in renewable energy and plans to expand its position into the Canadian market through an investment in a new plant in Alberta.<ref>{{cite web|title=Amazon unveils plan for a major solar power project in southern Alberta|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-amazon-solar-energy-power-renewable-newell-county-1.5993225}}</ref>
 
==Supply chain==
Amazon first launched its distribution network in 1997 with two fulfillment centers in [[Seattle]] and [[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]], Delaware. Amazon has several types of distribution facilities consisting of cross-dock centers, fulfillment centers, sortation centers, delivery stations, Prime now hubs, and Prime air hubs. There are 75 fulfillment centers and 25 sortation centers with over 125,000 employees.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Routley |first1=Nick |title=Amazon's Massive Distribution Network in One Giant Visualization |url=https://www.visualcapitalist.com/footprint-all-amazons-warehouses/ |access-date=July 7, 2019|date=September 8, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=9 facts about Amazon's unprecedented warehouse empire |url=https://www.curbed.com/2017/11/21/16686150/black-friday-2018-amazon-warehouse-fulfillment |access-date=July 7, 2019|date=November 21, 2017 }}</ref> Employees are responsible for five basic tasks: unpacking and inspecting incoming goods; placing goods in storage and recording their location; picking goods from their computer recorded locations to make up an individual shipment; sorting and packing orders; and shipping. A computer that records the location of goods and maps out routes for pickers plays a key role: employees carry hand-held computers which communicate with the central computer and monitor their rate of progress. Some warehouses are partially automated with systems built by [[Amazon Robotics]].
 
In September 2006, Amazon launched a program called FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon) whereby it could handle storage, packing and distribution of products and services for small sellers.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Barnes|first=Jo|date=2020-08-24|title=Fulfillment By Amazon|url=https://yourlifestylebusiness.com/amazon-fba/|access-date=2022-02-14|website=Your Lifestyle Business|language=en-US}}</ref>
 
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Lauwin-Planque - Lauwin-Park (02).JPG|Amazon.fr fulfillment center in [[Lauwin-Planque]], France
File:Amazon España por dentro (San Fernando de Henares).JPG|Amazon.es fulfillment center in [[San Fernando de Henares]], Spain
File:Amazon warehouse Glenrothes.jpg|Amazon.co.uk fulfillment center in [[Glenrothes]], Scotland, UK
File:Amazon.de 1204 - panoramio.jpg|Amazon.de fulfillment center in [[Graben, Bavaria|Graben]], Germany
File:AmazonIchikawaFC (78316917).jpg|Amazon.co.jp fulfillment center in [[Ichikawa, Chiba|Ichikawa]], Japan
File:Amazon fulfillment center, Macon.jpg|Amazon fulfillment center in [[Macon, Georgia|Macon]], Georgia, U.S.
</gallery>
 
== Website ==
{{Infobox website
| name = amazon.com
| logo = Amazon.com-Logo.svg
| logo_size = 200px
| logo_caption = Logo since January 2000
| screenshot = amazon.com screenshot.jpeg
| collapsible = yes
| collapsetext = Screenshot
| caption = Homepage
| url = {{URL|Amazon.com}} (original U.S. site)
| commercial = Yes
| type = [[E-commerce]]
| registration = Optional
| language = {{hlist|Arabic|Chinese|Dutch|English|French|German|Hindi|Italian|Japanese|Polish|Portuguese|Spanish|Swedish|Turkish}}
| programming_language = [[C++]] and [[Java (programming language)|Java]]
| owner = Amazon
| launch_date = {{start date and age|1995}}
| current_status = Active
| footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lextrait.com/Vincent/implementations.html |title=The Programming Languages Beacon, v10.0 |first=Vincent |last=Lextrait |date=January 2010 |access-date=March 14, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120530/http://www.lextrait.com/Vincent/implementations.html |archive-date=May 30, 2012 }}</ref>
}}
 
The domain ''amazon.com'' attracted at least 615&nbsp;million visitors annually by 2008;<ref>[http://siteanalytics.compete.com/amazon.com/ SnapShot of amazon.com, amazonellers.com, walmart.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516154151/http://siteanalytics.compete.com/amazon.com/ |date=May 16, 2010 }}. Retrieved April 12, 2008.</ref> by the beginning of 2016, over 130&nbsp;million customers were visiting the U.S. website each month.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://siteanalytics.compete.com/amazon.com |title=SnapShot of amazon.com – Compete |publisher=Siteanalytics.compete.com |access-date=March 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113075825/https://siteanalytics.compete.com/amazon.com/ |archive-date=January 13, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The company has invested heavily in a massive amount of server capacity for its website, especially to handle the excessive traffic during the [[Christmas holiday season]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Why attackers can't take down Amazon.com |url=https://money.cnn.com/2010/12/09/technology/amazon_wikileaks_attack |publisher=CNN |date=December 9, 2010 |access-date=December 14, 2010 |quote=Amazon has famously massive server capacity in order to handle the December e-commerce rush. That short holiday shopping window is so critical and so intense, that even a few minutes of downtime could cost Amazon millions. |first=Julianne |last=Pepitone}}</ref> According to [[Alexa Internet]] rankings, ''amazon.com'' is the third most popular website in the United States and the 11th most popular website worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alexa - Top sites|url=https://www.alexa.com/topsites|access-date=2021-07-14|website=www.alexa.com}}</ref>
 
Results generated by Amazon's search engine are partly determined by promotional fees.<ref name="New Yorker">{{cite magazine |last=Packer |first=George |author-link=George Packer |date=February 17, 2014 |title=Cheap Words |url=https://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2014/02/17/140217fa_fact_packer?currentPage=all |magazine=[[The New Yorker|newyorker.com]] |access-date=March 22, 2014}}</ref> The company's [[Internationalization and localization|localized]] storefronts, which differ in selection and prices, are differentiated by [[top-level domain]] and [[country code]]:
[[File:Amazon_Marketplaces_worldwide_in_2021.jpg|right|400x400px]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
|-
! scope="col" | Region !! scope="col" | Country !! scope="col" | [[Domain name]] !! scope="col" | Since
!Notes
|-
! rowspan="1" {{rh2|align=right}} class="rh heading table-rh" | Africa
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|Egypt}} || amazon[[.eg]] || {{sort|2021-09|September 2021}}
|
|-
! rowspan="4" {{rh2|align=right}} class="rh heading table-rh" | Americas
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|Brazil}} || amazon.com[[.br]] || {{sort|2012-12|December 2012}}
|
|-
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|Canada}} || amazon[[.ca]] || {{sort|2002-06|June 2002}}
|
|-
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|Mexico}} || amazon.com[[.mx]] || {{sort|2013-08|August 2013}}
|
|-
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|United States}} || amazon[[.com]] || {{sort|1995-07|July 1995}}
|
|-
! rowspan="6" {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" class="rh heading table-rh" | Asia
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|China}} || amazon[[.cn]] || {{sort|2004-09|September 2004}}
|
|-
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|India}} || amazon[[.in]] || {{sort|2013-06|June 2013}}
|
|-
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|Japan}} || amazon.co[[.jp]] || {{sort|2000-11|November 2000}}
|
|-
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|Singapore}} || amazon[[.sg]] || {{sort|2017-07|July 2017}}
|
|-
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|United Arab Emirates}} || amazon[[.ae]] || {{sort|2019-05|May 2019}}
|
|-
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|Saudi Arabia}} || amazon[[.sa]] || {{sort|2020-06|June 2020}}
|
|-
! rowspan="9" {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" class="rh heading table-rh" | Europe
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|France}} || amazon[[.fr]] || {{sort|2000-08|August 2000}}
|
|-
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|Germany}} || amazon[[.de]] || {{sort|1998-10|October 1998}}
|
|-
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|Italy}} || amazon[[.it]] || {{sort|2010-11|November 2010}}
|
|-
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|Netherlands}} || amazon[[.nl]] || {{sort|2014-11|November 2014}}
| Books & e-books (plus readers) only, full shop per March 2020<ref>{{cite web|url=https://eenvandaag.avrotros.nl/item/webwinkelgigant-amazon-komt-nu-echt-naar-nederland-en-dit-betekent-dat-voor-jou|title=(Dutch) Webwinkelgigant Amazon komt nu echt naar Nederland|work=EenVandaag|date=January 13, 2020|access-date=November 29, 2021|quote=(Translated) The end of Februari, is, according to retail watchers the moment for web gigant Amazon to really enter the Dutch market}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ecommercenews.nl/amazon-nl-officieel-van-start|title=(Dutch) Amazon.nl officieel van start|work=Ecommerce News Netherlands|date=March 10, 2020|access-date=November 29, 2021|quote=(Translated) Amazon has officially launched their Dutch (Netherlands) store front Amazon.nl. Instead of only books, e-books and e-readers the e-commerce-gigant now sells numerous products.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://tweakers.net/reviews/9432/8/anderhalf-jaar-amazon-punt-nl-was-de-angst-voor-amazon-terecht-conclusie.html |title=(Dutch) Anderhalf jaar Amazon.nl, was de angst terecht? (1,5 years Amazon.nl, was the fear justified?)|work=Tweakers.net|date=November 27, 2021|access-date=November 29, 2021|quote=(Translated) Amazon.nl got lucky with their full fledged release in march 2020, because people started shopping online more and more that year, Amazon has enjoyed a flying start.}}</ref>
|-
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|Poland}} || amazon[[.pl]] || {{sort|2021-03|March 2021}}
|
|-
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|Spain}} || amazon[[.es]] || {{sort|2011-09|September 2011}}
|
|-
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|Sweden}} || amazon[[.se]] || {{sort|2020-10|October 2020}}
|
|-
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|Turkey}} || amazon.com[[.tr]] || {{sort|2018-09|September 2018}}
|
|-
| {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|United Kingdom}} || amazon.co[[.uk]] || {{sort|1998-10|October 1998}}
|
|-
| {{rh2|align=right}} class="rh heading table-rh" | Oceania || {{rh|align=left}} class="table-rh" | {{small|Australia}} || amazon.com[[.au]] || {{sort|2017-11|November 2017}}
|
|}
 
=== Reviews ===
{{See also|Criticism of Amazon#Amazon reviews}}
Amazon allows users to submit reviews to the web page of each product. Reviewers must rate the product on a [[rating scale]] from one to five stars. Amazon provides a badging option for reviewers which indicates the real name of the reviewer (based on confirmation of a credit card account) or which indicates that the reviewer is one of the top reviewers by popularity. As of December 16, 2020, Amazon removed the ability of sellers and customers to comment on product reviews and purged their websites of all posted product review comments. In an email to sellers Amazon gave its rationale for removing this feature: "... ''the comments feature on customer reviews was rarely used''." The remaining review response options are to indicate whether the reader finds the review helpful or to report that it violates Amazon policies (abuse). If a review is given enough "helpful" hits, it appears on the front page of the product. In 2010, Amazon was reported as being the largest single source of Internet consumer reviews.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100503005110/en/2010-Social-Shopping-Study-Reveals-Consumers%E2%80%99-Online |title=2010 Social Shopping Study Reveals Changes in Consumers' Online Shopping Habits and Usage of Customer Reviews |work=the e-tailing group, PowerReviews |publisher=[[Business Wire]] |date=May 3, 2010 |access-date=January 31, 2013}}</ref>
 
When publishers asked Bezos why Amazon would publish negative reviews, he defended the practice by claiming that Amazon.com was "taking a different approach ... we want to make every book available—the good, the bad and the ugly ... to let truth loose".<ref>{{cite book |title=Amazon.com |author=Spector, Robert |year=2002 |page=132}}</ref>
 
There have been cases of positive reviews being written and posted by [[public relations]] companies on behalf of their clients<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cincinnatibeacon.com/index.php?/contents/comments/amazon.com_rave_book_reviews_too_good_to_be_true |title=BEACON SPOTLIGHT: Amazon.com rave book reviews – too good to be true? |work=The Cincinnati Beacon |date=May 25, 2010 |access-date=January 31, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502004404/http://www.cincinnatibeacon.com/index.php?%2Fcontents%2Fcomments%2Famazon.com_rave_book_reviews_too_good_to_be_true |archive-date=May 2, 2014 }}</ref> and instances of writers using pseudonyms to leave negative reviews of their rivals' works.
 
