# Amazon’s Algorithm Causes Controversy

Published 2019-09-24 · Updated 2026-07-23 · Retail on MarketScale
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> Like a product on a shelf at eye level in a store, placement on a webpage can make or break a business. On a platform the size of Amazon, where companies not only compete with hundreds of other vendors but also Amazon’s private label brands, this competition for top spots is intense. According to…

Like a product on a shelf at eye level in a store, placement on a webpage can make or break a business.

On a platform the size of [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/), where companies not only compete with hundreds of other vendors but also Amazon’s private label brands, this competition for top spots is intense.

According to a recent [Wall Street Journal report](https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-changed-search-algorithm-in-ways-that-boost-its-own-products-11568645345), the e-commerce giant manipulated its product-search algorithm to better position the most profitable items for Amazon over the best match for the customer.

On Business Casual, Daniel Litwin and Geoffrey Short commented on what this means for consumers, retailers and the digital marketplace.

Tune in to MarketScale Radio LIVE every Wednesday and Friday morning at 9 a.m. CT for Business Casual with Tyler Kern and Daniel Litwin. From interest rates to eSports – we’ll be talking all things B2B.

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