Amazon Lands Bombay

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When digesting the nugget that Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) is teaming up with Bombay, make sure you read the fine print. We're not talking about the bustling Indian metropolis, rather home furnishings specialist Bombay Company (NYSE: BBA).

And if you've ever walked into one of the 300 Bombay Company stores and figured that the chain's collection of eclectic furniture and accessories would be out of place in Amazon's sea of books, it begs the question: Have you even clicked on Amazon.com since 1997?

Amazon already sells everything from Segway scooters to backyard hammocks. Would you like one of Bombay's gold leaf vases to go with that? That option will soon be yours.

It's easy to see why established retailers are hooking up with Motley Fool Stock Advisor favorite Amazon to run their online storefronts. As big as Amazon is -- with nearly $4 billion in sales last year -- it still managed to grow its top line by 28% over the previous holiday quarter.

Now, Bombay joins a crowd of bricks-and-mortar heavyweights in Amazon's arsenal. Office Depot (NYSE: ODP), Target (NYSE: TGT), and Toys "R" Us (NYSE: TOY) are among the many notables that have turned over the dot-com reins to Amazon. Last month, the company launched a sporting goods store backed by companies that include (Motley Fool Hidden Gems pick) Sportman's Guide (Nasdaq: SGDE).

Amazon has become a popular Internet landlord, even as other dot-com heavies like Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO) and Time Warner's (NYSE: AOL) America Online try to cash in as retail gateways. There is plenty of mall space to let out on the Web, but you have to like Amazon's chances.

Unlike the upstarts, Amazon has the patented one-click technology to go along with an established user base that feels right at home with the Amazon experience.

Why do companies keep partnering with Amazon? How will the company fare in the 2003 holiday season? All this and more -- in the Amazon discussion board. Only on Fool.com.