=== Content search ===
"Search Inside the Book" is a feature which allows customers to search for keywords in the full text of many books in the catalog.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com |title=Amazon's online reader ''Search Inside'' reference |date=September 9, 2009 |access-date=August 29, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100828044958/http://www.amazon.com/ |archive-date=August 28, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com |title=''Search Inside'' reference |date=September 9, 2009 |access-date=August 29, 2010}}</ref> The feature started with 120,000 titles (or 33&nbsp;million pages of text) on October 23, 2003.<ref>{{cite web |first=Eric |last=Ward |url=http://www.urlwire.com/news/102203.html |title=Amazon.com Launches "Search Inside the Book" Feature |publisher=Urlwire.com |date=October 23, 2003 |access-date=August 29, 2010}}</ref>
 
=== Third-party sellers ===
Amazon derives many of its sales (around 40% in 2008) from third-party sellers who sell products on Amazon.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stanford.edu/class/ee204/Publications/Amazon-EE353-2008-1.pdf |title=AMAZON ENTERS THE CLOUD COMPUTING BUSINESS |access-date=May 29, 2013}}</ref> Associates receive a commission for referring customers to Amazon by placing links to Amazon on their websites if the referral results in a sale. Worldwide, Amazon has "over 900,000 members" in its affiliate programs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://affiliate-program.amazon.co.uk/gp/associates/join |title=Amazon.co.uk Associates: The web's most popular and successful Affiliate Program |publisher=Affiliate-program.amazon.co.uk |date=July 9, 2010 |access-date=August 29, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080826210540/http://affiliate-program.amazon.co.uk/gp/associates/join |archive-date=August 26, 2008 }}</ref> In the middle of 2014, the Amazon Affiliate Program is used by 1.2% of all websites and it is the second most popular advertising network after Google Ads.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://w3techs.com/technologies/overview/advertising/all |title=Usage of advertising networks for websites |publisher=W3Techs.com |date=July 22, 2014 |access-date=July 22, 2014}}</ref> It is frequently used by websites and non-profits to provide a way for supporters to earn them a commission.<ref>{{cite web |title=14 Easy Fundraising Ideas for Non-Profits |url=http://www.blisstree.com/2009/04/12/sex-relationships/14-easy-fundraising-ideas-for-non-profits/ |website=blisstree.com |access-date=November 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222120701/http://www.blisstree.com/2009/04/12/sex-relationships/14-easy-fundraising-ideas-for-non-profits/ |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 
Associates can access the Amazon catalog directly on their websites by using the [[Amazon Web Services]] (AWS) [[XML]] service. A new affiliate product, aStore, allows Associates to embed a subset of Amazon products within another website, or linked to another website. In June 2010, Amazon Seller Product Suggestions was launched (rumored to be internally called "Project Genesis") to provide more transparency to sellers by recommending specific products to third-party sellers to sell on Amazon. Products suggested are based on customers' browsing history.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amazonservices.com/content/product_alerts.htm?ld=AOguerillaPGJG |title=Amazon Seller Product Suggestions |publisher=Amazonservices.com |access-date=August 29, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205225641/http://www.amazonservices.com/content/product_alerts.htm?ld=AOguerillaPGJG |archive-date=December 5, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2019, Amazon launched a bigger local online store in [[Singapore]] to expand its product selection in the face of intensifying competition with competitors in the region.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-singapore-idUSKBN1WN05N|title=Amazon launches bigger local online store in Singapore|date=October 8, 2019|work=Reuters|access-date=October 8, 2019|language=en}}</ref>
 
In July 2019, the 3rd U.S. City Court of Appeals in Philadelphia ruled that Amazon can be held accountable for faulty third-party sales.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/181041p.pdf |title=UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT. No. 18-1041. HEATHER R. OBERDORF; MICHAEL A. OBERDORF, her husband, Appellants v. AMAZON.COM INC., a Washington Corporation |website=www2.ca3.uscourts.gov}}</ref> The decision ran counter to a past lower court ruling that had favored Amazon. Heather Oberdorf had sued the company in 2016 over a dog leash that snapped, causing permanent loss of vision in one eye. If upheld, the decision would expose Amazon and similar platform businesses to strict liability lawsuits for defective products, which represents a major change in the law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.natlawreview.com/article/supply-chain-decision-online-marketplaces-risk-due-to-federal-court-ruling-oberdorf|title=Supply Chain Decision: Online Marketplaces At Risk Due To Federal Court Ruling in Oberdorf v. Amazon.com Inc.|date=July 22, 2019|website=The National Law Review|access-date=January 31, 2020}}</ref> The panel sent the case back to the lower court, to decide whether the leash was defective.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-liability/amazon-can-be-held-liable-for-third-party-seller-products-u-s-appeals-court-idUSKCN1TY2HM|title=Amazon can be held liable for third-party seller products: U.S. appeals court|date=July 3, 2019|website=Reuters|access-date=January 31, 2020}}</ref>
 
== Amazon sales rank ==
The Amazon sales rank (ASR) indicates the popularity of a product sold on any Amazon locale. It is a relative indicator of popularity that is updated hourly. Effectively, it is a "best sellers list" for the millions of products stocked by Amazon.<ref name="amazon">{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=14101911 |title=Amazon FAQ |website=Amazon |access-date=September 5, 2011}}</ref> While the ASR has no direct effect on the sales of a product, it is used by Amazon to determine which products to include in its bestsellers lists.<ref name="amazon" /> Products that appear in these lists enjoy additional exposure on the Amazon website and this may lead to an increase in sales. In particular, products that experience large jumps (up or down) in their sales ranks may be included within Amazon's lists of "movers and shakers"; such a listing provides additional exposure that might lead to an increase in sales.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/movers-and-shakers |title=Amazon.com Movers and shakers |website=Amazon |access-date=September 5, 2011}}</ref> For competitive reasons, Amazon does not release actual sales figures to the public. However, Amazon has now begun to release [[point of sale]] data via the [[Nielsen BookScan]] service to verified authors.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/help?topicID=200580390 |title=Amazon.com Author Central |access-date=September 5, 2011}}</ref> While the ASR has been the source of much speculation by publishers, manufacturers, and marketers, Amazon itself does not release the details of its sales rank calculation algorithm. Some companies have analyzed Amazon sales data to generate sales estimates based on the ASR,<ref>{{cite web |title=Amazon Sales Estimator |publisher=Jungle Scout |url=http://www.junglescout.com/estimator/ |date=May 15, 2017}}</ref> though Amazon states:
 
{{blockquote|text=Please keep in mind that our sales rank figures are simply meant to be a guide of general interest for the customer and not definitive sales information for publishers—we assume you have this information regularly from your distribution sources|sign=Amazon.com Help<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=14101911 |title=Frequently Asked Questions about Amazon.com |website=Amazon |access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref>}}
 
== Multi-level sales strategy ==
Amazon employs a multi-level e-commerce strategy. Amazon started by focusing on business-to-consumer relationships between itself and its customers and business-to-business relationships between itself and its suppliers and then moved to facilitate customer-to-customer with the [[Amazon Marketplace]] which acts as an intermediary to facilitate transactions. The company lets anyone sell nearly anything using its platform. In addition to an affiliate program that lets anyone post Amazon links and earn a commission on click-through sales, there is now a program that lets those affiliates build entire websites based on Amazon's platform.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://money.howstuffworks.com/amazon2.htm |title=How Amazon Works |access-date=December 15, 2011|date=January 25, 2006 }}</ref>
 
Some other large e-commerce sellers use Amazon to sell their products in addition to selling them through their websites. The sales are processed through Amazon.com and end up at individual sellers for processing and order fulfillment and Amazon leases space for these retailers. Small sellers of used and new goods go to Amazon Marketplace to offer goods at a fixed price.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=743056 |title=Help |website=Amazon |access-date=December 16, 2011}}</ref>
 
In November 2015, Amazon opened a physical Amazon Books store in [[University Village, Seattle|University Village]] in Seattle. The store is 5,500 square feet and prices for all products match those on its website.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-plans-hundreds-of-brick-and-mortar-bookstores-mall-ceo-says-1454449475|title=Amazon Plans Hundreds of Brick-and-Mortar Bookstores, Mall CEO Says|last=Bensinger|first=Greg|date=February 2, 2016|work=Wall Street Journal|access-date=February 20, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0099-9660}}</ref> Amazon will open its tenth physical book store in 2017;<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.recode.net/2017/3/8/14850324/amazon-books-store-bellevue-mall-expansion |title=Amazon just confirmed its 10th book store, signaling this is way more than an experiment |first=Jason Del |last=Rey |date=March 8, 2017 |website=Recode}}</ref> media speculation suggests Amazon plans to eventually roll out 300 to 400 bookstores around the country.<ref name=":1" />
 
In June 2018, it was reported that Amazon planned to open brick and mortar bookstores in Germany.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.faz.net/1.5347928 |title=Einzelhandel: Amazon plant Offline-Filialen in Deutschland |access-date=June 4, 2018 |newspaper=Faz.net}}</ref>
 
In September 2020, Amazon launched Luxury Stores on its mobile app, where [[Oscar de la Renta]] become the first and only label to partner with the firm.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/01/media/google-news-publishers-payments/index.html|title=Amazon Launches Luxury Stores on Its Mobile App With Oscar de la Renta as First Brand Partner|access-date=September 15, 2020|website=Vogue}}</ref>
 
== Finances ==
Amazon.com is primarily a retail site with a sales revenue model; Amazon takes a small percentage of the sale price of each item that is sold through its website while also allowing companies to advertise their products by paying to be listed as featured products.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://marketingteacher.com/swot/amazon-swot.html |title=SWOT Analysis Amazon |access-date=December 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203164606/http://www.marketingteacher.com/swot/amazon-swot.html |archive-date=December 3, 2011 }}</ref> {{as of|2018}}, Amazon.com is ranked 8th on the [[Fortune 500]] rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fortune.com/fortune500/list/ |title=Fortune 500 Companies 2018: Who Made the List |website=Fortune |language=en-US |access-date=November 9, 2018}}</ref>
 
For the fiscal year 2018, Amazon reported earnings of US$10.07&nbsp;billion, with an annual revenue of US$232.887&nbsp;billion, an increase of 30.9% over the previous fiscal cycle. Since 2007 sales increased from 14.835&nbsp;billion to 232.887&nbsp;billion, thanks to continued business expansion.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/266282/annual-net-revenue-of-amazoncom/ |title=Amazon: annual revenue 2017|website=Statista |language=en |access-date=November 7, 2018}}</ref>
 
Amazon's market capitalization went over US$1&nbsp;trillion again in early February 2020 after the announcement of the fourth quarter 2019 results.<ref name="4Q 2020">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/30/technology/amazon-earningts.html/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130220018/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/30/technology/amazon-earningts.html |archive-date=2020-01-30 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Amazon Powers Ahead With Robust Profit|date=January 30, 2020 |last=Streitfeld |first=David |work=[[The New York Times]] |language=en-US |access-date=February 2, 2020}}</ref>
 
{| class="wikitable float-left" style="text-align: right;"
|-
!Year
!Revenue<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/amzn/revenue-eps |title=Amazon.com, Inc. Common Stock (AMZN) |website=[[Nasdaq]]}}</ref><br />in mil. USD$
!Net income<br />in mil. USD$
!Total Assets<br />in mil. USD$
!Employees
|-
|1995<ref name="auto3">{{cite web |url=https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0001018724/566f6509-4b15-4cd4-929a-1cba79f822b2.pdf |website=Amazon 1997 10K |access-date=17 May 2022}}</ref>
|0.5
|−0.3
|1.1
|
|-
|1996<ref name="auto3"/>
|16
|−6
|8
|
|-
|1997<ref name="auto3"/>
|148
|−28
|149
|614
|-
|1998<ref name="auto2">{{cite web |title=2002 Amazon 10K |url=https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0001018724/fae0d139-777f-489f-8e63-c97285413f9d.pdf |access-date=17 May 2022}}</ref>
|610
|−124
|648
|2,100
|-
|1999<ref name="auto2"/>
|1,639
|−720
|2,466
|7,600
|-
|2000<ref name="auto2"/>
|2,761
|−1,411
|2,135
|9,000
|-
|2001<ref name="auto2"/>
|3,122
|−567
|1,638
|7,800
|-
|2002<ref name="auto2"/>
|3,932
|−149
|1,990
|7,500
|-
|2003<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://ir.aboutamazon.com/static-files/56afc458-02b3-4938-9918-85d610d6f146|title=2007 Annual Report|website=Ir.aboutamazon.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113172626/https://ir.aboutamazon.com/static-files/56afc458-02b3-4938-9918-85d610d6f146|archive-date=January 13, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|5,263
|35
|2,162
|7,800
|-
|2004<ref name="auto1"/>
|6,921
|588
|3,248
|9,000
|-
|2005<ref name="auto1"/>
|8,490
|359
|3,696
|12,000
|-
|2006<ref name="auto1"/>
|10,711
|190
|4,363
|13,900
|-
|2007<ref name="auto1"/>
|14,835
|476
|6,485
|17,000
|-
|2008<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ir.aboutamazon.com/static-files/e1846da7-9425-42d9-add7-84218d7ee5e7|title=2008 Annual Report|website=Ir.aboutamazon.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113172626/https://ir.aboutamazon.com/static-files/e1846da7-9425-42d9-add7-84218d7ee5e7|archive-date=January 13, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|19,166
|645
|8,314
|20,700
|-
|2009<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ir.aboutamazon.com/static-files/f793debb-dc0a-4edf-a56d-9ff739d53b41|title=2009 Annual Report|website=Ir.aboutamazon.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113172626/https://ir.aboutamazon.com/static-files/f793debb-dc0a-4edf-a56d-9ff739d53b41|archive-date=January 13, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|24,509
|902
|13,813
|24,300
|-
|2010<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ir.aboutamazon.com/static-files/6f3c99ed-5094-4fed-a9ad-e18cdbf37478|title=2010 Annual Report|website=Ir.aboutamazon.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111000053/https://ir.aboutamazon.com/static-files/6f3c99ed-5094-4fed-a9ad-e18cdbf37478|archive-date=November 11, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|34,204
|1,152
|18,797
|33,700
|-
|2011<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ir.aboutamazon.com/static-files/02a49fbe-6860-4ed7-ade4-905bcf16a5e1|title=2011 Annual Report|website=Ir.aboutamazon.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111000117/https://ir.aboutamazon.com/static-files/02a49fbe-6860-4ed7-ade4-905bcf16a5e1|archive-date=November 11, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|48,077
|631
|25,278
|56,200
|-
|2012<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ir.aboutamazon.com/static-files/28bfea7a-7b18-4ab0-ba03-581c6ccaa3a4|title=2012 Annual Report|website=Ir.aboutamazon.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113172625/https://ir.aboutamazon.com/static-files/28bfea7a-7b18-4ab0-ba03-581c6ccaa3a4|archive-date=January 13, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|61,093
|−39
|32,555
|88,400
|-
|2013<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ir.aboutamazon.com/static-files/1be0475a-fcab-4826-9258-17f11c208487|title=2013 Annual Report|website=Ir.aboutamazon.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113172625/https://ir.aboutamazon.com/static-files/1be0475a-fcab-4826-9258-17f11c208487|archive-date=January 13, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|74,452
|274
|40,159
|117,300
|-
|2014<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/29/amazon-reports-89b-in-sales-2014|title=Amazon reports $89bn in sales last year as shares jump 11% after hours|last=Neate|first=Rupert|date=January 29, 2015|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|language=en|access-date=November 7, 2018}}</ref>
|88,988
|−241
|54,505
|154,100
|-
|2015<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2016/biz/news/amazon-clocks-107-billion-in-revenue-in-2015-1201691106/|title=Amazon Clocks $107 Billion In Revenue In 2015|last=Roettgers|first=Janko|date=January 28, 2016|website=Variety.com|access-date=November 7, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>
|107,006
|596
|64,747
|230,800
|-
|2016<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/amazon-revenues-hit-by-stronger-dollar-miss-wall-street-expectations/|title=Amazon sales hit $136B in 2016; dollar hurts overseas business|date=February 2, 2017|work=The Seattle Times|access-date=November 7, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>
|135,987
|2,371
|83,402
|341,400
|-
|2017<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-42911123|title=Amazon 2017 sales jump by nearly a third|date=February 1, 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=November 7, 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref>
|177,866
|3,033
|131,310
|566,000
|-
|2018<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReports/PDF/NASDAQ_AMZN_2018.pdf|title=2018 Annual Report}}</ref>
|232,887
|10,073
|162,648
|647,500
|-
|2019<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ir.aboutamazon.com/files/doc_financials/2020/ar/2019-Annual-Report.pdf|title=2019 Annual Report}}</ref>
|280,522
|11,588
|225,248
|798,000
|-
|2020<ref>{{cite web|title=Amazon.com Announces Fourth Quarter Results|url=https://ir.aboutamazon.com/news-release/news-release-details/2021/Amazon.com-Announces-Fourth-Quarter-Results/default.aspx|access-date=February 10, 2021|website=ir.aboutamazon.com|language=en-US}}</ref>
|386,064
|21,331
|321,195
|1,298,000
|-
|2021
|469,822
|33,364
|420,549
|1,608,000
|}
 
