Amazon Antitrust Affairs Ahead

FrgMstr

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
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It is not the first time we have heard rumblings of Amazon and antitrust issues. And as reported by Market Watch, some investors are pulling up shorts as they are hearing rumblings of the government getting involved.

I am shorting Amazon today because I have learned that there are currently early discussions and due diligence being considered in the legislative chambers in Washington DC with regard to possible antitrust opposition to Amazon’s business practices, pricing strategy and expansion announcements already made (as well as being aimed at expansion strategies being considered in the future,” wrote Kass, head of Seabreeze Partners Management.
 
Anti Trust how? Anyone can become an amazon seller. Amazon is just a gateway for a number of other sellers (amazon included) I can find the same item from sometimes 10 venders and choose the lowest price.

Boy Walmart and other B&M must be quaking in their boots if this kind of pressure on congress is real.

Yet true Monopolies like Comcast go untouched.

As I always say, "Follow the money trail"
 
That serpentine Amazon. If only they had stayed an online bookstore, we wouldn't have all these "problems!"
 
2016 Sales figures from financial reports: Amazon 136 Billion, Wal Mart 482 Billion. Not anywhere near a retail monopoly for Amazon. Where Amazon is winning is growth, about 20+% vs ~1% for Wal Mart. No reason why Wal Mart can't make a similar arrangement with the USPS that Amazon has for last mile delivery as mentioned in the previous [H] news posting.

Of course, Wal Mart leaders need to remember that at one point Sears was the retail giant and Wal Mart was the fast growing upstart. Last I read, the Walton clan understands that and is prepared to suffer a few years of low stock price growth to do what is needed to compete with Amazon.
 
The horror!

We have a company (Amazon) that is providing lower prices to the consumer and other large companies (take your pick) are mad that it's hurting their sales, so they are bribing I mean pressuring their representatives to go after Amazon.
 
nutzo said:
The horror!

We have a company (Amazon) that is providing lower prices to the consumer and other large companies (take your pick) are mad that it's hurting their sales, so they are bribing I mean pressuring their representatives to go after Amazon.
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Welcome to the lobbying industry and politics in general.
 
Dead Parrot said:
2016 Sales figures from financial reports: Amazon 136 Billion, Wal Mart 482 Billion. Not anywhere near a retail monopoly for Amazon. Where Amazon is winning is growth, about 20+% vs ~1% for Wal Mart. No reason why Wal Mart can't make a similar arrangement with the USPS that Amazon has for last mile delivery as mentioned in the previous [H] news posting.

Of course, Wal Mart leaders need to remember that at one point Sears was the retail giant and Wal Mart was the fast growing upstart. Last I read, the Walton clan understands that and is prepared to suffer a few years of low stock price growth to do what is needed to compete with Amazon.
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And there were antitrust filings and hurdles for them in teh 80s as well.
 
Madoc said:
So... Walmart has sufficiently greased the right palms?
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I suspect it is more than just wal-mart. I suspect every big-box retailer and the kroeger supermarket conglomerate are all lobbying to keep amazon from eating their lunch. With possible guest appearances by UPS and FedEX.

If amzon is a monopoly, they are a horizontal monopoly, and that generally isn't illegal in the US.

I'd also bet there is little hope of proving they are monopolizing retail in any shape or form.

Then there is anti-competitive practices. This one might be possible. We have no idea what kind of deals they are making or forcing on vendors.
 
raz-0 said:
Then there is anti-competitive practices. This one might be possible. We have no idea what kind of deals they are making or forcing on vendors.
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You mean like almost putting Vlasic out of business and nearly killing the cucumber industry? Oh wait that was Wal-Mart...
 
You guys don't know what you are talking about. How can you compare Walmart to Amazon? Do you know how many businesses Amazon is in now compared to Walmart? Walmart is a retailer mostly dominant in one market. Amazon runs the WORLD's largest cloud service, AWS. They have Amazon Videos, Music, controls the books market, going to the grocery business with purchase of Whole Foods. They will soon deliver their own products so will compete with UPS and FedEx. IMDB, Twitch, audio books, Alexa AI, etc, etc.
 
