Edgar Filing: AMAZON COM INC

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Form 10-Q

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

(Mark One)

x	QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2013

¨	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to .

Commission File No. 000-22513

Amazon.com, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Delaware

91-1646860

(State or Other Jurisdiction of

Incorporation or Organization)

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

410 Terry Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109-5210

(206) 266-1000

(Address and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes x No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No x

455,242,694 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, outstanding as of April 12, 2013

AMAZON.COM, INC.

FORM 10-Q

For the Quarterly Period Ended March 31, 2013

INDEX


		Page
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1	Financial Statements		3

	Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows		3

	Consolidated Statements of Operations		4

	Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income		5

	Consolidated Balance Sheets		6

	Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements		7

Item 2	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations		15

Item 3	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk		26

Item 4	Controls and Procedures		27

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1	Legal Proceedings		28

Item 1A	Risk Factors		28

Item 2	Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds		35

Item 3	Defaults Upon Senior Securities		35

Item 4	Mine Safety Disclosures		35

Item 5	Other Information		35

Item 6	Exhibits		35

Signatures			36

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1.

Financial Statements

AMAZON.COM, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in millions)

(unaudited)


	Three Months Ended						Twelve Months Ended
	March 31,						March 31,
	2013			2012			2013			2012
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF PERIOD	$	8,084		$	5,269		$	2,288		$	2,641
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income (loss)		82			130			(87	)		561
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash from operating activities:
Depreciation of property and equipment, including internal-use software and website development, and other amortization		700			457			2,402			1,338
Stock-based compensation		229			160			901			605
Other operating expense (income), net		31			46			139			168
Losses (gains) on sales of marketable securities, net		—			(2	)		(7	)		(8	)
Other expense (income), net		68			15			306			(78	)
Deferred income taxes		(80	)		(38	)		(307	)		83
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation		—			(40	)		(390	)		(56	)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Inventories		535			747			(1,211	)		(1,374	)
Accounts receivable, net and other		729			746			(877	)		(479	)
Accounts payable		(4,187	)		(4,258	)		2,141			1,388
Accrued expenses and other		(703	)		(529	)		864			721
Additions to unearned revenue		684			397			2,083			1,252
Amortization of previously unearned revenue		(460	)		(269	)		(1,712	)		(1,070	)

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities		(2,372	)		(2,438	)		4,245			3,051
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property and equipment, including internal-use software and website development		(670	)		(386	)		(4,068	)		(1,899	)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired, and other		(103	)		(50	)		(798	)		(615	)
Sales and maturities of marketable securities and other investments		599			1,738			3,098			6,641
Purchases of marketable securities and other investments		(776	)		(852	)		(3,227	)		(5,997	)

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities		(950	)		450			(4,995	)		(1,870	)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation		—			40			390			56
Common stock repurchased		—			(960	)		—			(1,237	)
Proceeds from long-term debt and other		25			68			3,319			154
Repayments of long-term debt, capital lease, and finance lease obligations		(182	)		(153	)		(603	)		(483	)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities		(157	)		(1,005	)		3,106			(1,510	)
Foreign-currency effect on cash and cash equivalents		(124	)		12			(163	)		(24	)

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		(3,603	)		(2,981	)		2,193			(353	)

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF PERIOD	$	4,481		$	2,288		$	4,481		$	2,288

SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION:
Cash paid for interest on long-term debt	$	13		$	6		$	37		$	17
Cash paid for income taxes (net of refunds)		86			19			179			45
Property and equipment acquired under capital leases		340			149			993			721
Property and equipment acquired under build-to-suit leases		150			17			163			207

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

AMAZON.COM, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(in millions, except per share data)

(unaudited)


	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2013			2012
Net product sales	$	13,271		$	11,249
Net services sales		2,799			1,936

Total net sales		16,070			13,185
Operating expenses (1):
Cost of sales		11,801			10,027
Fulfillment		1,796			1,295
Marketing		632			480
Technology and content		1,383			945
General and administrative		246			200
Other operating expense (income), net		31			46

Total operating expenses		15,889			12,993

Income from operations		181			192
Interest income		10			12
Interest expense		(33	)		(21	)
Other income (expense), net		(77	)		(99	)

Total non-operating income (expense)		(100	)		(108	)

Income before income taxes		81			84
Benefit (provision) for income taxes		18			(43	)
Equity-method investment activity, net of tax		(17	)		89

Net income	$	82		$	130

Basic earnings per share	$	0.18		$	0.29

Diluted earnings per share	$	0.18		$	0.28

Weighted average shares used in computation of earnings per share:
Basic		455			453

Diluted		463			460


(1) Includes stock-based compensation as follows:
Fulfillment	$	61		$	37
Marketing		16			12
Technology and content		120			85
General and administrative		32			26

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

AMAZON.COM, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(in millions)

(unaudited)


	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2013			2012
Net income	$	82		$	130

Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustments, net of tax of $(9) and $(38)		(78	)		137
Net change in unrealized gains on available-for-sale securities:
Unrealized gains (losses), net of tax of $1 and $(3)		(2	)		7
Reclassification adjustment for losses (gains) included in “Other income (expense), net,” net of tax effect of $0 and $1		—			(2	)

Net unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities		(2	)		5

Total other comprehensive income (loss)		(80	)		142

Comprehensive income	$	2		$	272

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

AMAZON.COM, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in millions, except per share data)


	March 31,			December 31,
	2013			2012
	(unaudited)
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	4,481		$	8,084
Marketable securities		3,414			3,364
Inventories		5,395			6,031
Accounts receivable, net and other		2,516			3,364
Deferred tax assets		507			453

Total current assets		16,313			21,296
Property and equipment, net		7,674			7,060
Deferred tax assets		123			123
Goodwill		2,535			2,552
Other assets		1,732			1,524

Total assets	$	28,377		$	32,555

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	8,916		$	13,318
Accrued expenses and other		5,416			5,684

Total current liabilities		14,332			19,002
Long-term debt		3,040			3,084
Other long-term liabilities		2,573			2,277
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value:
Authorized shares — 500
Issued and outstanding shares — none		—			—
Common stock, $0.01 par value:
Authorized shares — 5,000
Issued shares — 479 and 478
Outstanding shares — 455 and 454		5			5
Treasury stock, at cost		(1,837	)		(1,837	)
Additional paid-in capital		8,585			8,347
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(319	)		(239	)
Retained earnings		1,998			1,916

Total stockholders’ equity		8,432			8,192

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	28,377		$	32,555

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

AMAZON.COM, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(unaudited)

Note 1 — Accounting Policies

Unaudited Interim Financial Information

We have prepared the accompanying consolidated financial statements pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for interim financial reporting. These consolidated financial statements are unaudited and, in our opinion, include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments and accruals necessary for a fair presentation of our consolidated balance sheets, operating results, and cash flows for the periods presented. Operating results for the periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for 2013 due to seasonal and other factors. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) have been omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in Item 8 of Part II, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” of our 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Amazon.com, Inc., its wholly-owned subsidiaries, and those entities in which we have a variable interest and are the primary beneficiary (collectively, the “Company”). Intercompany balances and transactions between consolidated entities are eliminated.

Use of Estimates

Earnings per Share

Basic earnings per share is calculated using our weighted-average outstanding common shares. Diluted earnings per share is calculated using our weighted-average outstanding common shares including the dilutive effect of stock awards as determined under the treasury stock method. In periods when we recognize a net loss, we exclude the impact of outstanding stock awards from the diluted loss per share calculation as their inclusion would have an antidilutive effect.

The following table shows the calculation of diluted shares (in millions):


	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2013		2012
Shares used in computation of basic earnings per share		455		453
Total dilutive effect of outstanding stock awards		8		7

Shares used in computation of diluted earnings per share		463		460

Equity-method investments

Equity investments, including our 29% investment in LivingSocial, are accounted for using the equity method of accounting if the investment gives us the ability to exercise significant influence, but not control, over an investee. The total of our investments in equity-method investees, including identifiable intangible assets, deferred tax liabilities, and goodwill, is included within “Other assets” on our consolidated balance sheets. Our share of the earnings or losses as reported by equity-method investees, amortization of the related intangible assets, and related gains or losses, if any, are classified as “Equity-method investment activity, net of tax” on our consolidated statements of operations. Our share of the net income or loss of our equity-method investees includes operating and non-operating gains and charges, which can have a significant impact on our reported equity-method investment activity and the carrying value of those investments. In the event that net losses of the investee reduce our equity-method investment carrying amount to zero, additional net losses may be recorded if other investments in the investee, not accounted for under the equity method, are at-risk even if we have not committed to provide financial support to the investee. We regularly evaluate these investments, which are not carried at fair value, for other-than-temporary impairment. We also consider whether our equity-method investments generate sufficient cash flows from their operating or financing activities to meet their obligations and repay their liabilities when they come due.

We record purchases, including incremental purchases, of shares in equity-method investees at cost. Reductions in our ownership percentage of an investee, including through dilution, are generally valued at fair value, with the difference between fair value and our recorded cost reflected as a gain or loss in our equity-method investment activity. In the event we no longer have the ability to exercise significant influence over an equity-method investee, we would discontinue accounting for the investment under the equity method.

Note 2 — Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities

As of March 31, 2013, and December 31, 2012, our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities primarily consisted of cash, U.S. and foreign government and agency securities, AAA-rated money market funds, and other investment grade securities. Cash equivalents and marketable securities are recorded at fair value. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. To increase the comparability of fair value measures, the following hierarchy prioritizes the inputs to valuation methodologies used to measure fair value:

Level 1—Valuations based on quoted prices for identical assets and liabilities in active markets.

Level 2—Valuations based on observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.

Level 3—Valuations based on unobservable inputs reflecting our own assumptions, consistent with reasonably available assumptions made by other market participants. These valuations require significant judgment.

We measure the fair value of money market funds and equity securities based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. All other financial instruments were valued either based on recent trades of securities in inactive markets or based on quoted market prices of similar instruments and other significant inputs derived from or corroborated by observable market data. We did not hold any cash, cash equivalents, or marketable securities categorized as Level 3 as of March 31, 2013 or December 31, 2012.

The following table summarizes, by major security type, our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis and are categorized using the fair value hierarchy (in millions):


											December 31,
	March 31, 2013										2012
	Cost or		Gross		Gross			Total			Total
	Amortized		Unrealized		Unrealized			Estimated			Estimated
	Cost		Gains		Losses			Fair Value			Fair Value
Cash	$	2,228	$	—	$	—		$	2,228		$	2,595
Level 1 securities:
Money market funds		2,424		—		—			2,424			5,561
Equity securities		3		—		—			3			2
Level 2 securities:
Foreign government and agency securities		679		6		—			685			772
U.S. government and agency securities		1,983		3		(2	)		1,984			1,810
Corporate debt securities		654		5		—			659			725
Asset-backed securities		55		—		—			55			49
Other fixed income securities		33		—		—			33			33

	$	8,059	$	14	$	(2	)		8,071			11,547

Less: Restricted cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities (1)									(176	)		(99	)

Total cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities								$	7,895		$	11,448

(1)

We are required to pledge or otherwise restrict a portion of our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as collateral for standby and trade letters of credit, guarantees, debt and real estate lease agreements. We classify cash and marketable securities with use restrictions of less than twelve months as “Accounts receivable, net and other” and of twelve months or longer as non-current “Other assets” on our consolidated balance sheets. See “Note 3 — Commitments and Contingencies.”

