<s>
Amazon.com,	B-Application
Inc	I-Application
.	I-Application
(	O
)	O
is	O
an	O
American	O
multinational	O
technology	B-General_Concept
company	O
focusing	O
on	O
e-commerce	O
,	O
cloud	B-Architecture
computing	I-Architecture
,	O
online	O
advertising	O
,	O
digital	O
streaming	O
,	O
and	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
considered	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
Big	O
Five	O
American	O
technology	B-General_Concept
companies	O
,	O
alongside	O
Alphabet	O
(	O
parent	O
company	O
of	O
Google	B-Application
)	O
,	O
Apple	O
,	O
Meta	O
(	O
formerly	O
Facebook	B-Application
Inc	I-Application
.	I-Application
)	O
and	O
Microsoft	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
was	O
founded	O
by	O
Jeff	O
Bezos	O
from	O
his	O
garage	O
in	O
Bellevue	O
,	O
Washington	O
,	O
on	O
July	O
5	O
,	O
1994	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
has	O
multiple	O
subsidiaries	O
including	O
Amazon	B-Application
Web	I-Application
Services	I-Application
(	O
cloud	B-Architecture
computing	I-Architecture
)	O
,	O
Zoox	O
(	O
autonomous	O
vehicles	O
)	O
,	O
Kuiper	O
Systems	O
(	O
satellite	B-Application
Internet	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
Amazon	B-Application
Lab126	O
(	O
computer	O
hardware	O
R&D	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
other	O
subsidiaries	O
include	O
Ring	B-Application
,	O
Twitch	O
,	O
IMDb	O
,	O
and	O
Whole	O
Foods	O
Market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
has	O
earned	O
a	O
reputation	O
as	O
a	O
disruptor	O
of	O
well-established	O
industries	O
through	O
technological	O
innovation	O
and	O
"	O
aggressive	O
"	O
reinvestment	O
of	O
profits	O
into	O
capital	O
expenditures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
,	O
it	O
is	O
the	O
world	O
's	O
largest	O
online	O
retailer	O
and	O
marketplace	O
,	O
smart	B-Device
speaker	I-Device
provider	O
,	O
cloud	B-Architecture
computing	I-Architecture
service	O
through	O
AWS	B-Application
,	O
live-streaming	O
service	O
through	O
Twitch	O
,	O
and	O
Internet	O
company	O
as	O
measured	O
by	O
revenue	O
and	O
market	O
share	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2021	O
,	O
it	O
surpassed	O
Walmart	O
as	O
the	O
world	O
's	O
largest	O
retailer	O
outside	O
of	O
China	O
,	O
driven	O
in	O
large	O
part	O
by	O
its	O
paid	O
subscription	O
plan	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
Prime	O
,	O
which	O
has	O
over	O
200million	O
subscribers	O
worldwide	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
also	O
distributes	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
downloadable	O
and	O
streaming	O
content	O
through	O
its	O
Amazon	B-Application
Prime	I-Application
Video	I-Application
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
Music	I-Application
,	O
Twitch	O
,	O
and	O
Audible	B-Application
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
publishes	O
books	O
through	O
its	O
publishing	O
arm	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
Publishing	O
,	O
film	O
and	O
television	O
content	O
through	O
Amazon	B-Application
Studios	O
,	O
and	O
has	O
been	O
the	O
owner	O
of	O
film	O
and	O
television	O
studio	O
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer	O
since	O
March	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
produces	O
consumer	O
electronics	O
—	O
most	O
notably	O
,	O
Kindle	B-General_Concept
e-readers	O
,	O
Echo	B-Device
devices	O
,	O
Fire	B-Application
tablets	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Fire	B-Application
TVs	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
has	O
been	O
criticized	O
for	O
customer	O
data	O
collection	O
practices	O
,	O
a	O
toxic	O
work	O
culture	O
,	O
tax	O
avoidance	O
,	O
and	O
anti-competitive	O
behavior	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
was	O
founded	O
on	O
July	O
5	O
,	O
1994	O
,	O
by	O
Jeff	O
Bezos	O
,	O
who	O
chose	O
the	O
Seattle	O
area	O
for	O
its	O
abundance	O
of	O
technical	O
talent	O
,	O
as	O
Microsoft	O
was	O
in	O
the	O
area	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
went	O
public	O
in	O
May	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2002	O
,	O
it	O
launched	O
Amazon	B-Application
Web	I-Application
Services	I-Application
(	O
AWS	B-Application
)	O
,	O
which	O
initially	O
focused	O
on	O
providing	O
APIs	B-Application
for	O
web	O
developers	O
to	O
build	O
web	B-Application
applications	I-Application
on	O
top	O
of	O
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
ecommerce	O
platform	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2004	O
,	O
AWS	B-Application
was	O
expanded	O
to	O
provide	O
website	O
popularity	O
statistics	O
and	O
web	O
crawler	O
data	O
from	O
the	O
Alexa	B-Application
Web	O
Information	O
Service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AWS	B-Application
later	O
shifted	O
toward	O
providing	O
enterprise	O
services	O
with	O
Simple	B-General_Concept
Storage	I-General_Concept
Service	I-General_Concept
(	O
S3	O
)	O
in	O
2006	O
,	O
and	O
Elastic	B-General_Concept
Compute	I-General_Concept
Cloud	I-General_Concept
(	O
EC2	O
)	O
in	O
2008	O
,	O
allowing	O
companies	O
to	O
rent	O
data	O
storage	O
and	O
computing	O
power	O
from	O
Amazon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2006	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
also	O
launched	O
the	O
Fulfillment	O
by	O
Amazon	B-Application
program	O
,	O
which	O
allowed	O
individuals	O
and	O
small	O
companies	O
(	O
