Amazon

Recently Posted

Unfair Advantage: In The Sun, Stacy Mitchell Discusses Amazon and the Future of Local Economies

October 25, 2018

This month, The Sun magazine features ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell in an extended Q&A about the consequences of Amazon’s tightening grip and what it will take to revive America’s left-behind cities and towns.READ MORE

In Videos for Bernie Sanders, ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell Explains Amazon’s Monopoly Power

Zach Freed

October 5, 2018

This fall, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders invited ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell to script and narrate two videos about Amazon for his social media channels. Covering topics that include Amazon's market dominance and its impacts on working families, the videos have drawn more than 1.8 million views across several platforms.READ MORE

Featured Articles

ILSR Submits Comments as Federal Trade Commission Embarks on a Rare Review of Its Antitrust Policy

Zach Freed

August 30, 2018

In a series of hearings this fall, the Federal Trade Commission will examine whether it should be doing more to check concentrated economic power. ILSR has submitted comments to the agency that highlight the impact of concentration on independent businesses and outline the dangers of Amazon's platform power.READ MORE

Amazon Doesn’t Just Want to Dominate the Market—It Wants to Become the Market

Stacy Mitchell

February 15, 2018

This cover feature for The Nation looks at how Amazon is a radically new kind of monopoly with ambitions that dwarf those of earlier empires, and what we should do about it.READ MORE

Amazon’s Uneven Playing Field

Olivia LaVecchia

October 20, 2017

Amazon is looking for a big subsidy to build its new headquarters. In this op-ed for VICE's Motherboard, we look at how it's only the latest move in the company’s long history of using the government to get favors that other businesses can’t.READ MORE

Amazon Is Trying to Control the Underlying Infrastructure of Our Economy

Stacy Mitchell

June 25, 2017

In this op-ed for Motherboard, we look at how Amazon is trying to control the underlying infrastructure of our economy. We also examine how buying Whole Foods would expand Amazon's control of commerce — and why regulators should block it.READ MORE

In-Depth

Report: Amazon’s Next Frontier: Your City’s Purchasing

Stacy Mitchell

July 10, 2018

Amazon recently secured a national contract that opens the way for billions of dollars in local government spending to shift to the company, but there's been virtually no reporting on the deal. In this new report, we examine the contract and Amazon's push to capture local government spending, and find concerns — including that the contract leaves local governments at risk of being ripped off, and sets Amazon up to expand its monopoly power. We conclude by offering examples of local governments that are choosing to reject Amazon's deal.READ MORE

Amazon’s Monopoly

Stacy Mitchell

November 29, 2016

An excerpt from our report chronicles how Amazon is destroying competition and market diversity, leaving us with fewer choices, less innovation, and diminished opportunities.READ MORE

Report: How Amazon’s Tightening Grip on the Economy Is Stifling Competition, Eroding Jobs, and Threatening Communities

Stacy Mitchell

November 29, 2016

Amazon has extended its tentacles across our economy. In this report, we pull back the curtain on the company, and find that it's at the center of increasing inequality and diminishing opportunity, and that it's concentrating power in ways that endanger competition, community life, and democracy. We also examine how public policy should address Amazon's high costs.READ MORE

Audio & Video

Amazon's New Path to Monopoly Is Through Your Local Government (Episode 50)

Nick Stumo-Langer

July 12, 2018

ILSR's Communications Manager Nick Stumo-Langer is joined by researchers Stacy Mitchell and Olivia LaVecchia to discuss their new report detailing Amazon's new thrust into local government procurement and their attempts to capture every aspect of the economy.READ MORE

Listen: ILSR's Stacy Mitchell Talks Amazon with Gaby Dunn on "Bad With Money" Podcast

ILSR

May 31, 2018

ILSR's Stacy Mitchell was recently a guest on the popular podcast "Bad With Money," where she talked with host Gaby Dunn about Amazon and monopoly power.READ MORE

Listen: ILSR's Stacy Mitchell Talks Amazon and Antitrust on "The Majority Report" with Sam Seder

ILSR

May 11, 2018

ILSR's Stacy Mitchell recently joined host Sam Seder to talk Amazon and monopoly power on the popular podcast, "The Majority Report." Sparked by Stacy's recent cover story on Amazon in The Nation, Stacy and Sam's conversation covers Amazon's role as an infrastructure company, the dramatic shift that occurred in U.S. antitrust policy, and six proposals to rein in today's monopolies.READ MORE

Listen: How Amazon Swallowed the Economy on "This Is Hell"

ILSR

April 3, 2018

ILSR's Stacy Mitchell is the guest on the March 24 episode of "This Is Hell," a longform interview podcast from Chicago's WNUR. In the episode, "No competition: How Amazon swallowed the economy," Stacy talks competition, platforms, and Amazon with host Chuck Mertz.READ MORE

Listen: Stacy Mitchell on "We the Podcast" with Rep. Keith Ellison and Lina Khan

Stacy Mitchell

December 19, 2017

Taking on Amazon. It's a big subject. But in this episode of Rep. Keith Ellison's podcast, "We the People," ILSR's Stacy Mitchell and Lina Khan of Open Markets join Rep. Ellison to talk about how to do just that — and why we need to.READ MORE

Watch: Stacy Mitchell on Amazon's Stealth Invasion

ILSR

December 18, 2017

In this talk, Stacy Mitchell discusses the findings of ILSR's groundbreaking report on Amazon, and what the company's growing dominance means for small businesses, jobs, and communities.READ MORE

Watch ILSR's Stacy Mitchell Speak on Amazon at Briefing for Members of Congress

ILSR

December 5, 2017

The briefing, which was held by the House Judiciary Committee Democrats and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, comes as there is increasing concern about the power of large tech companies, including Amazon.READ MORE

Factsheets & Infographics

Local Governments Are Increasingly Buying from Amazon. Here’s Why They Need to Stop.

Olivia LaVecchia

April 4, 2017

Local governments are increasingly turning to Amazon for their buying needs. When they do, though, citizens lose. Here's why you should be concerned about this spreading trend — and 5 things you can do.READ MORE

When It Comes to Working People, Amazon Isn't Innovative at All

Olivia LaVecchia

February 7, 2017

When shoppers interact with Amazon, they see an innovator. But behind the scenes, Amazon relies on a labor model that looks a lot more like the past than the future. This fact sheet that breaks down how this powerful corporation is undermining working people — and what we need to do.READ MORE

Before You Click on Amazon, Here's Why Your Choice Matters (Infographic)

Olivia LaVecchia

November 12, 2015

Amazon is rapidly expanding its online empire, but behind the conveniences that the company offers are a lot of hidden costs.READ MORE

News Highlight

EdSurge Covers Amazon Contract With Schools, ILSR Report Featured

Hibba Meraay

September 27, 2018

EdSurge covers our latest report on Amazon’s move to capture public sector spending.READ MORE