The following table summarizes the contractual maturities of our cash equivalent and marketable fixed-income securities as of March 31, 2013 (in millions):


	Amortized		Estimated
	Cost		Fair Value
Due within one year	$	3,565	$	3,568
Due after one year through five years		1,986		1,994
Due after five years		277		278

	$	5,828	$	5,840

Actual maturities may differ from the contractual maturities because borrowers may have certain prepayment conditions.

Note 3 — Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments

We have entered into non-cancellable operating, capital, and financing leases for equipment and office, fulfillment center, and data center facilities. Rental expense under operating lease agreements was $167 million and $114 million for Q1 2013 and Q1 2012.

The following summarizes our principal contractual commitments, excluding open orders for purchases that support normal operations, as of March 31, 2013 (in millions):


	Nine Months Ended December 31, 2013		Year Ended December 31,
	Nine Months Ended December 31, 2013		2014		2015		2016		2017		Thereafter		Total
Operating and capital commitments:
Debt principal and interest	$	541	$	253	$	866	$	43	$	1,043	$	1,406	$	4,152
Capital leases, including interest		483		498		359		71		22		91		1,524
Financing lease obligations, including interest		1		1		1		1		1		9		14
Operating leases		447		577		517		465		405		2,112		4,523
Unconditional purchase obligations (1)		237		299		135		10		1		—		682
Other commitments (2) (3)		357		248		142		102		92		943		1,884

Total commitments	$	2,066	$	1,876	$	2,020	$	692	$	1,564	$	4,561	$	12,779

(1)	Includes unconditional purchase obligations related to agreements to acquire and license digital video content that represent long-term liabilities or that are not reflected on the consolidated balance sheets.

(2)	Includes the estimated timing and amounts of payments for rent and tenant improvements associated with build-to-suit lease arrangements that have not been placed in service.

(3)	Excludes $314 million of tax contingencies for which we cannot make a reasonably reliable estimate of the amount and period of payment, if any.

Pledged Securities

As of March 31, 2013, and December 31, 2012, we have pledged or otherwise restricted $176 million and $99 million of our cash and marketable securities as collateral for standby and trade letters of credit, guarantees, debt related to our international operations, as well as real estate leases.

Legal Proceedings

The Company is involved from time to time in claims, proceedings, and litigation, including the matters described in Item 8 of Part II, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data — Note 8 — Commitments and Contingencies — Legal Proceedings” of our 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K, as supplemented by the following:

In November 2007, an Austrian copyright collection society, Austro-Mechana, filed lawsuits against several Amazon.com EU subsidiaries in the Commercial Court of Vienna, Austria and in the District Court of Munich, Germany seeking to collect a tariff on blank digital media sold by our EU-based retail websites to customers located in Austria. In July 2008, the German court stayed the German case pending a final decision in the Austrian case. In July 2010, the Austrian court ruled in favor of Austro-Mechana and ordered us to report all sales of products to which the tariff potentially applies for a determination of damages. We contested Austro-Mechana’s claim and in September 2010 commenced an appeal in the Commercial Court of Vienna. We lost this appeal and in March

2011 commenced an appeal in the Supreme Court of Austria. In October 2011, the Austrian Supreme Court referred the case to the European Court of Justice. In December 2012, a German copyright collection society, Zentralstelle für private Überspielungsrechte (ZPU), filed a complaint against several Amazon.com EU subsidiaries in the District Court of Luxembourg seeking to collect a tariff on blank digital media sold by the Amazon.de retail website to customers located in Germany. In January 2013, a Belgian copyright collection society, AUVIBEL, filed a complaint against an Amazon.com EU subsidiary in the Court of First Instance of Brussels, Belgium, seeking to collect a tariff on blank digital media sold by the Amazon.fr retail website to customers located in Belgium. We dispute the allegations of wrongdoing and intend to defend ourselves vigorously in these matters.

In November 2010, Kelora Systems, LLC filed a complaint against us for patent infringement in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin. The complaint alleged that our website infringes a patent owned by Kelora Systems purporting to cover a “Method and system for executing a guided parametric search” (U.S. Patent No. 6,275,821) and sought monetary damages, costs, attorneys’ fees, and injunctive relief. In March 2011, the case was transferred to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. In August 2011, Kelora filed an amended complaint adding Amazon subsidiaries Audible and Zappos as defendants. In May 2012, the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice on summary judgment. In June 2012, Kelora appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which affirmed the dismissal in March 2013.

In January 2011, Rovi Corporation, Rovi Guides, Inc., United Video Properties, Inc., TV Guide Online, LLC, and TV Guide Online, Inc. filed a complaint against Amazon.com, Inc. and IMDb.com, Inc. in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. The plaintiffs alleged, among other things, that the use of links on instant video web pages to DVD and Blu-ray discs; instant video preview, TV season, and season pass options; IMDb TV listings (localized listings); and links on IMDb title pages to DVD and Blue-ray pages on Amazon’s website infringed one or more of U.S. Patent No. 5,988,078, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Receiving Customized Television Programming Information by Transmitting Geographic Location to a Service Provider Through a Wide-Area Network”; U.S. Patent No. 6,275,268, entitled “Electronic Television Program Guide with Remote Product Ordering”; U.S. Patent No. 6,769,128, entitled “Electronic Television Program Guide Schedule System and Method with Data Feed Access”; U.S. Patent No. 7,493,643, entitled “Program Guide System with Video-On-Demand Browsing”; and U.S. Patent No. 7,603,690, entitled “Interactive Television Program Guide System with Pay Program Package Promotion.” The complaint sought an unspecified amount of damages, enhanced damages, interest, attorneys’ fees, and an injunction. In August 2012, the court granted a stipulated judgment of non-infringement for U.S. Patent No. 6,769,128. In November 2012, Rovi’s damages expert opined that, if we were found to infringe the patents-in-suit and the patents were found to be valid (both of which we disputed), Amazon and its affiliates should have paid damages of approximately $40 million, subject to enhancement. In December 2012, the court dismissed with prejudice plaintiffs’ claims for infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 5,988,078 and 7,493,643. In March 2013, the court granted a stipulated judgment of non-infringement for U.S. Patent Nos. 7,603,690 and 6,275,268, resolving all remaining claims in Amazon’s favor. The plaintiffs are expected to appeal.

In April 2011, Walker Digital LLC filed several complaints against us for patent infringement in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. The complaints allege that we infringe several of the plaintiff’s U.S. patents by, among other things, providing “cross benefits” to customers through our promotions, (U.S. Patent Nos. 7,831,470 and 7,827,056), using a customer’s identified original product to offer a substitute product (U.S. Patent No. 7,236,942), using our product recommendations and personalization features to offer complementary products together (U.S. Patent Nos. 6,601,036 and 6,138,105), enabling customers to subscribe to a delivery schedule for products they routinely use at reduced prices (U.S. Patent No. 5,970,470), and offering personalized advertising based on customers’ preferences identified using a data pattern (U.S. Patent No. 7,933,893). Another complaint, filed in the same court in October 2011, alleges that we infringe plaintiff’s U.S. Patent No. 8,041,711 by offering personalized advertising based on customer preferences that associate data with resource locators. Another complaint, filed in the same court in February 2012, alleges that we infringe plaintiff’s U.S. Patent No. 8,112,359 by using product information received from customers to identify and offer substitute products using a manufacturer database. In January 2013, the plaintiff filed another complaint in the same court alleging that we infringe U.S. Patent No. 6,381,582 by allowing customers to make local payments for products ordered online. All of the complaints seek monetary damages, interest, injunctive relief, costs, and attorneys’ fees. In March 2013, the complaints asserting U.S. Patent Nos. 7,236,942 and 7,933,893 were voluntarily dismissed with prejudice. We dispute the remaining allegations of wrongdoing and intend to vigorously defend ourselves in these matters.

In May 2012, Clouding IP, LLC f/k/a/ STEC IP, LLC filed a complaint against Amazon.com, Inc. and Amazon Web Services LLC in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. The complaint alleges, among other things, that our “Elastic Compute Cloud,” “WhisperSync,” “Virtual Private Cloud,” “Cloud Drive,” and “Kindle Store” services infringe one or more of 11 patents: U.S. Patent Nos. 7,596,784, entitled “Method System and Apparatus for Providing Pay-Per-Use Distributed Computing Resources”; 7,065,637, entitled “System for Configuration of Dynamic Computing Environments Using a Visual Interface”; 6,738,799, entitled “Methods and Apparatuses for File Synchronization and Updating Using a Signature List”; 5,944,839, entitled “System and Method for Automatically Maintaining A Computer System”; 5,825,891, entitled “Key Management for Network Communication”; 5,495,607, entitled “Network Management System Having Virtual Catalog Overview of Files Distributively Stored Across Network Domain”; 6,925,481 and 7,254,621, entitled “Technique for Enabling Remote Data Access And Manipulation From A Pervasive Device”; 6,631,449 and 6,918,014, entitled “Dynamic Distributed Data System and Method”; and 6,963,908, entitled

“System for Transferring Customized Hardware and Software Settings from One Computer to Another Computer to Provide Personalized Operating Environments.” In August 2012, Clouding amended its complaint to also assert U.S. Patent No. 7,032,089, entitled “Replica Synchronization Using Copy-On-Read Technique,” against WhisperSync. In February 2013, Clouding served its notice of accused products in which it also identified “AWS Market Place,” “AWS Storage Gateway,” “Cloud Player,” “DynamoDB,” “Elastic Block Store (EBS),” “Elastic Load Balancing,” “Elastic Map Reduce,” “Relational Database Service,” “Simple Storage Service,” “Simple DB,” “Cloud Watch,” “Kindle,” and “Elastic Compute Cloud AutoScaling” as allegedly infringing. The complaint seeks an unspecified amount of damages together with interest. We dispute the allegations of wrongdoing and intend to vigorously defend ourselves in this matter.

We cannot predict the impact (if any) that any of the matters described above or in our 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K may have on our business, results of operations, financial position, or cash flows. Because of the inherent uncertainties of such matters, including the early stage and lack of specific damage claims in many of them, we cannot estimate the range of possible losses from them (except as otherwise indicated).

See also “Note 7 — Income Taxes.”

Note 4 — Equity-Method Investments

LivingSocial’s summarized condensed financial information, as provided to us by LivingSocial, is as follows (in millions):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2013			2012
Statement of Operations:
Revenue	$	135		$	110
Operating expense		179			201

Operating loss		(44	)		(91	)
Net income (loss) (1)	$	(50	)	$	156

(1)	The difference between the operating loss and net income for the three months ended March 31, 2012 is primarily due to non-operating, non-cash gains on previously held equity positions in companies that LivingSocial acquired during Q1 2012.

As of March 31, 2013, the book value of our equity-method investment in LivingSocial investment was $36 million. Additionally, in Q1 2013 we made a $56 million investment in LivingSocial that we have recorded as a cost method investment.

Note 5 — Long-Term Debt

In November 2012, we issued $3.0 billion of unsecured senior notes in three tranches as described in the table below (collectively, the “Notes”). As of March 31, 2013, and December 31, 2012, the unamortized discount on the Notes was $26 million and $27 million. We also have other long-term debt with a carrying amount, including the current portion, of $718 million and $691 million at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012. The face value of our total long-term debt obligations is as follows (in millions):


	March 31,			December 31,
	2013			2012
0.65% Notes due on November 27, 2015	$	750		$	750
1.20% Notes due on November 29, 2017		1,000			1,000
2.50% Notes due on November 29, 2022		1,250			1,250
Other long-term debt		718			691

Total debt		3,718			3,691
Less current portion of long-term debt		(652	)		(579	)

Face value of long-term debt	$	3,066		$	3,112

The effective interest rates of the 2015, 2017, and 2022 Notes were 0.84%, 1.38%, and 2.66%. Interest on the Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears in May and November. We may redeem the Notes at any time in whole, or from time to time, in part at specified redemption prices. We are not subject to any financial covenants under the Notes. We used the net proceeds from the issuance of the Notes for general corporate purposes. The estimated fair value of the Notes was approximately $3.0 billion and $3.0 billion at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, which is based on quoted prices for our publicly-traded debt as of that date.