called	O
"	O
third-party	O
sellers	O
"	O
)	O
to	O
sell	O
products	O
through	O
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
warehouses	O
and	O
fulfillment	O
infrastructure	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
purchased	O
the	O
Whole	O
Foods	O
Market	O
supermarket	O
chain	O
in	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
saw	O
large	O
growth	O
during	O
the	O
COVID-19	O
pandemic	O
,	O
hiring	O
more	O
than	O
100,000	O
staff	O
in	O
the	O
US	O
and	O
Canada	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
Amazon	B-Application
workers	O
in	O
the	O
US	O
,	O
France	O
,	O
and	O
Italy	O
protested	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
decision	O
to	O
"	O
run	O
normal	O
shifts	O
"	O
due	O
to	O
COVID-19	O
'	O
s	O
ease	O
of	O
spread	O
in	O
warehouses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
2	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
Bezos	O
announced	O
that	O
would	O
step	O
down	O
as	O
CEO	O
to	O
become	O
executive	O
chair	O
of	O
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
board	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
transition	O
officially	O
took	O
place	O
on	O
July	O
5	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
with	O
former	O
CEO	O
of	O
AWS	B-Application
Andy	O
Jassy	O
replacing	O
him	O
as	O
CEO	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2023	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
cut	O
over	O
18,000	O
jobs	O
,	O
primarily	O
in	O
consumer	O
retail	O
and	O
its	O
human	O
resources	O
division	O
in	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
cut	O
costs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon.com	B-Application
is	O
an	O
ecommerce	O
platform	B-Device
that	O
sells	O
many	O
product	O
lines	O
,	O
including	O
media	O
(	O
books	O
,	O
movies	O
,	O
music	O
,	O
and	O
software	O
)	O
,	O
apparel	O
,	O
baby	O
products	O
,	O
consumer	O
electronics	O
,	O
beauty	O
products	O
,	O
gourmet	O
food	O
,	O
groceries	O
,	O
health	O
and	O
personal	O
care	O
products	O
,	O
industrial	O
&	O
scientific	O
supplies	O
,	O
kitchen	O
items	O
,	O
jewelry	O
,	O
watches	O
,	O
lawn	O
and	O
garden	O
items	O
,	O
musical	O
instruments	O
,	O
sporting	O
goods	O
,	O
tools	O
,	O
automotive	O
items	O
,	O
toys	O
and	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
farm	O
supplies	O
and	O
consulting	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
websites	O
are	O
country-specific	O
(	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
amazon.com	B-Application
for	O
the	O
U.S.	O
and	O
amazon.fr	O
for	O
France	O
)	O
,	O
though	O
some	O
offer	O
international	O
shipping	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Visits	O
to	O
amazon.com	B-Application
grew	O
from	O
615million	O
annual	O
visitors	O
in	O
2008	O
,	O
to	O
more	O
than	O
2	O
billion	O
per	O
month	O
in	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ecommerce	O
platform	B-Device
is	O
the	O
14th	O
most	O
visited	O
website	O
in	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Results	O
generated	O
by	O
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
search	O
engine	O
are	O
partly	O
determined	O
by	O
promotional	O
fees	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
company	O
's	O
localized	B-General_Concept
storefronts	O
,	O
which	O
differ	O
in	O
selection	O
and	O
prices	O
,	O
are	O
differentiated	O
by	O
top-level	O
domain	O
and	O
country	B-General_Concept
code	I-General_Concept
:	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2000	O
,	O
U.S.	O
toy	O
retailer	O
Toys	O
"	O
R	O
"	O
Us	O
entered	O
into	O
a	O
10-year	O
agreement	O
with	O
Amazon	B-Application
,	O
valued	O
at	O
$50million	O
per	O
year	O
plus	O
a	O
cut	O
of	O
sales	O
,	O
under	O
which	O
Toys	O
"	O
R	O
"	O
Us	O
would	O
be	O
the	O
exclusive	O
supplier	O
of	O
toys	O
and	O
baby	O
products	O
on	O
the	O
service	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
chain	O
's	O
website	O
would	O
redirect	O
to	O
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
Toys	O
&	O
Games	O
category	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2004	O
,	O
Toys	O
"	O
R	O
"	O
Us	O
sued	O
Amazon	B-Application
,	O
claiming	O
that	O
because	O
of	O
a	O
perceived	O
lack	O
of	O
variety	O
in	O
Toys	O
"	O
R	O
"	O
Us	O
stock	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
had	O
knowingly	O
allowed	O
third-party	O
sellers	O
to	O
offer	O
items	O
on	O
the	O
service	O
in	O
categories	O
that	O
Toys	O
"	O
R	O
"	O
Us	O
had	O
been	O
granted	O
exclusivity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2006	O
,	O
a	O
court	O
ruled	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
Toys	O
"	O
R	O
"	O
Us	O
,	O
giving	O
it	O
the	O
right	O
to	O
unwind	O
its	O
agreement	O
with	O
Amazon	B-Application
and	O
establish	O
its	O
independent	O
e-commerce	O
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2001	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
entered	O
into	O
a	O
similar	O
agreement	O
with	O
Borders	O
Group	O
,	O
under	O
which	O
Amazon	B-Application
would	O
comanage	O
Borders.com	O
as	O
a	O
co-branded	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
18	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
Amazon.com	B-Application
announced	O
a	O
partnership	O
with	O
DC	O
Comics	O
for	O
the	O
exclusive	O
digital	O
rights	O
to	O
many	O
popular	O
comics	O
,	O
including	O
Superman	B-Application
,	O
Batman	B-General_Concept
,	O
Green	O
Lantern	O
,	O
The	O
Sandman	O
