The problem Amazon is solving also involves a lot of data, that is true. But it has lots and lots of price information to go on, both prices people are willing

The problem Amazon is solving also involves a lot of data, that is true. But it has lots and lots of price information to go on, both prices people are willing to pay for various goods at various times & places, and prices at which suppliers stop selling. That's what command economies didn't have, and it's why they didn't work. That was the criticism.