Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, dominates the e-commerce industry with its varied array of products and services. It has become a household name in many countries, and its influence is far-reaching. But what many people don’t know is that Amazon also owns a number of other companies.
Amazon has been on an acquisition spree since the early 2000s, buying up companies in various industries in order to expand its reach and diversify its portfolio. Some of these acquisitions are small startups while others are large corporations. Some of the most notable companies now owned by Amazon include Twitch, Whole Foods Market, Zappos, IMDb, Ring, and Audible.
Twitch is one of the most popular streaming platforms on the web today, with millions of users tuning in to watch their favorite streamers each day. It was acquired by Amazon in 2014 for $970 million and has since grown to become one of the company’s most profitable assets.
Whole Foods Market is an American supermarket chain that specializes in natural and organic foods. It was acquired by Amazon in 2017 for $13.7 billion and has since become an integral part of Amazon’s grocery delivery business. The company now offers Prime members exclusive discounts at Whole Foods stores across the US.
Zappos is an online shoe retailer founded back in 1999 by Nick Swinmurn. It was acquired by Amazon in 2009 for $1 billion and has since become a major player in the e-commerce industry. The company offers free shipping and returns on all orders as well as 24/7 customer support via phone or live chat.
IMDb is an online database that contains information about movies, TV shows, actors, directors, producers, etc., as well as user reviews and ratings. It was acquired by Amazon back in 1998 for $55 million and now serves as one of the leading sources for entertainment news around the world.
Ring is a home security company founded back in 2013 by Jamie Siminoff that specializes in video doorbells, cameras, alarms systems and more. It was acquired by Amazon back in 2018 for over $1 billion and now serves as part of their growing smart home ecosystem called “Amazon Home Services”.
Audible is a leading provider of digital audio books with over 200 million downloads worldwide since launching back in 1995. It was acquired by Amazon back in 2008 for $300 million and now offers a subscription service called Audible Plus which gives subscribers access to thousands of titles free of charge.
Conclusion: As you can see from this list, Amazon owns a number of companies spanning various industries from streaming platforms like Twitch to grocery chains like Whole Foods Market to digital audio book providers like Audible . This diversity allows them to provide more products and services to their customers while expanding their reach across multiple markets.