,	O
and	O
Watchmen	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2013	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
announced	O
a	O
partnership	O
with	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
Postal	O
Service	O
to	O
begin	O
delivering	O
orders	O
on	O
Sundays	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
service	O
,	O
included	O
in	O
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
standard	O
shipping	O
rates	O
,	O
initiated	O
in	O
metropolitan	O
areas	O
of	O
Los	O
Angeles	O
and	O
New	O
York	O
because	O
of	O
the	O
high-volume	O
and	O
inability	O
to	O
deliver	O
in	O
a	O
timely	O
way	O
,	O
with	O
plans	O
to	O
expand	O
into	O
Dallas	O
,	O
Houston	O
,	O
New	O
Orleans	O
and	O
Phoenix	O
by	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2017	O
,	O
Nike	O
agreed	O
to	O
sell	O
products	O
through	O
Amazon	B-Application
in	O
exchange	O
for	O
better	O
policing	O
of	O
counterfeit	O
goods	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Companies	O
including	O
IKEA	O
and	O
Birkenstock	O
also	O
stopped	O
selling	O
through	O
Amazon	B-Application
around	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
citing	O
similar	O
frustrations	O
over	O
business	O
practices	O
and	O
counterfeit	O
goods	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2017	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
ventured	O
with	O
one	O
of	O
its	O
sellers	O
JV	O
Appario	O
Retail	O
owned	O
by	O
Patni	O
Group	O
which	O
has	O
recorded	O
a	O
total	O
income	O
of	O
US	O
$104.44	O
million	O
( ₹759	O
crore	O
)	O
in	O
financial	O
year	O
2017	O
–	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2018	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
reached	O
an	O
agreement	O
with	O
Apple	O
Inc	O
.	O
to	O
sell	O
selected	O
products	O
through	O
the	O
service	O
,	O
via	O
the	O
company	O
and	O
selected	O
Apple	O
Authorized	O
Resellers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
of	O
this	O
partnership	O
,	O
only	O
Apple	O
Authorized	O
Resellers	O
may	O
sell	O
Apple	O
products	O
on	O
Amazon	B-Application
effective	O
January	O
4	O
,	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
sells	O
many	O
products	O
under	O
its	O
own	O
brand	O
names	O
,	O
including	O
phone	O
chargers	O
,	O
batteries	O
,	O
and	O
diaper	O
wipes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
owned	O
34	O
private-label	O
brands	O
as	O
of	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
brands	O
account	O
for	O
0.15	O
%	O
of	O
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
global	O
sales	O
,	O
whereas	O
the	O
average	O
for	O
other	O
large	O
retailers	O
is	O
18%	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
Amazon	B-Application
retail	O
brands	O
include	O
Presto	O
!,	O
Mama	O
Bear	O
,	O
and	O
Amazon	B-Application
Essentials	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
derives	O
many	O
of	O
its	O
sales	O
(	O
around	O
40%	O
in	O
2008	O
)	O
from	O
third-party	O
sellers	O
who	O
sell	O
products	O
on	O
Amazon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
other	O
large	O
e-commerce	O
sellers	O
use	O
Amazon	B-Application
to	O
sell	O
their	O
products	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
selling	O
them	O
through	O
their	O
websites	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
sales	O
are	O
processed	O
through	O
Amazon.com	B-Application
and	O
end	O
up	O
at	O
individual	O
sellers	O
for	O
processing	O
and	O
order	O
fulfillment	O
and	O
Amazon	B-Application
leases	O
space	O
for	O
these	O
retailers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Small	O
sellers	O
of	O
used	O
and	O
new	O
goods	O
go	O
to	O
Amazon	B-Application
Marketplace	O
to	O
offer	O
goods	O
at	O
a	O
fixed	O
price	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Publishers	O
can	O
signup	O
as	O
affiliates	O
and	O
receive	O
a	O
commission	O
for	O
referring	O
customers	O
to	O
Amazon	B-Application
by	O
placing	O
links	O
to	O
Amazon	B-Application
on	O
their	O
websites	O
if	O
the	O
referral	O
results	O
in	O
a	O
sale	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Worldwide	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
has	O
"	O
over	O
900,000	O
members	O
"	O
in	O
its	O
affiliate	O
programs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
middle	O
of	O
2014	O
,	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Application
Affiliate	O
Program	O
is	O
used	O
by	O
1.2	O
%	O
of	O
all	O
websites	O
and	O
it	O
is	O
the	O
second	O
most	O
popular	O
advertising	O
network	O
after	O
Google	B-Application
Ads	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Associates	O
can	O
access	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Application
catalog	O
directly	O
on	O
their	O
websites	O
by	O
using	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Application
Web	I-Application
Services	I-Application
(	O
AWS	B-Application
)	O
XML	B-Protocol
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
new	O
affiliate	O
product	O
,	O
aStore	B-Application
,	O
allows	O
Associates	O
to	O
embed	O
a	O
subset	O
of	O
Amazon	B-Application
products	O
within	O
another	O
website	O
,	O
or	O
linked	O
to	O
another	O
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2010	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
Seller	O
Product	O
Suggestions	O
was	O
launched	O
to	O
provide	O
more	O
transparency	O
to	O
sellers	O
by	O
recommending	O
specific	O
products	O
to	O
third-party	O
sellers	O
to	O
sell	O
on	O