== Controversies ==
{{Main|Criticism of Amazon}}
{{multiple issues|
{{Split portions|existing=y|portions=sections about criticism of Amazon|Criticism of Amazon|date=January 2021}}
{{Undue weight section|date=August 2021}}
|}}
 
Since its founding, the company has attracted criticism and controversy for its actions, including: supplying law enforcement with facial recognition surveillance tools;<ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/05/22/amazon-is-selling-facial-recognition-to-law-enforcement-for-a-fistful-of-dollars/|title=Amazon is selling facial recognition to law enforcement — for a fistful of dollars|date=May 22, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> forming cloud computing partnerships with the [[CIA]];<ref name="vanity-fair">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/08/has-bezos-become-more-powerful-in-dc-than-trump|title="Everybody immediately knew that it was for Amazon": Has Bezos become more powerful in DC than Trump?|first=May|last=Jeong|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=August 13, 2018|access-date=September 14, 2018}}</ref> leading customers away from bookshops;<ref>{{cite news |title=Amazon Lure's Shoppers Away from Stores |first=Nick |last=Leiber |url=http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/running_small_business/archives/2011/12/amazon_turns_shops_into_showrooms_with_new_app.html |newspaper=Bloomberg BusinessWeek |date=December 7, 2011 |access-date=December 7, 2011}}</ref> adversely impacting the environment;<ref name=Cavaillez /> placing a low priority on warehouse conditions for workers; actively opposing unionization efforts;<ref>{{cite news |last1=Matsakis |first1=Louise |title=Why Amazon Really Raised Its Minimum Wage to $15 |url=https://www.wired.com/story/why-amazon-really-raised-minimum-wage/ |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=October 2, 2018}}</ref> remotely deleting content purchased by Amazon Kindle users; taking public subsidies; seeking to patent its [[1-Click]] technology; engaging in anti-competitive actions and [[price discrimination]];<ref name=":6" /><ref name="baum">{{cite news |last1=Baum |first1=Andrew |title=Amazon Wins Ruling on Results for Searches on Brands It Doesn't Sell |url=http://www.natlawreview.com/article/amazon-wins-ruling-results-searches-brands-it-doesn-t-sell |access-date=December 21, 2015 |work=The National Law Review |publisher=Foley & Lardner |date=October 23, 2015}}</ref> and reclassifying [[LGBT]] books as adult content.<ref>{{cite web |last=Slatterly |first=Brennon |title=Amazon 'Glitch' Yanks Sales Rank of Hundreds of LGBT Books |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/162996/amazon_glitch_yanks_sales_rank_of_hundreds_of_lgbt_books.html |work=PC World |date=April 13, 2009 |access-date=July 28, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Armstrong |first=Paul |title=Amazon: 'Glitch' caused gay censorship error |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/04/14/amazon.gay.lesbian.ranking/ |publisher=CNN |access-date=May 17, 2020 |date=April 14, 2009}}</ref> Criticism has also concerned various decisions over whether to censor or publish content such as the [[WikiLeaks]] website, works containing [[Defamation|libel]] and material facilitating [[Dog fighting|dogfight]], [[cockfight]], or [[pedophilia|pedophile]] activities. In December 2011, Amazon faced a backlash from small businesses for running a one-day deal to promote its new Price Check app. Shoppers who used the app to check prices in a brick-and-mortar store were offered a 5% discount to purchase the same item from Amazon.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2011/12/20/groupon-launches-anti-amazon-promotion-of-sorts/|title=Groupon Launches Anti-Amazon Promotion of Sorts|last=Raice|first=Shayndi|date=December 20, 2011|website=WSJ|language=en-US|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref> Companies like [[Groupon]], [[eBay]] and Taap.it countered Amazon's promotion by offering $10 off from their products.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.internetretailer.com/commentary/2011/12/22/while-some-still-cry-others-fight-back |title=Focus on Mobile Commerce – While some still cry, others fight back |work=Internet Retailer |access-date=February 1, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2011/12/20/what-can-retailers-learn-from-amazon-groupon-and-ebay |title=What can retailers learn from Amazon, Groupon and eBay? – Mobile Commerce Daily – Multichannel retail support |work=Mobile Commerce Daily |date=December 20, 2011 |access-date=February 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207203932/http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2011/12/20/what-can-retailers-learn-from-amazon-groupon-and-ebay |archive-date=February 7, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
 
The company has also faced accusations of putting undue pressure on suppliers to maintain and extend its profitability. One effort to squeeze the most vulnerable book publishers was known within the company as the Gazelle Project, after Bezos suggested, according to [[Brad Stone (journalist)|Brad Stone]], "that Amazon should approach these small publishers the way a cheetah would pursue a sickly gazelle."<ref name="New Yorker" /> In July 2014, the [[Federal Trade Commission]] launched a lawsuit against the company alleging it was promoting in-app purchases to children, which were being transacted without parental consent.<ref>{{cite web |title=Complaint, Federal Trade Commission v. Amazon.com, Inc. |url=https://www.pacermonitor.com/view/FGNCSIQ/Federal_Trade_Commission_v_Amazoncom_Inc__wawdce-14-01038__0001.0.pdf |website=PacerMonitor |publisher=PacerMonitor |access-date=June 16, 2016}}</ref> In 2019, Amazon banned selling [[Skin whitening|skin-lightening]] and [[Racism|racist]] products that might affect the consumer's health.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-skin-lightening-products-with-high-mercury-levels/|title=Amazon pulls "racist" skin-lightening products|website=www.cbsnews.com|language=en-US|access-date=November 24, 2019}}</ref> In 2022, a lawsuit filed by state attorney-general Letitia James was dismissed by the New York state court of appeals.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reuters |date=2022-05-10 |title=Amazon.com wins dismissal of NY attorney general lawsuit over worker safety |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/appeals-court-dismisses-new-york-lawsuit-against-amazoncom-over-worker-safety-2022-05-10/ |access-date=2022-05-10}}</ref>
 
===Environmental impact===
In 2018, Amazon emitted 44.4&nbsp;million metric tons of [[carbon dioxide|{{CO2}}]].<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 17, 2020|title=Jeff Bezos commits $10 billion to address climate change|author=Karen Weise|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/17/technology/jeff-bezos-climate-change-earth-fund.html}}</ref>
 
In November 2018, a community action group opposed the construction permit delivered to [[Goodman Group]] for the construction of a {{convert|160000|m2|sqft}} logistics platform Amazon will operate at [[Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport]]. In February 2019, [[:fr:Étienne Tête|Étienne Tête]] filed a request on behalf of a second regional community action group asking the administrative court to decide whether the platform served a sufficiently important public interest to justify its environmental impact. Construction has been suspended while these matters are decided.<ref name=Cavaillez>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Le Progrès]]|url=https://www.leprogres.fr/rhone-69-edition-lyon-metropole/2019/03/05/plateforme-logistique-amazon-bras-de-fer-dans-l-est-lyonnais|title=Plateforme logistique Amazon : bras de fer dans l'Est lyonnais|author=Jean-Philippe Cavaillez|date=March 5, 2019|page=10|language=fr}}</ref>
 
In September 2019, Amazon workers organized a walk-out as part of the [[Global Climate Strike of September 2019|Global Climate Strike]].<ref name=":4">{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/20/tech/amazon-climate-strike-global-tech/index.html|title=Amazon workers walk out to protest climate change inaction|author=Ahiza Garcia|website=CNN|access-date=February 6, 2020}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/9/20/20874497/amazon-climate-change-walkout-google-microsoft-strike-tech-activism|title=Here's why the Amazon climate walkout is a big deal|last=Ghaffary|first=Shirin|date=September 20, 2019|website=Vox|language=en|access-date=February 6, 2020}}</ref> An internal group called [[Amazon Employees For Climate Justice|Amazon Employees for Climate Justice]] said over 1,800 employees in 25 cities and 14 countries committed to participating in the action to protest Amazon's environmental impact and inaction to [[Global warming|climate change]].<ref name=":4" /> This group of workers petitioned Jeff Bezos and Amazon with three specific demands: to stop donating to politicians and [[Lobbying|lobbyists]] that [[Climate change denial|deny climate change]], to stop working with [[fossil fuel]] companies to accelerate oil and gas extraction, and to achieve zero [[carbon emissions]] by 2030.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-walkout-climate-change/|title=Amazon Employees Will Walk Out Over Climate Change Inaction|last=Matsakis|first=Louise|date=September 9, 2019|magazine=Wired|access-date=February 6, 2020|language=en|issn=1059-1028}}</ref><ref name=":5" />
 
Amazon has introduced the Shipment Zero program, however, Shipment Zero has only committed to reducing 50% of its shipments to net-zero by 2030. Also, even that 50% does not necessarily mean a decrease in emissions compared to current levels given Amazon's rate of growth in orders.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@amazonemployeesclimatejustice/amazon-employees-are-joining-the-global-climate-walkout-9-20-9bfa4cbb1ce3|title=Amazon employees are joining the Global Climate Walkout, 9/20|first=Amazon Employees for Climate|last=Justice|date=September 20, 2019|website=Medium}}</ref>
 
That said, Amazon's CEO has also signed the Climate Pledge, in which Amazon would meet the Paris climate agreement goals 10 years ahead of schedule, and would be carbon-neutral by 2040. Besides this pledge, it also ordered 100,000 electric delivery trucks from [[Rivian]].<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/17/technology/jeff-bezos-climate-change-earth-fund.html|title=Jeff Bezos Commits $10 Billion to Address Climate Change|first=Karen|last=Weise|date=February 17, 2020|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> In September 2021, signatories of Amazon Environmental Pledge reached 200.<ref>{{cite web|date=2021-09-20|title=The Climate Pledge announces 86 new signatories|url=https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/sustainability/the-climate-pledge-announces-86-new-signatories|access-date=2021-10-29|website=US About Amazon|language=en}}</ref> According to the report, signatories of pledge are from 16 countries, 25 industries.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Climate Pledge|url=https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/about/the-climate-pledge|access-date=2021-10-29|website=Sustainability - US|language=en}}</ref>
 
Amazon funds both climate denial groups including the [[Competitive Enterprise Institute]] and politicians denying climate change including [[Jim Inhofe]].<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Root|first1=Tik|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/10/climate/nyt-climate-newsletter-cei.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710185008/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/10/climate/nyt-climate-newsletter-cei.html |archive-date=2019-07-10 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Following the Money That Undermines Climate Science|date=July 10, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 7, 2020|last2=Friedman|first2=Lisa|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|last3=Tabuchi|first3=Hiroko}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://popular.info/p/these-corporations-are-quietly-bankrolling|title=These corporations are quietly bankrolling Congress' top climate denier|last=Legum|first=Judd|website=popular.info|access-date=February 7, 2020}}</ref>
 
Amazon considered making an option for Prime customers to have packages delivered at the most efficient and environmentally-friendly time (allowing the company to combine shipments with the same destination) but decided against it out of fear customers might reduce purchases.<ref name="day">{{cite news |author=Matt Day |date=March 7, 2020 |title=Amazon nixed 'green' shipping proposal to avoid alienating shoppers |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon-nixed-green-shipping-proposal-to-avoid-alienating-shoppers/ |agency=Bloomberg}}</ref> Since 2019, the company has instead offered customers an "Amazon Day" option, where all orders are delivered on the same day, emphasizing customer convenience, and it occasionally offers Prime customers credits in return for selecting slower and less expensive shipping options.<ref name="day" />
 
In May 2022, Amazon announced a $10.6 million commitment to help build and renovate 130 affordable homes with Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) and support the social work of the local nonprofit CrossBridge in Nashville. Since 2020, amazon has committed more than $94 million to affordable housing projects in Nashville. The commitment is part of the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, a $2 billion commitment to create and preserve 20,000 affordable homes.<ref>{{cite journal|date=5 May 2022|url= https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220504005473/en|title=Amazon Commits $10.6 Million to Create 130 Affordable Homes and Expand Social Services in Nashville, Bringing Total Commitment in Local Affordable Housing to Nearly $100 Million|journal=Business Wire|access-date=6 May 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>
 
=== The Solimo Strategy ===
 
In October 2021, based on several leaked internal documents, Reuters reported<ref name="kalrastecklow">{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/amazon-india-rigging/ |title=Amazon copied products and rigged search results to promote its own brands, documents show |work=Reuters |last1=Kalra |first1=Aditya |last2=Stecklow |first2=Steve |date=October 13, 2021 |access-date=October 21, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> that Amazon systematically harvested and studied data about their sellers' products' market performance, and used those data to identify lucrative markets and ultimately launch Amazon's replacement products in India. The data included information about returns, the sizing of clothing ''down to the neck circumference and sleeve length'', and the volume of product views on their website. Rivals' market performance data are not available to Amazon's sellers. The strategy also involved tweaking the search results to favor Amazon's knock-off products. The Solimo Strategy's impact had a reach well beyond India: hundreds of Solimo branded household items, from [[multivitamin]]s to [[coffee pod]]s, are available in the US. One of the victims of the Solimo Strategy is the clothing brand John Miller, owned by India's 'retail king' [[Kishore Biyani]].
 
