Alec MacGillis on why Amazon’s domination should give pause for thought

By Alfonso Fernández

Washington, Jul 8 (EFE).- Amazon’s success and marketplace power is skyrocketing, propelled by a 40% jump in sales during the pandemic, but customers should think carefully when they hit the purchase button, says Alec MacGillis, the author of a book on how Jeff Bezos has redefined the United States economy.

In Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America, MacGillis looks at how the e-commerce giant has impacted local economies across the US, from Austin to Seattle, Baltimore, to Washington D.C.

The result is a grim portrait of disparity, where some cities hoard wealth while others become poorer and more isolated..

“I am not out there advocating a boycott. But I do think we do all need to think more carefully of what lies behind that one click,” MacGillis tells Efe.

The author, who works for the non-profit investigative journalism platform ProPublica, says that Amazon customers shouldered some of the responsibility for this economic deterioration.

“It was all of us in our collective decisions during the pandemic last year who let Amazon become so dominant and successful. It was us who drove their sales by 40%, we just embraced this model with open arms.

“The company has exacerbated problems already here, like globalization and deindustrialization, its aggressive steps to avoid paying taxes and higher demands on its workers,” he adds.

The firm’s decisions contribute to regional wealth imbalance, he says.

An instance of this behaviour was Amazon’s decision to place its second headquarters in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, which was already the second richest region in the country.