Amazon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
allows	O
users	O
to	O
submit	O
reviews	O
to	O
the	O
web	O
page	O
of	O
each	O
product	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
provides	O
a	O
badging	O
option	O
for	O
reviewers	O
which	O
indicates	O
the	O
real	O
name	O
of	O
the	O
reviewer	O
(	O
based	O
on	O
confirmation	O
of	O
a	O
credit	O
card	O
account	O
)	O
or	O
which	O
indicates	O
that	O
the	O
reviewer	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
top	O
reviewers	O
by	O
popularity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
December	O
16	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
removed	O
the	O
ability	O
of	O
sellers	O
and	O
customers	O
to	O
comment	O
on	O
product	O
reviews	O
and	O
purged	O
their	O
websites	O
of	O
all	O
posted	O
product	O
review	O
comments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
email	O
to	O
sellers	O
Amazon	B-Application
gave	O
its	O
rationale	O
for	O
removing	O
this	O
feature	O
:	O
"	O
...	O
the	O
comments	O
feature	O
on	O
customer	O
reviews	O
was	O
rarely	O
used.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
remaining	O
review	O
response	O
options	O
are	O
to	O
indicate	O
whether	O
the	O
reader	O
finds	O
the	O
review	O
helpful	O
or	O
to	O
report	O
that	O
it	O
violates	O
Amazon	B-Application
policies	O
(	O
abuse	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2010	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
was	O
reported	O
as	O
being	O
the	O
largest	O
single	O
source	O
of	O
Internet	O
consumer	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
publishers	O
asked	O
Bezos	O
why	O
Amazon	B-Application
would	O
publish	O
negative	O
reviews	O
,	O
he	O
defended	O
the	O
practice	O
by	O
claiming	O
that	O
Amazon.com	B-Application
was	O
"	O
taking	O
a	O
different	O
approach	O
...	O
we	O
want	O
to	O
make	O
every	O
book	O
available	O
—	O
the	O
good	O
,	O
the	O
bad	O
and	O
the	O
ugly	O
...	O
to	O
let	O
truth	O
loose	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Amazon	B-Application
sales	O
rank	O
(	O
ASR	O
)	O
indicates	O
the	O
popularity	O
of	O
a	O
product	O
sold	O
on	O
any	O
Amazon	B-Application
locale	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Effectively	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
a	O
"	O
best	O
sellers	O
list	O
"	O
for	O
the	O
millions	O
of	O
products	O
stocked	O
by	O
Amazon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
ASR	O
has	O
no	O
direct	O
effect	O
on	O
the	O
sales	O
of	O
a	O
product	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
used	O
by	O
Amazon	B-Application
to	O
determine	O
which	O
products	O
to	O
include	O
in	O
its	O
bestsellers	O
lists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Products	O
that	O
appear	O
in	O
these	O
lists	O
enjoy	O
additional	O
exposure	O
on	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Application
website	O
and	O
this	O
may	O
lead	O
to	O
an	O
increase	O
in	O
sales	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
particular	O
,	O
products	O
that	O
experience	O
large	O
jumps	O
(	O
up	O
or	O
down	O
)	O
in	O
their	O
sales	O
ranks	O
may	O
be	O
included	O
within	O
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
lists	O
of	O
"	O
movers	O
and	O
shakers	O
"	O
;	O
such	O
a	O
listing	O
provides	O
additional	O
exposure	O
that	O
might	O
lead	O
to	O
an	O
increase	O
in	O
sales	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
competitive	O
reasons	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
does	O
not	O
release	O
actual	O
sales	O
figures	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
has	O
now	O
begun	O
to	O
release	O
point	O
of	O
sale	O
data	O
via	O
the	O
Nielsen	O
BookScan	O
service	O
to	O
verified	O
authors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
ASR	O
has	O
been	O
the	O
source	O
of	O
much	O
speculation	O
by	O
publishers	O
,	O
manufacturers	O
,	O
and	O
marketers	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
itself	O
does	O
not	O
release	O
the	O
details	O
of	O
its	O
sales	O
rank	O
calculation	O
algorithm	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
companies	O
have	O
analyzed	O
Amazon	B-Application
sales	O
data	O
to	O
generate	O
sales	O
estimates	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
ASR	O
,	O
though	O
Amazon	B-Application
states	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2015	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
opened	O
a	O
physical	O
Amazon	B-Application
Books	I-Application
store	O
in	O
University	O
Village	O
in	O
Seattle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
opened	O
its	O
tenth	O
physical	O
book	O
store	O
in	O
2017	O
;	O
media	O
speculation	O
suggests	O
that	O
Amazon	B-Application
plans	O
to	O
eventually	O
roll	O
out	O
300	O
to	O
400	O
bookstores	O
around	O
the	O
country	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2018	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
reported	O
that	O
Amazon	B-Application
planned	O
to	O
open	O
brick	O
and	O
mortar	O
bookstores	O
in	O
Germany	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2019	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
applied	O
to	O
have	O
a	O
liquor	O
store	O
in	O
San	O
Francisco	O
,	O
CA	O
as	O
a	O
means	O
to	O
ship	O
beer	O
and	O
alcohol	O
within	O
the	O
city	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2020	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
Fresh	O
opened	O
several	O
physical	O
stores	O
in	O
the	O
