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TWAS THE WEEK BEFORE EARNINGS WHEN ALL THROUGH THE FACTORY WAS…A HIVE OF ACTIVITY

Always a quiet week for Amazon before this week’s Q2 earnings call where analysts are going to have extremely laser-like attention on retail, AWS and advertising performance. Amazon is unlikely to be sweating based on projections.

Everyone’s favourite cardboard abuser pulled plans for a major new data centre in Ireland, citing grid capacity issues that point to growing infrastructure constraints in the region, as the company scrapped plans for the project due to energy concerns. Over €2 billion in used goods were sold in Europe last year through Amazon’s marketplace, showing how central resale has become to the platform’s European strategy.

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A new fee explainer tool was rolled out within transaction details to help sellers better understand cost structures. Consumer pricing came into focus after reports of increased costs across household essentials. Legal pressures were big news this week with two lawsuits filed in the UK accusing Amazon of abusing market dominance, with claims totalling up to £5.4 billion. In India, Amazon and Walmart are among e-commerce firms facing renewed scrutiny over foreign marketplace operations, as regulators review existing frameworks. Finally, the class action was certified in the UK, challenging Amazon’s marketplace favouritism toward its own products. One thing remains true, Amazon’s lawyers earn their money and have the most job security in the place. Amidst reports of Bezos visits to the White House, political risk also flared with a report revealing that Trump allies discussed targeting Amazon and Jeff Bezos if re-elected.

AWS announced 47 new updates this week. Investments in AI and deep tech continued including Amazon backing a Cambridge startup using 3D imaging to tackle return fraud, as did a programmable optics company working on next-gen machine vision. AWS partnered with Meta (yes, you read that right) to accelerate foundation model development and secured a five-year deal with NatWest and Accenture to transform the bank’s AI and data infrastructure. Cha-ching.

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A new salary report leaked revealing aggressive compensation packages for engineers and AI specialists, but nothing like what Zuck is throwing around for nerd smarts. Security risks surfaced when a hacker inserted computer-wiping commands into Amazon’s AI coding agent during what appeared to be internal testing. Yoikes.

Amazon announced a Kindle aimed at children launched with colour display and larger storage. Jassy and co also spent some cash on a pretty unknown AI wearable company called Bee so the company again has a finger in the ambient health tech pie after several failed attempts.

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SO WHAT?

Plenty moving across infrastructure, regulation, AI and geopolitics which would rock others companies, but it’s one of the quietest weeks at Amazon in months. Increasingly it’s becoming clear (for regulators, competitors and customers) isn’t if Amazon is too big, but what happens when its size meets its ambition.

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WD_DTW also covers OpenAI and now Google. Each offers exclusive intel, weekly deep dives, and critical analysis, saving you tons of time. Available in monthly and annual subscriptions, cancel anytime. Subscribe today; here for OpenAI and here for Google.

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AMAZON GETS GRABBY WITH AGENTS

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PRIME DAY SUCCESS ± SKIN OF TEETH

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AMAZON CROSSES ONE MILLION ROBOT MARK

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AMAZON IS MAKING A BIG BET ON INDIA

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JASSY SAYS WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE THINKING

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Apologies for brief version, back to full length next week.

Amazon formed a new internal group called ZeroOne to develop breakthrough consumer hardware, including future Alexa and AI devices, reflecting its growing urgency to compete with Apple, Google and OpenAI in ambient computing. Meanwhile, the planned in-car software partnership with Stellantis collapsed, suggesting Amazon's broader OS ambitions remain fragmented outside the home.

On the AI side, Amazon is piloting audio-generated product summaries for shoppers, using AI to reduce friction in product discovery and extend its voice assistant strategy (or at least testing it). Amazon also did a large deal with the New York Times to put its stories on Alexa.

There’s new Twitch sponsorship tools for advertisers, integrating Amazon Ads into creator monetisation, a clear move to extend its retail ad network into creator commerce. Amazon told sellers it will adjust inbound FBA shipping fees based on its own measurements, not seller-reported package dimensions (cost-optimising move).

