New Republic:
In confronting what to do about Amazon, first we have to realize our own complicity. We’ve all been seduced by the deep discounts, the monthly automatic diaper delivery, the free Prime movies, the gift wrapping, the free two-day shipping, the ability to buy shoes or books or pinto beans or a toilet all from the same place. But it has gone beyond seduction, really. We expect these kinds of conveniences now, as if they were birthrights. They’ve become baked into our ideas about how consumers should be treated.
These expectations help fuel our collective denial about Amazon.
I don’t know that I agree with the central premise but the consolidation in Amazon is something to be concerned about and keep an eye on.
I do not think that over-simplifying the matter does help (I mean the quoted article). Neither is everything Amazon does good, nor is everything they do bad. Providing great customer service and prices (to a degree) is good. Having access to products no local shop even keeps in stock, because there is only one buyer a year, is good. Having more choices is mostly good.
The failure of others to build up valid competition to Amazon (for over a decade) can’t be blamed on Amazon.
There are black spots. Predatory pricing, tax avoidance, monopoly-like bargaining power etc. that need addressing. Let’s address those without creating a witch-hunt. Some governments. like the French, have been pretty good at protecting their local businesses (e.g. by treating ‘free shipping’ as a mean to undercut fixed book prices in their country), while others have been asleep. This can and should be fixed.
Some pretty big black spots.
True. But nothing unique. Consolidation in several businesses has lead to a de facto dispossession of the producers. Large supermarket chains do not even ask farmers and dairies for prices, they dictate them. Since decades. A lot of laws and competition safeguards only exist on paper. Singling out Amazon is more a smokescreen than anything else.
Not if Amazon can somehow be made an example of oligopolist business practices that need to be reined in.
If you don’t like Amazon, then maybe you should build a better Amazon.
I’m good with it. They haven’t done anything to change my thoughts on them.