When looking for last-minute gifts or everyday items, what is the one store that always comes to mind? Most people immediately think of Amazon, and there is no mystery why this is! This huge superstore has become a part of all of our lives and over time has turned into the 4th biggest company in the world. (Urosevic, 2021)

History

Amazon was established on July 5, 1994 in Bellevue, Washington. Jeff Bezos founded this store originally as a website that sold books, but he had a much bigger vision for his company. He wanted Amazon to be “an everything store”. (Hartmans, 2021)

Jeff originally chose the name, “Cadabra” for his website. He instead went with “Amazon” because he liked the idea of the company being named after the famous Amazon River, the largest river in the world. The company logo is a swoosh with the arrow pointing from the a to z, representing that Amazon sells everything from a to z.

Amazon had already sold books to customers in every state within its 1st month. It grew quickly, adding other merchandise to its store and making trillions of dollars over the next couple decades.

Benefits of Amazon

Amazon contains thousands of cheap and easy to find items. Many companies sell their products on Amazon, making it a simple process to get what you need. Amazon also has next day or few day delivery, which is nice if the item you are buying needs to arrive quickly. Alexander Lai appreciates this saying, “I usually like Amazon. They deliver quickly and correctly.” Another student agrees saying, “It’s easy, it allows me to order what I may need without the hassle of going to a store.” There are also many coupons to use, as well as many cheap movies to buy or rent on Amazon Prime. If a package arrives and the customer is unsatisfied, they can easily return it within a month and receive their money back. Customers can also cancel items after they buy them if they realize they are unnecessary. One student says, “…during the pandemic they have probably helped out a lot of family’s by preventing COVID-19 risk by having to go inside of stores.” This is another advantage to having an online store in the midst of a pandemic.

Disadvantages of Amazon

Amazon does have some disadvantages, including that some companies on Amazon can missell their products, and packages arrive carrying items the customer doesn’t want. Customers can also get caught up in the simplicity of buying products that they may not necessarily need, but the excitement of shopping draws them in to overbuy. 

Many Amazon factories overwork their employees to make sure buyers get their products on time. Anastyn Bragg agrees saying, “I’ve heard the working conditions are terrible.” This is one big disadvantage to helping customers easily buy items, and it is not ideal.

iUP Student’s Thoughts on Amazon

Many people, including the Owls of iUniversity Prep use Amazon. Alexander likes to buy “books and supplies of various uses (pets and conventional supplies)”. “I usually get gifts for people, a sweatshirt or something, or jewelry”, Maddox Rogers says. Caleigh England shops for rainbow looms, and Eve Bamber usually gets workout gear/stationary. All of these items are just a fraction of the many things Amazon offers. 

Eve also says, “I have prime, so the fast delivery is great! I also love the sales on prime day!” She suggests, “Read the reviews! They are the best indicator about the quality of the product! If there are not any reviews, don’t buy it!” Many people have also said to not buy clothing on Amazon because it is “sketchy” as Eve remarks. Maddox touches on this saying “Don’t buy certain clothes off of amazon. Hoodies or sweatshirts or jackets are fine, but most of the other clothes probably wouldn’t fit correctly or look how they did in the photos.”

Makenna Horne says, “I love the fast shipping and the variety of items you can buy.” But she goes on to say, “Just be careful who you buy from.” There can be many scams and people who want to just steal your money if you are not careful. Kaelin Main agrees saying, “…make sure you are buying from the authentic companies.”

Overall, Amazon is a great way to buy items quickly and easily, whether it be a gift for a friend, or fun unnecessary things to splurge on. While there are many advantages to using Amazon, there are a few disadvantages as well, just like all companies struggle with. “If you are an avid Amazon user, make sure that you are aware of all of the advantages and disadvantages that come with shopping! And always, Choose Wisely!

Citations~

Hartmans, A. (2021, July 2). Jeff Bezos originally wanted to name Amazon ‘Cadabra,’ and 14 other little-known facts about the early days of the e-commerce giant. Business Insider. Retrieved January 31, 2022, from https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-amazon-history-facts-2017-4 

Urosevic, M. (2021, November 8). Largest public companies on Earth [the corporate giants of 2020]. SpendMeNot. Retrieved January 31, 2022, from https://spendmenot.com/blog/largest-public-companies/#:~:text=Amazon%20is%20the%20fourth%20biggest,market%20cap%20of%20%241.696%20trillion.&text=The%20stocks%20of%20one%20of,climbed%20by%2068%25%20during%202020.