Amazon’s Latest Diversion: Retail, Darling?

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For decades, Amazon (AMZN 2.35%) has rather successfully monopolized the habit of delivering practically anything directly to one’s doorstep. A convenience, naturally, though one suspects a significant contributor to the decline of civilized conversation. It’s certainly left the traditional high street looking rather… forlorn. One almost feels a pang of sympathy for the purveyors of sensible shoes.

But Amazon, one observes, isn’t content with merely dominating the digital landscape. The acquisition of Whole Foods was a mildly amusing foray into the world of organic kale, but this… this is something else entirely. They’re contemplating, it seems, a proper, full-scale assault on the brick-and-mortar world. Honestly, the sheer audacity of it all is almost… charming.

They’re planning a supermarket in Orland Park, Illinois, a positively enormous establishment – 225,000 square feet, if you please. Larger than your average Costco or Walmart location, which, frankly, are quite large enough already. One wonders if they’ve considered the logistics of finding sufficient parking. Though, of course, they probably expect everyone to have it delivered.

The potential, naturally, is considerable. Another avenue for revenue, another way to ensnare the consumer. It’s a rather ruthless efficiency, really. And investors, one assumes, will be watching with a predatory gleam in their eyes. A bit vulgar, perhaps, but undeniably effective.

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A Curious Proposition

One might reasonably question the wisdom of venturing into the notoriously difficult world of physical retail, given Amazon’s rather brilliant success with the virtual. Brick and mortar is, after all, frightfully expensive and requires dealing with… people. Still, Amazon possesses the resources to indulge in a little experimentation. And let’s be honest, they’ve rarely been wrong yet.

This isn’t merely a diversification play; it’s a demonstration of relentless ambition. They’ve conquered online retail and cloud computing; now they’re setting their sights on the high street. It’s a bit like watching a particularly well-funded and determined panther stalking its prey. One can’t help but admire the efficiency, even if it’s slightly unnerving.

With opportunities abounding in artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, online marketplaces, and now, apparently, big-box retail, Amazon remains a rather obvious investment. Trading at around 34 times earnings, it’s a considerably more reasonable proposition than it has been recently. A perfectly sensible purchase, darling. Perfectly sensible.

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2026-02-04 21:42