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Gasaraki_ said:
You guys don't know what you are talking about. How can you compare Walmart to Amazon? Do you know how many businesses Amazon is in now compared to Walmart? Walmart is a retailer mostly dominant in one market. Amazon runs the WORLD's largest cloud service, AWS. They have Amazon Videos, Music, controls the books market, going to the grocery business with purchase of Whole Foods. They will soon deliver their own products so will compete with UPS and FedEx. IMDB, Twitch, audio books, Alexa AI, etc, etc.
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Bezos also owns the Washington Post - one of the country's leading newspapers - and also one of the most vociferously critical of the GOP in general and the current presidential administration in particular.

AFAIK WalMart is not directly involved in the media business, but I've never looked into it so hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong.
 
Gasaraki_ said:
You guys don't know what you are talking about. How can you compare Walmart to Amazon? Do you know how many businesses Amazon is in now compared to Walmart? Walmart is a retailer mostly dominant in one market. Amazon runs the WORLD's largest cloud service, AWS. They have Amazon Videos, Music, controls the books market, going to the grocery business with purchase of Whole Foods. They will soon deliver their own products so will compete with UPS and FedEx. IMDB, Twitch, audio books, Alexa AI, etc, etc.
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Clearly you dont know how large walmart really is. Amazon had ~107 billion in revenue in 2015. Walmart had ~482 billion.

Walmart owns something like 11k physical stores around the world and serves MULTIPLE markets. Walmart also owns a content distribution service similar to Apple TV and has made content in the past (funded movies etc). They are in the grocery business as well (Super Walmart) and automotive repairs (varies by location). Not only does Walmart set special prices for books but WalMart actually has special EDITIONS of books printed exclusively for Walmart. They also have their own product lines for a variety of merchandise and own serveral differnet websites for distribution.

Oh and they have their own logistics and shipping as well.
 
Gasaraki_ said:
You guys don't know what you are talking about. How can you compare Walmart to Amazon? Do you know how many businesses Amazon is in now compared to Walmart? Walmart is a retailer mostly dominant in one market. Amazon runs the WORLD's largest cloud service, AWS. They have Amazon Videos, Music, controls the books market, going to the grocery business with purchase of Whole Foods. They will soon deliver their own products so will compete with UPS and FedEx. IMDB, Twitch, audio books, Alexa AI, etc, etc.
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Yes but they have competitors in all these fields....And they are a fraction of the size of Alibaba. That's hardly a trust.
 
Gigantopithecus said:
Bezos also owns the Washington Post - one of the country's leading newspapers - and also one of the most vociferously critical of the GOP in general and the current presidential administration in particular.

AFAIK WalMart is not directly involved in the media business, but I've never looked into it so hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong.
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As a republican, I will say Bezos has every right too. William Randof Hurst was a publishing mogal that was a pain in the side to many politicians back them. The movie "Citizen Kane" was based on him.

That's the @#$%@# of free press. Sometimes you get an @#$@# running the company spoon feeding drivel to idiots who can't think for themselves. But it's an essential part of our liberty.
 
I love amazon. Fuck everyone else that can't, or doesn't want to, complete by providing good prices and great service.
 
Gasaraki_ said:
You guys don't know what you are talking about. How can you compare Walmart to Amazon? Do you know how many businesses Amazon is in now compared to Walmart? Walmart is a retailer mostly dominant in one market. Amazon runs the WORLD's largest cloud service, AWS. They have Amazon Videos, Music, controls the books market, going to the grocery business with purchase of Whole Foods. They will soon deliver their own products so will compete with UPS and FedEx. IMDB, Twitch, audio books, Alexa AI, etc, etc.
Click to expand...

If Amazon did get hit by regulations what would stop them from just setting up their main base of operations in a country with friendlier laws and continuing their quest for world domination?
 
What a bunch of bullshit, Amazon is big and agile, but its flanked in all sides with competition.
Matter of fact, is there a single thing Amazon does in which they have complete dominance and no competition?
Not in the 'cloud' business
Not in the book business
Not in the Music business
Not in the Movie business
Not in the online retail business
Not in the home service business
Not in the produce business
Not in the electronics business
Not in the space business (although that is separate)
Not in the package delivery business.

Shit if you look at it, its wonder they have survived.
The argument that once a retail business becomes so dominant will the raise prices and fuck everyone else on a massive scale falls flat.
Yeah, I mean they could, things could get that extreme, 'in theory' I suppose, but also if that was to 'happen' then competition will be re-born,
its not like retail such a super complex business, in its heart its just buy low sell higher.
 
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