=== Selling counterfeit, unsafe and discarded items ===
The selling of counterfeit products by Amazon has attracted widespread notice, with both purchases marked as being fulfilled by third parties and those shipped directly from Amazon warehouses being found to be counterfeit. This has included some products sold directly by Amazon itself and marked as "ships from and sold by Amazon.com".<ref name="wapo">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/11/14/how-amazons-quest-more-cheaper-products-has-resulted-flea-market-fakes/ |title=How Amazon's quest for more, cheaper products has resulted in a flea market of fakes |first=Jay |last=Greene |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=November 14, 2019 |access-date=May 28, 2020}}</ref> Counterfeit charging cables sold on Amazon as purported Apple products have been found to be a fire hazard.<ref name="gma">{{cite web |url=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/living/story/gma-investigates-inexpensive-lightning-cables-harm-phone-54920478|title='GMA' Investigates: Inexpensive lightning cables that could harm your phone|work=[[Good Morning America]] |access-date=May 28, 2020 |date=May 4, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Ganda |last=Suthivarakom |title=What to Do If You Think Your Amazon Purchase Is a Fake |url=https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/what-to-do-amazon-purchase-fake/ |website=[[Wirecutter (website)|Wirecutter]] |publisher=[[The New York Times Company]] |access-date=May 28, 2020 |date=February 11, 2020}}</ref> Such counterfeits have included a wide array of products, from big ticket items to every day items such as tweezers, gloves,<ref name="wsj">{{cite news |first=Ganda |last=Suthivarakom |title=Welcome to the Era of Fake Products |url=https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/amazon-counterfeit-fake-products/ |website=[[Wirecutter (website)|Wirecutter]] |publisher=[[The New York Times Company]] |access-date=May 28, 2020 |date=February 11, 2020}}</ref> and umbrellas.<ref>{{cite news |first=Daniel |last=Varghese|title=Bogus Umbrellas, Towels, and Luggage Zippers: New This Week |url=https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/bogus-umbrellas-bath-towels-luggage-zippers/ |website=[[Wirecutter (website)|Wirecutter]] |publisher=[[The New York Times Company]] |access-date=May 28, 2020 |date=May 25, 2018}}</ref> More recently, this has spread to Amazon's newer grocery services.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Palmer |first1=Annie |title=Amazon is shipping expired food, from baby formula to old beef jerky, scaring consumers and putting big brands at risk |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/20/amazon-is-shipping-expired-baby-formula-and-other-out-of-date-foods.html |website=[[CNBC]] |access-date=May 28, 2020 |language=en |date=October 20, 2019}}</ref> Counterfeiting was reported to be especially a problem for artists and small businesses whose products were being rapidly copied for sale on the site.<ref>{{cite news |first=Ari |last=Levi |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/05/25/amazon-counterfeiters-wreak-havoc-on-artists-and-small-businesses.html |title=Amazon counterfeiters wreak havoc on artists and small businesses |website=[[CNBC]] |date=May 26, 2016 |access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref>
 
One Amazon business practice that encourages counterfeiting is that, by default, seller accounts on Amazon are set to use "commingled inventory". With this practice, the goods that a seller sends to Amazon are mixed with those of the producer of the product and with those of all other sellers that supply what is supposed to be the same product.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://consumerist.com/2014/05/12/does-amazons-inventory-commingling-help-fake-products-fly-under-the-radar/ |work=[[Consumerist.com|Consumerist]] |first=Mary Beth |last=Quirk |title=Does Amazon's Inventory Commingling Help Fake Products Fly Under The Radar? |date=May 12, 2014 |access-date=August 30, 2020}}</ref>
 
In June 2019, ''[[BuzzFeed]]'' reported that some products identified on the site as "Amazon's choice" were low quality, had a history of customer complaints, and exhibited evidence of product review manipulation.<ref>{{cite web |first=Nicole |last=Nguyen |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nicolenguyen/amazons-choice-bad-products |title='Amazon's Choice' Does Not Necessarily Mean A Product Is Good |website=[[BuzzFeed News]] |date=June 14, 2019 |access-date=August 30, 2020}}</ref>
 
In August 2019, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' reported that they had found more than 4,000 items for sale on Amazon's site that had been declared unsafe by federal agencies, had misleading labels or had been banned by federal regulators.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-has-ceded-control-of-its-site-the-result-thousands-of-banned-unsafe-or-mislabeled-products-11566564990?shareToken=stf528a8da601e4017bdfc2faa508e09a2 |title=Amazon Has Ceded Control of Its Site. The Result: Thousands of Banned, Unsafe or Mislabeled Products |first1=Alexandra |last1=Berzon |first2=Shane |last2=Shifflett |first3=Justin |last3=Scheck |date=August 23, 2019 |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |access-date=August 30, 2020}}</ref>
 
In the wake of the ''WSJ'' investigation, three U.S. senators{{snd}} [[Richard Blumenthal]], [[Ed Markey]], and [[Bob Menendez]]{{snd}}sent an open letter to Jeff Bezos demanding him to take action about the selling of unsafe items on the site. The letter said that "Unquestionably, Amazon is falling short of its commitment to keeping safe those consumers who use its massive platform."<ref name=SenatorsAsk/> The letter included several questions about the company's practices and gave Bezos a deadline to respond by September 29, 2019, saying "We call on you to immediately remove from the platform all the problematic products examined in the recent ''WSJ'' report; explain how you are going about this process; conduct a sweeping internal investigation of your enforcement and consumer safety policies; and institute changes that will continue to keep unsafe products off your platform."<ref name=SenatorsAsk>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/29/senators-ask-jeff-bezos-to-crack-down-on-unsafe-products-on-amazon.html |website=[[CNBC]] |first=Annie |last=Palmer |title=Senators ask Jeff Bezos to crackdown on thousands of unsafe products on Amazon |date=August 29, 2019 |access-date=August 30, 2020}}</ref> Earlier in the same month, senators Blumenthal and Menendez had sent Bezos a letter about the ''BuzzFeed'' report.<ref name=SenatorsAsk/>
 
In December 2019, ''The Wall Street Journal'' reported that some people were literally retrieving trash out of dumpsters and selling it as new products on Amazon. The reporters ran an experiment and determined that it was easy for a seller to set up an account and sell cleaned up junk as new products. In addition to trash, sellers were obtaining inventory from [[clearance bin]]s, [[thrift store]]s, and [[pawn shop]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/you-might-be-buying-trash-on-amazonliterally-11576599910?mod=e2twd |title=You Might Be Buying Trash on Amazon – Literally |date=December 18, 2019 |first1=Khadeeja |last1=Safdar |first2=Shane |last2=Shifflett |first3=Denise |last3=Blostein |access-date=August 29, 2020 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.komando.com/news/amazon-sells-literal-trash/697331/ |work=[[Komando.com]] |first=Mark |last=Jones |title=Shocking report finds dumpster divers selling trash on Amazon |date=December 19, 2019 |access-date=August 29, 2020}}</ref>
 
In August 2020, an appeals court in California ruled that Amazon can be held liable for unsafe products sold on its website. A Californian had bought a replacement laptop battery that caught fire and caused her to sustain [[third-degree burn]]s.<ref>{{cite news |title=California court rules Amazon can be liable for defective goods sold on its marketplace |url= https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/13/amazon-can-be-held-liable-for-faulty-goods-court-rules.html |first=Annie |last=Palmer |date=August 13, 2020 |access-date=August 29, 2020 |website=[[CNBC]] }}</ref>
 
=== Rigged search results ===
Reuters has reported<ref name="kalrastecklow"/> that Amazon has rigged its product search results to favor its brand in India. According to the article, leaked internal strategy documents show that Amazon has systematically manipulated its search results such that Amazon's brand products appear in the first three search results, leading customers to purchase those instead of other sellers' products on the platform. The company employed two tactics: search seeding and search sparkles. By search seeding, Amazon boosted the rankings of its own branded goods. By search sparkles, the company inserted promotions of their brands into broad category searches.
 
=== Tax avoidance ===
{{Main|Amazon tax}}
Amazon's tax affairs were investigated in China, Germany, Poland, South Korea, France, Japan, Ireland, Singapore, Luxembourg, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, and Portugal.<ref>{{cite news|date=April 5, 2012|title=Amazon investigated by UK authorities over tax avoidance|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/amazon-investigated-uk-authorities-over-tax-avoidance-7622019.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510183638/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/amazon-investigated-uk-authorities-over-tax-avoidance-7622019.html |archive-date=2021-05-10 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|access-date=February 14, 2021|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref> According to a report released by [[Fair Tax Mark]] in 2019, Amazon is the worst offender of tax avoidance, having paid a 12% effective tax rate between 2010 and 2018, in contrast with 35% corporate tax rate in the US during the same period. Amazon countered that it had a 24% effective tax rate during the same period.<ref>{{cite web|last=Neate|first=Rupert|date=December 2, 2019|title=New study deems Amazon worst for 'aggressive' tax avoidance|url=http://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/dec/02/new-study-deems-amazon-worst-for-aggressive-tax-avoidance|access-date=February 14, 2021|website=[[The Guardian]]|language=en}}</ref>
 
===Comments by Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders===
In early 2018, President [[Donald Trump]] repeatedly criticized Amazon's use of the [[United States Postal Service]] and its prices for the delivery of packages, stating, "I am right about Amazon costing the United States Post Office massive amounts of money for being their Delivery Boy," Trump tweeted. "Amazon should pay these costs (plus) and not have them {{Sic|bourne}} by the American Taxpayer."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/03/amazon-shares-turn-negative-after-trump-bashes-company-for-a-fourth-time-in-a-week.html |title=Amazon shares turn negative after Trump bashes company for a fourth time in a week |last=Franck |first=Thomas |date=April 3, 2018 |work=CNBC|access-date=April 3, 2018}}</ref> Amazon's shares fell by 6 percent as a result of Trump's comments. [[Shepard Smith]] of [[Fox News]] disputed Trump's claims and pointed to evidence that the USPS was offering below-market prices to all customers with no advantage to Amazon. However, analyst Tom Forte pointed to the fact that Amazon's payments to the USPS are not made public and that their contract has a reputation for being "a sweetheart deal".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-trump/amazon-shares-fall-6-percent-as-trump-renews-attack-idUSKCN1H9185 |title=Amazon shares fall 6 percent as Trump renews attack |work=Reuters |access-date=April 3, 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://thehill.com/homenews/media/381542-foxs-shep-smith-fact-checks-trumps-amazon-claims-none-of-that-was-true |title=Fox's Shep Smith fact-checks Trump's Amazon claims: 'None of that was true' |last=Manchester |first=Julia |work=The Hill|access-date=April 3, 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref>
 
Throughout the summer of 2018, Vermont Senator [[Bernie Sanders]] criticized Amazon's wages and working conditions in a series of [[YouTube]] videos and media appearances. He also pointed to the fact that Amazon had paid no federal income tax in the previous year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inlander.com/spokane/workers-describe-pressures-at-amazon-warehouses-as-sen-bernie-sanders-gears-up-to-make-the-corporation-pay/Content?oid=12226281|title=Workers describe pressures at Amazon warehouses as Bernie Sanders gears up to make the corporation pay|first=Samantha|last=Wohlfeil|publisher=Inlander|date=September 6, 2018|access-date=September 22, 2018}}</ref> Sanders solicited stories from Amazon warehouse workers who felt exploited by the company.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/story/truth-about-amazon-food-stamps-tax-breaks/|title=Bernie Sanders and the Truth About Amazon, Food Stamps, and Tax Breaks|last=Matsakis|first=Louise|date=September 6, 2018|magazine=Wired|access-date=February 20, 2019|issn=1059-1028}}</ref> One such story, by [[James Bloodworth (journalist)|James Bloodworth]], described the environment as akin to "a low-security prison" and stated that the company's culture used an Orwellian [[newspeak]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/sep/17/amazon-warehouse-bernie-sanders|title=I worked in an Amazon warehouse. Bernie Sanders is right to target them|first=James|last=Bloodworth|newspaper=The Guardian|date=September 17, 2018|access-date=September 22, 2018}}</ref> These reports cited a finding by New Food Economy that one third of fulfilment center workers in Arizona were on the [[Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program]] (SNAP).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/5/17819450/bernie-sanders-stop-bezos-amazon-worker-pay-corporate-welfare-tax-bill|title=Bernie Sanders introduces "Stop BEZOS" bill to tax Amazon for underpaying workers|first=Adi|last=Robertson|website=The Verge|date=September 5, 2018|access-date=September 14, 2018}}</ref> Responses by Amazon included incentives for employees to tweet positive stories and a statement which called the salary figures used by Sanders "inaccurate and misleading". The statement also charged that it was inappropriate for him to refer to SNAP as "food stamps".<ref name=":2" /> On September 5, 2018, Sanders along with [[Ro Khanna]] introduced the Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies (Stop [[Jeff Bezos|BEZOS]]) Act aimed at Amazon and other alleged beneficiaries of [[corporate welfare]] such as [[Walmart]], [[McDonald's]] and [[Uber]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bernie-sanders-amazon-walmart-with-100-tax/|title=Bernie Sanders targets Amazon, Walmart with 100% tax|first=Kate|last=Gibson|publisher=CBS|date=September 5, 2018|access-date=September 14, 2018}}</ref> Among the bill's supporters were [[Tucker Carlson]] of [[Fox News]] and [[Matt Taibbi]] who criticized himself and other journalists for not covering Amazon's contribution to wealth inequality earlier.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tucker-carlson-bernie-sanders-food-stamps_us_5b895651e4b0511db3d7aa34|title=Why Bernie Sanders and Tucker Carlson agree on food stamps|first=Arthur|last=Delaney|work=The Huffington Post|date=August 31, 2018|access-date=September 14, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/bernie-sanders-amazon-bezos-725282/|title=Bernie Sanders' Anti-Amazon Bill is an Indictment of the Media, Too|first=Matt|last=Taibbi|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=September 18, 2018|access-date=September 22, 2018}}</ref>
 
On October 2, 2018, Amazon announced that its minimum wage for all American employees would be raised to $15 per hour. Sanders congratulated the company for making this decision.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/2/17927478/amazon-minimum-wage-15-dollars-increase-bernie-sanders|title=Amazon raises minimum wage to $15 for all 350,000 US workers following criticism|first=Jon|last=Porter|website=The Verge|date=October 2, 2018|access-date=October 20, 2018}}</ref>
 