The other debt, including the current portion, had a weighted average interest rate of 6.5% and 6.4% at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012. We used the net proceeds from the issuance of the debt to fund certain international operations. The estimated fair value of the other long-term debt, which is based on Level 2 inputs, approximated its carrying value at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012.

Note 6 — Stockholders’ Equity

Stock Repurchase Activity

In January 2010, our Board of Directors authorized the Company to repurchase up to $2.0 billion of our common stock with no fixed expiration. We have $763 million remaining under the $2.0 billion repurchase program.

Stock Award Activity

Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying outstanding stock awards totaled 471 million at March 31, 2013, and 470 million at December 31, 2012. These totals include all vested and unvested stock-based awards outstanding, including those awards we estimate will be forfeited. The following table summarizes our restricted stock unit activity for the three months ended March 31, 2013 (in millions):


	Number of Units			Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Outstanding at December 31, 2012		15.4		$	184
Units granted		0.9			263
Units vested		(0.7	)		115
Units forfeited		(0.5	)		193

Outstanding at March 31, 2013		15.1		$	192

Scheduled vesting for outstanding restricted stock units at March 31, 2013, is as follows (in millions):


	Nine Months Ended December 31, 2013
			Year Ended December 31,
			2014		2015		2016		2017		Thereafter		Total
Scheduled vesting—restricted stock units		3.9		5.2		3.4		1.9		0.5		0.2		15.1

As of March 31, 2013, there was $1.3 billion of net unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock-based compensation arrangements. This compensation is recognized on an accelerated basis with approximately half of the compensation expected to be expensed in the next twelve months, and has a weighted average recognition period of 1.2 years.

Note 7 — Income Taxes

Our tax provision or benefit from income taxes for interim periods is determined using an estimate of our annual effective tax rate, adjusted for discrete items, if any, that are taken into account in the relevant period. Each quarter we update our estimate of the annual effective tax rate, and if our estimated tax rate changes, we make a cumulative adjustment.

Our quarterly tax provision, and our quarterly estimate of our annual effective tax rate, is subject to significant variation due to several factors, including variability in accurately predicting our pre-tax and taxable income and loss and the mix of jurisdictions to which they relate, changes in how we do business, acquisitions (including integrations) and investments, audit developments, foreign currency gains (losses), changes in law, regulations, and administrative practices, and relative changes of expenses or losses for which tax benefits are not recognized. Additionally, our effective tax rate can be more or less volatile based on the amount of pre-tax income. For example, the impact of discrete items and non-deductible expenses on our effective tax rate is greater when our pre-tax income is lower.

In 2013, our effective tax rate will be significantly affected by the favorable impact of earnings in lower tax rate jurisdictions and the adverse effect of losses incurred in certain foreign jurisdictions for which we may not realize a tax benefit. Income earned in lower tax jurisdictions is primarily related to our European operations, which are headquartered in Luxembourg. Losses incurred in foreign jurisdictions for which we may not realize a tax benefit reduce our pre-tax income without a corresponding reduction in our tax expense, and therefore increase our effective tax rate.

During Q1 2013, we recognized an income tax benefit of $18 million, which includes $46 million of discrete tax benefits primarily resulting from the retroactive reinstatement of the federal research and development credit that was enacted in January 2013.

Cash paid for income taxes (net of refunds) was $86 million and $19 million in Q1 2013 and Q1 2012.

As of March 31, 2013, and December 31, 2012, gross unrecognized tax benefits (tax contingencies) were $314 million and $294 million. We expect the total amount of tax contingencies will grow in 2013. In addition, changes in state, federal, and foreign tax laws may increase our tax contingencies. The timing of the resolution of income tax examinations is highly uncertain, and the amounts ultimately paid, if any, upon resolution of the issues raised by the taxing authorities may differ from the amounts accrued. It is reasonably possible that within the next 12 months we will receive additional assessments by various tax authorities or possibly reach resolution of income tax examinations in one or more jurisdictions. These assessments or settlements may or may not result in changes to our contingencies related to positions on prior years’ tax filings.

We are under examination, or may be subject to examination, by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) for the calendar year 2005 or thereafter. These examinations may lead to ordinary course adjustments or proposed adjustments to our taxes or our net operating losses. As previously disclosed, we have received Notices of Proposed Adjustment from the IRS for the 2005 and 2006 calendar years relating to transfer pricing with our foreign subsidiaries. The IRS is seeking to increase our U.S. taxable income by an amount that would result in additional federal tax over a seven year period beginning in 2005, totaling approximately $1.5 billion, subject to interest. To date, we have not resolved this matter administratively and, in December 2012, we petitioned the U.S. Tax Court to resolve the matter. We continue to disagree with these IRS positions and intend to vigorously contest them.

Certain of our subsidiaries are under examination or investigation or may be subject to examination or investigation by the French Tax Administration (“FTA”) for calendar year 2006 or thereafter. These examinations may lead to ordinary course adjustments or proposed adjustments to our taxes. While we have not yet received a final assessment from the FTA, in September 2012, we received proposed tax assessment notices for calendar years 2006 through 2010 relating to the allocation of income between foreign jurisdictions. The notices propose additional French tax of approximately $250 million, including interest and penalties through the date of the assessment. We disagree with the proposed assessment and intend to vigorously contest it. We plan to pursue all available administrative remedies at the FTA, and if we are not able to resolve this matter with the FTA, we plan to pursue judicial remedies. We are also subject to taxation in various states and other foreign jurisdictions including China, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom. We are or may be subject to examination by these particular tax authorities for the calendar year 2003 and thereafter.

Note 8 — Segment Information

We have organized our operations into two principal segments: North America and International. We present our segment information along the same lines that our Chief Executive Officer reviews our operating results in assessing performance and allocating resources.

We allocate to segment results the operating expenses “Fulfillment,” “Marketing,” “Technology and content,” and “General and administrative,” but exclude from our allocations the portions of these expense lines attributable to stock-based compensation. We do not allocate the line item “Other operating expense (income), net” to our segment operating results. A majority of our costs for “Technology and content” are incurred in the United States and most of these costs are allocated to our North America segment. There are no internal revenue transactions between our reporting segments.

Information on reportable segments and reconciliation to consolidated net income is as follows (in millions):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2013			2012
North America
Net sales	$	9,391		$	7,427
Segment operating expenses (1)		8,934			7,078

Segment operating income	$	457		$	349

International
Net sales	$	6,679		$	5,758
Segment operating expenses (1)		6,695			5,709

Segment operating income (loss)	$	(16	)	$	49

Consolidated
Net sales	$	16,070		$	13,185
Segment operating expenses (1)		15,629			12,787

Segment operating income		441			398
Stock-based compensation		(229	)		(160	)
Other operating income (expense), net		(31	)		(46	)

Income from operations		181			192
Total non-operating income (expense)		(100	)		(108	)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes		18			(43	)
Equity-method investment activity, net of tax		(17	)		89

Net income	$	82		$	130

(1)	Represents operating expenses, excluding stock-based compensation and “Other operating expense (income), net,” which are not allocated to segments.

Net sales of similar products and services were as follows (in millions):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2013		2012
Net Sales:
Media	$	5,058	$	4,710
Electronics and other general merchandise		10,214		7,975
Other (1)		798		500

	$	16,070	$	13,185

(1)	Includes sales from non-retail activities, such as Amazon Web Services (“AWS”) in the North America segment, advertising services, and our co-branded credit card agreements in both segments.

Item 2.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Forward-Looking Statements

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding guidance, industry prospects, or future results of operations or financial position, made in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are forward-looking. We use words such as anticipates, believes, expects, future, intends, and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect management’s current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, among others, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, the rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments, the mix of products sold to customers, the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services, the extent to which we owe income taxes, competition, management of growth, potential fluctuations in operating results, international growth and expansion, the outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment and data center optimization, risks of inventory management, seasonality, the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains, and develops commercial agreements, acquisitions, and strategic transactions, payments risks, and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. In addition, the current global economic climate amplifies many of these risks. These risks and uncertainties, as well as other risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ significantly from management’s expectations, are described in greater detail in Item 1A of Part II, “Risk Factors.”

For additional information, see Item 7 of Part II, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Overview” of our 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Critical Accounting Judgments

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. The SEC has defined a company’s critical accounting policies as the ones that are most important to the portrayal of the company’s financial condition and results of operations, and which require the company to make its most difficult and subjective judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates of matters that are inherently uncertain. Based on this definition, we have identified the critical accounting policies and judgments addressed below. We also have other key accounting policies, which involve the use of estimates, judgments, and assumptions that are significant to understanding our results. For additional information, see Item 8 of Part II, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data — Note 1 — Description of Business and Accounting Policies,” of our 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Item 1 of Part I, “Financial Statements — Note 1 — Accounting Policies,” of this Form 10-Q. Although we believe that our estimates, assumptions, and judgments are reasonable, they are based upon information presently available. Actual results may differ significantly from these estimates under different assumptions, judgments, or conditions.

Inventories

Inventories, consisting of products available for sale, are primarily accounted for using the first-in first-out (“FIFO”) method, and are valued at the lower of cost or market value. This valuation requires us to make judgments, based on currently-available information, about the likely method of disposition, such as through sales to individual customers, returns to product vendors, or liquidations, and expected recoverable values of each disposition category.

These assumptions about future disposition of inventory are inherently uncertain. As a measure of sensitivity, for every 1% of additional inventory valuation allowance at March 31, 2013, we would have recorded an additional cost of sales of approximately $55 million.

Goodwill

We evaluate goodwill for impairment annually or more frequently when an event occurs or circumstances change that indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Our annual testing date is October 1. We test goodwill for impairment by first comparing the book value of net assets to the fair value of the reporting units. If the fair value is determined to be less than the book value or qualitative factors indicate that it is more likely than not that goodwill is impaired, a second step is performed to compute the amount of impairment as the difference between the estimated fair value of goodwill and the carrying value. We estimate the fair value of the reporting units using discounted cash flows. Forecasts of future cash flow are based on our best estimate of future net sales and operating expenses, based primarily on expected category expansion, pricing, market segment share, and general economic conditions. Certain estimates of discounted cash flows involve businesses and geographies with limited financial history and developing revenue models. Changes in these forecasts could significantly change the amount of impairment recorded, if any.

During the quarter, management monitored the actual performance of the business relative to the fair value assumptions used during our annual goodwill impairment test. For the periods presented, no triggering events were identified that required an update to our annual impairment test. As a measure of sensitivity, a 10% decrease in the fair value of any of our reporting units as of December 31, 2012, would have had no impact on the carrying value of our goodwill.

Financial and credit market volatility directly impacts our fair value measurement through our weighted average cost of capital that we use to determine our discount rate and through our stock price that we use to determine our market capitalization. During times of volatility, significant judgment must be applied to determine whether credit or stock price changes are a short-term swing or a longer-term trend. As a measure of sensitivity, a prolonged 20% decrease from our March 31, 2013, closing stock price would not be an indicator of possible impairment.