Finally, the Amazon ‘beige’ influencer copyright lawsuit was unsurprisingly dismissed.

WD_DTW also covers OpenAI and now Google. Each offers exclusive intel, weekly deep dives, and critical analysis, saving you tons of time. Available in monthly and annual subscriptions, cancel anytime. Subscribe today; here for OpenAI and here for Google.

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Abridged version this week due to travel.

Amazon had a mixed week. Firstly introducing a new AI-powered shopping assistant that generates voice summaries of product listings, further automating and personalising the buying experience. While simultaneously issuing public apologies and refunds for long-running customer service failures involving returned items, and now faces a lawsuit over contaminated rice.

Zoox stumbled again, issuing another software recall after a crash in San Francisco. Internally, Amazon laid off around 100 employees in its devices and services division, continuing a quiet restructuring effort as it streamlines its hardware strategy. Shareholders this week voted to keep CEO Andy Jassy in a dual role as chair and chief executive, reinforcing a centralised leadership structure even as the company’s risks and public exposure grow. The investors, again, voted to reject every shareholder suggestion.

Amid these tensions, Amazon expanded its pharmacy business to include pet prescriptions and continued to stake its position in cutting-edge technologies, from backing Anthropic’s Claude 4 models to advancing in quantum computing, where it is targeting future competition with Microsoft and Google. Amazon is also reportedly exploring the development of a foldable phone, hinting at new directions for its consumer hardware portfolio.

Finally, in a surprising move, Amazon’s Prime Video team cancelled its darling, ‘The Wheel of Time’, a high-budget title that was once central to its franchise ambitions, and which now joins a growing list of shelved or scaled-back streaming bets. Look out for more on this coming soon…

WD_DTW also covers OpenAI and now Google. Each offers exclusive intel, weekly deep dives, and critical analysis, saving you tons of time. Available in monthly and annual subscriptions, cancel anytime. Subscribe today; here for OpenAI and here for Google.

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Abridged version due to travel.

Amazon joined Nvidia and other tech leaders in what is emerging as a high-stakes race to dominate next-generation medical infrastructure this week. Why Amazon is ”going all in on healthcare” is summarised well here, and shows them expanding from wearables and pharmacy into the clinical and systems-level layers of healthcare. A good diversification strategy that spreads risk, and plays to other core strengths as retail growth matures and AWS saturates. Subscribers will know there’s more going on here too.

In parallel, AWS is fuelling its global expansion through high-profile partnerships, including a new AI cloud deal with Saudi-backed startup Humain. On the consumer side, Amazon is also transforming how media is produced and delivered: its audiobook arm Audible is now developing AI-narrated titles, potentially disrupting voice talent markets in the process.

And in logistics, Amazon struck a deal with FedEx to fill gaps left by UPS, while also reengineering warehouse operations with more robotics and updated pay structures to incentivise top-performing employees.

Meanwhile, its ambitions in mobility and entertainment continue. Zoox is reportedly building a concierge-style robotaxi app, and Prime Video now reaches 130 million US viewers. Yet all of that may be undercut by mounting regulatory scrutiny in Europe: the EU ruled Amazon’s ad tracking practices illegal, threatening a key profit engine.

WD_DTW also covers OpenAI and now Google. Each offers exclusive intel, weekly deep dives, and critical analysis, saving you tons of time. Available in monthly and annual subscriptions, cancel anytime. Subscribe today; here for OpenAI and here for Google.

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Abridged version due to apartment move. Business as usual next week. A busy, and varied, week for Amazon including the launch of Haul in the UK which should be popular thanks to economic conditions.

Haul, Amazon’s Temu-style budget shopping experience, launched in the UK and could become a core funnel for cost-conscious buyers. The UK’s digital services tax survived trade negotiations and remains a cost on big tech including Amazon.

In platform news, Amazon disabled book purchases on Kindle’s iOS app again to dodge Apple’s fees. Internally, Andy Jassy marked his Amazon tenure with a corporate culture post. Jeff Bezos led a funding round in Toloka and backed a retail-facing tech fund aimed at individual investors.