U.S.	O
and	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
has	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
products	O
and	O
services	O
available	O
,	O
including	O
its	O
digital	O
assistant	O
Alexa	B-Application
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
Music	I-Application
and	O
Prime	B-Application
Video	I-Application
for	O
music	O
and	O
videos	O
respectively	O
,	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Application
Appstore	O
for	O
Android	O
apps	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
Kindle	B-General_Concept
hardware	O
line	O
of	O
e-readers	O
and	O
tablets	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Audible	B-Application
provides	O
audiobooks	O
for	O
purchase	O
and	O
listening	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2021	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
announced	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
Astro	O
,	O
its	O
first	O
household	O
robot	O
,	O
powered	O
by	O
its	O
Alexa	B-Application
smart	O
home	O
technology	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2023	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
announced	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
RXPass	O
,	O
a	O
prescription	O
drug	O
delivery	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
allows	O
US	O
Amazon	B-Application
Prime	O
members	O
to	O
pay	O
a	O
$5	O
monthly	O
fee	O
for	O
access	O
to	O
60	O
medications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
owns	O
over	O
40	O
subsidiaries	O
,	O
including	O
Amazon	B-Application
Web	I-Application
Services	I-Application
,	O
Audible	B-Application
,	O
Diapers.com,	O
Goodreads	B-Application
,	O
IMDb	O
,	O
Kiva	O
Systems	O
(	O
now	O
Amazon	B-Application
Robotics	O
)	O
,	O
Shopbop	O
,	O
Teachstreet	O
,	O
Twitch	O
,	O
Zappos	O
,	O
and	O
Zoox	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
Web	I-Application
Services	I-Application
(	O
AWS	B-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
subsidiary	O
of	O
that	O
provides	O
on-demand	B-Architecture
cloud	B-Architecture
computing	I-Architecture
platforms	I-Architecture
and	O
APIs	B-Application
to	O
individuals	O
,	O
companies	O
,	O
and	O
governments	O
,	O
on	O
a	O
metered	O
pay-as-you-go	O
basis	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
cloud	B-Architecture
computing	I-Architecture
web	O
services	O
provide	O
distributed	B-Architecture
computing	I-Architecture
processing	O
capacity	O
and	O
software	O
tools	O
via	O
AWS	B-Application
server	B-Operating_System
farms	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
2021	O
Q4	O
,	O
AWS	B-Application
has	O
33%	O
market	O
share	O
for	O
cloud	B-Architecture
infrastructure	O
while	O
the	O
next	O
two	O
competitors	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Azure	I-Application
and	O
Google	B-General_Concept
Cloud	I-General_Concept
have	O
21%	O
,	O
and	O
10%	O
respectively	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
Synergy	O
Group	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Audible	B-Application
is	O
a	O
seller	O
and	O
producer	O
of	O
spoken	O
audio	O
entertainment	O
,	O
information	O
,	O
and	O
educational	O
programming	O
on	O
the	O
Internet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Audible	B-Application
sells	O
digital	O
audiobooks	O
,	O
radio	O
and	O
television	O
programs	O
,	O
and	O
audio	O
versions	O
of	O
magazines	O
and	O
newspapers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Through	O
its	O
production	O
arm	O
,	O
Audible	B-Application
Studios	I-Application
,	O
Audible	B-Application
has	O
also	O
become	O
the	O
world	O
's	O
largest	O
producer	O
of	O
downloadable	O
audiobooks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
31	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
announced	O
it	O
would	O
buy	O
Audible	B-Application
for	O
about	O
$300million	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
deal	O
closed	O
in	O
March	O
2008	O
and	O
Audible	B-Application
became	O
a	O
subsidiary	O
of	O
Amazon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Goodreads	B-Application
is	O
a	O
"	O
social	B-Protocol
cataloging	I-Protocol
"	O
website	O
founded	O
in	O
December	O
2006	O
and	O
launched	O
in	O
January	O
2007	O
by	O
Otis	O
Chandler	O
,	O
a	O
software	O
engineer	O
,	O
and	O
entrepreneur	O
,	O
and	O
Elizabeth	O
Khuri	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
website	O
allows	O
individuals	O
to	O
freely	O
search	O
Goodreads	B-Application
 '	O
extensive	O
user-populated	O
database	O
of	O
books	O
,	O
annotations	O
,	O
and	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
bought	O
the	O
company	O
in	O
March	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ring	B-Application
is	O
a	O
home	O
automation	O
company	O
founded	O
by	O
Jamie	O
Siminoff	O
in	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
bought	O
Ring	B-Application
for	O
US$1billion	O
in	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Twitch	O
is	O
a	O
live	O
streaming	O
platform	B-Device
for	O
video	O
,	O
primarily	O
oriented	O
towards	O
video	O
gaming	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Twitch	O
was	O
acquired	O
by	O
Amazon	B-Application
in	O
August	O
2014	O
for	O
$970million	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
acquired	O
Whole	O
Foods	O
for	O
$13.7	O
billion	O
in	O
August	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
Amazon	B-Application
subsidiaries	O
