Amazon

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Amazon: Action Tools for Independent Office Products Dealers

Olivia LaVecchia

August 12, 2018

This is a resource page tailored to independent office product dealers interested in exploring and understanding the impacts Amazon has on local procurement and ultimately on their business and sector.READ MORE

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 lREAD MORE

Featured Articles

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

In-Depth

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

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

With Whole Foods Deal, Amazon's Empire Grows (Episode 28)

Nick Stumo-Langer

September 7, 2017

On the latest episode of the Building Local Power podcast, Stacy Mitchell talks about the Amazon-Whole Foods deal, how it fits into the company's long-term strategy, and why the government should have blocked it.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

5 Things Local Officials Need to Know About Amazon

Stacy Mitchell

October 22, 2015

Amazon fulfillment centers impose so many hidden costs on local economies that cities ought to reconsider welcoming them at all, much less greasing the way with public funds.READ MORE

News Highlight

The Ringer Covers Tech Monopolies, Cites ILSR in Amazon Section

Nick Stumo-Langer

June 7, 2018

The Ringer is a publication that covers media, sports, and technology. Their reporter Victor Luckerson covers the machinations of Big Tech, including in his monopoly primer on the biggest power players in Silicon Valley and beyond. In his section on Amazon Luckerson cites our Amazon report and the original writing from ILSR co-director and Community-Scaled Economy initiative director Stacy Mitchell.READ MORE