Amazon.com
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of business, Amazon persevered, and finally turned its first profit in the fourth quarter of 2001: $5 million or 1ยข per share, on revenues of more than $1 billion, but the modest profit was important in demonstrating the business model could be profitable. In 1999, Time magazine named Bezos Person of the Year, recognizing the company's success in popularizing online shopping. The Web site CDNOW is powered and hosted by Amazon. Until June 30, 2006, typing ToysRUs.com into a browser would similarly bring up Amazon.com's Toys & Games tab; however, this relationship was terminated as the result of a lawsuit. Amazon also hosted and ran the website for Borders bookstores, but this ceased in 2008. Amazon.com powers and operates retail web sites for Target, Sears Canada, Benefit Cosmetics, bebe Stores, Timex, Marks & Spencer, Mothercare, and Lacoste. For a growing number of enterprise clients, currently including the UK merchants Marks & Spencer, Benefit Cosmetics' UK entity, and Mothercare, Amazon provides a unified multichannel platform where a customer can seamlessly interact with the retail website, standalone in-store terminals, or phone-based customer service agents. Amazon Web Services also powers AOL's Shop@AOL.
Merchant partnerships
The company remains profitable: net income was $35 million in 2003, $588 million in 2004, $359 million in 2005, and $190 million (including a $662 million charge for R&D) in 2006. Retained earnings were negative $1.8 billion in 2006, negative $1.4 billion in 2007, negative $730 million in 2008, and $172 million in 2009. Annual revenues, aided by product line expansion and rapid growth in international sales, grew from $3.9 billion in 2002 to $10.7 billion by 2006. On November 21, 2005, Amazon entered the S&P 500 index, and, on December 31, 2008, the S&P 100 index. On March 26, 2010, Amazon had a higher market cap than Target Corporation, Home Depot, Costco, Barnes and Noble, and Best Buy, only lagging that of Walmart among American brick and mortar retailers. [1] Amazon.com has offices, fulfillment centers, customer service centers and software development centers across North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. The company's global headquarters are located on Seattle's Beacon Hill. It has offices throughout other parts of greater Seattle, including Union Station and The Columbia Center. Amazon has announced plans to move its headquarters to the South Lake Union
Business results
Locations
Headquarters