At least for me, antitrust is more interesting where either 1. the item is critical infrastructure so you can't get away from it or 2. government (at any level) has chosen the winners and losers in the past.
It's why I'm so pro net neutrality, even though I typically prefer government be more hands off on these things. Internet is critical infrastructure you can't get away from as a consumer or business, and government (typically local) granted a bunch of monopoly power that allowed it to get built. Those two things make it really hard to supplant the existing providers, so I think they should have a duty to operate in the public interest to some extent.
But I can't get to the same logical place for Amazon, Google, or FB. They are big because they are good. If they ceased to be good (or someone else was better), they would no longer be big. The knowledge/info monopoly is interesting for Google and FB maybe, but that's because of the specific importance of information in democracy. They almost function like the media at this point. But that doesn't apply to Amazon for me.
I think this is a super interesting issue. All our anti-trust laws were designed for an industrial world where you were worried about a monopoly on steel or something critical and irreplaceable like that... Amazon is huge, but they are huge in totally different businesses that aren't always even complimentary (e.g. retail vs. web services vs. The Washington Post) and they generally all still have significant competitors (e.g. every other retailer or now grocer, netflix, the NY Times, other hosting services for AWS). Is there a concern about companies simply being too big that goes beyond the old concerns of monopoly power over a critical item?
I don't remember the specifics of the company but this is reminding me of American Standard. They made EVERYTHING. I don't think they held a monopoly in any 1 area but they were everywhere. Companies that large don't sit well with me. Their automotive division alone is one of the largest in the transit industry and that was 1/3 of what they sold off.
I like amazon by itself. I like WF by itself. Yes both have their problems but IMO they're not on par with Wal Mart. I just don't like companies this large.
ETA: it's not that I think this should be illegal. I don't like the potential for a company like this to collapse and take a good portion of the economy down with it.
I saw an interview with Bezos years ago. He said that Amazon won't be around forever; that all businesses close at some point. Hopefully there's competition set to takeover the market when that happens.
At least for me, antitrust is more interesting where either 1. the item is critical infrastructure so you can't get away from it or 2. government (at any level) has chosen the winners and losers in the past.
It's why I'm so pro net neutrality, even though I typically prefer government be more hands off on these things. Internet is critical infrastructure you can't get away from as a consumer or business, and government (typically local) granted a bunch of monopoly power that allowed it to get built. Those two things make it really hard to supplant the existing providers, so I think they should have a duty to operate in the public interest to some extent.
But I can't get to the same logical place for Amazon, Google, or FB. They are big because they are good. If they ceased to be good (or someone else was better), they would no longer be big. The knowledge/info monopoly is interesting for Google and FB maybe, but that's because of the specific importance of information in democracy. They almost function like the media at this point. But that doesn't apply to Amazon for me.
I totally agree, which is why I don't have a problem with this from a legal standpoint. it makes me uncomfortable when any 1 company is basically Too Big To Fail.
I mean, GE's still around but when they started having problems it was a real issue.
Does Amazon not pay it's non-corporate employees very well? I have only looked at positions in corporate, but I have found that Amazon generally pays above average for these positions?
This is w/r/t to PP tweet where the concerns of wages/jobs is brought up.
Does Amazon not pay it's non-corporate employees very well? I have only looked at positions in corporate, but I have found that Amazon generally pays above average for these positions?
This is w/r/t to PP tweet where the concerns of wages/jobs is brought up.
Correct. There's also been a lot of concern over the working conditions in the warehouses that are not cooled in the summer.
That was my first thought. Amazon's distribution power with Whole Foods sourcing. I know nothing about anything though, which is why I asked.
They've already got AmazonFresh in larger markets, so it's not necessarily a stretch to think that owning Whole Foods is a quick way to expand that program.
That's what I was thinking. We use AmazonFresh for 90% of our grocery shopping. I love it. I this will likely expand their offerings in my area.
It makes me wonder how LGBT friendly is. I know many people on the LGBT community who worked their way up at Whole Foods. This was also true at the grocery chain where I worked.
Honestly I've never heard about anyone who enjoyed working at Amazon but that is of course anecdotal.
Post by WanderingWinoZ on Jun 16, 2017 12:43:24 GMT -5
i'm more worried about amazon's business model in general (before / despite ) the WF merger.
I just find it interesting that JUST b/c they built the biggest, best website they are the default seller for almost any & every product. As a consumer, this is great. I wonder how much of Amazon's sells are from stuff htey actually buy/own and then sell vs. where they are just acting as a pass-through (storefront) for other sellers, who hold inventory, manage the shipments, etc.
