Amazon (company)

Amazon.com, Inc., known simply as Amazon, is a big American technology company. It was started in 1994 by Jeff Bezos in Bellevue, Washington. At first, Amazon was just an online bookstore, but it quickly grew to sell almost everything. People often call it “The Everything Store.”

Today, Amazon is best known as the world’s biggest online shopping place. You can buy things like electronics, books, food, clothing, and even car parts.

Amazon isn’t just a shopping site. It also offers many other services. It runs Amazon Web Services, which helps other companies with their computer needs. It has its own delivery service and even a self-driving car project. Amazon also owns popular services like Prime Video for movies and TV shows, Twitch for gaming, and Whole Foods Market for groceries. With its Amazon Prime subscription, Amazon has become one of the biggest companies on the planet.

Even though Amazon is very successful, it has faced some criticism. Some people worry about how the company treats its workers and its impact on the environment. Still, Amazon has changed the way many of us shop and use technology every day.

History

Main article: History of Amazon

1994–2009

On July 5, 1994, Amazon was started by Jeff Bezos in Bellevue, Washington, near Seattle. It began as an online bookstore. Bezos chose this area because there were many technology workers and it was a good place for business.

A few months later, the name was changed from Cadabra to Amazon. The website opened to the public on July 16, 1995, selling books from wholesalers and publishers. In 1997, Amazon shared its plans with the public.

In 1998, Amazon started selling music, videos, and other items internationally. In 2002, Amazon introduced Amazon Web Services, helping websites run better. This grew over the years to help businesses store and manage data.

In 2006, Amazon began a program letting small businesses use Amazon’s warehouses to store and ship their products.

2010–present

Amazon bought Whole Foods Market in 2017 and became the leading online shop in the United States. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon hired many new workers.

In 2021, Jeff Bezos stepped down as CEO, and Andy Jassy took over. Amazon has made many changes in recent years.

In 2026, Amazon plans to invest in building data centers in Louisiana, creating many new jobs. The company is also working on projects involving advanced technology.

Products and services

Main article: List of Amazon products and services

Amazon.com

Amazon.com is a website where you can buy many things, like books, movies, music, toys, clothes, electronics, and groceries. Amazon has different websites for different countries, such as amazon.com for the US and amazon.co.uk for the UK.

In 2024, Amazon added a helper called "Rufus" in the US. Rufus helps shoppers find products, make lists, compare items, and read what other customers think.

Amazon’s search results can change based on special fees from sellers. The products and prices may also differ depending on the country you visit Amazon in.

Merchant partnerships

Amazon has worked with many stores. For example, in 2000, a toy store named Toys "R" Us made a deal with Amazon to sell toys and baby products. Later, Toys "R" Us made its own online store.

Amazon also worked with a bookstore called Borders, but Borders later ran its own online shop. In 2011, Amazon made a deal with DC Comics to sell digital comic books like Superman and Batman.

Amazon also works with the United States Postal Service to deliver packages on Sundays in big cities like Los Angeles and New York.

Private-label products

Main article: List of Amazon brands

Amazon sells products under its own brand names, like phone chargers, batteries, and diaper wipes. One brand, AmazonBasics, started in 2009 and now sells many items, such as smartphone cases and computer mice.

Third-party sellers

Many people and small businesses sell their own products on Amazon. These sellers use Amazon to process sales and ship orders.

Affiliate program

People and websites can join Amazon’s affiliate program. If they link to Amazon and someone buys something after clicking the link, they earn a commission. This program is very popular and used by many websites.

Product reviews

Amazon lets people write reviews about products they’ve bought. Reviewers give products a rating from one to five stars. Amazon also lets people say if they found a review helpful.

Amazon sales rank

Amazon shows how popular a product is with a ranking called the Amazon Sales Rank. This helps people see which products are selling well.

Physical stores

Amazon opened bookstores in 2015 in Seattle. These stores closed in 2022. Amazon also tried opening other types of stores, like grocery shops, but later decided to focus more on online shopping.

Hardware and services

Amazon makes and sells many products, like the Alexa voice assistant, Amazon Music for music and videos, the Kindle for reading books, and tablets. In 2021, Amazon introduced Astro, a robot that can check on homes when you’re away. In 2023, Amazon started RXPass, a service that helps Prime members get prescription medicines for a monthly fee.

Subsidiaries

See also: List of mergers and acquisitions by Amazon

Amazon owns many different companies. Some of these are Amazon Web Services, which helps people use computers online; Audible, which sells audiobooks; and Twitch, a place where people watch gaming and other live videos. Amazon also owns Whole Foods Market, a grocery store chain.

Amazon Live

Amazon Live is a service where people can stream live videos showing products. This helps people learn more about items before they buy them.

Amazon Web Services

Main article: Amazon Web Services

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a part of Amazon that helps businesses and people use computer services online. Many companies around the world use AWS to run their websites and apps.

