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- July 2020 (Revised November 2020)
- Case
Pricing at Netflix
By: Elie Ofek, Marco Bertini, Oded Koenigsberg and Amy Klopfenstein
Since its launch in 1998 as “the Amazon.com of DVDs,” Netflix had evolved from a DVD rental company to a video streaming platform and producer of original films and television shows. As the company matured, it regularly increased prices and adjusted its product...
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Keywords:
Pricing;
Marketing;
Marketing Strategy;
Entertainment;
Film Entertainment;
Television Entertainment;
Finance;
Price;
Strategy;
Competition;
Competitive Strategy;
Business Strategy;
Adaptation;
Technology;
Internet;
Online Technology;
Technology Platform;
Customers;
Customer Satisfaction;
Customer Value and Value Chain;
Entertainment and Recreation Industry;
North and Central America;
United States
- February 2020
- Teaching Note
Walmart Inc. Takes on Amazon.com
Teaching Note for HBS No. 718-481.
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- 2020
- Working Paper
Reinventing Retail: The Novel Resurgence of Independent Bookstores
By: Ryan Raffaelli
This study examines how community-based brick-and-mortar retailers can achieve sustained market growth in the face of online and big box retail competition. The appearance of Amazon.com in 1995 led to a significant decline in the number of independent bookstores in the...
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- 2019
- Article
More Amazon Effects: Online Competition and Pricing Behaviors
By: Alberto Cavallo
I study how online competition, with its shrinking margins, algorithmic pricing technologies, and the transparency of the web, can change the pricing behavior of large retailers in the U.S. and affect aggregate inflation dynamics. In particular, I show that in the past...
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- February 2019 (Revised September 2019)
- Case
Amazon in Fashion
By: John R. Wells, Benjamin Weinstock and Gabriel Ellsworth
According to many analysts and industry observers, in 2018 Amazon became the largest retailer of apparel in the United States and the second largest in the world, behind Alibaba. Much of Amazon’s apparel was made by third-party retailers on its platform, but Amazon had...
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Keywords:
Amazon;
Amazon.com;
Fashion;
Fashion Accessories;
Retail;
Retailing Industry;
Retailing;
Asos;
Inditex;
Multi-channel Retailers;
Online Retail;
Online Retailing;
Positioning;
Private Label;
Delivery;
Spending;
Online Technology;
Competitive Strategy;
Fashion Industry;
Retail Industry;
Apparel and Accessories Industry
- October 2018
- Article
Competing with Complementors: An Empirical Look at Amazon.com
By: Feng Zhu and Qihong Liu
Platform owners sometimes enter complementors' product spaces to compete against them directly. Prior studies have offered two possible explanations for such entries: platform owners may target the most successful complementors so as to appropriate value from their...
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- February 2018
- Case
Amazon, Google, and Apple: Smart Speakers and the Battle for the Connected Home
By: Rajiv Lal and Scott Johnson
Amazon, Google, and Apple all offer their own smart speaker. The devices represent each firm's entry point into the connected home market. All three companies come into the space with their own strengths and weaknesses. Who will win?
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Keywords:
Apple;
Apple Inc.;
Google;
Amazon;
Amazon.com;
Google Home;
Homepod;
Echo;
Smart Home;
Connected Home;
Voice;
Artificial Intelligence;
Machine Learning;
Internet Of Things;
Smart Speaker;
Connected Speaker;
Intelligent Assistants;
Virtual Assistants;
Voice Assistants;
Alexa;
Google Assistant;
Siri;
Technological Innovation;
Disruptive Innovation;
Competitive Strategy;
Business Strategy;
Adoption;
Hardware;
Information Technology;
Internet;
Mobile Technology;
Search Technology;
Software;
Technology Adoption;
Technology Platform;
Household;
Electronics Industry;
Technology Industry;
United States
- January 2018 (Revised January 2020)
- Case
Walmart Inc. takes on Amazon.com
This case explores how Walmart should compete with Amazon.
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- November 2017
- Teaching Note
Amazon.com, 2016
By: John R. Wells and Gabriel Ellsworth
Teaching Note for HBS No. 716-402.
On January 28, 2016, Amazon announced record 2015 operating profits of $2.2 billion on $107 billion of sales, and the markets responded with cautious optimism. For years, founder and CEO Jeffrey Bezos had prioritized growth and...
