
Amazon.com’s secret retail empire - aj
http://venturebeat.com/2010/11/08/amazon-com-multibrand-retailer/
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jonafato
How is this in any way a secret? Sure, they don't go and shutdown sites and
disrupt services for months while integrating acquired companies like Google
does, but the bottom of the amazon.com home page lists their sites. Amazon
buys sites that do well independently, and they do it publicly. For some
anecdotal evidence, see the kindle for sale on woot.com when Amazon bought
them.

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corin_
"Secret" being a hyperbole, they meant "little known". I'm betting that if you
surveyed the general public, few would be able to name even one of these other
brands.

~~~
lukifer
Arggh, language dilution is frustrating. I wonder if someday "secret" will
colloquially come to mean "public information", similar to what happened to
the word "literally". :P

~~~
lepht
Whoa whoa, your 'language dilution' train stops here. Secret's latin root is
secernere, _literally_:

> without; aside, by itself

Also, no complaining about language degradation while also using emoticons ;)

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lepht
> Only Endless.com, a shoes-and-handbags site launched in-house, and Small
> Parts are “powered by Amazon.com,” a status which means Amazon.com customers
> can use their accounts on those sites.

I know at least Audible also has this functionality, so it's pretty safe to
assume this isn't a comprehensive list or portrayal of Amazon's second party
brands and sites.

