What started in a garage in Bellevue, Washington, on July 5, 1994, would eventually become one of the most transformative companies in modern commerce. Jeff Bezos initially built Amazon as an online bookstore, but the vision expanded dramatically. By 1998, the website had branched out into music and videos. That same year, staying loyal to its bookstore roots, the company made its first moves into international markets with online bookstores launched in the UK and Germany. Then, in 1999, the product catalog exploded to include video games, electronics, software, and a remarkably broad array of other goods.
Interestingly, Amazon almost ended up with an entirely different name. Jeff Bezos had originally settled on "Cadabra," inspired by the word "abracadabra." That plan quickly fell apart, though, when an attorney he consulted about registering the company pointed out that "Cadabra" bore an unfortunate resemblance to "cadaver" — not exactly the association you want customers making. The search for a better name led them to Amazon, chosen as a reference to the Amazon River, reflecting their ambition to offer a selection as vast as that legendary waterway.
In 2015, Amazon circled back to its origins by opening its first brick-and-mortar bookstore. Now, while it might feel like you can purchase virtually anything through the platform, there are actually several categories Amazon won't touch — houses, automobiles, cigarettes, and living animals among them. And if you think you're steering clear of the retail giant, think again: the company owns 41 different brands. These include Goodreads, Whole Foods, and Audible, to name just a few. They also operate IMDb.com and Zappos.com, along with Souq.com, an e-commerce platform serving Middle Eastern countries. So whenever you shop at any of these, you're contributing to Amazon's bottom line.
As of 2020, Amazon employed about 200,000 people — and plenty of them don't come to the office alone. Their furry companions tag along too. Over at the campus in Seattle, roughly 6,000 dogs "work" for the company. Amazon's commitment to being pet friendly is no joke, either: one of their Seattle buildings even features a dedicated dog deck, complete with a fake fire hydrant.