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  • February 2001
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BarnesandNoble.com (C)

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Dickson Louie and William A. Sahlman
  • Format:Print
  • | Pages:7
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Abstract

At the end of 1999, Steve Riggio, the vice chairman and acting CEO of barnesandnoble.com, wonders what his company should do next against Amazon.com, the online retailer who is the leading online book seller in the United States. While barnesandnoble.com has been careful to expand into new categories related to media--such as magazines, CDs, and posters--Amazon.com has expanded into a variety of seemingly unrelated categories--such as Z-shops, auctions, and power tools. While some see this expansion as a weakness in Amazon.com's branding strategy, how could Riggio and barnesandnoble.com best exploit this so that they become the leading online bookseller over the long run in terms of market share and mind share?

Keywords

Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Internet and the Web; Diversification; Brands and Branding; Retail Industry

Citation

Rayport, Jeffrey F., Dickson Louie, and William A. Sahlman. "BarnesandNoble.com (C)." Harvard Business School Case 901-024, February 2001.
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About The Authors

Jeffrey F. Rayport

Entrepreneurial Management
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William A. Sahlman

Entrepreneurial Management
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