Amazon is a commerce giant that revolutionized the way we shop online. The business has an eventful history full of awards, broken records, criticism, and protest. Amazon has grown to be a juggernaut, touching on many different industries and offering a huge variety of services. Learn more about Amazon through some key facts.
7 Amazon Facts
1. The first Amazon meetings took place in Barnes & Noble bookstores. (Source)
Amazon famously began as a small business launched out of a garage. It started as a bookseller, so it’s not surprising that Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Bezos, and employee Shel Kaphan held their early meetings in a local Barnes & Noble. Perhaps it provided inspiration for the intrepid entrepreneurs.
2. Amazon has committed to renewable energy projects in Europe. (Source)
Specifically, Amazon manages 160 wind and solar projects across 13 European countries. These are expected to power 4.7 million households. Amazon has set records for the most renewable energy purchased by a single company.
3. It took just four years for Jeff Bezos to reach billionaire status. (Source)
There are many reasons Amazon’s value skyrocketed at such a rapid pace. Jeff Bezos is the fastest “self-made” billionaire in the world, tied only with Mark Zuckerberg of Meta. Rapidly advancing technology helped speed their success along.
4. Amazon has over 40 subsidiaries and brands. (Source)
Part of Amazon’s success is due to its diversity in business ventures. Amazon’s most well-known subsidiaries are Whole Foods grocery stores, the audiobook streaming platform, Audible, the book review site, GoodReads, and the video game live-streaming platform, Twitch. It also acquired the robotics company, Kiva Systems, and even owns a brick-and-mortar bookstore called Amazon Books.
5. Amazon was almost called “Cadabra” instead. (Source)
Jeff Bezos wanted to evoke a “magic” delivery system, but was talked out of this name when it was decided it sounded too much like “cadaver.” The name “Amazon” was ultimately chosen to point the way toward their goal of being the world’s largest river of books. It was thought that giving the business a name that started with A would help place it at the top of search engine results.
6. Amazon Prime was a major turning point for the company. (Source)
The Amazon Prime membership program sent the company to new heights of success. The online shop promised fast, free delivery, seamless checkout procedures, and free returns. It also looped in entertainment options like Prime Reading, Amazon Music, and Prime Video, which rivals Netflix’s film streaming service.
7. Prime Day boosts Amazon sales. (Source)
Prime Day is a sale day for the Amazon marketplace, full of steep discounts and other enticing deals. In 2023, Amazon sold 375 million products on Prime Day. That’s about 260,000 products per minute. America has the most Amazon customers, but worldwide 310 million people shop on Amazon. In 2022, Amazon visitors spent 10 minutes on the site on average. It seems many shoppers know exactly what they want when they turn to Amazon to make a purchase.
Photo by Sagar Soneji.
