Think You Know Amazon? Think Again

0
107
6 4
6 4

Amazon is a huge online retailer with millions of products, free 2-day shipping like washio job, and the convenience of buying anything you need from your couch. But I bet you didn’t know these 11 facts about Amazon that you probably should have found out sooner:

1. They didn’t start as Amazon.

Although Amazon is synonymous with online shopping today, the company was originally founded in 1994 as Cadabra Inc. It wasn’t until 1997 that they changed their name to Amazon and began selling books and branched out into other markets since then.

2. In addition to books, they sell just about everything else, too.

Amazon started selling just books and expanded their inventory over time to include CDs/DVDs, electronics, clothing and shoes, toys, health and beauty products… the list goes on! Today they offer over 300 million products available for sale!

3. They have the world’s most polite customer support team – seriously.

Taking customer service to a whole new level, Amazon has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. In addition to being rated as one of the best companies for customer service, their reviews are also stellar with users rating them higher than average on a number of sites.

4. A lot of what they sell comes from their own warehouse.

Aside from other retailers selling directly to customers through various storefronts, Amazon is their own supplier! All of their products are either made or warehoused in their massive distribution centers across the country. They even have an in-house apparel designer and make prototypes themselves!

5. Amazon also has their own private guards – yes, that’s right.

Amazon has their own security force which is not only responsible for maintaining safety within their premises, but also for the protection of their employees and shipments leaving and entering their warehouses. If you have ever been to an Amazon distribution center and wondered about the massive security presence guarding it, now you know!

6. Amazon is the largest Internet retailer of books, magazines, and music.

But did you also know that they’re the most charitable online retailer? They have donated millions of dollars to various charities and non-profit institutions since launching. The retail giant has a monopoly on everything books and sells more books than any other retailer in the United States… no wonder they have warehouses filled with them! They have actually surpassed Barnes & Noble for the number one spot for online sales of print media!

7. Amazon has broken some big records in shipping efficiency.

Amazon is the leader in online shipping and often surpasses the competition in efficiency. If you order something on their website, they even offer you a tracking number to follow its progress. According to an article on CNN Money , Amazon ships over 3 million units a year from their warehouse to customers living within a three-hour radius, delivering 75% of their packages on Sunday with their Amazon Prime membership program.

8. Amazon has 2.5 million employees.

This is a lot of people to hire and Amazon employees are spread all over the country! They have distribution centers, headquarters, customer service offices, and bookstores across the United States. As of July 2017, they have 2.5 million employees worldwide. The company has made headlines for their great benefits, competitive salaries, and employee growth opportunities. In addition to the people that work for Amazon directly, they also have fulfillment centers where products are picked, packed and shipped from. At their peak, they had more than 2.5 million employees!

9. They have a lot of cash on hand…

…to the tune of $28.1 billion as of July 2017. Amazon has been able to generate a lot of revenue and bring in money in a very short period of time. Amazon has about $21 billion in cash and equivalents alone, not including their other assets. That’s enough to buy the world’s largest online jewelry retailer, Blue Nile, 3.6 times over. They’re sitting on a massive $42 billion in cash which is more money than any other company has ever held at one time!

10. …all because of an old book display unit.

In the early days of Amazon, founder Jeff Bezos was working for D.E. Shaw Research and was looking for books to read on his commute. The only problem was that he didn’t know the names of any bookstores around his area. The main reason Amazon is so powerful today is the display unit they started with in 1996 called The Amazon Wall . It allowed them to show books and allow customers to view them before purchasing. The original display unit set-up is still around and located at the main headquarters in Seattle, WA.

11. Amazon announced… a phone!

One of our readers who is a big fan of the Amazon Kindle had us curious to see what they would do behind closed doors. It wasn’t a cell phone, but they did announce their own tablet called the Kindle Fire with its release on November 15, 2011. The Fire is a 7” Android tablet that has access to a variety of apps and content from Amazon.

So there you have it, 11 facts about Amazon that might have you reconsidering buying everything on their website!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here