Amazon (Part 2).
The Unfulfillment Company.
In Part 1 of Amazon, the Unfulfillment Company, we reviewed Amazon’s rise from online bookseller to third largest company on the planet and well on its way to number one. The extreme focus on the customer is the centerpiece of founder Jeff Bezos’s philosophy and while it has increased consumerism and driven down prices on several categories of goods and services, it’s had big ripple effects in the wider economy and the labor market. Today’s episode picks up where we left off to examine the company’s earnings and acquisitions more closely and addresses how the company is one step ahead of efforts to break it up. We finish with some examples of victories and what must happen to contain Amazon’s influence before it becomes sentient and destroys us all. Or something like that.
Show Notes
Clips
Episode Timestamp + Link | Clip Link
- 00:00:07 | Bo Burnham: Bezos ii
- 00:00:17 | Frontline PBS: Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos
- 00:00:42 | WXYZ-TV Detroit: Amazon workers walk off the job
- 00:01:24 | Alanis Morissette: Ironic
- 00:01:29 | Reuters: Jeff Bezos and White House battle over taxes, inflation
- 00:06:43 | The Six Million Dollar Man: Intro
- 00:08:38 | Shrek: You’re A Monster
- 00:10:22 | Benny Hill Theme
- 00:11:00 | Talladega Nights: First Vs. Last
- 00:11:33 | The Beatles: With A Little Help From My Friends
- 00:18:05 | CNN: Sen. Bernie Sanders: Amazon has gotten too big
- 00:23:36 | Frontline PBS: Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos
- 00:31:48 | New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says "Love wins. Always. And it will again through this virus."
- 00:33:27 | MSNBC: Billionaire 'Goliath' Bezos Loses To 'David' Organizers In Huge Labor Upset At Amazon
- 00:33:54 | Pretty Woman: Big Mistake
- 00:34:20 | PBS NewsHour: Amazon Labor Union leader tells Sen. Graham it's in his 'best interest' to listen to workers
- 00:35:57 | Reuters: 'You guys paid for all this': Jeff Bezos thanks Amazon staff, customers
- 00:36:11 | Tommy Boy: Hmm, he seems like a nice guy.
- 00:37:36 | Charlie Chaplin: Final Speech from The Great Dictator
- 00:45:08 | The Labor Network: Protecting the Right to Organize - The PRO Act
- 00:58:05 | Amador The Scorpio: Fuck Amazon
- 00:58:22 | Star Trek: Spock
- 01:01:03 | Amador The Scorpio: Fuck Amazon Pt. 2
Resources
-
Business Insider: Jeff Bezos famously embraces failure. Here are the biggest flops Amazon has overcome under his watch.
-
The New York Times: Amazon reports slowing sales growth and indicates slowdown may continue.
-
Marketplace Pulse: Amazon Net Sales 1996-2022
-
World Population Review: GDP Ranked by Country 2022
-
Forex Sentiment Board: 10 Largest Companies with Highest Revenue in 2022
-
Insider Intelligence: Amazon annual revenue breakdown by segment in 2022
-
The Register: Cloud a three-player market dominated by AWS, Google, Microsoft
-
E Marketer: Amazon has a larger advertising business than YouTube - Insider Intelligence Trends, Forecasts & Statistics
-
Forbes: Amazon Buys MGM For $8.5 Billion: Deal Could Be Unwound In The Future
-
Next Big Brand: Here Is The List Of Top 10 Firms Acquired By Amazon
-
TechCrunch: Amazon to acquire autonomous driving startup Zoox
-
CB Insights: Visualizing Tech Giants' Billion-Dollar Acquisitions
-
PYMNTS.com: Amazon's All-Time High US eCommerce Share: 56.7%
-
Reveal News: Private Report Shows How Amazon Drastically Undercounts Its Carbon Footprint
-
Congress.gov: 117th Congress (2021-2022): Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021
Book Love
-
Alec MacGillis: Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America
Pod Love
UNFTR Quick Links