-----Original Message-----
From: Carlos Bas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: H.W.G. Rulkens <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: donderdag 18 maart 1999 18:54
Subject: Re: [IMAFDI-E] Posting: Subject Online Bookstores
First, some minor adjustments
In your dissertation, the successfactors may be based on a decreasing timely
internet niche, (meaning first to market, uneducated market, no competitors,
first to be digital), so be careful.
>You asked me in your last message to be more concise about my
>dissertation. In my dissertation I going to cover three points:
>1.-What are the specific factors that explain the success of the online
>bookstores?
>Books are a product that has been a big market for the Internet users.
Books contain information that is in a digital form reproductive. Since
books are about information (although no altering possible, and the
information it contains is static), these came first in the digital trade.
Next were the cd roms, which contain bits of music. If matter can be
digitized, then it will be narrow/broadcasted through the internet. The
sheer number of books and their usage stems from the past. Why should it be
different in cyberspace?
>Books are easy to deliver by post.
So are groceries, food, clothing and other goods.
>There are only a few book distributors of books, so a online bookstore
>|can easily provide a wide range of products.
Can you please elaborate on that? It is not clear for me, that a online
bookstore can provide a wide range of products with few suppliers in one
market. Are you referring to competitors?
>Price is an important factor when choosing where to buy a book.
True. Since books are in principle homogeneous products, with the same
quality and information anywhere, it makes no difference where you purchase
them. Therefore is the price such a important factor, where (location) to
buy it. But a whole customer loyalty scheme can be built around it to get
you satisfied and buy again, at the same shop. That could make a difference
in a price war.
>2.-Why has Amazon.com become the leader in the online bookstore business?
>Amazon has been a first entrant in this markets.
Yep, but being a first entrant will not ensure immediate success. But if one
provided a true value for the customer (killer app)?
>Amazon offers to its clients many services and personalised treatment.
>Etc.
So is the rest, but what makes them different from the rest is their ability
to get efficient customer feedback and sell those as reviews.
In fact, the customer is the content. (but that's another debate).
|3.-Which should be the future strategy of Amazon.com?
'should'?
There has been much discussion about it, (one can only guess the near
future), but differentiation 'or is it diversification' would be a possible
step.
Options are : a virtual storefront for legions of products (books, records,
medicine), get local affiliations (franchising locally, with local content),
stay in the bookmarket and try to own it.
Anyway Lisa had a good tip, to get in contact with some Amazon marketer.
This shouldn't be so hard at all.
Regards,
Huub
ps. should this article be in English?
Ondertussen begint boekhandel Amazon met verkoop van medicijnen en
schoonheidsproducten. Dit door een belang te nemen van 40% in Drugstore.com,
een bedrijf dat
geneesmiddelen en schoonheidsproducten verkoopt via het Internet. De aankoop
betekent de
derde diversificatie van Amazon. Eerder werd al gestart met de verkoop van
cd's en videofilms. Met de investering is naar schatting 30 a 40 miljoen
dollar gemoeid. Amazon wordt de grootste aandeelhouder in het recent
opgerichte Drugstore.com. Dit bedrijf (www.drugstore.com) wil alle producten
gaan
leveren die te maken hebben met lichaamsverzorging, van tandpasta en
kruidenmengsels tot geneesmiddelen. De Amerikaanse geneesmiddelenmarkt heeft
een omvang van
zo'n 150 miljard dollar per jaar. Drugstore.com gaat niet alleen huis- tuin-
en keukenmiddeltjes verkopen, maar ook geneesmiddelen waarvoor een
doktersrecept nodig is. Klanten moeten hun arts vragen telefonisch of via de
fax contact
op te nemen met Drugstore.com en de bestelling goed te keuren. Voor het
overige opereert Drugstore.com op dezelfde manier als Amazon.com. De 16.000
producten die worden verkocht zijn ondergebracht in een reeks categorie�n,
er is een
zoekfunctie en de bezoeker krijgt tips voor andere diensten en links. Ook
zijn de producten van Drugstore.com, net als die van Amazon.com, goedkoper
dan die via de reguliere kanalen.
pps.[admin: posting guidelines not clear]
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