Amazon sprouts new tributaries

The bookstore-cum-superstore expands into auctions, taking on eBay and facing perhaps its greatest challenge yet.

CNET News staff

Jan. 2, 2002 4:43 p.m. PT

The bookstore-cum-superstore expands into auctions, taking on eBay and facing perhaps its greatest challenge yet. Meanwhile, the company continues to move into new areas of online retailing by taking a piece of start-up pet-supplies vendor Pets.com.

Amazon.com auction plans boost shares
The move into auctions will drastically alter the competitive landscape in one of the fastest-growing areas of e-commerce.

Amazon auctions could bring new risks
news analysis Analysts say Amazon is taking a gamble by giving market power to users, but the company can't ignore the popularity of online auctions.

Amazon invests in online pet store
Expanding its retail scope, Amazon.com has invested in start-up Pets.com, which describes itself as the largest pet supply company on the Internet.

Web powers ponder online auctions
news analysis In the wake of eBay's deal with AOL, analysts weigh in on what they think other big Web companies should do to reap benefits from Net auctions.