Amazon, which had its humble beginnings in Jeff Bezos’ garage in Bellevue, Washington, on July 5, 1994, was initially a bookstore. However, within four years, the website expanded its offerings to include music and videos. Staying true to its roots, the company embarked on an international journey, incorporating online bookstores in the UK and Germany. By 1999, the website had diversified its product range to include video games, electronics, software, and a wide array of other products, showcasing its commitment to meeting diverse customer needs.

When Jeff Bezos first conceived the idea of Amazon, he initially called it “Cadabra,” which derived from “abracadabra.” When he spoke to an attorney about registering the company, the lawyer mentioned that “Cadabra” sounded too much like “cadaver,” which could be misconstrued by the public. Soon enough, they settled on Amazon as a nod to the Amazon River because they wanted their selection to be as vast as the river.

Amazon opened its first brick-and-mortar bookstore in 2015 as a tribute to its origins. Although people can buy just about anything on Amazon, there are several items the company doesn’t sell, including houses, automobiles, cigarettes and living animals. For those who would like to avoid Amazon, the company owns 41 brands, including Goodreads, Whole Foods, and Audible. They also own IMDb.com and Zappos.com, together with Souq.com, an e-commerce website serving Middle Eastern countries. Anytime you shop at any of these, you are helping Amazon increase its revenue.

As of 2020, Amazon had about 200,000 employees, many of whom brought their pets to work. At the campus in Seattle, about 6,000 dogs “work” for Amazon. The company is outstandingly pet friendly, and one of the buildings in Seattle has a deck dedicated to dogs with a fake fire hydrant for them.