Consumer King

Economist.com: "Amazon, which has long evolved from an online bookseller into a mass retailer, uses a form of behavioural targeting by suggesting products its customers might like, based on their past purchases. Jeff Bezos, Amazon's chief executive, was among the first to spot that the transparent pricing and product information the internet was able to provide would allow people to shop just about anywhere. The trick was to make it easier for them, so Amazon's website now operates as a shop front for lots of other companies too. And it gives customers the chance to read not only the sales blurb but also other customers' comments on the products."