Does Amazon not pay it's non-corporate employees very well? I have only looked at positions in corporate, but I have found that Amazon generally pays above average for these positions?
This is w/r/t to PP tweet where the concerns of wages/jobs is brought up.
Correct. There's also been a lot of concern over the working conditions in the warehouses that are not cooled in the summer.
Yeah, I haven't read a lot of positive stories about working at an Amazon distribution center. OTOH, I don't know how it compares to other fulfillment and distribution centers - are Kohl's and Macy's and GAP really better for these kinds of sorting and packing jobs? I don't know. I'm sure Amazon gets more attention because of its size, but I honestly haven't looked into how it compares to other facilities.
I know there is an Amazon distribution center that my H's cousin used to work at, and the starting wage was $14/hour, I think. Honestly, that's a pretty good wage for an unskilled job in rural Illinois for someone with only a HS education, but there is of course more to consider than just the starting wage.
i'm more worried about amazon's business model in general (before / despite ) the WF merger.
I just find it interesting that JUST b/c they built the biggest, best website they are the default seller for almost any & every product. As a consumer, this is great. I wonder how much of Amazon's sells are from stuff htey actually buy/own and then sell vs. where they are just acting as a pass-through (storefront) for other sellers, who hold inventory, manage the shipments, etc.
Between 40 and 50 percent of their units are sold by third-party sellers. A lot of those sellers, though, also use Amazon for fulfillment – so Amazon stores and ships their products. Fulfillment by Amazon is required for sellers to offer Prime shipping, which is a big marketing tool. The average order value is only slightly higher than non-Prime member orders – but they place twice as many orders.
This was my thought as well. Although apparently my local one does if you order over a certain amount?
We get Whole Foods delivery locally through Instacart – it's nice because while other stores Instacart uses mark up product prices to cover the service costs, Whole Foods' prices are the same as in store, so the $5.99 delivery fee is worth it for the convenience of not having to actually go to the store. I wonder if their arrangement with Instacart will end as part of the Amazon deal.Â
Or, alternately... I wonder if Amazon buys Instacart.
A roommate I had in college worked at the Lexington distribution center part time. She said that the work was grueling with questionable break policies, but she did get paid quite a bit more than other manual labor job options. IIRC, she said she made $15/hr, which was way more than I made as a pharmacy technician.
It makes me wonder how LGBT friendly is. I know many people on the LGBT community who worked their way up at Whole Foods. This was also true at the grocery chain where I worked.
Honestly I've never heard about anyone who enjoyed working at Amazon but that is of course anecdotal.
All my friends who have jumped ship from other tech companies in the area to go to Amazon in the last two years have drunk the koolaid and love working there, in spite of the fact Amazon pays their employees marginally less than others here and they have incredibly draconian terms with regards to their signing bonus and stock vesting plans. Like. Every. Single. Damn. Person. I know who works for Amazon right now can't stop singing it's praises even while working 14 hour days.
i'm more worried about amazon's business model in general (before / despite ) the WF merger.
I just find it interesting that JUST b/c they built the biggest, best website they are the default seller for almost any & every product. As a consumer, this is great. I wonder how much of Amazon's sells are from stuff htey actually buy/own and then sell vs. where they are just acting as a pass-through (storefront) for other sellers, who hold inventory, manage the shipments, etc.
Amazon's business model is to make Amazon your life. Seriously. Jeff Bezos notoriously does not care about making money as much as getting Amazon into every aspect of everyone's life to the point you wonder how you can live without Amazon.
It makes me wonder how LGBT friendly is. I know many people on the LGBT community who worked their way up at Whole Foods. This was also true at the grocery chain where I worked.
Honestly I've never heard about anyone who enjoyed working at Amazon but that is of course anecdotal.
All my friends who have jumped ship from other tech companies in the area to go to Amazon in the last two years have drunk the koolaid and love working there, in spite of the fact Amazon pays their employees marginally less than others here and they have incredibly draconian terms with regards to their signing bonus and stock vesting plans. Like. Every. Single. Damn. Person. I know who works for Amazon right now can't stop singing it's praises even while working 14 hour days.
See, I hear the opposite but a lot of the people I know went from Microsoft to Amazon so they are quite spoiled. They all say Amazon is a sweatshop and they plan to get out after a few years.
All my friends who have jumped ship from other tech companies in the area to go to Amazon in the last two years have drunk the koolaid and love working there, in spite of the fact Amazon pays their employees marginally less than others here and they have incredibly draconian terms with regards to their signing bonus and stock vesting plans. Like. Every. Single. Damn. Person. I know who works for Amazon right now can't stop singing it's praises even while working 14 hour days.