=== Opposition to trade unions ===
{{main|Amazon worker organization}}
[[File:Anti-Amazon sticker.jpg|thumb|A sticker expressing an anti-Amazon message is pictured on the back of a street sign in Seattle.]]
Amazon has opposed efforts by [[trade union]]s to organize in both the United States and the United Kingdom. In 2001, 850 employees in Seattle were laid off by Amazon.com after a unionization drive. The Washington Alliance of Technological Workers (WashTech) accused the company of violating union laws and claimed Amazon managers subjected them to intimidation and heavy propaganda. Amazon denied any link between the unionization effort and layoffs.<ref name="Independent">{{cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20010203/ai_n14364804|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410033727/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20010203/ai_n14364804|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 10, 2008|title=Short shrift for unions in Amazon's silicon jungle – Independent, The (London) – Find Articles at BNET.com|date=April 10, 2008|access-date=September 23, 2017}}</ref> Also in 2001, Amazon.co.uk hired a US management consultancy organization, [[The Burke Group]], to assist in defeating a campaign by the [[Graphical, Paper and Media Union]] (GPMU, now part of [[Unite the Union]]) to achieve recognition in the [[Milton Keynes]] distribution depot. It was alleged that the company victimized or sacked four union members during the 2001 recognition drive and held a series of captive meetings with employees.<ref name="Guardian">{{cite news|author=Jon Henley and Ed Pilkington |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/feb/26/tradeunions.workandcareers |title=Divide and rule |newspaper=Guardian |date= February 26, 2008|access-date=August 29, 2010 | location=London}}</ref>
 
An Amazon training video that was leaked in 2018 stated "We are not anti-union, but we are not neutral either. We do not believe unions are in the best interest of our customers or shareholders or most importantly, our associates." The video also encouraged to report "warning signs" of potential worker organization, which included workers using words like "[[living wage]]", employees "suddenly hanging out together" as well as workers showing "unusual interest in policies, benefits, employee lists, or other company information".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gizmodo.com/amazons-aggressive-anti-union-tactics-revealed-in-leake-1829305201|title=Amazon's Aggressive Anti-Union Tactics Revealed in Leaked 45-Minute Video|access-date=April 7, 2022|date=September 26, 2018|work=[[Gizmodo]]|author=Bryan Menegus}}</ref><ref name="register2020">{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/04/02/amazon_coronavirus_firing/|title=Amazon says it fired a guy for breaking pandemic rules. Same guy who organized a staff protest over a lack of coronavirus protection|first=Thomas|last=Claburn|publisher=The Register|date=April 2, 2020|access-date=April 2, 2020}}</ref> Two years later, it was found that [[Whole Foods]] was using a heat map to track which stores had the highest levels of pro-union sentiment. Factors including low racial diversity, proximity to other unions, high poverty levels in the surrounding community and calls to the [[National Labor Relations Board]] were named as contributors to "unionization risk".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/whole-foods-tracks-unionization-risk-with-heat-map-2020-1?r=US&IR=T|title=Amazon-owned Whole Foods is quietly tracking its employees with a heat map tool that ranks which stores are most at risk of unionizing|first=Hayley|last=Peterson|publisher=Business Insider|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=April 21, 2020}}</ref>
 
In early 2020, Amazon internal documents were leaked, which said that Whole Foods had been using an interactive heat map to monitor its 510 locations across the U.S. and assign each store a unionization risk score based on such criteria as employee loyalty, turnover rate, and racial diversity. Data collected in the heat map suggest that stores with low racial and ethnic diversity, especially those located in poor communities, were more likely to unionize.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://observer.com/2020/04/amazon-whole-foods-anti-union-technology-heat-map/|title=Whole Foods Secretly Upgrades Tech to Target and Squash Unionizing Efforts|date=April 24, 2020|work=[[Observer.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com.au/whole-foods-tracks-unionization-risk-with-heat-map-2020-1|title=Amazon-owned Whole Foods is quietly tracking its employees with a heat map tool that ranks which stores are most at risk of unionizing|first=Hayley|last=Peterson|date=April 21, 2020|website=Business Insider Australia}}</ref>
 
[[National Labor Relations Board]] determined that Amazon illegally fired two employees in retaliation for efforts to organize workers.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Weise |first1=Karen |title=Amazon Illegally Fired Activist Workers, Labor Board Finds |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/05/technology/amazon-nlrb-activist-workers.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/05/technology/amazon-nlrb-activist-workers.html |archive-date=2021-12-28 |url-access=limited |access-date=April 5, 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=April 5, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In April 2021, after a majority of workers in Bessemer, Alabama voted against joining the [[Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union]], the union asked for a hearing with the NLRB to determine whether the company created "an atmosphere of confusion, coercion and/or fear of reprisals" ahead of the union vote.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Selyukh |first1=Alina |title=It's A No: Amazon Warehouse Workers Vote Against Unionizing In Historic Election |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/04/09/982139494/its-a-no-amazon-warehouse-workers-vote-against-unionizing-in-historic-election |access-date=April 12, 2021 |work=National Public Radio |date=April 9, 2021}}</ref>
 
In April 2022, Amazon workers in Staten Island voted to form [[Amazon Labor Union]], the company's first legally recognized union.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Business |first=Sara Ashley O'Brien, CNN |title=Amazon workers at New York warehouse vote to form company's first US union |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/01/tech/amazon-union-election-staten-island/index.html |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=CNN|date=April 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-04-01 |title=Amazon beaten by workers in fight for unionisation in New York |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60944677 |access-date=2022-04-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hogan |first=Gwynne |date=2022-04-01 |title=Staten Island workers prevail in vote for first ever Amazon union |url=https://gothamist.com/ |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=Gothamist |language=en}}</ref> In that same month, ''[[The Intercept]]'' reported on Amazon's planned internal messaging app that would ban words like "union", "[[living wage]]", "freedom", "pay raise" or "restrooms".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theintercept.com/2022/04/04/amazon-union-living-wage-restrooms-chat-app/|title=LEAKED: NEW AMAZON WORKER CHAT APP WOULD BAN WORDS LIKE "UNION," "RESTROOMS," "PAY RAISE," AND "PLANTATION"|access-date=April 7, 2022|date=April 3, 2022|work=The Intercept|author=[[Ken Klippenstein]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/05/amazon-banned-words-list-union-internal-app|title=Amazon to ban 'union' and other words from staff chat app – report|access-date=April 7, 2022|date=April 6, 2022|work=[[The Guardian]]|author=Dani Anguiano}}</ref>
 
=== Working conditions ===
Former employees, current employees, the media, and politicians have criticized Amazon for poor working conditions at the company.<ref name="linkedin">{{cite web|title=An Amazonian's response to 'Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace'|url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/amazonians-response-inside-amazon-wrestling-big-ideas-nick-ciubotariu|last=Ciubotariu|first=Nick|date=August 16, 2015|work=[[LinkedIn Pulse]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Amazon under fire for staffing practices in Randstad contract|url=https://www.recruiter.co.uk/news/2013/08/amazon-under-fire-for-staffing-practices-in-randstad-contract/|date=August 2, 2013|work=Recruiter|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130804221109/http://www.recruiter.co.uk/news/2013/08/amazon-under-fire-for-staffing-practices-in-randstad-contract/|archive-date=August 4, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/brutal-conditions-in-amazons-warehouses-2013-8 |title=Brutal Conditions In Amazon's Warehouse's Threaten To Ruin The Company's Image |first=Jim |last=Edwards |date=August 5, 2013 |work=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=February 24, 2014}}</ref> In 2011, it was publicized that workers had to carry out tasks in {{convert|100|°F|°C}} heat at the [[Breinigsville, Pennsylvania]] warehouse. As a result of these inhumane conditions, employees became extremely uncomfortable and suffered from dehydration and collapse. Loading-bay doors were not opened to allow in fresh air because of concerns over theft.<ref name="AllentownMorningCall1">{{cite news |last1=Soper |first1=Spencer |title=Inside Amazon's Warehouse |url=https://www.mcall.com/news/watchdog/mc-allentown-amazon-complaints-20110917-story.html |access-date=March 15, 2018 |work=[[The Morning Call]] |date=September 18, 2011}}</ref> Amazon's initial response was to pay for an ambulance to sit outside on call to cart away overheated employees.<ref name="AllentownMorningCall1" /> The company eventually installed air conditioning at the warehouse.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Soper |first1=Spencer |last2=Kraus |first2=Scott |title=Amazon gets heat over warehouse |url=https://www.mcall.com/news/watchdog/mc-allentown-amazon-folo-20110917-story.html |access-date=March 15, 2018 |work=[[The Morning Call]] |date=September 25, 2011}}</ref>
 
Some workers, "pickers", who travel the building with a trolley and a handheld scanner "picking" customer orders, can walk up to {{Convert|15|mi|km}} during their workday and if they fall behind on their targets, they can be reprimanded. The handheld scanners give real-time information to the employee on how quickly or slowly they are working; the scanners also serve to allow Team Leads and Area Managers to track the specific locations of employees and how much "idle time" they gain when not working.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-warehouse-rules-2011-9 |last1=Yarrow |first1=Jay |last2=Kovach |first2=Steve |title=10 Crazy Rules That Could Get You Fired From Amazon Warehouses |access-date=April 21, 2013 |date=September 20, 2011 |work=Business Insider}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ft.com/content/ed6a985c-70bd-11e2-85d0-00144feab49a |title=Amazon unpacked |last1=O'Connor |first1=Sarah |access-date=April 21, 2013 |date=February 8, 2013 |work=Financial Times}}</ref>
 
In a German television report broadcast in February 2013, journalists Diana Löbl and Peter Onneken conducted a covert investigation at the distribution center of Amazon in the town of [[Bad Hersfeld]] in the German state of [[Hessen]]. The report highlights the behavior of some of the security guards, themselves being employed by a third-party company, who apparently either had a [[Neo-Nazism|neo-Nazi]] background or deliberately dressed in neo-Nazi apparel and who were intimidating foreign and temporary female workers at its distribution centers. The third-party security company involved was delisted by Amazon as a business contact shortly after that report.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/amazon136.html |title=Kritik an Arbeitsbedingungen bei Amazon |publisher=[[Tagesschau (German TV series)|Tagesschau]] |access-date=February 20, 2013 |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.daserste.de/information/reportage-dokumentation/dokus/sendung/hr/13022013-ausgeliefert-leiharbeiter-bei-amazon-100.html |title=Ausgeliefert! Leiharbeiter ... – Ausgeliefert! Leiharbeiter bei Amazon – Reportage & Documentation – ARD &#124; Das Erste |publisher=Daserste.de |date=February 13, 2013 |access-date=February 20, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218013257/http://www.daserste.de/information/reportage-dokumentation/dokus/sendung/hr/13022013-ausgeliefert-leiharbeiter-bei-amazon-100.html |archive-date=February 18, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Tony |last=Paterson |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/amazon-used-neonazi-guards-to-keep-immigrant-workforce-under-control-in-germany-8495843.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130216103830/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/amazon-used-neonazi-guards-to-keep-immigrant-workforce-under-control-in-germany-8495843.html |archive-date=2013-02-16 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title=Amazon 'used neo-Nazi guards to keep immigrant workforce under control' in Germany – Europe – World |work=The Independent |date=February 14, 2013 |access-date=February 20, 2013 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Amazon to investigate reports temporary staff in Germany were mistreated |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/392864/amazon-to-investigate-reports-temporary-staff-in-germany-were-mistreated/ |access-date=July 14, 2015 |website=Globalnews.ca}}</ref>
 
In March 2015, it was reported in ''[[The Verge]]'' that Amazon would be removing [[non-compete clause]]s of 18 months in length from its US employment contracts for hourly-paid workers, after criticism that it was acting unreasonably in preventing such employees from finding other work. Even short-term temporary workers have to sign contracts that prohibit them from working at any company where they would "directly or indirectly" support any good or service that competes with those they helped support at Amazon, for 18 months after leaving Amazon, even if they are fired or made redundant.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Woodman |first1=Spencer |title=Exclusive: Amazon makes even temporary warehouse workers sign 18-month non-competes |url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/3/26/8280309/amazon-warehouse-jobs-exclusive-noncompete-contracts |access-date=March 28, 2015 |work=The Verge |date=March 26, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kasperkevic |first1=Jana |title=Amazon to remove non-compete clause from contracts for hourly workers |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/27/amazon-remove-noncompete-clause-contracts-hourly-workers |access-date=March 28, 2015 |work=The Guardian |date=March 27, 2015}}</ref>
 
A 2015 front-page article in ''[[The New York Times]]'' profiled several former Amazon employees<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/technology/inside-amazon-wrestling-big-ideas-in-a-bruising-workplace.html|title=Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace|last1=Kantor|first1=Jodi|author-link=Jodi Kantor|last2=Streitfeld|first2=David|author-link2=David Streitfeld|date=August 15, 2015|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 20, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> who together described a "bruising" workplace culture in which workers with illness or other personal crises were pushed out or unfairly evaluated.<ref name=":3" /> Bezos responded by writing a Sunday memo to employees,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2015/full-memo-jeff-bezos-responds-to-cutting-nyt-expose-says-tolerance-for-lack-of-empathy-needs-to-be-zero/ |title=Full memo: Jeff Bezos responds to brutal NYT story, says it doesn't represent the Amazon he leads |last=Cook |first=John |date=November 8, 2017 |work=GeekWire|access-date=April 3, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> in which he disputed the ''Times''{{'}}s account of "shockingly callous management practices" that he said would never be tolerated at the company.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/18/technology/amazon-bezos-workplace-management-practices.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150817142224/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/18/technology/amazon-bezos-workplace-management-practices.html |archive-date=2015-08-17 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Jeff Bezos and Amazon Employees Join Debate Over Its Culture|last1=Streitfeld|first1=David|author-link1=David Streitfeld|last2=Kantor|first2=Jodi|author-link2=Jodi Kantor|date=August 17, 2015|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 20, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
 
To boost employee morale, on November 2, 2015, Amazon announced that it would be extending six weeks of paid leave for new mothers and fathers. This change includes birth parents and adoptive parents and can be applied in conjunction with existing maternity leave and medical leave for new mothers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Amazon increases paid leave for new parents |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/amazon-increases-paid-leave-for-new-parents/ |work=The Seattle Times |date=November 2, 2015 |access-date=November 13, 2015}}</ref>
 