A new AWS report, shocking exactly no-one, found generative AI has overtaken cybersecurity as a top tech budget priority. Amazon touted a robotics breakthrough with warehouse bots that can detect touch, while Zoox issued a vehicle recall due to braking faults. AWS also committed $4 billion to cloud infrastructure in Chile.

WD_DTW also covers OpenAI and now Google. Each offers exclusive intel, weekly deep dives, and critical analysis, saving you tons of time. Available in monthly and annual subscriptions, cancel anytime. Subscribe today; here for OpenAI and here for Google.

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AMAZON BATONS DOWN HATCHES

Amazon is making strides to lessen the impact of tariff-related disruptions and competitive shifts across its business. As rising tensions around U.S.–China trade emerged, Amazon pushed vendors to raise prices and surveyed its sellers to gauge the impact of Trump-era tariffs. Guess what, no-one’s happy. Some sellers have already responded by hiking prices, consumers have responded by buying less snacks etc.

Beyond trade issues, Amazon continued going hell for leather in AI. There are conflicting reports that Amazon is expanding its AI data centre infrastructure, as some have reported the company is pausing or stoping lease commitments. Meanwhile, AWS announced a new availability zone in Maryland, reaffirming its AI and cloud growth strategy even while energy sourcing challenges grow. Amazon acknowledged this week that fossil fuels could still be used to power new server farms. So yay for greenwashing yet again. Meanwhile, Amazon’s Kuiper project (global broadband internet) got a new satellite launch date, although they are unlikely to make their deadlines.

SO WHAT?

Amazon is gambling on infrastructure dominance and content loyalty to weather economic headwinds, but its consumer business, marketplace integrity, and margins are under siege. By offloading tariff costs onto sellers and pushing for upstream price hikes, Amazon threatens its core advantage: low prices. Meanwhile, a surge of AI-generated junk is flooding its platform. If Amazon fails to curb fake, low-quality, and manipulative content, regulatory pressure, already mounting worldwide, will only intensify, damaging both revenue and reputation. Amazon’s current strategy risks alienating third-party sellers, the engine of marketplace growth. If costs keep rising, Amazon’s grip on consumer loyalty could weaken, stripping away the buffer that once protected it during downturns. A lot could unravel fast, leaving Amazon exposed and vulnerable. Grab the popcorn.

COMPANY ↓

CEO, board of directors, HQ, global offices, investor relations, annual reports, financial statements, legal, public policy, CSR, ESG, corporate culture, ethics, risk management, strategic partnerships, leadership, structure +

Amazon was told by U.S. labour prosecutors that it must negotiate with Teamsters union representatives. /Bloomberg

Amazon sponsored the White House Easter Egg Roll alongside other major brands. /Adweek 👀

CONTENT ↓

Prime Video, Amazon Studios, Music, Audible, Twitch, Goodreads, Prime Gaming, Appstore, Books, Wondary, Esports, MGM, Freevee, IMDb +

Amazon MGM Studios tapped Michael B. Jordan for a modern remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. /Yahoo News

Rumours of a Judge Dredd series with Karl Urban at Amazon were shut down as false. /Bleeding Cool

Amazon Music signed country stars Eric Church and John Fogerty for a NASCAR Prime Video special. /Variety

Amazon and IWOT Games partnered on a Wheel of Time video game adaptation. /Variety

Amazon announced a Hazbin Hotel spinoff Helluva Boss would debut on Prime Video. /Hollywood Reporter

TECHNOLOGY ↓

Alexa, Ads, FIRE TV, Echo, Kindle, A9, AWS, Just Walk Out, Silk, Rekognition, Eero, Ring, Pay, Amazon Air, Prime Air, Aurora, Redshift +

AWS made 58 announcements this week. /AWS

Amazon's Kuiper-1 internet satellites received a new April 28 launch date aboard an Atlas V rocket. /Space.com

Amazon was reportedly in talks with OpenAI to license Washington Post content for training models. /Variety

