Amazon
“”We're not competitor obsessed, we're customer obsessed. We start with what the customer needs and we work backwards.
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—  Jeff Bezos
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Amazon is an 
American multinational technology company which focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. He has been referred to as "one of the most influential economic and cultural forces in the world", and the world's most valuable brand. He is also one of the Big Five companies in the US information technology industry, along with 
Google, 
Apple, 
Meta, and 
Microsoft.
Amazon has that iconic smile that is his symbol which he puts on every box, bag and package. 📦
The smile can also be interpreted as an arrow, pointing from the letter "a" to the letter "z" in the word "Amazon", signifying that Amazon has every product known to man, from A to Z.
Amazon has been criticized on various grounds, including but not limited to customer data collection practices, a toxic work culture, censorship, tax avoidance, and anti-competitive practices. Amazon is also sometimes greedy.
History
1994–2009
Amazon, originally named Cadabra, was founded on July 5, 1994, by Jeff Bezos, who chose the 
Seattle area because of the abundance of technical talent there, as Microsoft was in the area.
The named was changed to Amazon in 1995 because Bezos wanted the name to reflect the vastness of the 
Amazon River, and also a lawyer misheard "Cadabra" as "Cadaver".
Amazon went public in May 1997. He began selling music and videos in 1998 and began international operations by acquiring online sellers of books in the 
United Kingdom and 
Germany. In the subsequent year, he initiated the sale of a diverse range of products, including music, video games, consumer electronics, home improvement items, software, games, and toys.
In 2002, he launched 
Amazon Web Services (AWS), which initially focused on providing APIs for web developers to build web applications on top of Amazon's ecommerce platform. Also in 2002, Amazon came to 
Canada. In 2004, AWS was expanded to provide website popularity statistics and web crawler data from the 
Alexa Web Information Service. AWS later shifted toward providing enterprise services with 
Simple Storage Service (S3) in 2006, and 
Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) in 2008, allowing companies to rent data storage and computing power from Amazon. In 2006, Amazon also launched the Fulfillment by Amazon program, which allowed individuals and small companies (called "third-party sellers") to sell products through Amazon's warehouses and fulfillment infrastructure.
2009 Onwards
In 2017, Amazon acquired the 
Whole Foods Market supermarket chain. As the leading e-retailer in the United States, Amazon reported net sales of approximately $178 billion in 2017 and boasts over 300 million active customer accounts globally.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon experienced significant growth, hiring more than 100,000 staff in the United States and Canada. However, some Amazon workers in the US, 
France, and 
Italy protested the company's decision to maintain regular shifts due to the risk of COVID-19 spreading in warehouses. In 
Spain, Amazon faced legal complaints regarding his policies, and a group of US Senators expressed concerns about workplace safety in an open letter to Jeff Bezos.
On February 2, 2021, Bezos announced he would step down as CEO to become the executive chair of Amazon's board. This transition occurred on July 5, 2021, with former AWS CEO 
Andy Jassy taking over as CEO. In January 2023, Amazon announced the layoff of over 18,000 employees, mainly in consumer retail and human resources, as part of cost-cutting measures.
On November 8, 2023, Jeff Bezos unveiled a plan to sell approximately 50 million shares of Amazon over the following year, with a deadline of January 31, 2025. The initial phase included the sale of 12 million shares, generating about $2 billion.
On 1 July 2025, a boycott of Amazon was started for allegedly selling services to 
Israel and changing policies following the trend of the 
Trump administration. The boycotts didn't even manage to do the smallest dent on Amazon stocks.
Function
Amazon operates as an extensive 
online marketplace where users can easily purchase a wide variety of products. To buy something on Amazon, users first need to create an account. Once logged in, they can browse or search for items using the search bar or by navigating through various categories. Each product listing includes details such as price, customer reviews, and seller information.
When a user finds a product they want to purchase, they add it to their virtual shopping cart. After selecting all desired items, the user proceeds to checkout, where they can review their order, choose a shipping address, and select a payment method. Amazon supports various payment options, including credit/debit cards, gift cards, and 
Amazon Pay. Users can also opt for expedited shipping if they have an 
Amazon Prime membership, which offers additional benefits like free two-day shipping. Once the purchase is confirmed, Amazon processes the payment and the order is sent to the warehouse for fulfillment. Users can track their order status through their account until the items are delivered to their doorstep.
Products
Amazon is known to have all kinds of weird products, from quirky gadgets and novelty items to bizarre fashion statements and peculiar home decor. You can find everything from bacon-scented air fresheners and inflatable unicorn horns for cats to yodeling pickles and Nicolas Cage-themed pillowcases. This vast and eclectic inventory showcases the platform's extensive reach and ability to cater to a wide array of interests and whims. It's this diversity that makes browsing Amazon an adventure, as you never quite know what unexpected item might pop up next in your recommendations. Whether you're looking for something practical or just want to indulge in some retail therapy with a twist, Amazon's seemingly endless catalog has something for everyone.
The weird products of Amazon have popped up several times 
YouTube videos of people unboxing random Amazon packages. One such YouTuber who used to do this is the now-famous 
MrBeast.
Controversy
Amazon is known for allegations of horrible workplace. Pregnant women are forced to stand for 10 hours straight, and employees have to pee in bottles because they were scared of taking a break.
Trivia
- Amazon is known for tricking people in subscribing a membership and making it hard to cancel.
Relationships
Friends
Amazon Shopping - MY DRONE ARMY, GO AND CONQUER THE WORLD!
Amazon Alexa - Alexa, aren't I just the best?
Bulgaria - My first customers are from there. Paying in cash I discourage though. You put the $200 in a floppy disk and mailed it to me, and you got your books. I didn’t even know you had internet connection in 1995.
Israel - I'll give you cloud services.
How to draw
- Draw a ball.
- Fill the ball with dark blue,
- Write the word "amazon" all lowercase in white in the middle of the ball,
- Draw an orange arrow pointing right
- Add the eyes and you are done!
| Color Name | HEX | |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Greyish Blue | #232F3F | |
| White | #FFFFFF | |
| Orange | #FF9900 | |
