Does anyone know or have any ideas?

[TenderFantasy]

How did Amazon get to be the giant Behemoth that it is today? What did they do differently compared to Ebay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, etc?

#Amazon, #Craigslist #Ebay #FacebookMarketplace..

I know it's not related to love and romance or relationships, but this is one burning question I've had lately...

There's more I know like Offer Up, Let Go, Mercari, but those giants so far, I am just comparing it to the huge success of Amazon in comparison to the other companies?

Yeah, yeah, of course, don't want to leave out Ali Baba Express or Etsy lol.

Updates

+1 y

I had to do other things so I didn't get to look at the replies until now. Wow... so many well thought out responses! Thanks a million!

By the way, I was going to add last night that maybe it was the user friendliness? ! It's more user-friendly? ! I think that's a big part of it. Just the convenience. They even have next day delivery! Sometimes, when you order from other websites, it doesn't deliver as fast. It was a good investment, their delivery vans!

[The_Shadow_Dweller]

They instead of focusing on one venture, cleverly diversified into other ventures like cloud computing, IT, etc.

Do you know that the majority of Amazon's income is from Amazon Web Services (AWS)? Amazon, as a shoppig websites does not earn that much. But it makes the other ventures get attention and popularity. So it works out.

Amazon is dead serious about their customers security. Customers are all to them lol. Their employees may be cursing the giant, but not their customers. Unlike other companies like Facebook. Chewed out both inside out.

Amazon took advantage of the internet boom in the right way.

---
But, Amazon is also involved in many anticompetitive practices to get the top position.

Practices like copying the best selling product on their website under their own brand and selling it for cheap. Practices like that.

That is why I do not purchase any Amazon brand products. They are not good quality.

[TenderFantasy]

Lol, I just noticed in your other question that you DO purchase products from there. ... Your dash cam? ? !

[The_Shadow_Dweller]

Products are cheaper on Amazon or Flipkart. Not only dash cam, but literally every product I use.

I don't prefer to trouble myself by going to the shop, hassling with the shopkeeper for any price reductions. That is too much headache for me. And for what. A simple smartphone? That is just wastage of time, I say.

As I said, Amazon loves their customers. And frankly speaking their employees too. Just not the non-technical ones.

Many of my friends are working as SDE in Amazon India. They are pretty nice. Their job, I mean.

[The_Shadow_Dweller]

My whole shopping is online. But not specifically Amazon branded products. They are not the good quality. I avoid those.

Better to buy the bit more expensive but good quality product.

[SnowedIn]

Amazon got to be the behemoth it is by focusing on the leadership principles. You can find them here: https://www.aboutamazon.com/about-us/leadership-principles

The other reason is who Jeff Bezos was and is and who he hired. After you read the leadership principles, go to this web site and reach each of his Shareholder Letters. https://ir.aboutamazon.com/annual-reports-proxies-and-shareholder-letters/default.aspx

[NotTacocaT6969]

Amazon offered customers reliability and security.


With craigslist or ebay, you can order a $500 television, receive a potato instead and you’re on your own.


If you order a $5 shirt on amazon and you receive the wrong color, they will correct the mistake and probably even let you keep the shirt.

[TenderFantasy]

Helpful thanks!

[XXblack88]

Amazon was originally a book store. But I don't know when they started selling everything from a to z. But people like the convenience of getting everything in one place and the options are endless.

[TenderFantasy]

I guess people like typing 'Amazon' on their web search browser compared to 'Ebay' and Amazon is probably like the Sears, Woolworths or whatever, K-mart, of the 21st Century, but online.

Walmart ate K-mart too maybe.

[XXblack88]

agreed

[The_Shadow_Dweller]

They actually reached out to people personally to understand any problems on the websites or in the chain for delivery. There they got feedback of selling other products as well. Not only books.

Since they were selling books anyhow, any other product is just like a book to sell. So, they started selling other things as well.

Along the way, one of the first major acquisition by Amazon is IMDb.

[HighValue]

At first it was just an online bookstore. They used to have a deal where you could buy 3 books and get a 4th book for free, plus they originally didn't have sales tax on any of their products. Before, many regular stores didn't offer much of their in store products online and even when they did, they still had sales tax and didn't offer free shipping either.

Amazon performed better in those areas in the beginning which gave them a large boost over the competition.

[TenderFantasy]

I remember those days. I actually was even a third-party seller with them at one point. Made some money using them, it was awesome! Then they got very strict years later that I couldn't even sell UNOPENED Dental Brushes! Lol.

[jshm2]

From the research books on the subject Amazon did what China does - go into companies, copy their products and models, and then buy over/shutdown the original operation.

Amazon was originally a small bookseller, but it went into Borders and many other book retailers and took over. It did the same for retail, and the same for IT services.

It's why China, and Amazon got so big in under 50 years.

[joeldalton]

Amazon doesn't sell used merchandise at its core, unlike all those other sites. It has everything and offering free shipping was an unheard-of idea at the time.

[TenderFantasy]

Thanks. Do you know how they were able to pull the "Free Shipping" part without it being a business expense?

And I think (not sure), unless you're an Amazon Prime member, you do NOT get free shipping. Whenever I've bought from third party sellers in the past, they almost never have free shipping. Only Amazon does that, and I don't really think it's "FREE" as I pay about $9 dollars a month to be an Amazon Prime member. Otherwise, from what I could remember, it was always $3.99 give or take.

[joeldalton]

Amazon used to offer free shipping if you ordered a set amount. It made sense in the long run to do so because they still made a profit on everything they sold. And if you're getting more business because people are more likely to shop with you than your competitors that helps you out also.

[TenderFantasy]

I am also wondering where they keep all their inventory. It's IMPOSSIBLE to have EVERYTHING inside, even in a huge factory. Their merch would have to be spread out all over the U. S. to make it possible!..

[joeldalton]

yes, it is. There are distribution centers everywhere.

https://forestshipping.com/amazon-fulfillment-usa

[TenderFantasy]

Oh damn. Crazy!

[Anonymous]

They sell everything under the sun, and make it easy to buy.

[TenderFantasy]

That's true. They even have "One click". I don't know if Ebay has that. And another mistake that ebay didn't go into was groceries! I think they may either own Grub Hub or something similar, not sure. I know that ebay sells cars though. I don't know if Amazon does, but then again, who buys cars all the time? Focusing on the quantity of consumers definitely helped!

[Opinion Owner]

Amazon sold suicide kits. I think they stopped when it got on the news.

[TenderFantasy]

What? ! That's gotta be a joke.

[Opinion Owner]

Sodium nitrite
And a handbook on assisted suicide.

They were taken to court by two parents whose kids killed themselves.

Maybe Amazon is innocent. The drug is made to cure meat, but the handbook is suspicious.

[TenderFantasy]

That's crazy. Not to mention sad. Were there any news articles about it?

[Opinion Owner]

www.npr.org/.../amazon-suicide-teenagers-poison

[TenderFantasy]

You know what? I'm just going to say this. It's NOT Amazon's fault people killed themselves when using something that's supposed to be meant for something else, to do that! Pretty much ANYTHING can be used to kill a person honestly, and as teens (who should've known better, they weren't 5!) or those over 18, they should take personal responsibility!

I actually read this one: www.nytimes.com/.../...de-poison-preservative.html