Stock-Based Compensation

We measure compensation cost for stock awards at fair value and recognize it as compensation expense over the service period for awards expected to vest. The fair value of restricted stock units is determined based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of our common stock. The estimation of stock awards that will ultimately vest requires judgment for the amount that will be forfeited, and to the extent actual results or updated estimates differ from our current estimates, such amounts will be recorded as a cumulative adjustment in the period estimates are revised. We consider many factors when estimating expected forfeitures, including employee class, economic environment, and historical experience. We update our estimated forfeiture rate quarterly. A 1% change to our estimated forfeiture rate would have had an approximately $26 million impact on our Q1 2013 operating income. Our estimated forfeiture rates at March 31, 2013, and December 31, 2012, were 27%.

We utilize the accelerated method, rather than the straight-line method, for recognizing compensation expense. For example, over 50% of the compensation cost related to an award vesting ratably over four years is expensed in the first year. If forfeited early in the life of an award, the compensation expense adjustment is much greater under an accelerated method than under a straight-line method.

Income Taxes

We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in evaluating and estimating our provision and accruals for these taxes. During the ordinary course of business, there are many transactions for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Our effective tax rates could be adversely affected by earnings being lower than anticipated in countries where we have lower statutory rates and higher than anticipated in countries where we have higher statutory rates, by losses incurred in jurisdictions for which we are not able to realize the related tax benefit, by changes in foreign currency exchange rates, by entry into new businesses and geographies and changes to our existing businesses, by acquisitions (including integrations) and investments, by changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, or by changes in the relevant tax, accounting, and other laws, regulations, administrative practices, principles, and interpretations, with a number of countries actively considering changes in this regard. In addition, we are subject to audit in various jurisdictions, and such jurisdictions may assess additional income tax liabilities against us. Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, the final outcome of tax audits and any related litigation could be materially different from our historical income tax provisions and accruals. Developments in an audit or litigation could have a material effect on our operating results or cash flows in the period or periods for which that development occurs, as well as for prior and subsequent periods.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See Item 1 of Part I, “Financial Statements — Note 1 — Accounting Policies — Recent Accounting Pronouncements.”

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Cash flow information is as follows (in millions):


	Three Months Ended March 31,						Twelve Months Ended March 31,
	2013			2012			2013			2012
Operating activities	$	(2,372	)	$	(2,438	)	$	4,245		$	3,051
Investing activities		(950	)		450			(4,995	)		(1,870	)
Financing activities		(157	)		(1,005	)		3,106			(1,510	)

Our financial focus is on long-term, sustainable growth in free cash flow¹. Free cash flow, a non-GAAP financial measure, was $177 million for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2013, compared to $1.2 billion for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2012, a decrease of 85%. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for a reconciliation of free cash flow to cash provided by operating activities. The decrease in free cash flow for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2013, compared to the comparable prior year period, was primarily due to increased capital expenditures, including the $1.4 billion purchase of property in December 2012, partially offset by higher operating cash flows. Operating cash flows and free cash flows can be volatile and are sensitive to many factors, including changes in working capital², the timing and magnitude of capital expenditures, and our net income. Working capital at any specific point in time is subject to many variables, including seasonality, inventory management and category expansion, the timing of cash receipts and payments, vendor payment terms, and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.

Our principal sources of liquidity are cash flows generated from operations and our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities balances, which, at fair value, were $7.9 billion and $11.4 billion at March 31, 2013, and December 31, 2012. Amounts held in foreign currencies were $3.8 billion and $5.1 billion at March 31, 2013, and December 31, 2012, and were primarily Euros, British Pounds, Japanese Yen, and Chinese Yuan.

Cash provided by (used in) operating activities was $(2.4) billion for both Q1 2013 and Q1 2012. Our operating cash flows result primarily from cash received from our consumer, seller, and enterprise customers, advertising agreements, and our co-branded credit card agreements, offset by cash payments we make for products and services, employee compensation (less amounts capitalized related to internal use software that are reflected as cash used in investing activities), payment processing and related transaction costs, operating leases, and interest payments on our long-term obligations. Cash received from our consumer, seller, and enterprise customers, and other activities generally corresponds to our net sales. Because consumers primarily use credit cards to buy from us, our receivables from consumers settle quickly. The increase in operating cash flow for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2013, compared to the comparable prior year period, was primarily due to changes in working capital and the increase in net income, excluding depreciation, amortization, and stock-based compensation.

Cash provided by (used in) investing activities corresponds with capital expenditures, including leasehold improvements, internal-use software and website development costs, cash outlays for acquisitions, investments in other companies and intellectual property rights, and purchases, sales, and maturities of marketable securities. Cash provided by (used in) investing activities was $(950) million and $450 million for Q1 2013 and Q1 2012, with the variability caused primarily by changes in capital expenditures, purchases, maturities, and sales of marketable securities and other investments, and changes in cash paid for acquisitions. Capital expenditures were $670 million and $386 million during Q1 2013 and Q1 2012, with the increases primarily reflecting additional investments in support of continued business growth due to investments in technology infrastructure, including AWS, and additional capacity to support our fulfillment operations. We expect this trend to continue over time. Capital expenditures included $111 million and $75 million for internal-use software and website development during Q1 2013 and Q1 2012. Stock-based compensation capitalized for internal-use software and website development costs does not affect cash flows. We made cash payments, net of acquired cash, related to acquisition and other investment activity of $103 million and $50 million during Q1 2013 and Q1 2012.

⁽¹⁾

Free cash flow, a non-GAAP financial measure, is defined as net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property and equipment, including internal-use software and website development, both of which are presented on our consolidated statements of cash flows. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.

⁽²⁾	Working capital consists of accounts receivable, inventory, and accounts payable.

Cash provided by (used in) financing activities was $(157) million and $(1.0) billion for Q1 2013 and Q1 2012. Cash outflows from financing activities result from common stock repurchases, payments on obligations related to capital leases and leases accounted for as financing arrangements, and repayments of long-term debt. Payments on obligations related to capital leases and leases accounted for as financing arrangements and repayments of long-term debt were $182 million and $153 million in Q1 2013 and Q1 2012. In Q1 2012, we repurchased $960 million of our common stock under the $2 billion repurchase program authorized by our Board of Directors. Cash inflows from financing activities primarily result from proceeds from long-term debt and tax benefits relating to excess stock-based compensation deductions. Proceeds from long-term debt and other were $25 million and $68 million in Q1 2013 and Q1 2012. Tax benefits relating to excess stock-based compensation deductions are presented as financing cash flows. Cash inflows (outflows) from tax benefits related to stock-based compensation deductions were $0 and $40 million for Q1 2013 and Q1 2012.

We recorded a tax benefit of $18 million in Q1 2013 and a tax provision of $43 million in Q1 2012. We have tax benefits relating to excess stock-based compensation deductions that are being utilized to reduce our U.S. taxable income. Except as required under U.S. tax law, we do not provide for U.S. taxes on our undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries that have not been previously taxed since we intend to invest such undistributed earnings indefinitely outside of the U.S. If our intent changes or if these funds are needed for our U.S. operations, we would be required to accrue or pay U.S. taxes on some or all of these undistributed earnings. Cash taxes paid (net of refunds) were $86 million and $19 million for Q1 2013 and Q1 2012. As of December 31, 2012, our federal net operating loss carryforward was approximately $89 million and we had approximately $136 million of federal tax credits, potentially available to offset future tax liabilities. As we utilize our federal tax credits, we expect cash paid for taxes to significantly increase. We endeavor to optimize our global taxes on a cash basis, rather than on a financial reporting basis.

See Item 1 of Part I, “Financial Statements — Note 3 — Commitments and Contingencies” for additional discussion of our principal contractual commitments, as well as our pledged securities. Purchase obligations and open purchase orders, consisting of inventory and significant non-inventory commitments, were $3.6 billion at March 31, 2013. Purchase obligations and open purchase orders are generally cancelable in full or in part through the contractual provisions.

Because of our model we are able to turn our inventory quickly and have a cash-generating operating cycle³. On average, our high inventory velocity means we generally collect from consumers before our payments to suppliers come due. Inventory turnover⁴ was 10 for Q1 2013 and Q1 2012. We expect variability in inventory turnover over time since it is affected by several factors, including our product mix, the mix of sales by us and by other sellers, our continuing focus on in-stock inventory availability and selection of product offerings, our investment in new geographies and product lines, and the extent to which we choose to utilize outsource fulfillment providers.

We believe that cash flows generated from operations and our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities balances will be sufficient to meet our anticipated operating cash needs for at least the next 12 months. However, any projections of future cash needs and cash flows are subject to substantial uncertainty. See Item 1A of Part II, “Risk Factors.” We continually evaluate opportunities to sell additional equity or debt securities, obtain credit facilities, repurchase common stock, pay dividends, or repurchase, refinance, or otherwise restructure our debt for strategic reasons or to further strengthen our financial position. The sale of additional equity or convertible debt securities would likely be dilutive to our shareholders. In addition, we will, from time to time, consider the acquisition of, or investment in, complementary businesses, products, services, and technologies, which might affect our liquidity requirements or cause us to issue additional equity or debt securities. There can be no assurance that additional lines-of-credit or financing instruments will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all.

⁽³⁾	The operating cycle is number of days of sales in inventory plus number of days of sales in accounts receivable minus accounts payable days.

⁽⁴⁾	Inventory turnover is the quotient of trailing twelve month cost of sales to average inventory over five quarter ends.

Results of Operations

Net Sales

Net sales include product and services sales. Product sales represent revenue from the sale of products and related shipping fees and digital content where we are the seller of record. Services sales represent third-party seller fees earned (including commissions) and related shipping fees, digital content subscriptions, and non-retail activities such as AWS. Net sales information is as follows (in millions):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2013			2012
Net Sales:
North America	$	9,391		$	7,427
International		6,679			5,758

Consolidated	$	16,070		$	13,185

Year-over-year Percentage Growth:
North America		26	%		36	%
International		16			31
Consolidated		22			34
Year-over-year Percentage Growth, excluding effect of exchange rates:
North America		26	%		36	%
International		21			32
Consolidated		24			34
Net Sales Mix:
North America		58	%		56	%
International		42			44

Consolidated		100	%		100	%

Sales increased 22% in Q1 2013, compared to the comparable prior year period. Changes in currency exchange rates impacted net sales by $(302) million for Q1 2013 and $(56) million for Q1 2012. For a discussion of the effect on sales growth of exchange rates, see “Effect of Exchange Rates” below.

North America sales grew 26% in Q1 2013 compared to the comparable prior year period. The sales growth primarily reflects increased unit sales, including sales by marketplace sellers. Increased unit sales were driven largely by our continued efforts to reduce prices for our customers, including from our shipping offers, by sales in faster growing categories such as electronics and other general merchandise, by increased in-stock inventory availability, and by increased selection of product offerings.

International sales grew 16% in Q1 2013 compared to the comparable prior year period. The sales growth primarily reflects increased unit sales, including sales by marketplace sellers. Increased unit sales were driven largely by our continued efforts to reduce prices for our customers, including from our shipping offers, by sales in faster growing categories such as electronics and other general merchandise, by increased in-stock inventory availability, and by increased selection of product offerings. Additionally, changes in currency exchange rates impacted International net sales by $(301) million for Q1 2013 and by $(55) million for Q1 2012. We expect that, over time, our International segment will represent 50% or more of our consolidated net sales.