In mid-2018, investigations by journalists and media outlets such as ''[[The Guardian]]'' reported poor working conditions at Amazon's fulfillment centers.<ref>{{cite news |last=Picchi |first=Aimee |date=April 19, 2018 |title=Inside an Amazon warehouse: 'Treating human beings as robots'|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/inside-an-amazon-warehouse-treating-human-beings-as-robots/|work=[[CBS MoneyWatch]]|access-date=September 22, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= Sainato|first=Michael|date=July 30, 2018 |title=Accidents at Amazon: workers left to suffer after warehouse injuries|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/30/accidents-at-amazon-workers-left-to-suffer-after-warehouse-injuries|work=The Guardian |access-date=September 22, 2018 }}</ref> Later in 2018, another article exposed poor working conditions for Amazon's delivery drivers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-delivery-drivers-reveal-claims-of-disturbing-work-conditions-2018-8 |title=Missing wages, grueling shifts, and bottles of urine: The disturbing accounts of Amazon delivery drivers may reveal the true human cost of 'free' shipping |first=Hayley |last=Peterson |date=September 11, 2018 |work=Business Insider}}</ref>
 
In response to criticism that Amazon does not pay its workers a livable wage, Jeff Bezos announced beginning November 1, 2018, all US and UK Amazon employees will earn a $15 an hour minimum wage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/amazon-raise-companys-minimum-wage-15-employees/story?id=58225644|title=Amazon to raise wages for more than 350,000 employees|last=Osborne|first=Mark|date=October 2, 2018|website=ABC News|access-date=January 3, 2019}}</ref> Amazon will also lobby to make $15 an hour the federal [[minimum wage]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/oct/02/amazon-raises-minimum-wage-us-uk-employees|title=Amazon raises minimum wage for US and UK employees|first=Richard|last=Partington|date=October 2, 2018|access-date=January 3, 2019|work=The Guardian}}</ref> At the same time, Amazon also eliminated stock awards and bonuses for hourly employees.<ref>{{cite news |last=Soper |first=Spencer |date=October 3, 2018 |title=Amazon Warehouse Workers Lose Bonuses, Stock Awards for Raises|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-03/amazon-eliminating-bonuses-stock-awards-to-help-pay-for-raises|work=Bloomberg |access-date=October 4, 2018 }}</ref>
 
On [[Black Friday (shopping)|Black Friday]] 2018, Amazon warehouse workers in several European countries, including Italy, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, went on strike to protest inhumane working conditions and low pay.<ref>{{cite news |last= Hamilton|first=Isobel Asher|date=November 23, 2018 |title='We are not robots': Thousands of Amazon workers across Europe are striking on Black Friday over warehouse working conditions|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/black-friday-amazon-workers-protest-poor-working-conditions-2018-11|work=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=November 24, 2018}}</ref>
 
''[[The Daily Beast]]'' reported in March 2019 that emergency services responded to 189 calls from 46 Amazon warehouses in 17 states between the years 2013 and 2018, all relating to suicidal employees. The workers attributed their mental breakdowns to employer-imposed social isolation, aggressive surveillance, and the hurried and dangerous working conditions at these fulfillment centers. One former employee told ''The Daily Beast'' "It's this isolating colony of hell where people having breakdowns is a regular occurrence."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zahn|first1=Max |last2=Paget|first2=Sharif |date=March 11, 2019 |title='Colony of Hell': 911 Calls From Inside Amazon Warehouses|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/amazon-the-shocking-911-calls-from-inside-its-warehouses|work=[[The Daily Beast]]|access-date=March 13, 2019 }}</ref>
 
On July 15, 2019, during the onset of Amazon's Prime Day sale event, Amazon employees working in the United States and Germany went on strike in protest of unfair wages and poor working conditions.<ref>{{cite news |last= Chen|first=Michelle|date=July 16, 2019|title=Amazon Prime Day deals aren't worth the moral cost of exploiting their workers|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/amazon-prime-day-deals-aren-t-worth-moral-cost-exploiting-ncna1030361|work=[[NBC News]] |access-date=July 17, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/15/business/german-amazon-workers-strike-prime-day-scli-intl/index.html|title=Amazon workers go on strike in Germany as Prime Day begins|last1=Woodyatt|first1=Amy|last2=Wojazer|first2=Barbara|work=CNN Business|access-date=July 15, 2019}}</ref>
 
In August 2019, the [[BBC]] reported on Amazon's [[Twitter]] ambassadors. Their constant support for and defense of Amazon and its practices have led many Twitter users to suspect that they are in fact [[Internet bot|bots]], being used to dismiss the issues affecting Amazon workers.<ref>{{Cite news|date=August 16, 2019|title='Fake' Amazon ambassadors baited on Twitter|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49372809|access-date=December 14, 2020}}</ref> In March 2021, a flurry of new ambassador accounts claiming to be employees defended the company against a unionization drive, in some cases making the false claim that there was no way to opt-out of union dues. Amazon confirmed at least one was fake, and Twitter shut down several for violating its terms of use.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56581266 |title='Fake' Amazon workers defend the company on Twitter |work=BBC News |date=30 March 2021}}</ref>
 
In March 2020, during the coronavirus outbreak when the government instructed companies to restrict social contact, Amazon's UK staff was forced to work overtime to meet the demand spiked by the disease. A [[GMB (trade union)|GMB]] spokesperson said the company had put "profit before safety".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Jones|first=Lora|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51921916|title=Amazon staff told to work overtime as virus hits|date=March 17, 2020|work=BBC News|access-date=March 17, 2020|language=en-GB}}</ref> GMB has continued to raise concerns regarding "gruelling conditions, unrealistic productivity targets, surveillance, bogus self-employment and a refusal to recognise or engage with unions unless forced", calling for the UK government and safety regulators to take action to address these issues.<ref>{{cite web|title=Government must stand up to Amazon on workers' rights|url=https://www.gmb.org.uk/news/government-must-stand-amazon-workers-rights|date=October 14, 2020|author=GMB Union}}</ref>
 
In its 2020 statement to its US shareholders, Amazon stated that "we respect and support the Core Conventions of the [[International Labour Organization]] (ILO), the ILO [[Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work]], and the United Nations [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]]". Operation of these Global Human Rights Principles has been "long-held at Amazon, and codifying them demonstrates our support for fundamental human rights and the dignity of workers everywhere we operate".<ref>{{cite web|title=Notice of 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders & Proxy Statement|url=https://s2.q4cdn.com/299287126/files/doc_financials/2020/ar/updated/2020-Proxy-Statement.pdf|date=May 27, 2020|author=Amazon}}</ref>
 
On November 27, 2020, [[Amnesty International]] said, workers working for Amazon have faced great health and safety risks since the start of the [[COVID-19]] pandemic. On [[Black Friday (shopping)|Black Friday]], one of Amazon's busiest periods, the company failed to ensure key safety features in France, Poland, the United Kingdom, and [[United States|USA]]. Workers have been risking their health and lives to ensure essential goods are delivered to consumer doorsteps, helping Amazon achieve record profits.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/11/black-friday-rush-must-not-cost-amazon-workers-their-health-and-safety/|title=Black Friday rush must not cost Amazon workers their health and safety|access-date=November 27, 2020|work=Amnesty International|date=27 November 2020}}</ref>
 
On January 6, 2021, Amazon said that it is planning to build 20,000 affordable houses by spending $2 billion in the regions where the major employments are located.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Reuters Staff|date=January 6, 2021|title=Amazon.com to spend $2 billion in homebuilding near key U.S. offices|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-housing-idUSKBN29B1MV|access-date=January 6, 2021}}</ref>
 
On January 24, 2021, Amazon said that it was planning to open a pop-up clinic hosted in partnership with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health in Seattle in order to vaccinate 2,000 persons against COVID-19 on the first day.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Reuters Staff|date=January 22, 2021|title=Amazon to open pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Seattle headquarters|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-amazon-com-vaccine-idUSKBN29R0D8|access-date=January 22, 2021}}</ref>
 
In February 2021, Amazon said that it was planning to put cameras in its delivery vehicles. Although many drivers were upset by this decision, Amazon said that the videos would only be sent in certain circumstances.<ref>{{cite news|last=McFarland|first=Matt|title=Amazon is putting cameras in its delivery vans and some drivers aren't happy|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/25/tech/amazon-driver-monitoring/index.html|access-date=February 26, 2021|work=CNN Business|date=February 25, 2021}}</ref>
 
Drivers have alleged they sometimes have to urinate and defecate in their vans as a result of pressure to meet quotas. This was denied in a tweet from the official Amazon News account saying: "You don't really believe the peeing in bottles thing, do you? If that were true, nobody would work for us." Amazon employees subsequently leaked an email to ''[[The Intercept]]''<ref>{{cite news |last=Klippenstein |first=Ken |date=March 25, 2021 |title=Documents Show Amazon Is Aware Drivers Pee in Bottles and Even Defecate En Route, Despite Company Denial |url=https://theintercept.com/2021/03/25/amazon-drivers-pee-bottles-union/ |work=[[The Intercept]] |location= |access-date=April 1, 2021}}</ref> showing the company was aware its drivers were doing so. The email said: "This evening, an associate discovered human feces in an Amazon bag that was returned to station by a driver. This is the 3rd occasion in the last 2 months when bags have been returned to the station with poop inside."<ref>{{Cite news|date=March 25, 2021|title=Leaked memo shows Amazon knows delivery drivers resort to urinating in bottles|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/mar/25/amazon-delivery-workers-bathrooms-memo|access-date=March 28, 2021|work=the Guardian|language=en-GB|last=Paul|first=Kari}}</ref> Amazon acknowledged the issue publicly after denying it at first.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Amazon acknowledges issue of drivers urinating in bottles in apology to Rep. Pocan |date=April 3, 2021 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2BQ0DC |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210403155240/https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2BQ0DC |archive-date=April 3, 2021 |publisher=[[Reuters]] |location=[[Bangalore]] |last1=Kalia |first1=Shubham |editor1=David Holmes |access-date=April 3, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref>
 
In July 2021, workers at the warehouse in New York City filed a complaint with the [[Occupational Safety and Health Administration]] which describes harsh 12-hour workdays with sweltering internal temperatures that resulted in fainting workers being carried out on stretchers. The complaint reads "internal temperature is too hot. We have no ventilation, dusty, dirty fans that spread debris into our lungs and eyes, are working at a non-stop pace and [we] are fainting out from heat exhaustion, getting nose bleeds from high blood pressure, and feeling dizzy and nauseous." They add that many of the fans provided by the company don't work, water fountains often lack water, and cooling systems are insufficient. Those filing the complaint are affiliated with the [[Amazon Labor Union]] group attempting to unionize the facility, which the company has been actively campaigning against. Similar conditions have been reported elsewhere, such as in Kent, Washington during the [[2021 Western North America heat wave|2021 heat wave]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Gurley |first=Lauren Kaori |date=July 8, 2021 |title=Amazon Workers Describe 'Excessive Heat,' 'Fainting' in NYC Warehouse |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/88nv7g/amazon-workers-describe-excessive-heat-fainting-in-nyc-warehouse |work=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |location= |access-date=July 9, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Chariton |first=Jordan |author-link=Jordan Chariton |date=July 8, 2021 |title=Prime Delivery: Amazon Workers Fainting, Carted Off on Stretchers Amid Sweltering Warehouse Heat |url=https://statuscoup.substack.com/p/amazon-workers-warehouse-heat |work=Status Coup |location= |access-date=July 9, 2021}}</ref>
 
=== Conflict of interest with the CIA and DOD ===
In 2013, Amazon secured a {{USD|600 million}} contract with the [[CIA]], which poses a potential [[conflict of interest]] involving the Bezos-owned ''[[The Washington Post]]'' and his newspaper's coverage of the CIA.<ref>"[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/norman-solomon/the-cia-amazon-bezos-and_b_4559317.html The CIA, Amazon, Bezos and the Washington Post : An Exchange with Executive Editor Martin Baron]". ''The Huffington Post''. January 8, 2014.</ref> Kate Martin, director of the Center for National Security Studies, said, "It's a serious potential conflict of interest for a major newspaper like ''The Washington Post'' to have a contractual relationship with the government and the most secret part of the government."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/18/business/expecting-the-unexpected-from-jeff-bezos.html|title=Expecting the Unexpected From Jeff Bezos|last1=Streitfeld|first1=David|date=August 17, 2013|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 20, 2019|last2=Haughney|first2=Christine|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> This was later followed by a {{USD|10 billion}} contract with the [[U.S. Department of Defense]].<ref name="vanity-fair" />
 
=== Seattle head tax and houselessness services ===
In May 2018, Amazon threatened the [[Seattle City Council]] over an [[Seattle head tax|employee head tax proposal]] that would have funded houselessness services and low-income housing. The tax would have cost Amazon about $800 per employee, or 0.7% of their average salary.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/amazon-pauses-plans-for-seattle-office-towers-while-city-council-considers-business-tax/|title=Amazon puts high-profile Seattle plans on ice over proposal to tax large employers|date=May 2, 2018|work=The Seattle Times|access-date=May 3, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> In retaliation, Amazon paused construction on a new building, threatened to limit further investment in the city, and funded a repeal campaign. Although originally passed, the measure was soon repealed after an expensive repeal campaign spearheaded by Amazon.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/business-backed-opponents-of-seattle-head-tax-outspent-supporters-2-to-1/|title='Show of force': Business-backed opponents of Seattle head tax outspent supporters 2 to 1|date=July 13, 2018|work=The Seattle Times|access-date=July 17, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>
 
===Nashville Operations Center of Excellence===
The incentives given by the [[Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County]] to Amazon for their new Operations Center of Excellence in [[Nashville Yards]], a site owned by developer [[Southwest Value Partners]], have been controversial, including the decision by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to keep the full extent of the agreement secret.<ref name="tenneseanwantstokeepits">{{cite news |last1=Reicher |first1=Mike |title=Tennessee wants to keep its incentives offer for Amazon's HQ2 secret for 5 years |url=https://tennessean.com/story/news/2019/01/04/tennessee-amazon-incentives-kept-secret-five-years-public-records-original-pitch/2482548002/ |access-date=January 6, 2019 |work=The Tennessean |date=January 4, 2019}}</ref> The incentives include "$102 million in combined grants and tax credits for a scaled-down Amazon office building" as well as "a $65 million cash grant for capital expenditures" in exchange for the creation of 5,000 jobs over seven years.<ref name="tenneseanwantstokeepits"/>
 
