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Amazon started as a bookstore and famously didn't see profit for years. The larger catalog didn't come into play until after the business model and technology were battle tested. Yes the catalog helped by triggering their hyper growth, but they were well established by that point.

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It had a larger catalog for books too. Same process to buy current best seller and anything else in print. As opposed to going to the book store and if it's not there you've got to find someone who can order it, and then it arrives at the store and not your house.