Supplemental Information

Supplemental information about shipping results is as follows (in millions):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2013			2012
Shipping Activity:
Shipping revenue (1)(2)(3)	$	633		$	461
Outbound shipping costs		(1,396	)		(1,129	)

Net shipping cost	$	(763	)	$	(668	)

Year-over-year Percentage Growth:
Shipping revenue		37	%		40	%
Outbound shipping costs		24			44
Net shipping cost		14			47
Percent of Net Sales:
Shipping revenue		4.0	%		3.5	%
Outbound shipping costs		(8.7	)		(8.6	)

Net shipping cost		(4.7	)%		(5.1	)%

(1)	Excludes amounts earned on shipping activities by third-party sellers where we do not provide the fulfillment service.

(2)	Includes a portion of amounts earned from Amazon Prime memberships.

(3)	Includes amounts earned from Fulfillment by Amazon programs related to shipping services.

We expect our net cost of shipping to continue to increase to the extent our customers accept and use our shipping offers at an increasing rate, our product mix shifts to the electronics and other general merchandise category, we reduce shipping rates, we use more expensive shipping methods, and we offer additional services. We seek to mitigate costs of shipping over time in part through achieving higher sales volumes, optimizing placement of fulfillment centers, negotiating better terms with our suppliers, and achieving better operating efficiencies. We believe that offering low prices to our customers is fundamental to our future success, and one way we offer lower prices is through shipping offers.

Net sales by similar products and services were as follows (in millions):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2013			2012
Net Sales:
North America
Media	$	2,513		$	2,197
Electronics and other general merchandise		6,128			4,772
Other (1)		750			458

Total North America	$	9,391		$	7,427

International
Media	$	2,545		$	2,513
Electronics and other general merchandise		4,086			3,203
Other (1)		48			42

Total International	$	6,679		$	5,758

Consolidated
Media	$	5,058		$	4,710
Electronics and other general merchandise		10,214			7,975
Other (1)		798			500

Total consolidated	$	16,070		$	13,185

Year-over-year Percentage Growth:
North America
Media		14	%		17	%
Electronics and other general merchandise		28			44
Other		64			66
Total North America		26			36
International
Media		1	%		21	%
Electronics and other general merchandise		28			40
Other		14			24
Total International		16			31
Consolidated
Media		7	%		19	%
Electronics and other general merchandise		28			43
Other		59			61
Total consolidated		22			34
Year-over-year Percentage Growth:
Excluding the effect of exchange rates
International
Media		7	%		22	%
Electronics and other general merchandise		32			42
Other		18			26
Total International		21			32
Consolidated
Media		10	%		19	%
Electronics and other general merchandise		30			43
Other		60			61
Total consolidated		24			34
Consolidated Net Sales Mix:
Media		31	%		36	%
Electronics and other general merchandise		64			60
Other		5			4

Total consolidated		100	%		100	%

(1)	Includes sales from non-retail activities, such as AWS in the North America segment, advertising services, and our co-branded credit card agreements in both segments.

Operating Expenses

Information about operating expenses with and without stock-based compensation is as follows (in millions):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2013									2012
	As Reported			Stock-Based Compensation			Net			As Reported			Stock-Based Compensation			Net
Operating Expenses:
Cost of sales	$	11,801		$	—		$	11,801		$	10,027		$	—		$	10,027
Fulfillment		1,796			(61	)		1,735			1,295			(37	)		1,258
Marketing		632			(16	)		616			480			(12	)		468
Technology and content		1,383			(120	)		1,263			945			(85	)		860
General and administrative		246			(32	)		214			200			(26	)		174
Other operating expense (income), net		31			—			31			46			—			46

Total operating expenses	$	15,889		$	(229	)	$	15,660		$	12,993		$	(160	)	$	12,833

Year-over-year Percentage Growth:
Fulfillment		39	%					38	%		51	%					52	%
Marketing		32						32			47						47
Technology and content		46						47			63						66
General and administrative		23						23			49						50
Percent of Net Sales:
Fulfillment		11.2	%					10.8	%		9.8	%					9.5	%
Marketing		3.9						3.8			3.6						3.6
Technology and content		8.6						7.9			7.2						6.5
General and administrative		1.5						1.3			1.5						1.3

Operating expenses without stock-based compensation are non-GAAP financial measures. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales consists of the purchase price of consumer products and digital content where we are the seller of record, including Prime Instant Video, inbound and outbound shipping charges, and packaging supplies. Shipping charges to receive products from our suppliers are included in our inventory, and recognized as cost of sales upon sale of products to our customers.

The increase in cost of sales in absolute dollars in Q1 2013, compared to the comparable prior year period, is primarily due to increased product, digital content, and shipping costs resulting from increased sales, as well as from expansion of digital offerings.

Consolidated gross profit and gross margin for each of the periods presented were as follows:


	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2013			2012
Gross profit (in millions)	$	4,269		$	3,158
Gross margin		26.6	%		24.0	%

Gross margin increased in Q1 2013 compared to the comparable prior year period, primarily due to services sales increasing as a percentage of total sales. We believe that income from operations is a more meaningful measure than gross profit and gross margin due to the diversity of our product categories and services.

Fulfillment

Fulfillment costs as a percentage of net sales may vary due to several factors, such as payment processing and related transaction costs, our level of productivity and accuracy, changes in volume, size, and weight of units received and fulfilled, timing of fulfillment capacity expansion, the extent we utilize fulfillment services provided by third parties, mix of products and services sold, and our ability to affect customer service contacts per unit by implementing improvements in our operations and enhancements to our customer self-service features. Additionally, because payment processing and fulfillment costs associated with seller transactions are based on the gross purchase price of underlying transactions, and payment processing and related transaction and fulfillment costs are higher as a percentage of sales versus our retail sales, sales by our sellers have higher fulfillment costs as a percent of net sales.

The increase in fulfillment costs in absolute dollars in Q1 2013, compared to the comparable prior year period, is primarily due to variable costs corresponding with increased physical and digital product and services sales volume, inventory levels, and sales mix; costs from expanding fulfillment capacity; and payment processing and related transaction costs.

We seek to expand our fulfillment capacity to accommodate greater selection and in-stock inventory levels and meet anticipated shipment volumes from sales of our own products as well as sales by third parties for which we provide the fulfillment services. We evaluate our facility requirements as necessary.

Marketing

We direct customers to our websites primarily through a number of targeted online marketing channels, such as our Associates program, sponsored search, portal advertising, email marketing campaigns, and other initiatives. Our marketing expenses are largely variable, based on growth in sales and changes in rates. To the extent there is increased or decreased competition for these traffic sources, or to the extent our mix of these channels shifts, we would expect to see a corresponding change in our marketing expense.

The increase in marketing costs in absolute dollars in Q1 2013, compared to the comparable prior year period, is primarily due to increased spending on online marketing channels, such as our sponsored search programs and our Associates program, payroll and related expenses, and television advertising.

While costs associated with Amazon Prime memberships and other shipping offers are not included in marketing expense, we view these offers as effective worldwide marketing tools, and intend to continue offering them indefinitely.

Technology and Content

We seek to efficiently invest in several areas of technology and content such as technology infrastructure, including AWS, digital initiatives, and expansion of new and existing physical and digital product categories and offerings, so we may continue to enhance the customer experience and improve our process efficiency. We expect spending in technology and content to increase over time as we continue to add employees and technology infrastructure.

The increase in technology and content costs in absolute dollars in Q1 2013, compared to the comparable prior year period, is primarily due to increases in payroll and related expenses, including those associated with our digital initiatives, and increased spending on technology infrastructure, including AWS. We expect these trends to continue over time as we invest in these areas by increasing payroll and related expenses and adding technology infrastructure. See Item 7 of Part II, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Overview” of our 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of how management views advances in technology and the importance of innovation.

During Q1 2013 and Q1 2012, we capitalized $130 million (including $19 million of stock-based compensation) and $88 million (including $13 million of stock-based compensation) of costs associated with internal-use software and website development. Amortization of previously capitalized amounts was $101 million and $71 million for Q1 2013 and Q1 2012. A majority of our technology costs are incurred in the U.S., most of which are allocated to our North America segment. Infrastructure, other technology, and operating costs incurred to support AWS are included in technology and content.

General and Administrative

The increase in general and administrative costs in absolute dollars in Q1 2013, compared to the comparable prior year period, is primarily due to increases in payroll and related expenses.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-based compensation was $229 million and $160 million during Q1 2013 and Q1 2012. The increase is primarily due to an increase in total stock-based compensation value granted to our employees and to a decrease in our estimated forfeiture rate.

Other Operating Expense (Income), Net

Other operating expense (income), net was $31 million and $46 million for Q1 2013 and Q1 2012, and was primarily related to the amortization of intangible assets.

Income from Operations

For the reasons discussed above, income from operations decreased 6% to $181 million in Q1 2013, from $192 million in Q1 2012.

Interest Income and Expense

Our interest income was $10 million and $12 million during Q1 2013 and Q1 2012. We generally invest our excess cash in investment grade short- to intermediate-term fixed income securities and AAA-rated money market funds. Our interest income corresponds with the average balance of invested funds and the prevailing rates we are earning on them, which vary depending on the geographies and currencies in which they are invested.

The primary components of our interest expense are related to our long-term debt and capital and financing lease arrangements. Interest expense was $33 million and $21 million during Q1 2013 and Q1 2012.

Other Income (Expense), Net

Other income (expense), net was $(77) million and $(99) million during Q1 2013 and Q1 2012. The primary component of other income (expense), net, is related to foreign-currency gains (losses) on intercompany balances.

Income Taxes

Equity-Method Investment Activity, Net of Tax

Equity-method investment activity, net of tax, was $(17) million and $89 million during Q1 2013 and Q1 2012. Details of the activity are provided below (in millions):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2013			2012
Equity in earnings (loss) of LivingSocial:
Gain on existing equity interests, LivingSocial acquisitions	$	—		$	75
Operating and other losses		(17	)		(22	)

Total equity in earnings (loss) of LivingSocial		(17	)		53

Amazon dilution gains on LivingSocial investment		—			36

Equity-method investment activity, net of tax	$	(17	)	$	89

Effect of Exchange Rates

The effect on our consolidated statements of operations from changes in exchange rates versus the U.S. Dollar is as follows (in millions):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2013							2012
	At Prior Year Rates (1)		Exchange Rate Effect (2)			As Reported		At Prior Year Rates (1)		Exchange Rate Effect (2)			As Reported
Net sales	$	16,372	$	(302	)	$	16,070	$	13,241	$	(56	)	$	13,185
Operating expenses		16,179		(290	)		15,889		13,045		(52	)		12,993
Income from operations		193		(12	)		181		196		(4	)		192

(1)	Represents the outcome that would have resulted had exchange rates in the reported period been the same as those in effect in the comparable prior year period for operating results.

(2)	Represents the increase or decrease in reported amounts resulting from changes in exchange rates from those in effect in the comparable prior year period for operating results.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Regulation G, Conditions for Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures, and other SEC regulations define and prescribe the conditions for use of certain non-GAAP financial information. Our measures of “Free cash flow,” operating expenses with and without stock-based compensation, and the effect of exchange rates on our consolidated statements of operations, meet the definition of non-GAAP financial measures.

Free cash flow is used in addition to and in conjunction with results presented in accordance with GAAP and free cash flow should not be relied upon to the exclusion of GAAP financial measures.

Free cash flow, which we reconcile to “Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities,” is cash flow from operations reduced by “Purchases of property and equipment, including internal-use software and website development.” We use free cash flow, and ratios based on it, to conduct and evaluate our business because, although it is similar to cash flow from operations, we believe it typically will present a more conservative measure of cash flows since purchases of property and equipment, including internal-use software and website development, are a necessary component of ongoing operations.