Audible

Main article: Audible (service)

Audible sells audiobooks, podcasts, and other spoken content. Amazon bought Audible in 2008.

Goodreads

Main article: Goodreads

Goodreads is a website where people talk about books and share what they’re reading. Amazon bought Goodreads in 2013.

Ring

Main article: Ring (company)

Ring makes smart doorbells and security cameras for homes. Amazon bought Ring in 2018.

Twitch

Main article: Twitch (service)

Twitch is a website where people watch live video games and other content. Amazon bought Twitch in 2014.

Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods Market is a grocery store that sells natural and organic foods. Amazon bought Whole Foods in 2017.

Other Amazon subsidiaries include:

• A9.com, a technology research company
• Amazon Academy, an online learning platform for students
• Amazon Maritime, Inc., which helps manage shipping
• Amazon Pharmacy, an online service for prescription medicines
• Annapurna Labs, a technology company
• Brilliance Audio, an audiobook company
• ComiXology, a digital comics platform
• CreateSpace, a self-publishing service
• eero, a Wi-Fi company
• Health Navigator, a health service startup
• Junglee, a former shopping service in India
• Kuiper Systems, which works on satellite internet
• Lab126, which makes electronic products like the Kindle
• Shelfari, a former book social network
• Souq, an online shop in the Middle East
• Zoox, a self-driving car company

Amazon also works on clean energy projects and plans to build in new places like Canada.

Operations

Headquarters

Amazon's main offices are in more than 40 buildings in Seattle. Before building its own offices, Amazon used space at the Pacific Medical Center in Seattle.

Amazon is building a new group of tall buildings in Seattle to be its main headquarters. Building started in 2013, and the first building opened in 2015.

Other major campuses

Amazon has big offices in Luxembourg and in London at Principal Place.

Amazon had planned to open offices in New York City and Northern Virginia, but later canceled the New York City plan. Amazon also has a large office in Nashville, Tennessee.

Amazon opened its biggest office ever in Hyderabad, India. This office is Amazon's first outside the United States and has over 15,000 workers.

Amazon plans to build a large office in Bellevue, Washington, near Seattle. The biggest building there will be Sonic, a very tall office building that opened in 2024.

Global corporate offices

Amazon has software developers around the world, in addition to its main office in Seattle.

Retail

Amazon has many different stores. Most are in the United States, but some are in Canada, the United Kingdom, and London.

• Whole Foods Market
• Amazon Books
• Amazon Go
• Amazon Go Grocery
• Amazon Fresh
• Amazon 4-Star
• Amazon Pop-Up
• 365 by Whole Foods Market

Logistics

Amazon uses many ways to deliver packages. Some of these include:

• Amazon Air for big shipments
• Amazon Flex where people use their own cars to deliver packages
• Amazon Freight
• Amazon Logistics, working with small businesses to deliver packages
• Amazon Prime Air, a test service using drones for delivery

Amazon employs people to work at warehouses, distribution centers, and delivery stations.

Pickup points

Amazon has places where customers can pick up their packages, including about 30 spots in the United States and over 800 in India.

Supply chain

Amazon started with two places to store and send out items in 1997. Amazon has many types of storage and delivery places. Workers do jobs like unloading items, storing them, getting items for orders, packing orders, and shipping them. Computers help track items, and some warehouses use robots (Amazon Robotics) to move things.

Amazon also stores and sends out items for small sellers for a fee.

Corporate affairs

Board of directors

As of August 2025, Amazon’s board of directors included important leaders such as Jeff Bezos, the company’s executive chairman, and Andy Jassy, its president and CEO. Other members had experience in technology, business, and leadership roles.

Ownership

The 10 largest shareholders of Amazon at the end of October 2025 are listed here:

Finances

Amazon is mainly a shopping website where companies can sell their products. Amazon earns money by taking a small part of each sale and also lets companies pay to highlight their products. By 2018, Amazon was among the biggest companies in the United States. In 2021, Amazon made over $469 billion in sales.

Amazon’s value as a company went above $1 trillion in early 2020.

Corporate culture

Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, was well-known for his yearly letters to people who own parts of the company. These letters showed his ideas and plans for the company. He strongly believed in focusing on what customers want. Employees at Amazon could win awards for trying new ideas.

Lobbying

Amazon works with government leaders in the United States and other countries on many topics, such as online sales rules, safety for transportation, and protecting information. The company has spent millions of dollars each year to share its ideas with government groups. Amazon has also talked with groups about new ways to deliver packages. The company also works on policies about the environment and energy use.

Criticism and controversies

Main article: Criticism of Amazon

Amazon has faced many criticisms over the years. People have raised concerns about the company's actions, such as working with law enforcement and changing how people buy books. There have also been issues about how Amazon treats small businesses and its effect on the environment.

Some people worry that Amazon has too much control over what content is available online. The company has also faced legal issues over children making purchases without their parents' permission. In recent years, Amazon has changed some of its policies after receiving feedback about privacy and fairness.