The Tennessee Coalition for Open Government called for more transparency.<ref name="tenneseanwantstokeepits"/> Another local organization known as the People's Alliance for Transit, Housing, and Employment (PATHE) suggested no public money should be given to Amazon; instead, it should be spent on building more public housing for the working poor and the homeless and investing in more public transportation for Nashvillians.<ref name="tntribunewillamazonbe">{{cite news |last1=White |first1=Peter |title=Will Amazon be Naughty or Nice? |url=https://tntribune.com/community/local/nashville/will-amazon-be-naughty-or-nice/ |access-date=December 21, 2018 |work=Tennessee Tribune |date=December 13, 2018|quote=PATHE does not want Metro to give Amazon a dime. They want the city to build at least 5,000 more affordable homes to address the "Amazon effect" on the local housing market. And they want a new transit referendum that focuses on the needs of working people and better public bus service.}}</ref> Others suggested incentives to big corporations do not improve the local economy.<ref name="tennesseandidtennesseetaxpayers">{{cite news |last1=Mazza |first1=Sandy |title=Did Tennessee taxpayers get a good deal with $102M Amazon payment? |url=https://tennessean.com/story/money/2018/11/19/critics-worry-amazon-incentives-drain-community-services/1989884002/ |access-date=February 11, 2019 |work=The Tennessean |date=November 19, 2018}}</ref>
 
In November 2018, the proposal to give Amazon $15&nbsp;million in incentives was criticized by the Nashville Firefighters Union and the Nashville chapter of the [[Fraternal Order of Police]],<ref name="newschannel5feelleftbehind">{{cite news |last1=Koehn |first1=Alexandra |title=Metro employees feel 'left behind' after no pay raise |url=https://www.newschannel5.com/news/metro-employees-feel-left-behind-after-no-pay-raise |access-date=December 12, 2018 |work=News Channel 5 |date=November 29, 2018}}</ref> who called it "[[corporate welfare]]."<ref name="apnewsnashvillepoliceunion">{{cite news |title=Nashville police union: Amazon getting 'corporate welfare' |url=https://www.apnews.com/0a82b2c4d5ed4095b9bd4a1544f4615a |access-date=February 10, 2019 |work=Associated Press |date=November 30, 2018}}</ref> In February 2019, another $15.2&nbsp;million in infrastructure was approved by the council, although it was voted down by three council members, including Councilwoman Angie Henderson who dismissed it as "[[cronyism]]".<ref name="tennesseancouncilapproves">{{cite news |last1=Garrison |first1=Joey |title=Nashville council approves $15M in infrastructure work for future home of Amazon hub |url=https://tennessean.com/story/news/2019/02/06/nashville-approves-15-m-infrastructure-future-home-amazon-hub/2777894002/ |access-date=February 10, 2019 |work=The Tennessean |date=February 6, 2019}}</ref>
 
=== Facial recognition technology and law enforcement ===
While Amazon has publicly opposed secret government surveillance, as revealed by Freedom of Information Act requests it has supplied [[facial recognition system|facial recognition]] support to law enforcement in the form of the [[Amazon Rekognition|Rekognition]] technology and consulting services. Initial testing included the city of [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]], Florida, and [[Washington County, Oregon|Washington County]], Oregon. Amazon offered to connect Washington County with other Amazon government customers interested in Rekognition and a body camera manufacturer. These ventures are opposed by a coalition of civil rights groups with concern that they could lead to an expansion of surveillance and be prone to abuse. Specifically, it could automate the identification and tracking of anyone, particularly in the context of potential police body camera integration.<ref name="washingtonpost.com"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/yes-amazon-is-tracking-people-and-sending-their-data-to-police|title=Yes, Amazon is tracking people|website=Washingtonexaminer.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.aclu.org/blog/privacy-technology/surveillance-technologies/amazon-teams-government-deploy-dangerous-new|title=Amazon Teams Up With Government to Deploy Dangerous New Facial Recognition Technology|website=Aclu.org}}</ref> Because of the backlash, the city of [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]] publicly stated it will no longer use the technology, but may revisit this decision at a later date.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newsweek.com/orlando-stops-using-amazons-facial-recognition-tech-996057|title=Orlando Stops Using Amazon's Face-Scanning Tech Amid Spying Concerns|website=Newsweek.com|date=June 26, 2018|language=en-USA}}</ref>
 
===Access to NHS data===
The UK government awarded Amazon a contract that gives the company free access to information about healthcare published by the UK's [[National Health Service]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/3298/alexa-what-hidden-behind-your-contract-nhs|title=Alexa, what is hidden behind your contract with the NHS?|date=December 6, 2019|website=Privacy International|access-date=January 24, 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200125112306/https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/3298/alexa-what-hidden-behind-your-contract-nhs|archive-date=January 25, 2020}}</ref> This will, for example, be used by Amazon's Alexa to answer medical questions, although Alexa also uses many other sources of information. The material, which excludes patient data, could also allow the company to make, advertise and sell its products. The contract allows Amazon access to information on symptoms, causes, and definitions of conditions, and "all related copyrightable content and data and other materials". Amazon can then create "new products, applications, cloud-based services and/or distributed software", which the NHS will not benefit from financially. The company can also share the information with third parties. The government said that allowing Alexa devices to offer expert health advice to users will reduce pressure on doctors and pharmacists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/dec/08/nhs-gives-amazon-free-use-of-health-data-under-alexa-advice-deal|title=NHS gives Amazon free use of health data under Alexa advice deal|date=December 8, 2019|website=The Guardian|access-date=January 24, 2020}}</ref>
 
===Collection of data and surveillance===
On February 17, 2020, a ''[[Panorama (British TV programme)|Panorama]]'' documentary broadcast by the BBC in the UK highlighted the amount of data collected by the company and the move into surveillance causing concerns of politicians and regulators in the US and Europe.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000fjdz/panorama-amazon-what-they-know-about-us|title=Panorama - Amazon: What They Know About Us|work=BBC}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bbc.co.uk/news/extra/CLQYZENMBI/amazon-data|title=Amazon: How Bezos built his data machine|work=BBC News}}</ref>
 
=== Antitrust complaints ===
 
On June 11, 2020, the [[European Union]] announced that it will be pressing charges against Amazon over its treatment of third-party e-commerce sellers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-to-face-antitrust-charges-from-eu-over-treatment-of-third-party-sellers-11591871818?mod=business_lead_pos1|title=Amazon to Face Antitrust Charges From EU Over Treatment of Third-Party Selles|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|last1=Pop|first1=Valentina|last2=Schechner|first2=Sam|date=June 11, 2020|access-date=June 11, 2020}}</ref>
 
In July 2020, Amazon along with other tech giants [[Apple Inc.|Apple]], [[Google]] and [[Facebook, Inc.|Meta]] was accused of maintaining harmful power and anti-competitive strategies to quash potential competitors in the market.<ref>{{Cite news|date=July 30, 2020|title=Tech bosses grilled over claims of 'harmful' power|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53583941|access-date=July 30, 2020}}</ref> The CEOs of respective firms appeared in a teleconference on July 29, 2020, before the lawmakers of the [[United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law|U.S. House Antitrust Subcommittee]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Brian Fung|title=Congress grilled the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. Here are the big takeaways|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/29/tech/tech-antitrust-hearing-ceos/index.html|access-date=July 30, 2020|website=CNN}}</ref> In October 2020, the antitrust subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives released a report accusing Amazon of abusing a monopoly position in e-commerce to unfairly compete with sellers on its platform.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/06/920882893/how-are-apple-amazon-facebook-google-monopolies-house-report-counts-the-ways|title=How Are Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google Monopolies? House Report Counts The Ways|website=NPR.org|date=6 October 2020|last1=Bond|first1=Shannon|last2=Selyukh|first2=Alina|last3=Allyn|first3=Bobby}}</ref> In December 2019, the [[Competition Commission of India]] suspended an approval for the strategic takeover of Future Retail and levied a penaty of Rs 200 crores. The regulator discovered through internal emails of Amazon that it intended to acquire the company so that it can take advantage of foreign investment relaxations and not owing to its interest in the company. Amazon appealed this order in the Company tribunal. Later in March 2022, the CCI defended its order in court citing misrepresentation on the part of Amazon.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chaturvedi |first=Arpan |title=Future-Amazon Deal: There Was Misrepresentation And Concealment, CCI Argues |url=https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/future-amazon-deal-there-was-misrepresentation-and-concealment-cci-argues |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=BloombergQuint |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-23 |title=Explained: Why CCI withdrew approval for Amazon's investment in Future Group |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-cci-withdrew-approval-for-amazons-investment-in-future-group-7678959/ |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
 
=== Anti-vaccination and non-scientific cancer 'cures' ===
Anti-vaccination and non-evidence-based cancer 'cures' have routinely appeared high in Amazon's books and videos. This may be due to positive reviews posted by supporters of untested methods, or gaming of the algorithms by [[Conspiracy theory|truther]] communities, rather than any intent on the company's part.<ref>{{cite web|last=Naughton|first=John|date=August 8, 2020|title=How Amazon puts misinformation at the top of your reading list|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/aug/08/amazon-algorithm-curated-misinformation-books-data|access-date=August 11, 2020|website=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|date=May 3, 2019|title=How Amazon's Algorithms Curated a Dystopian Bookstore|url=https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-and-the-spread-of-health-misinformation/|access-date=May 11, 2020|magazine=Wired}}</ref>
 
''Wired'' magazine found that Amazon Prime Video was full of 'pseudoscientific documentaries laden with conspiracy theories and pointing viewers towards unproven treatments'.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=June 3, 2019|title=Amazon Prime Video is full of dodgy documentaries pushing dangerous cancer 'cures'|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/amazon-prime-video-cancer-cure-documentaries|access-date=August 11, 2020|magazine=Wired}}</ref>
 
U.S. Rep. [[Adam Schiff]] (D-Calif.) expressed concern that Amazon was “surfacing and recommending products and content that discourage parents from vaccinating their children.” Amazon subsequently removed five anti-vaccination documentaries.<ref>{{cite web|date=March 1, 2019|title=House Rep. Schiff calls Amazon's anti-vaccination content 'direct threat to public health' in letter to Bezos|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/01/schiff-calls-amazons-anti-vaccine-content-threat-to-public-health.html|access-date=August 11, 2020|website=CNBC}}</ref> Amazon also removed 12 books that unscientifically claimed bleach could cure conditions including [[malaria]] and childhood autism. This followed an NBC News report about parents who used it in a misguided attempt to reverse their children's autism.<ref>{{cite web|date=May 28, 2019|title=Amazon removes books promoting dangerous bleach 'cures' for autism and other conditions|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/amazon-removes-books-promoting-dangerous-bleach-cures-autism-other-illnesses-n1010861|access-date=August 11, 2020|website=NBC News}}</ref>
 
== Response to COVID-19 pandemic ==
 
=== Hazard pay and overtime ===
Amazon introduced new policies to reward frontline workers for continuing to come into work during the crisis. One of these policies, announced on March 16, 2020, was a temporary $2-per-hour rise in pay. This policy expired in June 2020.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rey|first=Jason Del|date=May 13, 2020|title=Amazon extends bonus pay for front-line workers but says it ends in June|url=https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/5/13/21256756/amazon-pay-increases-frontline-warehouse-workers-covid-19-coronavirus-pandemic-may|access-date=June 3, 2020|website=Vox|language=en}}</ref> Amazon also announced a policy of unlimited, unpaid time off that lasted until April 30, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|last=Davis|first=Charles|title=Amazon set to end 'unlimited unpaid time off' policy|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-set-to-end-unlimited-unpaid-time-off-policy-2020-4|access-date=June 3, 2020|website=Business Insider}}</ref> However, starting May 2, 2022, Amazon will end its paid time-off policy for its COVID-19 confirmed employees. Due to the availability of vaccines and guidance from [[U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]], the company has decided to ease its COVID-19 policies.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reuters |date=2022-05-01 |title=Amazon ends COVID paid leave for U.S. workers |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/amazon-ends-covid-paid-leave-us-workers-2022-05-01/ |access-date=2022-05-01}}</ref>
 
=== Additional hiring as a result of pandemic ===
In response to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Amazon introduced temporary restrictions on the sale of non-essential goods. In March 2020, it hired some 100,000 more staff in the US to help deal with essential items such as food and medical equipment. It also reported that it was so busy that it was unable to bring onboard new customers and therefore had to have a waiting list. In April, the firm announced that it was going to hire up to 75,000 workers to help deal with increased demand.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52276149|title=Amazon hiring spree as orders surge under lockdown|date=April 14, 2020|work=BBC News|access-date=April 14, 2020|language=en-GB}}</ref> In September 2020, the company announced it would hire an additional 100,000 workers in the United States and Canada.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-to-hire-100-000-in-u-s-and-canada-11600071208 |title=Amazon to Hire 100,000 in U.S. and Canada |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |date=September 14, 2020}}</ref>
 
=== Employee protests during COVID-19 ===


During the pandemic, there have been protests by the Amazon workers at warehouses in the US, France, and Italy. The BBC reported that there were confirmed coronavirus cases in more than 50 locations.<ref name="auto"/> The reason for the protests is the company policy to "run normal shifts" despite many positive cases of the virus.<ref name=FTMarch19/> According to the [[UNI Global Union]], "Amazon cannot act like this is business as usual. We are facing a deadly virus that has already taken the lives of thousands of people and paralyzed the world's economy. If distribution centers are not safe for workers right now, they should be closed immediately."<ref name=FTMarch19>{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/08395e49-0bb1-4f49-a6f5-c6639ce3d719|title= Amazon workers protest over normal shifts despite Covid-19 cases|work=[[Financial Times]]|access-date=March 19, 2020}}</ref> In Spain, the company has faced legal complaints over its policies.<ref name=BBCMarch31/> Despite workers at 19 warehouses in the US have tested positive for COVID-19, Amazon did not shut down warehouses, only doing so when forced by the government or because of protests. A group of US Senators wrote an open letter to Bezos in March 2020, expressing concerns about worker safety.<ref name=TheVergeMarch31/>
==References==
{{reflist}}