Free cash flow has limitations due to the fact that it does not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures. For example, free cash flow does not incorporate the portion of payments representing principal reductions of debt, obligations related to capital leases and leases accounted for as financing arrangements, or cash payments for business acquisitions. Therefore, we believe it is important to view free cash flow as a complement to our entire consolidated statements of cash flows.

The following is a reconciliation of free cash flow to the most comparable GAAP measure, “Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities” for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 (in millions):


	Twelve Months Ended March 31,
	2013			2012
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$	4,245		$	3,051
Purchases of property and equipment, including internal-use software and website development		(4,068	)		(1,899	)

Free cash flow	$	177		$	1,152

Net cash used in investing activities	$	(4,995	)	$	(1,870	)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	$	3,106		$	(1,510	)

Operating expenses with and without stock-based compensation is provided to show the impact of stock-based compensation, which is non-cash and excluded from our internal operating plans and measurement of financial performance (although we consider the dilutive impact to our shareholders when awarding stock-based compensation and value such awards accordingly). In addition, unlike other centrally-incurred operating costs, stock-based compensation is not allocated to segment results and therefore excluding it from operating expense is consistent with our segment presentation in our footnotes to the consolidated financial statements.

Operating expenses without stock-based compensation has limitations since it does not include all expenses primarily related to our workforce. More specifically, if we did not pay out a portion of our compensation in the form of stock-based compensation, our cash salary expense included in the “Fulfillment,” “Technology and content,” “Marketing,” and “General and administrative” line items would be higher.

Information regarding the effect of exchange rates, versus the U.S. Dollar, on our consolidated statements of operations is provided to show reported period operating results had the exchange rates remained the same as those in effect in the comparable prior year period.

Guidance

We provided guidance on April 25, 2013, in our earnings release furnished on Form 8-K as set forth below. These forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com’s expectations as of April 25, 2013, and are subject to substantial uncertainty. Our results are inherently unpredictable and may be materially affected by many factors, such as fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, the rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce, as well as those outlined in Item 1A of Part II, “Risk Factors.”

Second Quarter 2013 Guidance

•

Net sales are expected to be between $14.5 billion and $16.2 billion, or to grow between 13% and 26% compared with second quarter 2012.

•

Operating income (loss) is expected to be between $(340) million and $10 million, compared to $107 million in the comparable prior year period.

•

This guidance includes approximately $340 million for stock-based compensation and amortization of intangible assets, and it assumes, among other things, that no additional business acquisitions, investments, or legal settlements are concluded and that there are no further revisions to stock-based compensation estimates.

Item 3.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

We are exposed to market risk for the effect of interest rate changes, foreign currency fluctuations, and changes in the market values of our investments. Information relating to quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk is set forth below and in Item 2 of Part I, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources.”

Interest Rate Risk

Our exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates relates primarily to our investment portfolio and our long-term debt. The fair value of our debt will generally fluctuate with movements of interest rates, increasing in periods of declining rates of interest and declining in periods of increasing rates of interest. All of our cash equivalent and marketable fixed income securities are designated as available-for-sale and, accordingly, are presented at fair value on our consolidated balance sheets. We generally invest our excess cash in investment grade short- to intermediate-term fixed income securities and AAA-rated money market funds. Fixed rate securities may have their fair market value adversely affected due to a rise in interest rates, and we may suffer losses in principal if forced to sell securities that have declined in market value due to changes in interest rates.

Foreign Exchange Risk

During Q1 2013, net sales from our International segment accounted for 42% of our consolidated revenues. Net sales and related expenses generated from our international websites, as well as those relating to www.amazon.ca (which is included in our North America segment), are denominated in the functional currencies of the corresponding websites and primarily include Euros, British Pounds, Japanese Yen, and Chinese Yuan. The functional currency of our subsidiaries that either operate or support these

websites is the same as the corresponding local currency. The results of operations of, and certain of our intercompany balances associated with, our internationally-focused websites are exposed to foreign exchange rate fluctuations. Upon consolidation, as exchange rates vary, net sales and other operating results may differ materially from expectations, and we may record significant gains or losses on the remeasurement of intercompany balances. For example, as a result of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates throughout the period compared to rates in effect the prior year, International segment revenues in Q1 2013 decreased by $301 million in comparison with Q1 2012.

We have foreign exchange risk related to foreign-denominated cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities (“foreign funds”). Based on the balance of foreign funds at March 31, 2013, of $3.8 billion, an assumed 5%, 10%, and 20% negative currency movement would result in fair value declines of $190 million, $380 million, and $755 million. All investments are classified as “available for sale.” Fluctuations in fair value are recorded in “Accumulated other comprehensive loss,” a separate component of stockholders’ equity.

We have foreign exchange risk related to our intercompany balances denominated in various foreign currencies. Based on the intercompany balances at March 31, 2013, an assumed 5%, 10%, and 20% adverse change to foreign exchange would result in losses of $20 million, $40 million, and $80 million, recorded to “Other income (expense), net.”

See Item 2 of Part I, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Results of Operations — Effect of Exchange Rates” for additional information on the effect on reported results of changes in exchange rates.

Investment Risk

As of March 31, 2013, our recorded basis in equity investments was $176 million. These investments primarily relate to equity and cost method investments in private companies. We review our investments for impairment when events and circumstances indicate that the decline in fair value of such assets below the carrying value is other-than-temporary. Our analysis includes review of recent operating results and trends, recent sales/acquisitions of the investee securities, and other publicly available data. The current global economic climate provides additional uncertainty. Valuations of private companies are inherently more difficult due to the lack of readily available market data. As such, we believe that market sensitivities are not practicable.

Item 4.

Controls and Procedures

We carried out an evaluation required by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”), under the supervision and with the participation of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the 1934 Act, as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and to provide reasonable assurance that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

During the most recent fiscal quarter, there has not occurred any change in our internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives as specified above. Management does not expect, however, that our disclosure controls and procedures will prevent or detect all error and fraud. Any control system, no matter how well designed and operated, is based upon certain assumptions and can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that its objectives will be met. Further, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that misstatements due to error or fraud will not occur or that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the Company have been detected.

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1.

Legal Proceedings

See Item 1 of Part I, “Financial Statements — Note 3 — Commitments and Contingencies — Legal Proceedings.”

Item 1A.

Risk Factors

Please carefully consider the following risk factors. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows could be materially adversely affected. In addition, the current global economic climate amplifies many of these risks.

We Face Intense Competition

Our businesses are rapidly evolving and intensely competitive, and we have many competitors in different industries, including retail, e-commerce services, digital content and digital media devices, and web services. Many of our current and potential competitors have greater resources, longer histories, more customers, and greater brand recognition. They may secure better terms from vendors, adopt more aggressive pricing and devote more resources to technology, infrastructure, fulfillment, and marketing.

Competition may intensify as our competitors enter into business combinations or alliances and established companies in other market segments expand into our market segments. In addition, new and enhanced technologies, including search, web services, and digital, may increase our competition. The Internet facilitates competitive entry and comparison shopping, and increased competition may reduce our sales and profits.

Our Expansion Places a Significant Strain on our Management, Operational, Financial and Other Resources

We are rapidly and significantly expanding our global operations, including increasing our product and service offerings and scaling our infrastructure to support our retail and services businesses. This expansion increases the complexity of our business and places significant strain on our management, personnel, operations, systems, technical performance, financial resources, and internal financial control and reporting functions. We may not be able to manage growth effectively, which could damage our reputation, limit our growth and negatively affect our operating results.

Our Expansion into New Products, Services, Technologies and Geographic Regions Subjects Us to Additional Business, Legal, Financial and Competitive Risks

We may have limited or no experience in our newer market segments, and our customers may not adopt our new offerings. These offerings may present new and difficult technology challenges, and we may be subject to claims if customers of these offerings experience service disruptions or failures or other quality issues. In addition, profitability, if any, in our newer activities may be lower than in our older activities, and we may not be successful enough in these newer activities to recoup our investments in them. If any of this were to occur, it could damage our reputation, limit our growth and negatively affect our operating results.

We May Experience Significant Fluctuations in Our Operating Results and Growth Rate

We may not be able to accurately forecast our growth rate. We base our expense levels and investment plans on sales estimates. A significant portion of our expenses and investments is fixed, and we may not be able to adjust our spending quickly enough if our sales are less than expected.

Our revenue growth may not be sustainable, and our percentage growth rates may decrease. Our revenue and operating profit growth depends on the continued growth of demand for the products and services offered by us or our sellers, and our business is affected by general economic and business conditions worldwide. A softening of demand, whether caused by changes in customer preferences or a weakening of the U.S. or global economies, may result in decreased revenue or growth.

Our sales and operating results will also fluctuate for many other reasons, including due to risks described elsewhere in this section and the following:

•

our ability to retain and increase sales to existing customers, attract new customers, and satisfy our customers’ demands;

•

our ability to retain and expand our network of sellers;

•

our ability to offer products on favorable terms, manage inventory, and fulfill orders;

•

the introduction of competitive websites, products, services, price decreases, or improvements;

•

changes in usage or adoption rates of the Internet, e-commerce, digital media devices and web services, including outside the U.S.;

•

timing, effectiveness, and costs of expansion and upgrades of our systems and infrastructure;

•

the success of our geographic, service, and product line expansions;

•

the outcomes of legal proceedings and claims;

•

variations in the mix of products and services we sell;

•

variations in our level of merchandise and vendor returns;

•

the extent to which we offer free shipping, continue to reduce product prices worldwide, and provide additional benefits to our customers;

•

the extent to which we invest in technology and content, fulfillment and other expense categories;

•

increases in the prices of fuel and gasoline, as well as increases in the prices of other energy products and commodities like paper and packing supplies;

•

the extent to which our equity-method investees record significant operating and non-operating items;

•

the extent to which operators of the networks between our customers and our websites successfully charge fees to grant our customers unimpaired and unconstrained access to our online services;

•

our ability to collect amounts owed to us when they become due;

•

the extent to which use of our services is affected by spyware, viruses, phishing and other spam emails, denial of service attacks, data theft, computer intrusions, outages, and similar events; and

•

terrorist attacks and armed hostilities.

We May Not Be Successful in Our Efforts to Expand into International Market Segments

Our international activities are significant to our revenues and profits, and we plan to further expand internationally. In certain international market segments, we have relatively little operating experience and may not benefit from any first-to-market advantages or otherwise succeed. It is costly to establish, develop and maintain international operations and websites and promote our brand internationally. Our international operations may not be profitable on a sustained basis.

In addition to risks described elsewhere in this section, our international sales and operations are subject to a number of risks, including:

•

local economic and political conditions;

•

government regulation of e-commerce, other online services and electronic devices, and competition, and restrictive governmental actions (such as trade protection measures, including export duties and quotas and custom duties and tariffs), nationalization and restrictions on foreign ownership;

•

restrictions on sales or distribution of certain products or services and uncertainty regarding liability for products, services and content, including uncertainty as a result of less Internet-friendly legal systems, local laws, lack of legal precedent, and varying rules, regulations, and practices regarding the physical and digital distribution of media products and enforcement of intellectual property rights;

•

business licensing or certification requirements, such as for imports, exports and electronic devices;

•

limitations on the repatriation and investment of funds and foreign currency exchange restrictions;

•

limited fulfillment and technology infrastructure;

•

shorter payable and longer receivable cycles and the resultant negative impact on cash flow;

•

laws and regulations regarding consumer and data protection, privacy, network security, encryption, payments, and restrictions on pricing or discounts;

•

lower levels of use of the Internet;

•

lower levels of consumer spending and fewer opportunities for growth compared to the U.S.;

•

lower levels of credit card usage and increased payment risk;

•

difficulty in staffing, developing and managing foreign operations as a result of distance, language and cultural differences;

•

different employee/employer relationships and the existence of works councils and labor unions;

•

laws and policies of the U.S. and other jurisdictions affecting trade, foreign investment, loans and taxes; and

•

geopolitical events, including war and terrorism.

