Amazon's attachment economy exploits consumer lock-in through mandatory accessories
Source: Machinesociety
Amazon is bundling core products with required accessories and proprietary attachments, creating dependency that inflates customer lifetime value. The strategy extracts margin from installed-base customers who face high replacement friction. This mirrors predatory tying practices from the Microsoft antitrust era, except the leverage now operates through physical hardware rather than software licensing—a pattern that invites regulatory scrutiny.