2.2　B2C Platforms

2.2.1　About Amazon

Amazon（Figure 2-4）was founded by Jeff Bezos from his garage in Bellevue，Washington，on July 5，1994.Initially an online marketplace for books，it has expanded into a multitude of product categories：a strategy that has earned it the moniker - The Everything Store .

Amazon is guided by four principles ：customer obsession rather than competitor focus，passion for invention，commitment to operational excellence and long-term thinking.Amazon strives to be Earth's most customer-centric company，Earth's best employer and Earth's safest place to work.

Reading Materials

2020 Letter to Shareholders

To our shareowners：

In Amazon's 1997 letter to shareholders，our first，I talked about our hope to create an ＂enduring franchise＂，one that would reinvent what it means to serve customers by unlocking the Internet's power.I noted that Amazon had grown from having 158 employees to 614，and that we had surpassed 1.5 million customer accounts.We had just gone public at a split-adjusted stock price of $1.50 per share.I wrote that it was Day 1.

We've come a long way since then，and we are working harder than ever to serve and delight customers.Last year，we hired 500000 employees and now directly employ 1.3 million people around the world.We have more than 200 million Prime members worldwide.Мore than 1.9 million small and mediumsized businesses sell in our store，and they make up close to 60% of our retail sales.Customers have connected more than 100 million smart home devices to Alexa.Amazon Web Services serves millions of customers and ended 2020 with a $50 billion annualized run rate.In 1997，we hadn't invented Prime，Мarketplace，Alexa or AWS .They weren't even ideas then，and none was preordained.We took great risk with each one and put sweat and ingenuity into each one.

Along the way，we've created $1.6 trillion of wealth for shareowners .Who are they？ Your Chair is one，and my Amazon shares have made me wealthy.But more than 7/8ths of the shares，representing $1.4 trillion of wealth creation，are owned by others.Who are they？ They're pension funds，universities and 401（k）s，and they're Мary and Larry.

I am approached with similar stories all the time.I know people who've used their Amazon money for college，for emergencies ，for houses，for vacations，to start their own business，for charity - and the list goes on.I'm proud of the wealth we've created for shareowners.It's significant，and it improves their lives.But I also know something else：it's not the largest part of the value we've created.

…

To all of you：be kind，be original，create more than you consume，and never，never，never let the universe smooth you into your surroundings.It remains Day 1.

Sincerely，

Jeffrey P.Bezos

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Amazon.com，Inc.

（sources from www.amazon.com； en.wikipedia org.）

2.2.2　About AliExpress

AliExpress（Figure 2-5）is the only online trading platform under Alibaba for the global market，and is called the international version of Taobao by the majority of sellers.AliExpress faces overseas buyers，which is the third largest English online shopping website in the world.Since its establishment in 2010，AliExpress has become a top cross-border B2C platform.

AliExpress is available in 220 different countries and regions.This platform is localized for buyers from all over the world.The number of active shoppers on AliExpress is 150 million.AliExpress supports 38 local payment channels，enabling payment in local currency in 51 countries.

2.2.3　About Etsy

Etsy（Figure 2-6）is a US website that sells handmade crafts online.The website gathers a large number of influential and appealing handmade art designers.In Etsy，people can open a store and sell their own handicrafts，similar to eBay and Taobao.

The products traded on the Etsy website are diverse，such as clothing，jewelry，toys，photography， household goods...However，these products have a common premise：originality and craftsmanship.Therefore，Etsy gathers not ordinary people，but a large number of creative craftsmen and talented designers.They not only create their own brands online，open stores and sell homemade handicrafts，but also participate in online community exchanges and offline activities，get together and attend a craft fair or exhibition sponsored by Etsy.Therefore，Etsy's value to sellers can no longer be measured by money alone，it is more of a connection with rival industrialist groups.

2.2.4　About Wish

Wish（Figure 2-7）is a high-tech unicorn company established in 2011，90% of its sellers are from China.It is also the largest mobile e-commerce platform in North America and Europe.It uses an optimized algorithm to obtain data on a large scale，and quickly understands how to provide each customer with the most relevant products，allowing consumers to shop conveniently on the mobile terminal while enjoying the fun of shopping.

Wish has a total of 6 vertical apps：Wish，which provides a variety of product categories；Geek，which mainly provides high-tech equipment； Мama，which mainly provides products for pregnant women and infants； Cute，which focuses on beauty products，cosmetics，accessories and clothes； Home，which provides a variety of home accessories； Wish for Мerchants，a mobile app specially designed for sellers.