The problem is that any company as big as Amazon is a billion pound train moving at high speed, it can't make turns that fast. So while I would like for them to try harder I don't expect it to happen.
Otherwise amazon (or Walmart) wouldn’t exist, because everyone would support their local store. But they don’t. Prices matter.
That wouldn't necessarily affect consumer behavior but it would affect what strategies corporations are able to use to service that behavior.
Is that what you want? If you do, that’s fine, that’s a fair enough perspective, but understand that you are probably making it harder for people with less money. Same goes for Walmart.
Yes they will be higher. Other companies that don't treat employes that badly, whether out of goodwill or due to being in places with more regulations, will be more competitive.
I also think that we need more progressive taxation and social benefits which would offset some of the price increases.
We are able to provide both good working conditions and a living wage to all people. We can afford it.
But like someone else mentioned, there are countries where Amazon has to pay minimum wage and it works just fine. I think we as consumers have the responsibility to vote with our wallet but we as society have responsibility to put boundaries into laws to prevent abuse. So in my view consumers, suppliers and legislators are at fault.
Doing this WOULD make it more difficult for Amazon to crush and destroy every possible local store and national chain store that could ever exist, thus making it more possible for other choices to exist out there in the world (or even in our own communities where we live!) so from a stock market point of view, from a 'Jeff Bezos First Trillionaire' point of view, I can see why they feel compelled to go as hard as they can. Their purpose is not really to serve people, but to destroy everything else that serves a similar function as them, in order to be completely dominant and allow for, effectively, NO MARKET but just only them.
That's called a unicorn.
I'd rather pay 25% more and have… a market, I guess. I'd rather have different options. I see the motivations here, but I don't mind saying there's no benefit to ME in them. I'd be better off with Amazon only one of many supply chains I could draw on.
They have to be shockingly extreme in order to stifle the whole market, otherwise stuff will survive as a 'less good option' and remain accessible in spite of not being as 'good'.
How can you buy into that narrative.
The no profit book keeping is just a way to avoid paying tax.
As a shareholder I would rather see them pay fairer wages, be taxed appropriately and have a slower rate of growth.
If the cost of scaling at the speed they scale comes from unethical business practices then the answer is to scale slower, not exploit the worlds poorest and most vulnerable so that Jeff, myself and a load of other privileged capitalists can get even wealthier.
Invest less in growth and more in the human capital that is essential to running the business.
Playing by a different set of rules guided by Jeff's meglomania has driven them to the top and that is laudable.
Once you've conquered the world do you still need to keep squashing the people you lead? What is it serving at that point other than pure egotism ?
This isn’t how the world works. If you don’t develop others will take your place. Amazon is simply the best at this right now.
Even so, as consumers everyone has every right not to buy from amazon. But they do.
From my POV the most productive growth amazon can make as a company would be engaging in better ESG practices There are forms of capital outside of material assets and intellectual property.
Amazon is losing human capital (tbray as a high profile example, but I am sure he's the tip of an invisible and silent iceberg) Amazon is losing brand capital which will hit the bottom line (ethical consumption is an ever increasing trend) Amazon will continue to irk Governments with its lack of respect for sovereignty laws (tax in particular, but also labour and monopoly).
And amazon makes profit on non-AWS products as well, don't be silly. I can literally google their financial statements to prove this.
I suppose you are naive enough believe the world is a true meritocracy
Amazon has around 570000 employees, and 22 executives. One of those executives actually earns a lot more than 1 billion dollars. Nevertheless, with just 2 billion dollars you can give a decent pay raise to every single one of those employees. Some don't need it as much as others, but whatever.
that still should not stop you to pay a livable wage and provide fair conditions to your employees
amazon is far to close a monopoly anyway :/
Reinvesting retail profits is a tax avoidance strategy.
I usually buy stuff from Chinese e-commerce websites where you can find things much cheaper.
I've limited money and I choose to spend so that I get maximum spending least within the legal framework.
And most of the Amazon basics item come from china too.
So doesn't matter who you choose, china is benefits either way.
Amazon India usually has same product listed for 2-3x the price.
It hardly ever makes a profit. Any profit it makes is from AWS usually.
It is popular because it’s so cheap, which is why people buy there. So really the solutions can only be:
1. Raise prices and consumers suffer 2. Keep wages low and workers suffer 3. Stop existing.
I wonder how many people who complain about amazons working conditions don’t shop there and buy the same product for a higher price elsewhere. I’d guess not many.