include	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
A9.com,	O
a	O
company	O
focused	O
on	O
researching	O
and	O
building	O
innovative	O
technology	B-General_Concept
,	O
has	O
been	O
a	O
subsidiary	O
since	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
Maritime	O
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
holds	O
a	O
Federal	O
Maritime	O
Commission	O
license	O
to	O
operate	O
as	O
a	O
non-vessel-owning	O
common	O
carrier	O
(	O
NVOCC	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
enables	O
the	O
company	O
to	O
manage	O
its	O
shipments	O
from	O
China	O
into	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
Pharmacy	O
is	O
an	O
online	O
delivery	O
service	O
dedicated	O
to	O
prescription	O
drugs	O
,	O
launched	O
in	O
November	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Annapurna	O
Labs	O
,	O
an	O
Israel-based	O
microelectronics	O
company	O
reputedly	O
for	O
US$350	O
–	O
370M	O
acquired	O
by	O
Amazon	B-Application
Web	I-Application
Services	I-Application
in	O
January	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
is	O
also	O
building	O
out	O
its	O
logistics	O
in	O
trucking	O
and	O
air	O
freight	O
to	O
potentially	O
compete	O
with	O
UPS	O
and	O
FedEx	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
company	O
was	O
purchased	O
by	O
Amazon	B-Application
in	O
2007	O
for	O
an	O
undisclosed	O
amount	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
operates	O
as	O
an	O
independent	O
company	O
within	O
Amazon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
ComiXology	B-Application
,	O
a	O
cloud-based	B-Architecture
digital	O
comics	O
platform	B-Device
with	O
over	O
200million	O
comic	O
downloads	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
offers	O
a	O
selection	O
of	O
more	O
than	O
40,000	O
comic	O
books	O
and	O
graphic	O
novels	O
across	O
Android	O
,	O
iOS	O
,	O
Fire	B-Application
OS	I-Application
and	O
Windows	O
8	O
devices	O
and	O
over	O
a	O
web	O
browser	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
bought	O
the	O
company	O
in	O
April	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eero	O
was	O
acquired	O
by	O
Amazon	B-Application
in	O
2019	O
for	O
US$97million	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Health	O
Navigator	O
is	O
a	O
startup	O
developing	O
APIs	B-Application
for	O
online	O
health	O
services	O
acquired	O
in	O
October	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
startup	O
will	O
form	O
part	O
of	O
Amazon	B-Application
Care	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
employee	O
healthcare	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
follows	O
the	O
2018	O
purchase	O
of	O
PillPack	O
for	O
under	O
$1billion	O
,	O
which	O
has	O
also	O
been	O
included	O
into	O
Amazon	B-Application
Care	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Junglee	O
,	O
a	O
former	O
online	O
shopping	O
service	O
provided	O
by	O
Amazon	B-Application
that	O
enabled	O
customers	O
to	O
search	O
for	O
products	O
from	O
online	O
and	O
offline	O
retailers	O
in	O
India	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
it	O
progressed	O
,	O
Junglee	O
started	O
to	O
use	O
its	O
database	O
technology	B-General_Concept
to	O
create	O
a	O
single	O
window	O
marketplace	O
on	O
the	O
Internet	O
by	O
making	O
every	O
item	O
from	O
every	O
supplier	O
available	O
for	O
purchase	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
acquired	O
Junglee	O
in	O
1998	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
website	O
Junglee.com	O
was	O
launched	O
in	O
India	O
in	O
February	O
2012	O
as	O
a	O
comparison-shopping	O
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2017	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
closed	O
down	O
Junglee.com	O
and	O
the	O
former	O
domain	O
currently	O
redirects	O
to	O
Amazon	B-Application
India	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kuiper	O
Systems	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
subsidiary	O
of	O
Amazon	B-Application
,	O
set	O
up	O
to	O
deploy	O
a	O
broadband	B-General_Concept
satellite	B-Application
internet	O
constellation	O
with	O
an	O
announced	O
3,236	O
Low	O
Earth	O
orbit	O
satellites	B-Application
to	O
provide	O
satellite	B-Application
based	O
Internet	O
connectivity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lab126	O
,	O
developers	O
of	O
integrated	O
consumer	O
electronics	O
such	O
as	O
the	B-General_Concept
Kindle	I-General_Concept
,	O
became	O
a	O
subsidiary	O
in	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shelfari	O
,	O
a	O
former	O
social	B-Protocol
cataloging	I-Protocol
website	O
for	O
books	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shelfari	O
users	O
built	O
virtual	O
bookshelves	O
of	O
the	O
titles	O
which	O
they	O
owned	O
or	O
had	O
read	O
and	O
they	O
could	O
rate	O
,	O
review	O
,	O
tag	B-General_Concept
and	O
discuss	O
their	O
books	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
bought	O
the	O
company	O
in	O
August	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shelfari	O
continued	O
to	O
function	O
as	O
an	O
independent	O
book	O
social	O
network	O
within	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Application
until	O
January	O
2016	O
,	O
when	O
Amazon	B-Application
announced	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
merging	O
Shelfari	O
with	O
Goodreads	B-Application
and	O
closing	O
down	O
Shelfari	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Souq	O
,	O
the	O
former	O