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Keywords:
Strategic Analysis;
Retail;
E-commerce;
Amazon;
Amazon.com;
Amazonfresh;
Jeff Bezos;
Cloud Computing;
Marketplaces;
Streaming;
E-reader Market;
Digital Media;
Mobile App;
Online Retail;
Shipping;
Database;
Tablet;
Kindle;
Kindle Fire;
Smartphone;
Delivery;
Market Platforms;
Two-Sided Platforms;
Competition;
Internet;
Corporate Strategy;
Online Advertising;
Business Growth and Maturation;
Business Model;
Business Organization;
For-Profit Firms;
Film Entertainment;
Games, Gaming, and Gambling;
Music Entertainment;
Television Entertainment;
Profit;
Revenue;
Global Strategy;
Multinational Firms and Management;
Taxation;
Business History;
Human Resources;
Resignation and Termination;
Books;
Human Capital;
Working Conditions;
Business or Company Management;
Goals and Objectives;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Growth Management;
Management Practices and Processes;
Industry Growth;
Industry Structures;
Media;
Distribution;
Distribution Channels;
Order Taking and Fulfillment;
Infrastructure;
Logistics;
Product Development;
Supply Chain;
Supply Chain Management;
Organizational Culture;
Public Ownership;
Work-Life Balance;
Problems and Challenges;
Labor and Management Relations;
Strategy;
Adaptation;
Business Strategy;
Competitive Strategy;
Diversification;
Expansion;
Integration;
Horizontal Integration;
Vertical Integration;
Hardware;
Information Technology;
Mobile Technology;
Online Technology;
Technology Networks;
Technology Platform;
Web;
Web Sites;
Price;
Software;
Marketing;
Marketing Strategy;
Working Capital;
Customer Focus and Relationships;
Customer Value and Value Chain;
Retail Industry;
Advertising Industry;
Distribution Industry;
Electronics Industry;
Entertainment and Recreation Industry;
Information Technology Industry;
Manufacturing Industry;
Motion Pictures and Video Industry;
Music Industry;
Publishing Industry;
Shipping Industry;
Technology Industry;
Video Game Industry;
Web Services Industry;
United States;
Washington (state, US);
Seattle
- November 2017
- Teaching Note
Reinventing Best Buy
By: John R. Wells and Gabriel Ellsworth
Teaching Note for HBS No. 716-455.
On March 1, 2017, Best Buy Company, Inc., North America’s largest retailer of consumer electronics and appliances, announced a third year of comparable-store sales increases and a 20.8% increase in domestic comparable online sales....
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Keywords:
Best Buy;
Hubert Joly;
Renew Blue;
Showrooming;
Webrooming;
E-commerce;
E-commerce Strategy;
Online Retail;
Multichannel Retailing;
Omnichannel;
Marketplaces;
Turnaround;
Consumer Electronics;
Consumer Electronics Accessories;
Appliances;
Stores-within-stores;
Store Experience;
Store Size;
Store Pickup;
Store Management;
Delivery;
Delivery Models;
Amazon;
Amazon.com;
Pricing Strategy;
Business Subsidiaries;
Business Units;
Business Growth and Maturation;
Business Model;
For-Profit Firms;
Customer Focus and Relationships;
Customer Satisfaction;
Entertainment;
Film Entertainment;
Games, Gaming, and Gambling;
Music Entertainment;
Television Entertainment;
Theater Entertainment;
Price;
Profit;
Revenue;
Geographic Scope;
Multinational Firms and Management;
Business History;
Cost;
Selection and Staffing;
Reports;
Technological Innovation;
Job Cuts and Outsourcing;
Human Capital;
Leading Change;
Business or Company Management;
Goals and Objectives;
Growth and Development;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Management Teams;
Brands and Branding;
Product Marketing;
Consumer Behavior;
Demand and Consumers;
Media;
Distribution;
Order Taking and Fulfillment;
Distribution Channels;
Infrastructure;
Product;
Service Delivery;
Service Operations;
Organizational Change and Adaptation;
Public Ownership;
Problems and Challenges;
Programs;
Groups and Teams;
Sales;
Salesforce Management;
Strategy;
Adaptation;
Business Strategy;
Competition;
Competitive Advantage;
Competitive Strategy;
Corporate Strategy;
Expansion;
Technology;
Hardware;
Information Technology;
Internet;
Mobile Technology;
Online Technology;
Search Technology;
Software;
Web;
Web Sites;
Wireless Technology;
Resource Allocation;
Computer Industry;
Electronics Industry;
Entertainment and Recreation Industry;
Information Technology Industry;
Retail Industry;
Service Industry;
Technology Industry;
Telecommunications Industry;
Video Game Industry;
United States;
Minnesota;
Minneapolis;
Saint Paul;
St. Paul
- January 2017 (Revised August 2019)
- Case
X Fire Paintball & Airsoft: Is Amazon a Friend or Foe? (A)
By: Feng Zhu and Angela Acocella
Three years after launching his brick-and-mortar store, X Fire Paintball and Airsoft, Steve Herbert Sr. and his sons began selling products on Amazon.com’s third-party Marketplace, and online sales expanded rapidly. Over time, X Fire noticed that products of which it...