An Amazon warehouse protest on March 30, 2020, in [[Staten Island]] led to its organizer, Christian Smalls, being fired. Amazon defended the decision by saying that Smalls was supposed to be in self-isolation at the time and leading the protest put its other workers at risk.<ref name=BBCMarch31/> Smalls has called this response "ridiculous".<ref name=CommonDreamsMarch31/> The New York state attorney general, [[Letitia James]], is considering legal retaliation to the firing which she called "immoral and inhumane."<ref name=BBCMarch31>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52096273|title=Amazon workers strike over virus protection|date=March 31, 2020|work=BBC News|access-date=March 31, 2020|language=en-GB}}</ref> She also asked the [[National Labor Relations Board]] to investigate Smalls' firing. Smalls himself accuses the company of retaliating against him for organizing a protest.<ref name=CommonDreamsMarch31>{{cite web|url=https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/31/new-york-ag-denounces-immoral-and-inhumane-firing-amazon-worker-who-led-protest-over|title=New York AG Denounces 'Immoral and Inhumane' Firing of Amazon Worker Who Led Protest Over Lack of Coronavirus Protections|website=Common Dreams|language=en|access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref> At the Staten Island warehouse, one case of COVID-19 has been confirmed by Amazon; workers believe there are more, and say that the company has not cleaned the building, given them suitable protection, or informed them of potential cases.<ref name=TheVergeMarch31>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/30/21199942/amazon-warehouse-coronavirus-covid-new-york-protest-walkout|title=Amazon warehouse workers walk out in rising tide of COVID-19 protests|last=Dzieza|first=Josh|date=March 30, 2020|website=The Verge|language=en|access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref> Smalls added specifically that there are many workers there in risk categories, and the protest only demanded that the building be sanitized and the employees continue to be paid during that process.<ref name=CommonDreamsMarch31/> Derrick Palmer, another worker at the Staten Island facility, told ''[[The Verge]]'' that Amazon quickly communicates through text and email when they need the staff to complete mandatory overtime, but have not been using this to tell people when a colleague has contracted the disease, instead of waiting days and sending managers to speak to employees in person.<ref name=TheVergeMarch31/> Amazon claim that the Staten Island protest only attracted 15 of the facility's 5,000 workers,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/amazon-workers-in-staten-island-protest-coronavirus-working-conditions/|title=Amazon fires warehouse worker who organized Staten Island protest|last=Rubin|first=Ben Fox|website=CNET|language=en|access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref> while other sources describe much larger crowds.<ref name=TheVergeMarch31/>


On April 14, 2020, two Amazon employees were fired for "repeatedly violating internal policies", after they had circulated a petition about health risks for warehouse workers internally.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Paul |first1=Kari |title=Amazon fires two employees who condemned treatment of warehouse workers |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/apr/14/amazon-workers-fired-coronavirus-emily-cunningham-maren-costa |website=the Guardian |access-date=April 15, 2020 |language=en |date=April 14, 2020}}</ref>


On May 4, Amazon vice president [[Tim Bray]] resigned "in dismay" over the firing of whistle-blower employees who spoke out about the lack of COVID-19 protections, including shortages of face masks and failure to implement widespread temperature checks which were promised by the company. He said that the firings were "chickenshit" and "designed to create a climate of fear" in Amazon warehouses.<ref>{{cite news |last=Paul |first=Kari |date=May 4, 2020 |title=Amazon executive resigns over company's 'chickenshit' firings of employee activists |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/may/04/amazon-tim-bray-resigns-working-conditions-coronavirus |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=May 7, 2020}}</ref>
In a Q1 2020 financial report, Jeff Bezos announced that Amazon expects to spend $4&nbsp;billion or more (predicted operating profit for Q2) on COVID-19-related issues: personal protective equipment, higher wages for hourly teams, cleaning for facilities, and expanding Amazon's COVID-19 testing capabilities. These measures intend to improve the safety and well-being of hundreds of thousands of the company's employees.<ref>{{cite web|title=Amazon Q1 2020 Earnings Release|url=https://s2.q4cdn.com/299287126/files/doc_financials/2020/Q1/Amazon-Q1-2020-Earnings-Release.pdf?ots=1&tag=curbedcom06-20&linkCode=w50|date=April 30, 2020}}</ref>
From the beginning of 2020 until September of the same year, the company declared that the total number of workers who had contracted the infection was 19,816.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/01/amazon-says-more-than-19000-workers-got-covid-19.html|title=Amazon says more than 19,000 workers got Covid-19|date=October 1, 2020|website=cnbc.com}}</ref>
===Closure in France===
The [[Solidaires Unitaires Démocratiques|SUD]] (trade unions) brought a court case against Amazon for unsafe working conditions. This resulted in a French district court ([[Nanterre]]) ruling on April 15, 2020, ordering the company to limit, under threat of a €1&nbsp;million per day fine, its deliveries to certain essential items, including electronics, food, medical or hygienic products, and supplies for home improvement, animals, and offices.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Le Figaro|language=fr|date=April 16, 2020|url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/amazon-menace-de-suspendre-l-activite-de-ses-centres-en-france-20200415|title=Amazon ferme ses entrepôts pour cinq jours en France|author=Olivia Détroyat}}</ref> Instead, Amazon immediately shut down its six warehouses in France, continuing to pay workers but limiting deliveries to items shipped from third-party sellers and warehouses outside of France.<ref name="CNN_0519" /> The company said the €100,000 fine for each prohibited item shipped could result in billions of dollars in fines even with a small fraction of items misclassified.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/24/tech/amazon-france-appeal/index.html|title=Amazon loses appeal against worker safety ruling in France that prompted it to close|first=Hadas |last=Gold|website=CNN}}</ref> After losing an appeal and coming to an agreement with labor unions for more pay and staggered schedules, the company reopened its French warehouses on May 19.<ref name="CNN_0519">{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/19/tech/amazon-france-reopen/index.html |title=Amazon is reopening its warehouses in France after dispute with workers ends |date=May 19, 2020}}</ref>
==Lobbying==
Amazon lobbies the United States federal government and state governments on multiple issues such as the enforcement of sales taxes on online sales, transportation safety, privacy and [[Information privacy|data protection]] and intellectual property. According to regulatory filings, Amazon.com focuses its lobbying on the [[United States Congress]], the [[Federal Communications Commission]] and the [[Federal Reserve System|Federal Reserve]]. Amazon.com spent roughly $3.5&nbsp;million, $5&nbsp;million and $9.5&nbsp;million on lobbying, in 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively.<ref>{{cite news |title=Amazon's Lobbying Expenditures |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000023883|website=Opensecrets.org}}</ref>
Amazon.com was a corporate member of the [[American Legislative Exchange Council]] (ALEC) until it dropped membership following protests at its shareholders' meeting on May 24, 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2012/05/24/amazon-shareholders-met-by-protesters.html |first=Emily |last=Parkhurst |title=Amazon shareholders met by protesters, company cuts ties with ALEC|website=Bizjournals.com |date=May 24, 2012}}</ref>
In 2014, Amazon expanded its lobbying practices as it prepared to lobby the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] to approve its drone delivery program, hiring the [[Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld]] lobbying firm in June.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Romm |first1=Tony |title=In Amazon's shopping cart: D.C. influence |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2014/08/amazon-dc-influence-109776.html |website=Politico.com |publisher=Politico |access-date=August 7, 2014}}</ref> Amazon and its lobbyists have visited with Federal Aviation Administration officials and aviation committees in Washington, D.C. to explain its plans to deliver packages.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/28/technology/faa-drone-laws-start-to-clash-with-stricter-local-rules.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151228045609/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/28/technology/faa-drone-laws-start-to-clash-with-stricter-local-rules.html |archive-date=2015-12-28 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=F.A.A. Drone Laws Start to Clash With Stricter Local Rules|last=Kang|first=Cecilia|date=December 27, 2015|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 20, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In September 2020 this moved one step closer with the granting of a critical certificate by the FAA.<ref>{{cite news|author=Matt McFarland|title=Amazon gets closer to drone delivery with FAA approval|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/31/tech/amazon-drone-faa-approval/index.html|access-date=September 4, 2020|website=CNN}}</ref>
In 2019, it&nbsp;spent $16.8m and had a team of 104 lobbyists, up from $14.4m and 103 lobbyists in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/clients/summary?cycle=2019&id=D000023883|title=Client Profile: Amazon.com|website=Centre for Responsive Politics|access-date=February 4, 2020}}</ref>
== See also ==
{{Portal|Internet|Companies}}
* [[Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award]]
* [[Amazon Pay]]
* [[Amazon Standard Identification Number]] (ASIN)
* [[Camelcamelcamel]] – a website that tracks the prices of products sold on Amazon.com
* [[Carbon tax#Internal price on carbon|Internal carbon pricing]]
* [[List of book distributors]]
* [[Statistically improbable phrases]] – Amazon.com's phrase extraction technique for indexing books
== References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
== Further reading ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |url=http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9781591843757,00.html |title=One Click: Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon.com |last=Brandt |first=Richard L. |publisher=Portfolio Penguin |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-59184-375-7 |location=New York }}
* {{cite book |title=21 Dog Years |last=Daisey |first=Mike |publisher=Free Press |year=2002 |isbn=0-7432-2580-5 |author-link=Mike Daisey |url=https://archive.org/details/21dogyearsdoingt00dais }}
* {{cite book |title=Amazon.com for Dummies |last=Friedman |first=Mara |publisher=Wiley Publishing |year=2004 |isbn=0-7645-5840-4 |url=https://archive.org/details/amazoncomfordumm00frie }}
* {{cite book |title=Amazonia: Five Years at the Epicenter of the Dot.Com Juggernaut |last=Marcus |first=James |publisher=W. W. Norton |year=2004 |isbn=1-56584-870-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/amazonia00marc }}
* {{cite book |title=Amazon.com – Get Big Fast: Inside the Revolutionary Business Model That Changed the World |last=Spector |first=Robert |publisher=HarperCollins |year=2000 |isbn=0-06-662041-4 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/amazoncomgetbigf00spec }}
* {{cite book |title=The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon |last=Stone |first=Brad |publisher=Little Brown and Co |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-316-21926-6 |location=New York |oclc=856249407 |author-link=Brad Stone (journalist)|title-link=The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon }}
{{refend}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
{{Commons category-inline|Amazon.com}}
* {{official website}}
* {{official website}}
* {{OpenCorp|Amazon}}
* {{OpenCorp|Amazon}}
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Revision as of 20:50, 22 October 2022

Amazon.com, Inc.
Amazon
Formerly
Cadabra, Inc. (1994–95)
Traded as
ISINUS0231351067
Industry
FoundedJuly 5, 1994; 32 years ago (1994-07-05)
Bellevue, Washington, U.S.
Founder(s)Jeff Bezos
Headquarters
Seattle, Washington
,
U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Products
Services
RevenueIncrease US$386.064 billion (2020)
Increase US$22.9 billion (2020)
Increase US$21.331 billion (2020)
Total assetsIncrease US$321.2 billion (2020)
Total equityIncrease US$93.404 billion (2020)
Number of employees
Increase 1,298,000 (Dec. 2020)[1]
U.S.: 810,000 (Oct. 2020)[2]
Subsidiaries
Websiteamazon.com
Footnotes / references
[1][3][4][5][6][7]

Amazon.com, Inc., known as Amazon (/ˈæməˌzɒn/), is an American online business and cloud computing company. It was founded on July 5, 1994 by Jeff Bezos. It is based in Seattle, Washington. It is the largest Internet-based store in the world by total sales and market capitalization.[8][9] Amazon.com started as an online bookstore. When it got bigger, it started selling DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, video downloads/streaming, MP3s, audiobooks, software, video games, electronics, apparel, furniture, food, toys, and jewelry. It also makes consumer electronics like Kindle e-readers, Fire tablets, Fire TV, and Echo. It is the world's largest provider of cloud computing services.[10] Amazon also sells products like USB cables using the name AmazonBasics.

Amazon has separate retail websites for the United States, Argentina, Brazil, United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Australia, Italia, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Poland, Mexico, Sweden, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Republic of India. Amazon also offers international shipping to some countries for some of its products.[11] In 2016, Dutch, Polish, and Tamil languages versions of the German Amazon website were launched.[12][13][14]

Subsidiaries

Amazon owns over 40 smaller companies, including Zappos, Shopbop, Diapers.com, Kiva Systems (now Amazon Robotics), Audible, Goodreads, Teachstreet and IMDb.[15]

Other reading

  • Brandt, Richard L. (2011). One Click: Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon.com. New York: Portfolio Penguin. ISBN 978-1-59184-375-7. Archived from the original on 2013-02-22. Retrieved 2018-08-31.
  • Daisey, Mike (2002). 21 Dog Years. Free Press. ISBN 0-7432-2580-5.
  • Friedman, Mara (2004). Amazon.com for Dummies. Wiley Publishing. ISBN 0-7645-5840-4.
  • Marcus, James (2004). Amazonia: Five Years at the Epicenter of the Dot.Com Juggernaut. W. W. Norton. ISBN 1-56584-870-5.
  • Spector, Robert (2000). Amazon.com – Get Big Fast: Inside the Revolutionary Business Model That Changed the World. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-662041-4.
  • Stone, Brad (2013). The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon. New York: Little Brown and Co. ISBN 978-0-316-21926-6. OCLC 856249407.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1018724/000101872421000004/amzn-20201231.htm#i75de98b9097f40f3b5884e541f532421_73. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  2. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/27/technology/pushed-by-pandemic-amazon-goes-on-a-hiring-spree-without-equal.html. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  3. ↑ Annual report 2019. Seattle, Washington: Amazon. December 31, 2019. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Amazon.com, Inc. Common Stock (AMZN) Financials". www.nasdaq.com.
  5. ↑ "Form 10-K". Amazon.com. December 31, 2018. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  6. ↑ "California Secretary of State Business Search". Businesssearch.sos.ca.gov.
  7. ↑ "Amazon bought Whole Foods a year ago. Here's what has changed". Yahoo! Finance.
  8. ↑ Jopson, Barney (July 12, 2011). "Amazon urges California referendum on online tax". Financial Times. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace". The New York Times. August 16, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Microsoft Cloud Revenues Leap; Amazon is Still Way Out in Front - Synergy Research Group". srgresearch.com.
  11. ↑ "Amazon.com, Form 10-K, Annual Report, Filing Date Jan 30, 2013" (PDF). SEC database. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Now you can visit Amazon.de in Dutch". Amazon news. 2016-10-04. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  13. ↑ "Amazon jedną nogą w Polsce". Archived from the original on 2016-10-19. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  14. ↑ "Amazon Germany now available in Turkish". November 10, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Amazon Jobs – Work for a Subsidiary". Archived from the original on August 1, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2014.



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