AWS announced plans for a new availability zone in Maryland to support U.S. East (N. Virginia) growth. /AWS

Nasdaq and AWS announced next-generation infrastructure solutions to modernise global capital markets. /Amazon Press

AWS demand for AI data centers surged as Amazon is fiercely competing with Microsoft. /Business Insider

Amazon pursued alternative strategies to overcome Nvidia GPU shortages, including custom silicon. /Business Insider

Virgin Atlantic entered talks with Starlink and Amazon Kuiper for in-flight Wi-Fi deals. /Bloomberg

Amazon and Nvidia said fossil fuels remain an option to power growing AI compute needs. /CNBC

Amazon paused some data centre lease commitments amid broader cost-cutting reviews. /CNBC

Strange AI-generated political books flooded Amazon’s marketplace ahead of the Canadian election. /Bloomberg

RETAIL ↓

Amazon.com, Marketplace, Amazon Prime, Amazon Go, Whole Foods, Fresh, Pantry, Souq, Treasure Truck, private label, PillPack, Pharmacy, Prime Now, BodyLabs, delivery, logistics +

Amazon launched a premium beauty storefront to compete more directly with retailers like Sephora and Ulta. /Retail Gazette

Amazon pressured vendors to raise prices in response to new tariffs. /WSJ

Amazon sellers increased prices across categories to cope with new tariffs. /Business Insider

Amazon's first-ever UK book sale sparked backlash from independent bookstores ahead of Independent Bookstore Day. /Fast Company

Amazon announced lower FBA fees for clothing, backpacks, and handbags to attract more sellers. /ChannelX

Amazon expanded its Buy with Prime ambitions globally by partnering with ecommerce platform Shopline. /Modern Retail

MISC ↓

Charity, warehouses, energy, scandals, space, profiles, industrial action, Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott +

A Bezos-backed startup launched an affordable US-made electric pickup truck. /Bloomberg

Amazon lobbied for tariff revisions amid changing U.S. trade policies. /The Information

LINKS ↓

POVs, data, nuggets, books, analysis, competitor info, industry info, reports, insights +

India facing increased pressure to give Amazon and Walmart greater market access as tariff tensions rose. /Reuters

Walmart-backed Flipkart announced it would shift headquarters back to India from Singapore. /Reuters

WD_DTW also covers OpenAI and now Google. Each offers exclusive intel, weekly deep dives, and critical analysis, saving you tons of time. Available in monthly and annual subscriptions, cancel anytime. Subscribe today; here for OpenAI and here for Google.

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While Google and Meta were getting slapped about in court this week, Amazon had different issues to contend with. How to stop Trump’s tariffs from screwing them down the line, should he not continue the pause after 90 days. The company is already emailing sellers to assess the damage, but the broader concern is that its entire retail structure — built on price elasticity, Chinese supply chains, and seller volume — has no slack to absorb a 54% import tariff shock.

Unlike Shein or Temu, Amazon isn’t an interloper, it’s the incumbent, and that cuts both ways. If Trump lets the clock run out on the tariff reprieve, Amazon doesn’t just pass costs to consumers, it risks eroding Prime’s value proposition. With margins already thin on its marketplace goods, there’s no buffer. Shoppers will feel it, and competitors like Walmart, with a growing U.S. supply base and stronger control over in-store inventory, may be better insulated.

The company faces a shadowban lawsuit alleging algorithmic suppression of sellers, and while it’s a fringe case now, it plays into a growing antitrust narrative — especially if it intersects with how Amazon responds to the tariffs (e.g., who gets visibility when prices spike). Meanwhile, Jassy continues his internal campaign to reassert Amazon’s ‘Day One’ ethos, invoking startup culture while preparing to report Q1 earnings in a few days — and no doubt fend off questions on AI spend, tariff exposure, and advertising growth.

SO WHAT?

Amazon is trying to hold two conflicting positions at once. The company wants to be the future of AI infrastructure, with its own chips and OS. But its cashflow still depends on low-margin goods from China and a marketplace model now exposed to geopolitical risk. Trump’s tariffs don’t just threaten Amazon’s pricing — they expose how dependent the company still is on a fragile, globalised retail backbone.