See, I hear the opposite but a lot of the people I know went from Microsoft to Amazon so they are quite spoiled. They all say Amazon is a sweatshop and they plan to get out after a few years.
From Microsoft in the last two years? Most people I know are jumping ship from Microsoft cause morale and the culture has gotten so terrible since they started laying off thousands of people a year.
See, I hear the opposite but a lot of the people I know went from Microsoft to Amazon so they are quite spoiled. They all say Amazon is a sweatshop and they plan to get out after a few years.
From Microsoft in the last two years? Most people I know are jumping ship from Microsoft cause morale and the culture has gotten so terrible since they started laying off thousands of people a year.
From Microsoft in the last two years? Most people I know are jumping ship from Microsoft cause morale and the culture has gotten so terrible since they started laying off thousands of people a year.
Yes. Some have cycled back to Microsoft already.
Wild. Most former MS Amazonians I know don't even think about leaving Amazon now. It feels almost cultish to me. ;p
Correct. There's also been a lot of concern over the working conditions in the warehouses that are not cooled in the summer.
Yeah, I haven't read a lot of positive stories about working at an Amazon distribution center. OTOH, I don't know how it compares to other fulfillment and distribution centers - are Kohl's and Macy's and GAP really better for these kinds of sorting and packing jobs? I don't know. I'm sure Amazon gets more attention because of its size, but I honestly haven't looked into how it compares to other facilities.
I know there is an Amazon distribution center that my H's cousin used to work at, and the starting wage was $14/hour, I think. Honestly, that's a pretty good wage for an unskilled job in rural Illinois for someone with only a HS education, but there is of course more to consider than just the starting wage.
I can't speak for all brands, but several use third-party vendors for warehousing/pick-pack-shipping their online orders. The company that laid me off back in March provided those services for at least one hundred different brands.
i'm more worried about amazon's business model in general (before / despite ) the WF merger.
I just find it interesting that JUST b/c they built the biggest, best website they are the default seller for almost any & every product. As a consumer, this is great. I wonder how much of Amazon's sells are from stuff htey actually buy/own and then sell vs. where they are just acting as a pass-through (storefront) for other sellers, who hold inventory, manage the shipments, etc.
Amazon's business model is to make Amazon your life. Seriously. Jeff Bezos notoriously does not care about making money as much as getting Amazon into every aspect of everyone's life to the point you wonder how you can live without Amazon.
It's certainly working. I was loading stuff onto my new tablet last night and I thought to myself "man, I use my Amazon login for like half of these."
At least for me, antitrust is more interesting where either 1. the item is critical infrastructure so you can't get away from it or 2. government (at any level) has chosen the winners and losers in the past.
It's why I'm so pro net neutrality, even though I typically prefer government be more hands off on these things. Internet is critical infrastructure you can't get away from as a consumer or business, and government (typically local) granted a bunch of monopoly power that allowed it to get built. Those two things make it really hard to supplant the existing providers, so I think they should have a duty to operate in the public interest to some extent.
But I can't get to the same logical place for Amazon, Google, or FB. They are big because they are good. If they ceased to be good (or someone else was better), they would no longer be big. The knowledge/info monopoly is interesting for Google and FB maybe, but that's because of the specific importance of information in democracy. They almost function like the media at this point. But that doesn't apply to Amazon for me.
Amazon currently controls almost a third of global cloud services and is growing. With everything on its way to the cloud, I think they are more of a utility than many realize. Remember the outage over the winter?
Post by JayhawkGirl on Jun 16, 2017 18:34:05 GMT -5
I think we will see them enter the meal kit market as well. And crush it. Want to send a new parent meal to a friend across the country? Need it to be gluten, diary, tomato, egg and peanut free? Done.
i'm more worried about amazon's business model in general (before / despite ) the WF merger.
I just find it interesting that JUST b/c they built the biggest, best website they are the default seller for almost any & every product. As a consumer, this is great. I wonder how much of Amazon's sells are from stuff htey actually buy/own and then sell vs. where they are just acting as a pass-through (storefront) for other sellers, who hold inventory, manage the shipments, etc.
Amazon's business model is to make Amazon your life. Seriously. Jeff Bezos notoriously does not care about making money as much as getting Amazon into every aspect of everyone's life to the point you wonder how you can live without Amazon.
You see that on this board a lot. Any time a bad story about Amazon breaks people basically say "meh, I love prime, I need my paper towels shipped to my door in two days."
(I admit I have a dash button for paper towels).
Amazon has done an amazing job of making us think it is necessary for life.