Amazon originally focused on selling books online when Jeff Bezos launched the company in 1994.
Bezos incorporated the business in July 1994, initially calling it Cadabra, Inc. The company later adopted the name Amazon, and its website began operating in July 1995. Books were a practical starting category because millions of titles existed, while no physical store could stock all of them.
Amazon's early business model used the internet to offer a much broader catalog than a conventional bookstore. The company first operated from Bellevue, Washington, and later moved its headquarters to Seattle. Over time, it expanded into music, video, electronics, household goods, cloud computing, advertising, and many other areas.
A frequent misconception is that Amazon began as a general online department store. Its initial public identity was much narrower: it was an online bookstore. That starting point helped establish the customer-ordering and logistics systems that later supported its broader marketplace.