Amazon

Amazon is the world's largest online retailer, headquartered in Seattle, Washington. A publicly listed US company, it dominates e-commerce across Europe while facing regulatory scrutiny over marketplace practices and tax arrangements.

EUNon-EU

Brand Identity Data

HQ Country
United States
HQ City
Seattle
Founded
1994
EU Headquartered
No
EU Manufactured
No
Ownership Type
public
Stock Exchange
NASDAQ
Tax Domicile
US
Ultimate Parent
Amazon.com, Inc.
Data Hosting
mixed
CLOUD Act Exposure
Yes ⚠️
AI Trains on User Data
yes
GDPR Status
Fined €746M
DSA Designation
VLOP
Carbon Neutral
claimed
B Corp Certified
No
Supply Chain
partial
Repair / Recycling
Yes ✓
Ethical Certifications
None verified

Verified on August 2, 2026

Corporate Lineage

1994

Founded

Jeff Bezos incorporates Amazon in Bellevue, Washington as an online bookstore.

1997

IPO

Amazon completes its initial public offering on the NASDAQ stock exchange.

2006

AWS Launch

Amazon Web Services launches, fundamentally changing the company's revenue model.

2017

Whole Foods Acquisition

Amazon acquires Whole Foods Market, expanding its physical retail presence.

2021

GDPR Fine

Amazon receives a record 746 million euro GDPR fine from Luxembourg data regulators.

2023

DSA Designation

Amazon is officially designated as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the EU Digital Services Act.

European Alternatives to Amazon

A

Allegro

Allegro is a major Polish e-commerce platform that operates an online marketplace connecting buyers and sellers across Central and Eastern Europe. It functions as the largest domestic e-commerce brand in Poland and is publicly traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

Compare Amazon vs. Allegro

Verification Sources

  1. [1]Amazon on Wikidata
  2. [2]Amazon website