As international e-commerce and other online services grow, competition will intensify. Local companies may have a substantial competitive advantage because of their greater understanding of, and focus on, the local customer, as well as their more established local brand names. We may not be able to hire, train, retain, and manage required personnel, which may limit our international growth.

The People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) regulates Amazon’s and its affiliates’ businesses and operations in the PRC through regulations and license requirements restricting (i) foreign investment in the Internet, IT infrastructure, retail, delivery, and other sectors, (ii) Internet content and (iii) the sale of media and other products. For example, in order to meet local ownership and regulatory licensing requirements, www.amazon.cn is operated by PRC companies that are indirectly owned, either wholly or partially, by PRC nationals. Although we believe these structures comply with existing PRC laws, they involve unique risks. There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation of PRC laws and regulations, and it is possible that the PRC government will ultimately take a view contrary to ours. If our Chinese business interests were found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations or if interpretations of those laws and regulations were to change, the business could be subject to fines and other financial penalties, have licenses revoked or be forced to shut down entirely. In addition, the Chinese businesses and operations may be unable to continue to operate if we or our affiliates are unable to enforce contractual relationships with respect to management and control of such businesses.

If We Do Not Successfully Optimize and Operate Our Fulfillment Centers, Our Business Could Be Harmed

If we do not adequately predict customer demand or otherwise optimize and operate our fulfillment centers successfully, it could result in excess or insufficient inventory or fulfillment capacity, result in increased costs, impairment charges, or both, or harm our business in other ways. A failure to optimize inventory will increase our net shipping cost by requiring long-zone or partial shipments. Orders from several of our websites are fulfilled primarily from a single location, and we have only a limited ability to reroute orders to third parties for drop-shipping. We and our co-sourcers may be unable to adequately staff our fulfillment and customer service centers. As we continue to add fulfillment and warehouse capability or add new businesses with different fulfillment requirements, our fulfillment network becomes increasingly complex and operating it becomes more challenging. If the other businesses on whose behalf we perform inventory fulfillment services deliver product to our fulfillment centers in excess of forecasts, we may be unable to secure sufficient storage space and may be unable to optimize our fulfillment centers. There can be no assurance that we will be able to operate our network effectively.

We rely on a limited number of shipping companies to deliver inventory to us and completed orders to our customers. If we are not able to negotiate acceptable terms with these companies or they experience performance problems or other difficulties, it could negatively impact our operating results and customer experience. In addition, our ability to receive inbound inventory efficiently and ship completed orders to customers also may be negatively affected by inclement weather, fire, flood, power loss, earthquakes, labor disputes, acts of war or terrorism, acts of God and similar factors.

Third parties either drop-ship or otherwise fulfill an increasing portion of our customers’ orders, and we are increasingly reliant on the reliability, quality and future procurement of their services. Under some of our commercial agreements, we maintain the inventory of other companies, thereby increasing the complexity of tracking inventory and operating our fulfillment centers. Our failure to properly handle such inventory or the inability of these other companies to accurately forecast product demand would result in unexpected costs and other harm to our business and reputation.

The Seasonality of Our Business Places Increased Strain on Our Operations

We expect a disproportionate amount of our net sales to occur during our fourth quarter. If we do not stock or restock popular products in sufficient amounts such that we fail to meet customer demand, it could significantly affect our revenue and our future growth. If we overstock products, we may be required to take significant inventory markdowns or write-offs, which could reduce profitability. We may experience an increase in our net shipping cost due to complimentary upgrades, split-shipments, and additional long-zone shipments necessary to ensure timely delivery for the holiday season. If too many customers access our websites within a short period of time due to increased holiday demand, we may experience system interruptions that make our websites unavailable or prevent us from efficiently fulfilling orders, which may reduce the volume of goods we sell and the attractiveness of our products and services. In addition, we may be unable to adequately staff our fulfillment and customer service centers during these peak periods and delivery and other fulfillment companies and customer service co-sourcers may be unable to meet the seasonal demand. We also face risks described elsewhere in this Item 1A relating to fulfillment center optimization and inventory.

We generally have payment terms with our vendors that extend beyond the amount of time necessary to collect proceeds from our customers. As a result of holiday sales, at December 31 of each year, our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities balances typically reach their highest level (other than as a result of cash flows provided by or used in investing and financing activities). This operating cycle results in a corresponding increase in accounts payable at December 31. Our accounts payable balance generally declines during the first three months of the year, resulting in a corresponding decline in our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities balances.

Our Business Could Suffer if We Are Unsuccessful in Making, Integrating, and Maintaining Commercial Agreements, Strategic Alliances, and Other Business Relationships

We provide e-commerce services to other businesses through our seller programs and other commercial agreements, strategic alliances and business relationships. Under these agreements, we provide technology, fulfillment and other services, as well as enable sellers to offer products or services through our websites and power their websites. These arrangements are complex and require substantial personnel and resource commitments by us, which may limit the agreements we are able to enter into and our ability to integrate and deliver services under them. If we fail to implement, maintain, and develop the components of these commercial relationships, which may include fulfillment, customer service, inventory management, tax collection, payment processing, licensing of third-party software, hardware, and content, and engaging third parties to perform hosting and other services, these initiatives may not be viable. The amount of compensation we receive under certain of these agreements is partially dependent on the volume of the other company’s sales. Therefore, if the other company’s offering is not successful, the compensation we receive may be lower than expected or the agreement may be terminated. Moreover, we may not be able to enter into additional commercial relationships and strategic alliances on favorable terms. We also may be subject to claims from businesses to which we provide these services if we are unsuccessful in implementing, maintaining or developing these services.

As our agreements terminate, we may be unable to renew or replace these agreements on comparable terms, or at all. We may in the future enter into amendments on less favorable terms or encounter parties that have difficulty meeting their contractual obligations to us, which could adversely affect our operating results.

Our present and future e-commerce services agreements, other commercial agreements, and strategic alliances create additional risks such as:

•

disruption of our ongoing business, including loss of management focus on existing businesses;

•

impairment of other relationships;

•

variability in revenue and income from entering into, amending, or terminating such agreements or relationships; and

•

difficulty integrating under the commercial agreements.

Our Business Could Suffer if We Are Unsuccessful in Making, Integrating, and Maintaining Acquisitions and Investments

We have acquired and invested in a number of companies, and we may acquire or invest in or enter into joint ventures with additional companies. These transactions create risks such as:

•

disruption of our ongoing business, including loss of management focus on existing businesses;

•

problems retaining key personnel;

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additional operating losses and expenses of the businesses we acquired or in which we invested;

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the potential impairment of tangible assets, such as inventory, and intangible assets and goodwill acquired in the acquisitions;

•

the potential impairment of customer and other relationships of the company we acquired or in which we invested or our own customers as a result of any integration of operations;

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the difficulty of incorporating acquired technology and rights into our offerings and unanticipated expenses related to such integration;

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the difficulty of integrating a new company’s accounting, financial reporting, management, information and information security, human resource and other administrative systems to permit effective management, and the lack of control if such integration is delayed or not implemented;

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for investments in which an investee’s financial performance is incorporated into our financial results, either in full or in part, the dependence on the investee’s accounting, financial reporting and similar systems, controls and processes;

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the difficulty of implementing at companies we acquire the controls, procedures and policies appropriate for a larger public company;

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potential unknown liabilities associated with a company we acquire or in which we invest; and

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for foreign transactions, additional risks related to the integration of operations across different cultures and languages, and the economic, political, and regulatory risks associated with specific countries.

As a result of future acquisitions or mergers, we might need to issue additional equity securities, spend our cash, or incur debt, contingent liabilities, or amortization expenses related to intangible assets, any of which could reduce our profitability and harm our business. In addition, valuations supporting our acquisitions and strategic investments could change rapidly given the current global economic climate. We could determine that such valuations have experienced impairments or other-than-temporary declines in fair value which could adversely impact our financial results.

We Have Foreign Exchange Risk

The results of operations of, and certain of our intercompany balances associated with, our international websites are exposed to foreign exchange rate fluctuations. Upon translation, operating results may differ materially from expectations, and we may record significant gains or losses on the remeasurement of intercompany balances. As we have expanded our international operations, our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations has increased. We also hold cash equivalents and/or marketable securities primarily in Euros, Japanese Yen, British Pounds, and Chinese Yuan. If the U.S. Dollar strengthens compared to these currencies, cash equivalents, and marketable securities balances, when translated, may be materially less than expected and vice versa.

The Loss of Key Senior Management Personnel Could Negatively Affect Our Business

We depend on our senior management and other key personnel, particularly Jeffrey P. Bezos, our President, CEO, and Chairman. We do not have “key person” life insurance policies. The loss of any of our executive officers or other key employees could harm our business.

We Could Be Harmed by Data Loss or Other Security Breaches

As a result of our services being web-based and the fact that we process, store and transmit large amounts of data, including personal information, for our customers, failure to prevent or mitigate data loss or other security breaches, including breaches of our vendors’ technology and systems, could expose us or our customers to a risk of loss or misuse of such information, adversely affect our operating results, result in litigation or potential liability for us and otherwise harm our business. We use third party technology and systems for a variety of reasons, including, without limitation, encryption and authentication technology, employee email, content delivery to customers, back-office support and other functions. Some subsidiaries had past security breaches, and, although they did not have a material adverse effect on our operating results, there can be no assurance of a similar result in the future. Although we have developed systems and processes that are designed to protect customer information and prevent data loss and other security breaches, including systems and processes designed to reduce the impact of a security breach at a third party vendor, such measures cannot provide absolute security.

We Face Risks Related to System Interruption and Lack of Redundancy

We experience occasional system interruptions and delays that make our websites and services unavailable or slow to respond and prevent us from efficiently fulfilling orders or providing services to third parties, which may reduce our net sales and the attractiveness of our products and services. If we are unable to continually add software and hardware, effectively upgrade our systems and network infrastructure and take other steps to improve the efficiency of our systems, it could cause system interruptions or delays and adversely affect our operating results.

Our computer and communications systems and operations could be damaged or interrupted by fire, flood, power loss, telecommunications failure, earthquakes, acts of war or terrorism, acts of God, computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins, and similar events or disruptions. Any of these events could cause system interruption, delays, and loss of critical data, and could prevent us from accepting and fulfilling customer orders and providing services, which could make our product and service offerings less attractive and subject us to liability. Our systems are not fully redundant and our disaster recovery planning may not be sufficient. In addition, we may have inadequate insurance coverage to compensate for any related losses. Any of these events could damage our reputation and be expensive to remedy.

We Face Significant Inventory Risk

In addition to risks described elsewhere in this Item 1A relating to fulfillment center and inventory optimization by us and third parties, we are exposed to significant inventory risks that may adversely affect our operating results as a result of seasonality, new product launches, rapid changes in product cycles and pricing, defective merchandise, changes in consumer demand and consumer spending patterns, changes in consumer tastes with respect to our products and other factors. We endeavor to accurately predict these trends and avoid overstocking or understocking products we manufacture and/or sell. Demand for products, however, can change significantly between the time inventory or components are ordered and the date of sale. In addition, when we begin selling or manufacturing a new product, it may be difficult to establish vendor relationships, determine appropriate product or component selection, and accurately forecast demand. The acquisition of certain types of inventory or components may require significant lead-time and prepayment and they may not be returnable. We carry a broad selection and significant inventory levels of certain products, such as consumer electronics, and we may be unable to sell products in sufficient quantities or during the relevant selling seasons. Any one of the inventory risk factors set forth above may adversely affect our operating results.