largest	O
e-commerce	O
platform	B-Device
in	O
the	O
Arab	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
March	O
28	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
acquired	O
Souq.com	O
for	O
$580million	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
company	O
was	O
re-branded	O
as	O
Amazon	B-Application
and	O
its	O
infrastructure	O
was	O
used	O
to	O
expand	O
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
online	O
platform	B-Device
in	O
the	O
Middle	O
East	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
also	O
has	O
investments	O
in	O
renewable	O
energy	O
and	O
plans	O
to	O
expand	O
its	O
position	O
into	O
the	O
Canadian	O
market	O
through	O
an	O
investment	O
in	O
a	O
new	O
plant	O
in	O
Alberta	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
uses	O
many	O
different	O
transportation	O
services	O
to	O
deliver	O
packages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon-branded	O
services	O
include	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
Air	O
,	O
a	O
cargo	O
airline	O
for	O
bulk	O
transport	O
,	O
with	O
last-mile	O
delivery	O
handled	O
either	O
by	O
Amazon	B-Application
Flex	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
Logistics	O
,	O
or	O
the	O
U.S.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
Flex	O
,	O
a	O
smartphone	B-Application
app	I-Application
that	O
enables	O
individuals	O
to	O
act	O
as	O
independent	O
contractors	O
,	O
delivering	O
packages	O
to	O
customers	O
from	O
personal	O
vehicles	O
without	O
uniforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Deliveries	O
include	O
one	O
or	O
two	O
hours	O
Prime	O
Now	O
,	O
same	O
or	O
next	O
day	O
Amazon	B-Application
Fresh	O
groceries	O
,	O
and	O
standard	O
Amazon.com	B-Application
orders	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
orders	O
from	O
local	O
stores	O
that	O
contract	O
with	O
Amazon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
Logistics	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
Amazon	B-Application
contracts	O
with	O
small	O
businesses	O
(	O
which	O
it	O
calls	O
"	O
Delivery	O
Service	O
Partners	O
"	O
)	O
to	O
perform	O
deliveries	O
to	O
customers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
business	O
has	O
a	O
fleet	O
of	O
approximately	O
20	O
–	O
40	O
Amazon-branded	O
vans	O
,	O
and	O
employees	O
of	O
the	O
contractors	O
wear	O
Amazon	B-Application
uniforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
Prime	O
Air	O
is	O
an	O
experimental	O
drone	O
delivery	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
directly	O
employs	O
people	O
to	O
work	O
at	O
its	O
warehouses	O
,	O
bulk	O
distribution	O
centers	O
,	O
staffed	O
"	O
Amazon	B-Application
Hub	O
Locker+	O
"	O
locations	O
,	O
and	O
delivery	O
stations	O
where	O
drivers	O
pick	O
up	O
packages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rakuten	O
Intelligence	O
estimated	O
that	O
in	O
2020	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
the	O
proportion	O
of	O
last-mile	O
deliveries	O
was	O
56%	O
by	O
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
directly	O
contracted	O
services	O
(	O
mostly	O
in	O
urban	O
areas	O
)	O
,	O
30%	O
by	O
the	O
U.S.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2021	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
reported	O
to	O
investors	O
it	O
had	O
increased	O
its	O
in-house	O
delivery	O
capacity	O
by	O
50%	O
in	O
the	O
last	O
12	O
months	O
(	O
which	O
included	O
the	O
first	O
year	O
of	O
the	O
COVID-19	O
pandemic	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
first	O
launched	O
its	O
distribution	O
network	O
in	O
1997	O
with	O
two	O
fulfillment	O
centers	O
in	O
Seattle	O
and	O
New	O
Castle	O
,	O
Delaware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
has	O
several	O
types	O
of	O
distribution	O
facilities	O
consisting	O
of	O
cross-dock	O
centers	O
,	O
fulfillment	O
centers	O
,	O
sortation	O
centers	O
,	O
delivery	O
stations	O
,	O
Prime	O
now	O
hubs	O
,	O
and	O
Prime	O
air	O
hubs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
warehouses	O
are	O
partially	O
automated	O
with	O
systems	O
built	O
by	O
Amazon	B-Application
Robotics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2006	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
launched	O
a	O
program	O
called	O
FBA	O
(	O
Fulfillment	O
By	O
Amazon	B-Application
)	O
whereby	O
it	O
could	O
handle	O
storage	O
,	O
packing	O
and	O
distribution	O
of	O
products	O
and	O
services	O
for	O
small	O
sellers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
board	O
of	O
directors	O
were	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Jeff	O
Bezos	O
,	O
executive	O
chairman	O
,	O
Amazon.com,	B-Application
Inc	I-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
Andy	O
Jassy	O
,	O
president	O
and	O
CEO	O
,	O
Amazon.com,	B-Application
Inc	I-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
Amazon.com	B-Application
is	O
primarily	O
a	O
retail	O
site	O
with	O
a	O
sales	O
revenue	O
model	O
;	O
Amazon	B-Application
takes	O
a	O
small	O
percentage	O
of	O
the	O
sale	O
price	O
of	O
each	O
item	O
that	O
is	O
sold	O
through	O
its	O
website	O
while	O
also	O
allowing	O
companies	O
to	O
advertise	O
their	O
products	O
by	O
paying	O
to	O
be	O
listed	O
as	O
featured	O
products	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
,	O
Amazon.com	B-Application
is	O
ranked	O
eighth	O
on	O
the	O
Fortune	O
500	O
rankings	O
of	O
the	O
largest	O
United	O
States	O
