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Founder
Founder Nick Swinwurn comes up with the idea to start an online shoe destination called ShoeSite.com -
Tony Hsieh
Swinmurn meets Tony Hseih, a young entrepreneur who invests $500,000 in the company. -
Zappos!
Name is changed from ShoeSite.com to Zappos.com. Zapatos is Spanish for "shoes." Gross sales are minimal. -
Hsieh named Co-CEO
Hsieh , then running a venture capital firm called Venture Frogs, comes on board as co-CEO with Swinmurn. $1.6 million in gross sales. -
Gross Sales hit $8.6 million
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Inventory
Zappos takes on its own inventory, opening a fulfillment center in Kentucky. $32 million in gross sales. -
Gross Sales hit $70 million
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Moves to Henderson, Nev.
Zappos moves from San Francisco to its current location, Henderson, Nevada. Sequoia Capital invests in the site. -
Kentucky Outlet Opens
The first Zappos outlet store opens in Kentucky. -
Publishes first "Culture Book"
The company publishes its first "Culture Book" filled with employee contributions about the corporate culture. -
$184 million in gross sales
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CFO Alfred Lin
Hsieh hires Venture Frogs co-founder Alfred Lin to be the e-tailer's CFO full-time. -
Sequoia Investment
Sequoia provides a second round of investment, totaling $35 million altogether. -
Quit-now Bonuses
Zappos offers its first quit-now bonuses ($100 at the time) to new hires who want to leave after training. It is now $2,000. -
Footwear News names Zappos E-tailer of the Year
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Swinmurn leaves the company
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$597 million in gross sales.
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Zappos' Canadian site launches.
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Expands line
New categories are added, including handbags, eyewear, clothing, kids merchandise and watches. -
$840 million in gross sales
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TV Ad Campaign
Zappos debuts first TV ad campaign, "Put a Little Zappos in Your Day." -
Kiva Robots fill orders.
The fulfillment center in Sheperdsville installs a new system using Kiva robots to help fill orders. -
Zappos lays off 8% of its workforce.
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ZapposInsights.com
Company launches ZapposInsights.com, a subscription service ($40) per month, where other businesses learn from its success and pose questions to current employees. -
100 Best Companies to Work For
Fortune Magazine ranks Zappos as No. 23 on its "100 Best Companies to Work For" list. -
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Computer System Hacked
Zappos announced that its computer system had been hacked compromising the personal information of 24 million customers. In response, the company required all customers to change their passwords.