We May Not Be Able to Adequately Protect Our Intellectual Property Rights or May Be Accused of Infringing Intellectual Property Rights of Third Parties

We regard our trademarks, service marks, copyrights, patents, trade dress, trade secrets, proprietary technology, and similar intellectual property as critical to our success, and we rely on trademark, copyright, and patent law, trade secret protection, and confidentiality and/or license agreements with our employees, customers, and others to protect our proprietary rights. Effective intellectual property protection may not be available in every country in which our products and services are made available. We also may not be able to acquire or maintain appropriate domain names in all countries in which we do business. Furthermore, regulations governing domain names may not protect our trademarks and similar proprietary rights. We may be unable to prevent third parties from acquiring domain names that are similar to, infringe upon, or diminish the value of our trademarks and other proprietary rights.

We may not be able to discover or determine the extent of any unauthorized use of our proprietary rights. Third parties that license our proprietary rights also may take actions that diminish the value of our proprietary rights or reputation. The protection of our intellectual property may require the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources. Moreover, the steps we take to protect our intellectual property may not adequately protect our rights or prevent third parties from infringing or misappropriating our proprietary rights. We also cannot be certain that others will not independently develop or otherwise acquire equivalent or superior technology or other intellectual property rights.

Other parties also may claim that we infringe their proprietary rights. We have been subject to, and expect to continue to be subject to, claims and legal proceedings regarding alleged infringement by us of the intellectual property rights of third parties. Such claims, whether or not meritorious, may result in the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources, injunctions against us or the payment of damages. We may need to obtain licenses from third parties who allege that we have infringed their rights, but such licenses may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all. In addition, we may not be able to obtain or utilize on terms that are favorable to us, or at all, licenses or other rights with respect to intellectual property we do not own. These risks have been amplified by the increase in third parties whose sole or primary business is to assert such claims.

Our digital content offerings depend in part on effective digital rights management technology to control access to digital content. If the digital rights management technology that we use is compromised or otherwise malfunctions, we could be subject to claims, and content providers may be unwilling to include their content in our service.

We Have a Rapidly Evolving Business Model and Our Stock Price Is Highly Volatile

We have a rapidly evolving business model. The trading price of our common stock fluctuates significantly in response to, among other risks, the risks described elsewhere in this Item 1A, as well as:

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changes in interest rates;

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conditions or trends in the Internet and the e-commerce industry;

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quarterly variations in operating results;

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fluctuations in the stock market in general and market prices for Internet-related companies in particular;

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changes in financial estimates by us or securities analysts and recommendations by securities analysts;

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changes in our capital structure, including issuance of additional debt or equity to the public;

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changes in the valuation methodology of, or performance by, other e-commerce or technology companies; and

•

transactions in our common stock by major investors and certain analyst reports, news, and speculation.

Volatility in our stock price could adversely affect our business and financing opportunities and force us to increase our cash compensation to employees or grant larger stock awards than we have historically, which could hurt our operating results or reduce the percentage ownership of our existing stockholders, or both.

Government Regulation Is Evolving and Unfavorable Changes Could Harm Our Business

We are subject to general business regulations and laws, as well as regulations and laws specifically governing the Internet, e-commerce, and electronic devices. Existing and future laws and regulations may impede our growth. These regulations and laws may cover taxation, privacy, data protection, pricing, content, copyrights, distribution, mobile communications, electronic device certification, electronic waste, electronic contracts and other communications, competition, consumer protection, web services, the provision of online payment services, unencumbered Internet access to our services, the design and operation of websites, and the characteristics and quality of products and services. It is not clear how existing laws governing issues such as property ownership, libel, and personal privacy apply to the Internet, e-commerce, digital content and web services. Jurisdictions may regulate consumer-to-consumer online businesses, including certain aspects of our seller programs. Unfavorable regulations and laws could diminish the demand for our products and services and increase our cost of doing business.

We Do Not Collect Sales or Consumption Taxes in Some Jurisdictions

U.S. Supreme Court decisions restrict the imposition of obligations to collect state and local sales taxes with respect to remote sales. However, an increasing number of states have considered or adopted laws that attempt to impose obligations on out-of-state retailers to collect taxes on their behalf. We support a Federal law that would allow states to require sales tax collection under a nationwide system. More than half of our revenue is already earned in jurisdictions where we collect sales tax or its equivalent. A successful assertion by one or more states or foreign countries requiring us to collect taxes where we do not do so could result in substantial tax liabilities, including for past sales, as well as penalties and interest.

We Could be Subject to Additional Income Tax Liabilities

We are subject to income taxes in the United States and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in evaluating and estimating our provision and accruals for these taxes. During the ordinary course of business, there are many transactions for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Our effective tax rates could be adversely affected by earnings being lower than anticipated in countries where we have lower statutory rates and higher than anticipated in countries where we have higher statutory rates, by losses incurred in jurisdictions for which we are not able to realize the related tax benefit, by changes in foreign currency exchange rates, by entry into new businesses and geographies and changes to our existing businesses, by acquisitions (including integrations) and investments, by changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, or by changes in the relevant tax, accounting and other laws, regulations, administrative practices, principles, and interpretations, with a number of countries actively considering changes in this regard. In addition, we are subject to audit in various jurisdictions, and such jurisdictions may assess additional income tax liabilities against us. Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, the final outcome of tax audits and any related litigation could be materially different from our historical income tax provisions and accruals. Developments in an audit or litigation could have a material effect on our operating results or cash flows in the period or periods for which that development occurs, as well as for prior and subsequent periods.

Our Supplier Relationships Subject Us to a Number of Risks

We have significant suppliers, including licensors, and in some cases, limited or single-sources of supply, that are important to our sourcing, services, manufacturing, and any related ongoing servicing of merchandise and content. We do not have long-term arrangements with most of our suppliers to guarantee availability of merchandise, content, components or services, particular payment terms, or the extension of credit limits. If our current suppliers were to stop selling or licensing merchandise, content, components or services to us on acceptable terms, or delay delivery, including as a result of one or more supplier bankruptcies due to poor economic conditions, as a result of natural disasters or for other reasons, we may be unable to procure alternatives from other suppliers in a timely and efficient manner and on acceptable terms, or at all.

We May be Subject to Risks Related to Government Contracts and Related Procurement Regulations

Our contracts with U.S., as well as state, local and foreign, government entities are subject to various procurement regulations and other requirements relating to their formation, administration and performance. We may be subject to audits and investigations relating to our government contracts and any violations could result in various civil and criminal penalties and administrative sanctions, including termination of contract, refunding or suspending of payments, forfeiture of profits, payment of fines and suspension or debarment from future government business. In addition, such contracts may provide for termination by the government at any time, without cause.

We May Be Subject to Product Liability Claims if People or Property Are Harmed by the Products We Sell

Some of the products we sell or manufacture may expose us to product liability claims relating to personal injury, death, or environmental or property damage, and may require product recalls or other actions. Certain third parties also sell products using our e-commerce platform that may increase our exposure to product liability claims, such as if these sellers do not have sufficient protection from such claims. Although we maintain liability insurance, we cannot be certain that our coverage will be adequate for liabilities actually incurred or that insurance will continue to be available to us on economically reasonable terms, or at all. In addition, some of our agreements with our vendors and sellers do not indemnify us from product liability.

We Are Subject to Payments-Related Risks

We accept payments using a variety of methods, including credit card, debit card, credit accounts (including promotional financing), gift certificates, direct debit from a customer’s bank account, consumer invoicing, physical bank check and payment upon delivery. As we offer new payment options to our customers, we may be subject to additional regulations, compliance requirements, and fraud. For certain payment methods, including credit and debit cards, we pay interchange and other fees, which may increase over time and raise our operating costs and lower profitability. We rely on third parties to provide payment processing services, including the processing of credit cards, debit cards, electronic checks, and promotional financing, and it could disrupt our business if these companies become unwilling or unable to provide these services to us. We are also subject to payment card association operating

rules, including data security rules, certification requirements and rules governing electronic funds transfers, which could change or be reinterpreted to make it difficult or impossible for us to comply. If we fail to comply with these rules or requirements, or if our data security systems are breached or compromised, we may be liable for card issuing banks’ costs, subject to fines and higher transaction fees and lose our ability to accept credit and debit card payments from our customers, process electronic funds transfers, or facilitate other types of online payments, and our business and operating results could be adversely affected. We also offer co-branded credit card programs that represent a significant component of our services revenue. If one or more of these agreements are terminated and we are unable to replace them on similar terms, or at all, it could adversely affect our operating results.

In addition, we qualify as a money services business in certain jurisdictions because we enable customers to keep account balances with us and transfer money to third parties, and because we provide services to third parties to facilitate payments on their behalf. In these jurisdictions, we may be subject to requirements for licensing, regulatory inspection, bonding, the handling of transferred funds and consumer disclosures. We are also subject to or voluntarily comply with a number of other laws and regulations relating to payments, money laundering, international money transfers, privacy and information security and electronic fund transfers. If we were found to be in violation of applicable laws or regulations, we could be subject to additional requirements, such as maintaining capital and segregating funds, and civil and criminal penalties, or forced to cease providing certain services.

We Could Be Liable for Fraudulent or Unlawful Activities of Sellers

The law relating to the liability of providers of online payment services is currently unsettled. In addition, governmental agencies could require changes in the way this business is conducted. Under our seller programs, we may be unable to prevent sellers from collecting payments, fraudulently or otherwise, when buyers never receive the products they ordered or when the products received are materially different from the sellers’ descriptions. Under our A2Z Guarantee, we reimburse buyers for payments up to certain limits in these situations, and as our marketplace seller sales grow, the cost of this program will increase and could negatively affect our operating results. We also may be unable to prevent sellers on our sites or through other seller sites from selling unlawful goods, from selling goods in an unlawful manner, or violating the proprietary rights of others, and could face civil or criminal liability for unlawful activities by our sellers.

Item 2.

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

None.

Item 3.

Defaults Upon Senior Securities

None.

Item 4.

Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

Item 5.

Other Information

Not applicable.

Item 6.

Exhibits

See exhibits listed under the Exhibit Index below.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.


AMAZON.COM, INC. (REGISTRANT)

By:		/s/ Shelley Reynolds
		Shelley Reynolds
		Vice President, Worldwide Controller
		(Principal Accounting Officer)

Dated: April 25, 2013

EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit Number		Description

3.1		Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated by reference to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the Quarter ended March 31, 2000).

3.2		Restated Bylaws of the Company (incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed February 18, 2009).

10.1†		1997 Stock Incentive Plan (amended and restated).

10.2†		1999 Non-Officer Employee Stock Option Plan (amended and restated).

31.1		Certification of Jeffrey P. Bezos, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Amazon.com, Inc., pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

31.2		Certification of Thomas J. Szkutak, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Amazon.com, Inc., pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

32.1		Certification of Jeffrey P. Bezos, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Amazon.com, Inc., pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.

32.2		Certification of Thomas J. Szkutak, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Amazon.com, Inc., pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.

101		The following financial statements from the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2013, formatted in XBRL: (i) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, (ii) Consolidated Statements of Operations, (iii) Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, (iv) Consolidated Balance Sheets, and (v) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, tagged as blocks of text and including detailed tags.

†	Executive Compensation Plan or Agreement

Large accelerated filer

Accelerated filer

Non-accelerated filer

¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

Smaller reporting company