Amazon's core e-commerce business may be struggling - but the profit-making parts of its business are delivering. Online sales were flat in the first three months of the year compared with the same period in 2022, the company said on Thursday. But it offset that with better-than-expected sales in its cloud services and advertising units. Profits also jumped in a sign that the firm's cost-cutting drive may be starting to pay off. Since taking the reins last year, Andy Jassy has been pushing the firm to improve its performance, winding down some programmes, halting real estate expansion plans, overhauling its delivery network in the US and announcing thousands of job cuts.