Amazon shares many similarities with other e-commerce websites, such as eBay and Wayfair, as these companies sell much of the same stock and are all very popular options for online shopping.
However, some Amazon customers may wonder if Amazon actually owns Wayfair. If you’re wondering the same thing, keep reading this article to learn more information that I gathered on this topic!
Key Takeaways
Does Amazon Own Wayfair In 2022?
Amazon does not currently own Wayfair or sell any of its stock through Amazon.com. Wayfair is an independently owned furniture company and is one of Amazon’s main competitors in the household furnishing market, attracting many Amazon customers to their site due to their straightforward and organized furniture shopping experience.
If you’d like to learn more about who owns Wayfair, why Amazon hasn’t purchased Wayfair, if Wayfair is better than Amazon, if Amazon is buying Wayfair, and more, keep reading this article for more useful facts, tips, and information!
Who is Wayfair’s Parent Company?
At the present, Wayfair is not owned by any parent company, but is an independent incorporation. In fact, Wayfair is a parent company itself, and owns the following businesses:
- Joss & Main
- AllModern
- Birch Lane
- Perigold
Wayfair was founded in 2002 and began as a two-person operation based out of Boston. However, Wayfair now operates fulfillment centers throughout Europe and North America.
As well, Wayfair currently employs over 3,000 customer service representatives in Boston, Berlin and Ireland.
While Wayfair is successful, the company has been the subject of controversy, such as their mass-employee walkout in 2019, as well as being part of conspiracy theories revolving around heinous crimes.
However, Wayfair is continuing to grow in popularity despite various issues within the company, generating over $14.1 Billion in net revenue during the 2020 shopping year.
Why Hasn’t Amazon Bought Wayfair?
There are a number of reasons to account for why Amazon has yet to purchase Wayfair. One of the main reasons is due to the fact that Wayfair simply doesn’t carry anything in their stock that Amazon can’t obtain through easier means.
For example, When Amazon purchased companies such as Zappos and Woot, it was to break into a specific sub-category that they didn’t feature in their product lineup at the time.
However, because Amazon already offers a wide selection of couches, table and chair sets, light fixtures, and other furniture, Amazon doesn’t need to purchase another furniture company to expand its stock.
As well, while Wayfair has become more popular in recent years, their catalog and business model doesn’t offer anything that Amazon doesn’t already have, such as a wide selection of furniture, reliable shipping times, and cheaper prices.
Therefore, while there may be some speculation over whether Amazon will purchase Wayfair or not, it’s reasonable to conclude that there is little chance of a merger occurring based on the above facts.
Is Wayfair Better than Amazon?
Wayfair is better than Amazon in certain ways, while in others Amazon is a much more convenient choice.
For example, Wayfair is very well-organized and makes finding specific pieces of furniture easy to find. The website is divided into the types of furniture customers are searching for, such as the Bedroom Furniture and Living Room Furniture categories.
As well, Wayfair divides its furniture categories into subcategories, such as how couches and futons are placed in their own separate sections instead of being grouped together as one category.
However, Amazon is not very well organized in the furniture section of the website, as some of their products are difficult to locate.
For example, if a customer searches for a futon couch, they will have to scroll through multiple product pages to locate an actual futon, rather than futon accessories which are displayed on the initial search,
However, while Wayfair has better organization, Amazon generally has cheaper prices for their furniture and shipping costs, as well as faster shipping for Prime members.
Amazon and Wayfair carry many similar products, but Wayfair often prices the same product higher than Amazon.
For example, the Foam Futon Mattress from Epic Furnishings was priced at $137.99 on Amazon, while Wayfair carried the same futon for $360.99.
Therefore, both Amazon and Wayfair succeed better than the other in certain aspects of the shopping experience.
This being the case, customers are recommended to check both websites out before deciding which company they would prefer based on their needs.
Is it a Good Idea for Amazon to Buy Wayfair?
On the surface, Amazon purchasing Wayfair may seem like a beneficial merger for both companies. However, there are a number of reasons why such a venture may not be a good idea.
One of the main concerns about Amazon purchasing Wayfair is the effect this would have on Wayfair employees. When Amazon purchased Ring, they began to lay off Ring employees in order to make way for Amazon employees who could do their job quicker.
Therefore, if Amazon purchased Wayfair, there is a large possibility that many of their original company employees could be laid off as a result of the merger.
This being the case, Amazon purchasing Wayfair could pose risks for Wayfair employees, which could both disrupt those employees’ lives as well as add further strain to Amazon’s reputation as an employer.
If you are looking to learn more, you can also see our posts on whether or not Amazon owns Whole Foods, if Amazon owns Spotify, and if Amazon owns Google.
Conclusion
Currently, Amazon does not own Wayfair. Wayfair is an independently owned furniture and is the parent company to a number of different brands, including Joss & Main and Periogold, and is one of Amazon’s major competitors in the furniture market.