Amazon: Books First vs Everything Store (1994)
by Anonymous
Jeff Bezos chose to start Amazon selling only books before expanding to everything. Books had universal demand, easy shipping, and massive selection — perfect for proving e-commerce worked.
Start with Books Only
1994
year
Books
initial category
3 million titles, easy to ship, universal demand
why this category
Chosen — proved model, then expanded to everything
outcome
Launch as General Store
1994
year
Everything
initial category
Maximum market size
why this category
Not chosen — too complex for a startup
outcome
Start with Music/CDs
1994
year
Music
initial category
High demand, compact shipping
why this category
Not chosen — fewer SKUs than books
outcome
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