Amazon.com
Leading online retailer
of books, CDs, DVDs and electronics.
Headquarters:
1200 12th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98144
Employees: 43,200
CEO: Jeff Bezos
Stock Symbol: AMZN
Website:
http://www.amazon.com
Company News
Career Site
Amazon.com is the Internet's leading retailer.
Best known for selling books online, you can find much more for
sale at Amazon from electronics to jewelry, kitchen appliances,
groceries, clothing and software.
Amazon's massive website is praised for
its ease-of-use as well offering customer reviews and ratings
of products sold. Strong customer service and timely product
delivery has been a key to the company's success.
Amazon pioneered the use of affiliate links, where other websites would promote Amazon products in exchange for a commission on sales, typically 5%.
In addition to the U.S., Amazon also operates sites for Canada, United Kingdom, China, Japan, France and Germany. The company also owns IMDB ( Internet Movie Database) and Alexa, which provides traffic information for websites. Another subsidiary, A9.com, is based in Silicon Valley and is developing search technology and visual Yellow Pages. Audible.com is also owned by Amazon and provides audio versions of books.
Zappos is another Amazon subsidiary. Based in Las Vegas, Zappos sells shoes to customers online and is known for excellent customer service.
The company introduced the Kindle in 2007, a portable electronic book reader that lets users download books, newspapers and magazines wirelessly onto the device. Over on million books are available for purchase electronically. Amazon introduced the Kindle Fire in November 2011, a tablet device that includes e-mail access, Internet browser and apps for $199.
In 2010, Amazon reported revenues of $34.2 billion and net income of $1.15 billion.
Amazon bought Quidsi Inc. in 2011 for $545 million. Quidski operates Diapers.com and Soap.com.
History
The company launched its online site in
July 1995 and offered Earth's Biggest Selection of books. It
would quickly expand into a variety of categories and also offered
online auctions of goods. The company partnered with Toys R'Us
to sell toys online and went public in 1997.
CEO and founder Jeff Bezos was named Man
of the Year by Time magazine in 1999 as a visionary who symbolized
the increasing growth of Internet retailing.
The company acquired DPReview.com in 2007,
a website with in-depth reviews of digital cameras.
In 2009, Amazon purchased Zappos.com, an online shoe retailer, for about $850 million.
Benefits
Amazon headquarters are in Seattle and
it operates distribution centers in Nevada, Kansas, West Virginia,
Pennsylvania and Kentucky.
Health Care:
- A choice of three medical plans designed to meet your individual
needs (several in-network and out-of-network options), with domestic
partner coverage
- Dental plan
- Vision plan
- Company-paid basic life and accident coverage as well as optional
coverage at a low cost
- Company-paid short- and long-term disability plan
- Employee assistance program including dependent-care referral
services and financial/legal services
- Health-care and dependent-care flexible spending accounts
Time Off:
- Salaried employees earn two weeks of vacation time in the first
year, three weeks of vacation in the second
- Hourly employees earn 40 hours of vacation time in the first
year, 80 hours in the second
- Five personal days every year in addition to six holidays
Savings Plans:
- Every full-time Amazon.com employee receives Amazon.com Restricted
Stock Units
- 401(k) savings plan with a company match
- Several employee discount programs
Updated December 13, 2011
|