Phoenix Trade Union

The Phoenix Trade Union, commonly shortened to Phoenix and uncommonly abbreviated as PTU, is a Calderan multinational consumer goods company focusing on e-commerce, groceries, digital streaming, designer clothes, toys, and perfumes. The Phoenix Trade Union has often been referred to as one of the most important brands in the world, with many countries having a large reliance on Phoenix products.

The Phoenix Trade Union was once regarded as a lucrative international pawn shop where ill gotten goods could be bought or sold. Since then, the Phoenix Trade Union has established a reputation for rapid development into new industries through technological innovation and investments. In 2029, the Phoenix Trade Union became the 3rd largest producer of goods in the world. It is the largest private employer in Austro-Caldera and Anglei.

1694-1711: Early years
Founded in Joachim Badenhort's small cabin in the outskirts of Neu Berlin, the founder had an idea to unite multiple farmers together to sell all the goods produced without competition. It was because of this union of farmers that the company was named Phoenix Trade Union, representing how Badenhort believed that the company would go from a small union to the largest farmer's market in Caldera.

Badenhort moved the company to Neu Maessen in 1697 in an effort to attract a wider market. During this, the company went on to expand into selling books and newspaper. People were initially drawn to the company's goods for its wide selection, and promise to deliver anywhere, given the customer sent a letter first.

The Phoenix Trade Union's first big product was Phoenix fragrance, which began production in 1710. In just a year, the company became well known throughout Caldera and western Crona.

1711-1898: Frontier
For over a hundred years, the Phoenix Trade Union sat comfortably as an investment source for ventures throughout Crona. Whenever gold was found, the Phoenix Trade Union would be the first to set up and sell pickaxes to the miners.

During this time, the Phoenix Trade Union also became known as a form of private military, which could be hired to protect local stores products. To identify Phoenix ships at sea, the company adopted a flag depicting a white phoenix holding an olive branch with a fiery silhouette, which is still used as the Phoenix Trade Union logo internationally.

During its defining years as a frontier business, the Phoenix Trade Union sold and used Tauk pistols, which led to the popularity of the Tauk Einzelaktion Armee, which is still popular for it's portrayal in media today.

1898-1994: Descent
After the age of the frontier ended, the Phoenix Trade Union's prowess was temporarily reduced due to high prices on goods transported internationally compared to local products. In Anglei, the company became a large grocery provider, while elsewhere the company still enjoyed a spot as a premium clothes and perfume seller, which it maintained until the company's 300 year anniversary.

1994-Present: Ascent
On July 5th, 1994, the Phoenix Trade Union expanded into e-commerce, which was a decision which forever changed the business model. Being able to sell hundreds of years worth of products online allowed the Phoenix Trade Union to rapidly expand into multiple new industries such as consumer electronics, robotics, and artificial intelligence.

Phoenix.com
The Phoenix Trade Union's largest source of income is from it's online store, Phoenix.com, which sells a large variety of stock, including media, furniture, packaged foods, tools, baby products, apparel, sporting goods, musical instruments, farm supplies, jewelry, watches, toys, games, health products, industrial supplies, scientific supplies, automotive items, and the website even offers consulting services in some countries.

In 2030, all domains of the e-commerce website was the 4th most visited website in the world.

While the majority of international shoppers can purchase goods from Phoenix.com, larger countries may have a localized storefront with a different top-level domain code and country code.

Merchant partnerships
The original purpose of the Phoenix Trade Union in 1694 was to provide a common service for multiple producers so similar products could be sold without competition from other companies. While this isn't quite as true in the modern day, the Phoenix Trade Union still sells local products through a program called Local Storefronts, where Phoenix buys any goods from local producers who may have made the product at home.

In 2001, Anglei toy retailer Mini-Cars entered into a 10 year agreement with Phoenix in which Phoenix was only permitted to sell Mini-Cars brand of cars on the 2 main Phoenix websites at the time, being Phoenix.com and Phoenix.com.u. In 2006, Mini-Cars sued Phoenix, claiming that Phoenix was selling locally made toy cars which violated the agreement. Phoenix argued that the locally made toy cars were only sold in 7 countries (not internationally), thus not violating the agreement. However, an Anglei court ruled in favor of Mini-Cars, resulting in an early contract termination, and Phoenix paid Mini-Cars $50 million in lost profits.

Private Label Products
Phoenix sells many products under its own label, most famously Phoenix fragrance.

Product reviews
On all versions of the Phoenix.com website, users can rate products sold online so that a form of social quality control can be established for unregulated local products.

Physical stores
Alongside the massively popular website, the Phoenix Trade Union also offers a variety of physical stores around the world that can either feature a variety of products similar to a warehouse, or they can specialize in a certain genre of products.

Saint Dénis Vêtements
Saint Denis Vetements (stylized as Saint Dénis Vêtements) is a Phoenix brand of apparel stores most common in Burgundie. These stores are remnants from the early 1900s when Phoenix Trade Union was mostly a clothing brand, and as such, these stores typically sell high end and old style fashion, along with Phoenix fragrance and some high end watches.

Phoenix Electronics
Phoenix Electronics is an electronic store owned by Phoenix Trade Union. These stores are the main places to buy Phoenix Tablets, Phoenix Mobiles, and Phoenix Consoles, when ordering them online is either impossible or the customers want the electronic immediately with no shipping time.

Subsidiaries
The Phoenix Trade Union has over 100 subsidiaries, including Hitters, Phoenix Robotics, Fiery Books, Phoenix Local Markets, and Phenicki.

Supply chain
Phoenix has warehouses all over the globe. In 2030, there are 125 warehouses giving work to 400,000 employees worldwide. Since the establishment of Phoenix.com, all warehouses are almost completely automated, with the only employee tasks being to inspect and sort products. There is a program called Local Wrapping, which handles the packaging of goods made at home.

Criticism
Phoenix has been criticized for many actions, such as providing surveillance to police in Caldera and Caphiria, forming temporary partnerships with the Calderan Armed Forces, leading customers away from local physical stores, having poor warehouse conditions for workers, polluting the environment, listing all LGBT content as adult themed, and selling skin-lightening products.

Some pirated content has made its way onto Phoenix.com by being produced by a local dealer who then sells their stolen content through Phoenix. In 2023, 6 books sold internationally were found to be entirely pirated, and at least 2 video games were found to have stolen source code, but only the books were removed due to international copyright laws.