Jeff Bezos’ gaslighting, I mean, opening statement, Jeff Bezos’ failure to deny that Amazon uses marketplace seller data to undermine small businesses and boost its own brands, Congressman and Subcommittee Chair David Cicilline’s closing statement:
These companies as they exist today have monopoly power. Some need to be broken up, all need to be properly regulated and held accountable. We need to ensure the antitrust laws written more than a century ago work in the digital age. Committed congressional representatives/committee members, well informed about antitrust and educated about market structure, investigating the consequences and cost of unchecked power on behalf of all of us.
So, now what? It’s Congress’ next move but we have some work to do, too... Actions Contact Your Lawmakers
Email your members of Congress and ask them to continue their investigation into Amazon’s business practices. And, if your representative is on the House Judiciary committee, especially if they are members of the antitrust subcommittee, please thank them for scheduling this important hearing. To make your outreach easier, ABA has created a template email that you can use to send to your rep or as talking points for a phone call. Educate Your Elected Officials and Community
Use the momentum from this hearing as an opportunity to educate your representatives and community. The Institute for Social Self-Reliance has created a powerful Safeguarding Small Business resource to share how to support local businesses during Covid as well as a Fighting Monopoly Power resource to share how communities can fight back against corporate concentration and support local businesses. Share them in their entirety or use some of this information to create your own letters, social media posts, or op-ed pieces. Events BIPOC Meeting Space
The next meeting space for BIPOC -- Black, Indigenous, or People of Color -- booksellers and bookstore owners to gather for connection, support, community, resources, and networking will be held on Thursday, August 6, at 6:00 p.m. ET. This will be a non-hosted opportunity; there will not be a facilitator, and ABA staff will not be in attendance other than to let people into the room. Booksellers and store owners interested in attending should email [email protected] for the Zoom information. Please note: This session has a session-specific password; so please email for details. Meeting logistics are based on a survey of those who previously expressed interest in attending the July BIPOC session. We will continue to solicit feedback to inform plans moving forward. Marketing Meetup: Paid Social Media Advertising
On Thursday, August 6, 2020 at 1 PM ET. Alana Haley of Schuler Books & Nicola's Books and Peter Makin and Caitlin Marsh of Brilliant Books will speak about their use of paid advertising options through Facebook, such as Facebook Ads and Boosts. In addition, Cassandra Cross and Jordan Brannon of Coalition Technologies will also be offering further advice and tips on Pay-Per-Click advertising. Advocacy As Congress begins negotiating another COVID-19 relief package, contact your lawmakers today about the needs of independent bookstores. ABA is here for all of you. Please reach out if there is anything we can help with. Members can contact me directly or email the Membership, Advocacy, or IndieCommerce teams. Best,
Allison |