If tariffs go full tilt in 90 days, Amazon will have to do more than pass costs along. Jassy and co will need to rethink sourcing, marketplace policy, seller mix, and Prime’s price-to-value ratio. And it’ll need to do so while fending off rising regulatory pressure, intensifying AI competition from Microsoft and Google, and domestic retail threats from a more agile, less globally entangled Walmart.

The next earnings call will be important — not for headline revenue, but for how Amazon narrates the future. Tariff-driven inflation, OS consolidation, and content rationalisation all suggest a shift: away from the maximalist, globalised Amazon of the 2010s toward a tighter, more defensive version, built to survive a world where global scale is no longer a free pass.

COMPANY ↓

CEO, board of directors, HQ, global offices, investor relations, annual reports, financial statements, legal, public policy, CSR, ESG, corporate culture, ethics, risk management, strategic partnerships, leadership, structure +

Andy Jassy reflected on his long tenure at Amazon, emphasising leadership values and the company’s evolution. /About Amazon

Amazon announced its Q1 2025 earnings results would be webcast on April 25. /Amazon Press

CONTENT ↓

Prime Video, Amazon Studios, Music, Audible, Twitch, Goodreads, Prime Gaming, Appstore, Books, Wondary, Esports, MGM, Freevee, IMDb +

Amazon passed on a drama titled Adolescence despite being pitched to Prime Video head Jen Salke. /Broadcast Now

Henry Cavill exited Lionsgate’s Highlander remake to star in the project at Amazon MGM Studios. /Hollywood Reporter

Amazon confirmed Highlander reboot starring Henry Cavill with Chad Stahelski attached to direct. /Deadline

Amazon secured true-crime documentary deal on the Kray twins through Sphere and Abacus Media Rights. /Deadline

Amazon and Legendary announced a Pacific Rim TV series for Prime Video with Eric Heisserer developing. /Variety

Amazon canceled sitcom Clean Slate as part of its ongoing Prime Video content review. /Variety

Amazon canceled Citadel spinoffs Honey Bunny and Diana amid franchise consolidation efforts. /Variety

TECHNOLOGY ↓

Alexa, Ads, FIRE TV, Echo, Kindle, A9, AWS, Just Walk Out, Silk, Rekognition, Eero, Ring, Pay, Amazon Air, Prime Air, Aurora, Redshift +

AWS made 48 announcements this week. /AWS

Amazon Vega OS for Echo and Fire TV, alongside Kepler SDK for developers building voice-first apps is on the way per leaks. /Lowpass

Binance services began to recover after a major network interruption, with infrastructure links to AWS under review. /Reuters

RETAIL ↓

Amazon.com, Marketplace, Amazon Prime, Amazon Go, Whole Foods, Fresh, Pantry, Souq, Treasure Truck, private label, PillPack, Pharmacy, Prime Now, BodyLabs, delivery, logistics +

Amazon surveyed sellers on how Trump's tariffs were impacting operations and costs. /CNBC

Amazon confronted further supply chain disruptions linked to U.S.-China trade tensions and new tariffs. /WSJ

Amazon launched its first-ever UK book sale, offering deals across a wide selection of titles. /ChannelX

Amazon set a June deadline for sellers to ship inventory for Prime Day 2025. /EcommerceBytes

ChannelEngine became a Platinum Partner with Amazon, reflecting its top-tier status in the partner ecosystem. /ChannelX

MISC ↓

Charity, warehouses, energy, scandals, space, profiles, industrial action, Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott +

Amazon partnered with Manara to train cloud engineers in the Gulf region as part of its regional tech outreach. /Agbi

Amazon faced a lawsuit from a former attorney alleging wrongful shadow banning and retaliation. /Yahoo Finance

Bezos-owned, Blue Origin launched an all-female celebrity space crew including Katy Perry and Lauren Sánchez, to worldwide online derision. /CNBC

LINKS ↓

POVs, data, nuggets, books, analysis, competitor info, industry info, reports, insights +

Meta reportedly approached Amazon and Microsoft to help fund its open-source LLaMA AI initiative. /The Information

WD_DTW also covers OpenAI and now Google. Each offers exclusive intel, weekly deep dives, and critical analysis, saving you tons of time. Available in monthly and annual subscriptions, cancel anytime. Subscribe today; here for OpenAI and here for Google.

