Source: The American Prospect
by Naomi Bethune
“For over two decades now, Amazon has been seen as a one-stop shop to buy virtually anything, and get it delivered in no time flat. It’s been estimated that the platform has over 310 million active users, and just in the U.S. during 2023, sold over 4.5 billion items. Amazon claims to be guided by four principles: ‘customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking’. Certainly there is a very large quantity of retail items for sale on the platform, even if their quality or identity may be questionable. But in another much more obscure part of the business, Amazon’s supposed obsession with its customers and ‘commitment to operational excellence’ falls flat. Amazon Business, an operation under the umbrella of Amazon’s services, has grown as a popular procurement tool for businesses and organizations over the past few years.” (12/17/25)
https://prospect.org/2025/12/17/amazon-conning-school-districts-out-of-millions/