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Keywords:
Ethics;
Competition;
Market Platforms;
Online Technology;
Small Business;
Retail Industry;
Canada
- January 2017 (Revised August 2019)
- Supplement
X Fire Paintball & Airsoft: Is Amazon a Friend or Foe? (B)
By: Feng Zhu and Angela Acocella
Three years after launching his brick-and-mortar store, X Fire Paintball and Airsoft, Steve Herbert Sr. and his sons began selling products on Amazon.com’s third-party Marketplace and online sales expanded rapidly. Over time, X Fire noticed that products of which it...
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Keywords:
Ethics;
Competition;
Market Platforms;
Online Technology;
Small Business;
Retail Industry;
Canada
- March 2016 (Revised May 2018)
- Case
Reinventing Best Buy
By: John R. Wells and Gabriel Ellsworth
On March 1, 2017, Best Buy Company, Inc., North America’s largest retailer of consumer electronics and appliances, announced a third year of comparable-store sales increases and a 20.8% increase in domestic comparable online sales. These results were in marked contrast...
View Details
Keywords:
Best Buy;
Hubert Joly;
Renew Blue;
Showrooming;
Webrooming;
E-commerce;
E-commerce Strategy;
Online Retail;
Multichannel Retailing;
Omnichannel;
Marketplaces;
Turnaround;
Consumer Electronics;
Consumer Electronics Accessories;
Appliances;
Stores-within-stores;
Store Experience;
Store Size;
Store Pickup;
Store Management;
Delivery;
Delivery Models;
Amazon;
Amazon.com;
Pricing Strategy;
Business Subsidiaries;
Business Units;
Business Growth and Maturation;
Business Model;
For-Profit Firms;
Customer Focus and Relationships;
Customer Satisfaction;
Entertainment;
Film Entertainment;
Games, Gaming, and Gambling;
Music Entertainment;
Television Entertainment;
Theater Entertainment;
Price;
Profit;
Revenue;
Geographic Scope;
Multinational Firms and Management;
Business History;
Cost;
Selection and Staffing;
Reports;
Technological Innovation;
Job Cuts and Outsourcing;
Human Capital;
Leading Change;
Business or Company Management;
Goals and Objectives;
Growth and Development;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Management Teams;
Brands and Branding;
Product Marketing;
Consumer Behavior;
Demand and Consumers;
Media;
Distribution;
Order Taking and Fulfillment;
Distribution Channels;
Infrastructure;
Product;
Service Delivery;
Service Operations;
Organizational Change and Adaptation;
Public Ownership;
Problems and Challenges;
Programs;
Groups and Teams;
Sales;
Salesforce Management;
Strategy;
Adaptation;
Business Strategy;
Competition;
Competitive Advantage;
Competitive Strategy;
Corporate Strategy;
Expansion;
Technology;
Hardware;
Information Technology;
Internet;
Mobile Technology;
Online Technology;
Search Technology;
Software;
Web;
Web Sites;
Wireless Technology;
Resource Allocation;
Computer Industry;
Electronics Industry;
Entertainment and Recreation Industry;
Information Technology Industry;
Retail Industry;
Service Industry;
Technology Industry;
Telecommunications Industry;
Video Game Industry;
United States;
Minnesota;
Minneapolis;
Saint Paul;
St. Paul
- February 2016 (Revised May 2016)
- Case
Blue Origin, NASA, and New Space (A)
By: Matthew Weinzierl and Angela Acocella
Jeff Bezos, six years after starting a revolution in retailing with Amazon.com, turned his life-long passion for space into a start-up, Blue Origin. Blue (as it was called) was a part of the New Space industry, a collection of startup aerospace engineering companies...
