According to the form 10K for year ended 2013, Amazon.com Inc. is a multiple company that fits in almost all classifications. It is the postulation of this paper that Amazon.com Inc. is a multiple company that operates as a service, manufacturing and merchandise company. This is informed by the litany of activities it engages in as it tries to position itself strategically in the relatively competitive industry.
However, it should be noted that Amazon.com was initially founded as a merchandise company that retailed with the interaction with the client base over the internet. From its foundation in 1994 and consequential incorporation in 1996, Amazon.com Inc. has grown from its initial limitation in retail and ventured into other avenues such as manufacturing and service industries. On that context, it is imperative to appreciate the four main clients Amazon.com Inc. transacts with. These include consumers, sellers, enterprises and content creators. From the list, it is strictly impossible to draw the delineation as to what exactly the company engages in. It should, therefore, be appreciated that Amazon.com Inc. transacts in several activities which in turn qualifying it as a multiple company.
Amazon.com Inc. can be seen as a service company because of the various services it does offer to its clients. Top of these services is the shipping services it offers. Both as a retailer and manufacturer, Amazon.com provides shipping services for the goods from the manufacturing warehouses to the preferred destinations of the clients. In that vein, the business segment for Amazon.com Inc. is divided into two broad regions. These are the North America region and the Rest of the World. In other words, Amazon.com Inc. maintains an international presence and ships the goods overseas for the clients who merely place their orders through the internet.
Within the same strain, the company also offers sellers programs for advertisements and sale. These programs are mostly in the form of inbuilt applications and websites that enable sellers interact with their clients through the online sale platforms. In addition, Amazon.com Inc. is a leader in content creation, a service much needed by the businesses operating in online platforms. Other services include advertisements, money transfer and payment systems such as branded credit card agreements.
In the merchandise sector, Amazon.com Inc. may classify its products under three main categories. These are the media, electronics and shipped goods. It is the world’s most recognized electronics dealer. It supplies electronic products from across world manufacturers and retails the same merchandise including the management of the distribution and eventual sale. On that context, it may as well be taken that Amazon.com Inc. deals in merchandise. In fact, it is this category of transactions that informs the bulk of its revenues.
Lastly, under the manufacturing sector, Amazon.com Inc. is recognized for manufacture and consequential sale of kindle devices. These refer to a set of devices both hardware and software that facilitates access and use of electronic content especially literature such as books, magazines and journals. As the world moves towards a paperless information age, kindle devices continue to play a pivotal role in the use of paperless forms of communication.
In conclusion, Amazon.com Inc. does not fit in any specific industry. It cuts across and such is the character necessary for survival in the 21st Century onwards. With increased globalization and lesser protectionist trade policies, the likes of Amazon.com Inc. are set to thrive internationally.
References
Securities and Exchange Commission. (2013, February 20). Form 10-K Amazon.com Inc. Retrieved January 10, 2014, from Securities and Exchange Commission: http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018724/000119312513028520/d445434d10k.htm
Zhao, F. (2009). Maximize Business Profits Through E-partnerships. New York: Idea Group Inc.
