Friday, September 01, 2017
Constants and variables 81, AMZNGMRCA edition
In the past week two separate articles have been published that let the air out of Amazon's all-consuming image.
The most important is by rating agency Moody, listing Amazon's relative dominance in various fields. It turns out that Amazon dominates its original business of bookselling and publishing, but is just one of many players in all the other fields it claims to own. It's 90% in publishing and 10% in most other areas, and ALL online purchasing is still only 10% of all retail sales.
Surprised the hell out of me. I'm not involved in retail, so I don't have direct experience in any of those areas. All available sources have been "alarmed" (actually pleased) about Amazon's total takeover of all business... including the "rebellious" sources who should have been pulling off the Emperor's clothes. In other words, everyone was bribed.
The only area I'm directly connected with is textbook publishing. Some of my royalties come from sales through Amazon.... and come to think of it, Amazon sales are less than 10% of all sales.
Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised!
Constant: The only thing Amazon FULLY OWNS is the national conversation about Amazon. Similar to earlier ownerships by GM and RCA.
Variable: Why are these balloon-pops appearing NOW, after three or four years of universal juggernaut assumptions? Is Amazon's bribing department getting lazy?
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Continued here.
Labels: Constants and Variables
¶ 4:02 AM