corporations	O
by	O
total	O
revenue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
fiscal	O
year	O
2021	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
reported	O
earnings	O
of	O
US	O
$33.36	O
billion	O
,	O
with	O
an	O
annual	O
revenue	O
of	O
US	O
$469.82	O
billion	O
,	O
an	O
increase	O
of	O
21.7	O
%	O
over	O
the	O
previous	O
fiscal	O
cycle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
market	O
capitalization	O
went	O
over	O
US$1trillion	O
again	O
in	O
early	O
February	O
2020	O
after	O
the	O
announcement	O
of	O
the	O
fourth	O
quarter	O
2019	O
results	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
common	O
theme	O
of	O
these	O
letters	O
is	O
Bezos	O
's	O
desire	O
to	O
instill	O
customer-centricity	O
(	O
in	O
his	O
words	O
,	O
"	O
customer	O
obsession	O
"	O
)	O
at	O
all	O
levels	O
of	O
Amazon	B-Application
,	O
notably	O
by	O
making	O
all	O
senior	O
executives	O
field	O
customer	O
support	O
queries	O
for	O
a	O
short	O
time	O
at	O
Amazon	B-Application
call	O
centers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
process	O
,	O
commonly	O
known	O
as	O
a	O
service-oriented	O
architecture	O
(	O
SOA	O
)	O
,	O
resulted	O
in	O
mandatory	O
dogfooding	O
of	O
services	O
that	O
would	O
later	O
be	O
commercialized	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
AWS	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
lobbies	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
federal	O
government	O
and	O
state	O
governments	O
on	O
multiple	O
issues	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
enforcement	O
of	O
sales	O
taxes	O
on	O
online	O
sales	O
,	O
transportation	O
safety	O
,	O
privacy	O
and	O
data	O
protection	O
and	O
intellectual	O
property	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
regulatory	O
filings	O
,	O
Amazon.com	B-Application
focuses	O
its	O
lobbying	O
on	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
Congress	O
,	O
the	O
Federal	O
Communications	O
Commission	O
and	O
the	O
Federal	O
Reserve	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon.com	B-Application
spent	O
roughly	O
$3.5	O
million	O
,	O
$5million	O
and	O
$9.5	O
million	O
on	O
lobbying	O
,	O
in	O
2013	O
,	O
2014	O
and	O
2015	O
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon.com	B-Application
was	O
a	O
corporate	O
member	O
of	O
the	O
American	O
Legislative	O
Exchange	O
Council	O
(	O
ALEC	O
)	O
until	O
it	O
dropped	O
membership	O
following	O
protests	O
at	O
its	O
shareholders	O
 '	O
meeting	O
on	O
May	O
24	O
,	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2014	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
expanded	O
its	O
lobbying	O
practices	O
as	O
it	O
prepared	O
to	O
lobby	O
the	O
Federal	O
Aviation	O
Administration	O
to	O
approve	O
its	O
drone	O
delivery	O
program	O
,	O
hiring	O
the	O
Akin	O
Gump	O
Strauss	O
Hauer	O
&	O
Feld	O
lobbying	O
firm	O
in	O
June	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
and	O
its	O
lobbyists	O
have	O
visited	O
with	O
Federal	O
Aviation	O
Administration	O
officials	O
and	O
aviation	O
committees	O
in	O
Washington	O
,	O
D.C.	O
to	O
explain	O
its	O
plans	O
to	O
deliver	O
packages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
has	O
attracted	O
criticism	O
for	O
its	O
actions	O
,	O
including	O
:	O
supplying	O
law	O
enforcement	O
with	O
facial	O
recognition	O
surveillance	O
tools	O
;	O
forming	O
cloud	B-Architecture
computing	I-Architecture
partnerships	O
with	O
the	O
CIA	O
;	O
leading	O
customers	O
away	O
from	O
bookshops	O
;	O
adversely	O
impacting	O
the	O
environment	O
;	O
placing	O
a	O
low	O
priority	O
on	O
warehouse	O
conditions	O
for	O
workers	O
;	O
actively	O
opposing	O
unionization	O
efforts	O
;	O
remotely	O
deleting	O
content	O
purchased	O
by	O
Amazon	B-General_Concept
Kindle	I-General_Concept
users	O
;	O
taking	O
public	O
subsidies	O
;	O
seeking	O
to	O
patent	O
its	O
1-Click	O
technology	B-General_Concept
;	O
engaging	O
in	O
anti-competitive	O
actions	O
and	O
price	O
discrimination	O
;	O
and	O
reclassifying	O
LGBT	O
books	O
as	O
adult	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2011	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
faced	O
a	O
backlash	O
from	O
small	O
businesses	O
for	O
running	O
a	O
one-day	O
deal	O
to	O
promote	O
its	O
new	O
Price	O
Check	O
app	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shoppers	O
who	O
used	O
the	O
app	O
to	O
check	O
prices	O
in	O
a	O
brick-and-mortar	O
store	O
were	O
offered	O
a	O
5%	O
discount	O
to	O
purchase	O
the	O
same	O
item	O
from	O
Amazon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Companies	O
like	O
Groupon	B-Application
,	O
eBay	B-Application
and	O
Taap.it	O
countered	O
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
promotion	O
by	O
offering	O
$10	O
off	O
from	O
their	O
products	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
effort	O
to	O
squeeze	O
the	O
most	O
vulnerable	O
book	O
publishers	O
was	O
known	O
within	O
the	O
company	O
as	O
the	O
Gazelle	O
Project	O
,	O
after	O
Bezos	O
suggested	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
Brad	O
Stone	O
,	O
"	O
that	O
Amazon	B-Application
should	O
approach	O
these	O
small	O
publishers	O
the	O
way	O
a	O
cheetah	O
would	O
pursue	O
a	O
sickly	O
gazelle.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2019	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
banned	O
selling	O
skin-lightening	O
and	O
racist	O
products	O
that	O
might	O
affect	O
the	O
consumer	O
's	O
health	O
.	O
</s>
