E-Commerce – Stratechery by Ben Thompson

Apple and LG, The House For Everyone Else, Agent Standards and Amazon

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Apple is taking a smarter approach to the home than I expected, leaning into integration (with partners); then, what Amazon should do about agents.

An Interview with Jason Del Rey About Muse, Amazon, and Walmart

Thursday, October 1, 2026

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An interview with Jason Del Rey about Amazon versus Meta, which is a continuation of the oldest battle in retail between Amazon and Walmart.

More on Muse, Amazon, and Walmart; Muse and Expedia; Whither Google?

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

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Meta needs Walmart to wait out Amazon; Expedia seeks to keep its middleware position; meanwhile, where is Google?

Amazon Blocks Muse, Amazon’s Moat, Aggregator v Aggregator

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

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Amazon predictably blocked Muse, but there is room for a deal based on the reality that Amazon’s physical world investments are an AI moat.

OpenAI Ads, Amazon Ads in ChatGPT, Walmart to Accept Apple Pay

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

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ChatGPT ads are working, and solve Amazon’s biggest problem with chatbots. Then, Walmart finally gives in to Apple Pay, because fighting the status quo is hard.

An Interview with Michael Morton About E-Commerce in the Age of AI

Thursday, June 18, 2026

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An interview with Michael Morton about e-commerce and AI, including the challenges of unfalsifiable bear cases, distribution versus referal models, grocery, and autonomous vehicles.

An Interview with Eric Seufert About Models and Ads, and AI’s Upside for Humanity

Thursday, May 28, 2026

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An Interview with Eric Seufert about building models for generative AI, why Meta’s foundational models are so important, and why understanding advertising leads to optimism about humanity’s future.

An Interview with Ben Thompson at the MoffettNathanson Media, Internet & Communications Conference

Thursday, May 14, 2026

An interview with me about the implications of the compute shortage on Aggregation Theory, consumer AI, and more.

Amazon Earnings, Trainium and Commodity Markets, Additional Amazon Notes

Thursday, April 30, 2026

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Amazon’s earnings suggest that the shift away from training towards inference and agents means their bet on Trainium is paying off. Plus, additional notes on ads, agents, and sports rights.

Shopify Earnings, Shopify’s AI Advantages

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

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Shopify is poised to be one of the biggest winners from AI; it would behoove investors to actually understand the businesses they are selling.

Netflix Angst, The End of the Internet, Q&A on Meta’s VR Glasses, Anthropic Alignment, You Can See Everything

Netflix Angst, The End of the Internet, Q&A on Meta’s VR Glasses, Anthropic Alignment, You Can See Everything

The Duo Review

Aday Mara and the OKC Woodchipper, An Emergency Celtics Panic Watch, Silver Appreciation(???) and Laker Dreams

Sharp Tech on Video: Netflix Angst, the End of the Internet, and Meta’s VR Glasses

An Interview with Craig Moffett About SpaceX and Bubbles

Netflix Earnings, Business or Franchise, Disney’s Deal

Netflix Angst, The End of the Internet, Q&A on Meta’s VR Glasses, Anthropic Alignment, You Can See Everything

The Duo Review

Aday Mara and the OKC Woodchipper, An Emergency Celtics Panic Watch, Silver Appreciation(???) and Laker Dreams

An Interview with Craig Moffett About SpaceX and Bubbles