Amazon.Com - Swot Analysis
AMAZON.COM
SWOT ANALYSIS Amazon opened for business in 1995 as “Earth’s Biggest Bookstore.” Being an online retail site, Amazon has “virtually unlimited shelf space.” This is a strength of which Amazon takes full advantage. By means of this never-ending shelf space, there is an widespread variety of products available to Amazon’s customers. This is an essential characteristic of an e-commerce business. Another essential aspect is a customer friendly and efficient search and retrieval system. Amazon has mastered this aspect of e-commerce also. Amazon is a very customer focused company with a strong corporate culture. “Amazon’s motto for its employees is ‘work hard, have fun, make history (Turner, 08).” Its new distribution depot is called a “fulfillment center” and not a warehouse. This is probably its greatest strength. The customer focus of Amazon saturates through the company and it can be seen in every aspect of its business. Amazon provides a wide selection of merchandise to meet customer demand, low prices, the convenience of shopping online, and it personalizes shopping for each particular customer by recommending other products based on prior purchases by each buyer. A most important example of this customer focus and convenience is the new service introduced by Amazon called TextBuyIt. This feature allows customers to find and purchase products from the Amazon website through text message. “With today’s launch of TextBuyIt, any Amazon.com customer can now use any mobile device to shop and buy from Amazon.com at anytime, anywhere…send a text message to Amazon, reply to the response, confirm your order, and your item will be on its way,” said Howard Gefen, director of Amazon Mobile Payments (Techweb,
SWOT ANALYSIS Amazon opened for business in 1995 as “Earth’s Biggest Bookstore.” Being an online retail site, Amazon has “virtually unlimited shelf space.” This is a strength of which Amazon takes full advantage. By means of this never-ending shelf space, there is an widespread variety of products available to Amazon’s customers. This is an essential characteristic of an e-commerce business. Another essential aspect is a customer friendly and efficient search and retrieval system. Amazon has mastered this aspect of e-commerce also. Amazon is a very customer focused company with a strong corporate culture. “Amazon’s motto for its employees is ‘work hard, have fun, make history (Turner, 08).” Its new distribution depot is called a “fulfillment center” and not a warehouse. This is probably its greatest strength. The customer focus of Amazon saturates through the company and it can be seen in every aspect of its business. Amazon provides a wide selection of merchandise to meet customer demand, low prices, the convenience of shopping online, and it personalizes shopping for each particular customer by recommending other products based on prior purchases by each buyer. A most important example of this customer focus and convenience is the new service introduced by Amazon called TextBuyIt. This feature allows customers to find and purchase products from the Amazon website through text message. “With today’s launch of TextBuyIt, any Amazon.com customer can now use any mobile device to shop and buy from Amazon.com at anytime, anywhere…send a text message to Amazon, reply to the response, confirm your order, and your item will be on its way,” said Howard Gefen, director of Amazon Mobile Payments (Techweb,