Published in 2013, Brad Stone’s book The Everything Store paints an ambitious and relentless portrait of Jeff Bezos, a man who is determined to create an online store that will someday be “everything to everyone”.
As prescient as this characterization was at the time, the narrative is even more relevant now – and with Amazon’s most recent acquisition of Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion, it’s clear that no market is safe from the sprawling Bezos Empire.
THE EVERYTHING STORE
Today’s infographic comes to us from CB Insights and it shows how Amazon’s strategy is unfolding, as well as which acquisitions are helping in the company’s quest to become the fabled “everything” store.
While buying Zappos ($1.2B), Twitch ($970M), and Kiva Systems ($775M) were all essential to Amazon’s strategy, the price paid for these companies is minuscule in comparison to the massive $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods Market.
AMAZON’S BIGGEST ACQUISITIONS
Here’s how each of these acquisitions is helping to fuel Amazon’s ambitions:
Whole Foods
Amazon’s boldest move yet, buying Whole Foods signals Amazon’s goal of becoming a transcendent brand that touches every aspect of daily life. Most people need to buy groceries every week – and that gives Amazon a new and more frequent window to interact with customers.
Zappos
Known for its obsessive customer service and company culture, Zappos was most likely bought by Amazon for its team.
Kiva Systems
Now re-branded as Amazon Robotics, this company specializes in manufacturing mobile robotic fulfillment systems for Amazon’s array of warehouses.
Elemental Technologies
Amazon’s AWS unit has integrated Elemental’s unique mobile video technology into its cloud infrastructure services.
Lovefilm
Thought as the “Netflix of Europe”, Lovefilm’s streaming services were re-branded as Amazon Prime Instant Video in 2014.
