Zack KanterVerified account

Critics who think Amazon is killing retail should talk to the millions of businesses/products that were rejected by retail gatekeepers and only exist today because of Amazon’s ‘infinite shelf space.’

‘Buyers’ at big retailers used to decide which products would be given the chance to be market-tested. All sorts of incentive problems here, but the effect was increased concentration of wealth & power for large vendors (e.g. P&G).

A retailer (e.g. Walmart) had to pass the initial survival threshold by offering a selection of products that consumers want. But once passed, the gatekeeper system maximizes wealth and power of retailer & vendors - not economic best interest of consumers.