Who Does Amazon Help The Most?

Amazon’s leadership thinks politicians have a “misguided understanding of retail” due to their personal experience, according to a recent New Yorker article on the movement to regulate the e-commerce behemoth. Since politicians, their aides, and political journalists are more likely to buy things online, they think Amazon is more hegemonic than it really is, the New Yorker reports. Research on who spends money online suggests they may have a point. Amazon changed the way Americans shop. Since its creation in 1995, the share of retail sales made online has gone from almost nothing to over 10%. Amazon accounts for almost 40% of e-commerce in the US, with eBay, Apple, and Walmart the next-biggest sellers, all with less than 10% of the market. Although Amazon is criticized for its competitive practices and the decline of “Main Street” retail, there is plenty of evidence that Amazon has also reduced prices and boosted product choice. Read more at Quartz.