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Technology Stocks : Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Glenn D. Rudolph who wrote (104856)	6/11/2000 5:33:00 PM
From: H James Morris	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 164684

Glenn, I'm interpreting this Amzn press release as saying Amzn books division, after 5 years is now profitable. Are they? if they are, why didn't their last results release show it? > LONDON, June 8 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc is preparing to launch another European version of its Website to add to its British and German online shops, senior executives said on Thursday. And it is hoping to break into the Latin American market following the recent introduction of Spanish-language books on its U.S. site, Chief Operating Officer Joseph Galli said. Galli told Reuters preparations for the new European site were under way, though Amazon would not identify the country until just before its launch. Amazon has previously hinted that France would be its next port of call and it owns the www.amazon.fr address. But Galli indicated the company was also interested in Spain and Italy. "We believe Europe is the company's greatest long-term opportunity," he said in an interview on a visit to London. The company is targeting the Spanish-speaking world following the recent introduction of books in the language on its U.S. Website. "Spanish is a huge opportunity," said Amazon's head of international operations, Diego Piacentini, who was Apple Computer Europe's Paris-based general manager until March. The UK business had sales of 28 million pounds ($42.55 million) in the first quarter of 2000 and 1.4 million customers. In Germany, sales were $30 million and customers totalled 1.1 million. Both revenue figures were up only slightly from the previous quarter, which was boosted by Christmas sales. The British operation, like the company as a whole, is running at a loss, but Galli said he expected amazon.co.uk to move into profit in less than the five years it took the U.S. book division. Amazon, which also sells CDs, videos and electronics, moved into profit at its U.S. books arm during the last two quarters, though the company as a whole had a net loss of $122 million. Galli maintained company practice of declining to say when it might make a profit.