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- August 2015 (Revised March 2021)
- Case
Amazon.com, 2021
By: John R. Wells, Benjamin Weinstock, Gabriel Ellsworth and Galen Danskin
In February 2021, Amazon announced 2020 operating profits of $22,899 million, up from $2,233 million in 2015, on sales of $386 billion, up from $107 billion five years earlier (see Exhibit 1). The shareholders expressed their satisfaction (see Exhibit 2), but not all...
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Keywords:
Strategic Analysis;
Retail;
E-commerce;
Amazon;
Amazon.com;
Amazonfresh;
Jeff Bezos;
Cloud Computing;
Marketplaces;
Streaming;
E-reader Market;
Digital Media;
Mobile App;
Online Retail;
Shipping;
Database;
Tablet;
Kindle;
Kindle Fire;
Smartphone;
Delivery;
Market Platforms;
Two-Sided Platforms;
Competition;
Internet;
Corporate Strategy;
Online Advertising;
Business Growth and Maturation;
Business Model;
Business Organization;
For-Profit Firms;
Film Entertainment;
Games, Gaming, and Gambling;
Music Entertainment;
Television Entertainment;
Profit;
Revenue;
Global Strategy;
Multinational Firms and Management;
Taxation;
Business History;
Human Resources;
Resignation and Termination;
Books;
Human Capital;
Working Conditions;
Business or Company Management;
Goals and Objectives;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Growth Management;
Management Practices and Processes;
Industry Growth;
Industry Structures;
Media;
Distribution;
Distribution Channels;
Order Taking and Fulfillment;
Infrastructure;
Logistics;
Product Development;
Supply Chain;
Supply Chain Management;
Organizational Culture;
Public Ownership;
Work-Life Balance;
Problems and Challenges;
Labor and Management Relations;
Strategy;
Adaptation;
Business Strategy;
Competitive Strategy;
Diversification;
Expansion;
Integration;
Horizontal Integration;
Vertical Integration;
Hardware;
Information Technology;
Mobile Technology;
Online Technology;
Technology Networks;
Technology Platform;
Web;
Web Sites;
Price;
Software;
Marketing;
Marketing Strategy;
Working Capital;
Customer Focus and Relationships;
Customer Value and Value Chain;
Retail Industry;
Advertising Industry;
Distribution Industry;
Electronics Industry;
Entertainment and Recreation Industry;
Information Technology Industry;
Manufacturing Industry;
Motion Pictures and Video Industry;
Music Industry;
Publishing Industry;
Shipping Industry;
Technology Industry;
Video Game Industry;
Web Services Industry;
United States;
Washington (state, US);
Seattle
- January 2013
- Case
Zappos.com 2009: Clothing, Customer Service, and Company Culture (MM)
By: Frances X. Frei and Robin J. Ely
On July 17, 2009, Zappos.com, a privately-held online retailer of shoes, clothing, and other soft-line retail categories, learned that Amazon.com, a $19 billion multinational online retailer, had won its Board of Directors' approval to offer to merge the two companies....
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- April 2012 (Revised October 2013)
- Case
eBay, Inc. and Amazon.com (A)
By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Anant Thaker
This case has been designed to explore strategic interactions among organizations with different business models. The case considers how a competitor successfully challenged the incumbent in a platform market defined by strong network effects and high switching costs....
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- April 2012 (Revised October 2013)
- Supplement
eBay, Inc. and Amazon.com (B)
By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Anant Thaker
A decade after BusinessWeek declared the competitive battle between eBay, Inc., and Amazon.com "a defining moment for e-commerce," Amazon established itself as the leader. eBay must decide what strategy to use in order to regain the upper hand: maintain its current...
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- April 2012
- Teaching Note
eBay, Inc. and Amazon.com (TN) (A) and (B)
By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Anant Thaker