If you recieved a barrage of packages over the holiday, it is likely that many came with black and blue tape around them with the word “Amazon” plastered all over them. The online retail behemoth has grown heavily and has entangled countless economic sectors. Amazon’s expansion into retail, finance and health is causing disaster for countless businesses throughout America. Automation is also taking over within Amazon. The average blue-collar worker will soon no longer be needed in the billion dollar corporation due to drones and machines. Those who would defend Amazon claim that the convenience of quick deliveries are worth the trouble, but they ignore the effect an Amazon monopoly has on the economy. The Amazon argument is one of convenience versus economic viability. 

Convenience through two to three-day delivery and cheap prices allows Amazon to destroy the little guy. They can easily copy products from other companies and add on their discounted prices and swift shipping. San Francisco-based company Rain Design is a clear example of this. Their sleek laptop stand design was promptly copied and outsold by Amazon. They now have control of over 44 percent of the online retail market and 4 percent of the whole retail market. Amazon has grown into video streaming, online streaming, automotive tech, grocery sales, food delivery, music streaming, TV, robotics, cloud services, electronics, space travel and many more fields. This takeover by Amazon is the beginning of a mega-monopoly that is giving the company unimaginable power.

Automation is amplifying this power by cutting away the human aspect. Basic labor jobs at Amazon are being replaced by machines, and drones will soon replace delivery drivers. Even marketing executives are in peril as new software can predict what buyers want. Those who support Amazon due to its convenience obviously do not see the danger it brings. Inexpensive products and quick delivery may seem nice, but unemployment and an omnipotent Amazon is not so great. So, do you want your package delivered tomorrow, or do you want to keep your job for the next 10 years? If you want to keep your job for the next 10 years, I would suggest starting to support the little guy. Small retail stores are the most heavily affected by Amazon, and they could really use your help. In the end, government intervention may be the only remedy for Amazon’s takeover.