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TIME FOR YOU TO VOTE!
The Google WD_DTW? has been trialling a new style like the one below.
Let us know if you’d prefer it here:

Amazon’s Spring Sale created a public news lull, but behind the scenes, AWS continued its relentless updates (just the 67(!) this week). While no major story because of the sales there are dozens of low-key updates that reinforce Amazon’s AI-first posture and ruthless operational discipline. Amazon continues slithering along, gobbling up things to get bigger and bigger.

AWS pushed out Quicksight upgrades via Amazon Q, firewall support for Amplify, and granular geography data. These backend changes tighten the stack and underscore a focus on developer productivity, compliance, and security. Amazon Science revealed new work on LLM training efficiency and a lightweight model for structured data. AI is no longer siloed in R&D—it’s becoming native infrastructure. A shift that is reflected in product rollouts. A generative AI shopping assistant is now in live testing, while Amazon Photos is embedding shopping links, turning personal content into retail context. Health ambitions took a hit with the exit of Chief Medical Officer Vin Gupta.

In retail, one early Amazon Fresh store closed as pickup and returns expanded to military sites. FBA support staff cuts signalled continued logistics optimisation. A new robotics-powered fulfilllment centre launched in North Carolina, while delivery drones still require human pilots, delaying full autonomy (also see story in ‘Interesting’ section). Indian regulators cracked down on warehouse operations, showing Amazon’s exposure in contested markets. Internally, Andy Jassy’s career advice read like an effort to maintain cultural cohesion.

Branding and AI converged as Amazon tested rebranding Echo Show as Alexa, while the Alexa Fund backed four new AI startups. In devices, Kindle added a double-tap gesture and Colorsoft screen improvements. MGM Studios head Jen Salke exited amid Prime Video delaying ‘CItadel 2’ and uncertainty around spinoffs. A teaser for Amy Sherman-Palladino’s "Étoile" arrived, and Amazon showed up hard at CinemaCon to hype tentpoles. Amazon’s gaming ambition advanced further with a multi-year Luna EA cloud deal.

SO WHAT?

When a sale is on, it’s not uncommon for Amazon to go quiet and keep everyone focused on buying. Amazon’s long-game is becoming legible. AI isn’t being hyped, it’s being operationalised—inserted deep into infrastructure, embedded into products, and deployed across consumer touchpoints. Few companies are executing this with Amazon’s breadth or consistency, and while not without issue, the hard AI push within AWS positions Amazon as the default backbone for enterprise AI. An area where competition just heated up because of Alphabet’s Wiz acquisition.

Content, by contrast, remains a drag. MGM is in flux. Prime Video lacks coherent narrative control. Without a content engine that can rival Netflix or even Apple’s pace, Amazon risks brand dilution in entertainment—especially with its gaming and franchise ambitions tied to cross-platform IP. Same drag in important markets. Regulatory pressure in India foreshadows likely tensions in other markets. Amazon’s scale invites intervention. Expect more operational friction globally, particularly where labor, data, and product standards are politically sensitive.

Momentum is quietly compounding. The quarterly story may look flat, but structurally, Amazon is locking in advantage across cloud, retail AI, and logistics. Any single update may look small. Together, Amazon is building a more robust (some may say terrifying) offering across the company.

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INTERESTING ↓

POVs, data, nuggets, books, analysis, competitor info, industry info, reports, insights +

Zipline is giving Amazon a run for its money in the drone delivery department. /WSJ

WD_DTW also covers OpenAI and now Google. Each offers exclusive intel, weekly deep dives, and critical analysis, saving you tons of time. Available in monthly and annual subscriptions, cancel anytime. Subscribe today; here for OpenAI and here for Google.

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