By Isaac Leasure

Amazon is one of the world’s largest companies and most diverse has a massive impact on u.s and its culture. The older generation would prefer to go and buy things locally and be able to see what they are purchasing within arms reach, but with advances in technology and a shift in American culture that has changed for the benefit of a very large company known as Amazon. This cultural change is all about convenience and Amazon has monopolized it. 

Amazon has always been known for its speedy delivery and wide range of items for purchase at a storefront you can’t physically be in. with advances in technology over the years this has made shopping online more convenient than shopping in person. As we progress into the future the amount of online shopping only grows, according to the U.S Department of Commerce online shopping has been slowly eating up market shares in the past two decades (CNBC). With a growth of 7% in the last 20 years, this will only go up as the older and new generation become accustomed to this technological wave and adopt the multi-tasking lifestyle we are slowly accepting. Amazon has spurred this wave into high gear by offering virtually anything you could want and different variations of the item you are looking for Amazon’s impact on this already growing marketplace is huge from just a few words of the founder can make company stocks rise tremendously. Jeff Bezos company Amazon announced its third-quarter earnings that surpassed expectations and he gained 6.2 billion dollars in five minutes as new investors decided to join the Amazon train. Not only does Amazon have a huge impact on the growth of online shopping but it also makes it easier with new memberships like amazon prime shopping has never been easier. Amazon prime allows a customer to save their info and get even faster shipping for a monthly cost which in turn promotes online shopping so people get the most use out of the membership they participate in.

The change in how people shop has affected the economy greatly with brick and mortar companies they have a small selection and can only carry so many items at once while an online shop can always outsource or have available stock to meet the highest demands given to them. If you have not noticed how this affects your local economy you will soon after reading this. As stated in the previous paragraph online shopping has expanded 7% which also means retail has decreased 7% and this can affect companies that are niche greatly especially when it comes to electronics or rather expensive items, this impact originates from the fact they do not have a physical storefront which negates the costs of upkeep and general costs associated and they can bring great deals to get a large influx of customers that are willing to wait a week delivery for a computer they can get 100$ cheaper than spending gas money and having to physically get the item. Not only can these companies offer greater deals but also stick their fingers in more businesses and get the branding out more, we have seen Amazon broaden to streaming services and hit target groups like twitch to partner and broaden their influence of the online marketplace that started in August of 2014. With the lower cost to meet customer’s expectations and put themselves out more, it is inevitable that online shopping surpasses retail shopping someday. As stated by Jon Ferarra CEO of Nimble LLC “Social selling expands on the age-old basics of getting to know your customers and meeting their needs”. When a company can learn your interest like Amazon has done by expanding into the gaming industry streaming and entertainment it can learn a customer’s values with their simple account linking features and bring you what you want vs you looking for what you want.

This social change the U.S is experiencing is huge as it introduces the opportunity for new job markets to sprout and more opportunity for people as whole weather freeing up time or allowing an entrepreneur to start a dream with less capital opposed to 10 years ago. This wave of online shopping largely influenced and started by Amazon will be interesting to see in the coming years. Online shopping is going to be huge when 4 of the top 20 highest growth rate jobs in the world are website or application related.

Amazon has influenced a marketplace that is inhabited by millions of others and has facilitated a huge change to U.S culture and economics that could affect us all in the coming future. When finding a topic for this essay it was easy to pick Amazon and its impact on the culture as we live in a world that revolves around the flow of money and ease of making it/ spending it.