Description
The expansion of globalization has led to the emergence of the digital economy. New concepts have emerged, such as electronic business (e-Business) or electronic commerce (e-Commerce), as the electronic alternative to the traditional way of doing business or trade.
Economy Transdisciplinarity Cognition
www.ugb.ro/etc
Vol. 15,
Issue 1/2012
25225!
E-Commerce across United States of America: Amazon.com
Andreea Nicoleta DONICI, PhD Student,
Andreea A!A, PhD Student,
Ale"andru Ioan Cuza Uni#ersit$ of Iasi, %OANIA
[email protected]
[email protected]
Ion I&NA', (i#iu-&eor)e A!A
Ale"andru Ioan Cuza Uni#ersit$ of Iasi, %OANIA
[email protected]
[email protected]
A*stract: Amazon.com has been during the time one of the most important leading force in e-
commerce. Although during the years, the company had to face ups and downs, it did not stop her to
become the most important pioneer in this industry. This article approaches the evolution of
Amazon.com from a PESTE, Porter!s five forces, a competitor analyze point of view, also an
internal analysis and a S"#T analysis. E-commerce has become a $ey driver of business success
nowadays
+e$,ords: electronic e-commerce, Amazon.com, technology, globalization
Introduction
T"e e#pansion o$ globali%ation "as led to t"e emergence o$ t"e digital economy. &ew concepts "a'e
emerged, suc" as electronic business (e)usiness* or electronic commerce (eCommerce*, as t"e electronic
alternati'e to t"e traditional way o$ doing business or trade. +perating in a "ig"ly competiti'e economy
based on in$ormation tec"nologies and telecommunication, re,uired $irms to adopt new business models.
-nder t"ese conditions, ecommerce became a reality in today.s business world and t"e prerogati'e o$
obtaining success in t"e mar/et $or any company.
Ecommerce "as /nown during t"e last decades a signi$icant growt", becoming more and more important $or
t"e companies worldwide. &owadays due to globali%ation, tec"nology is e'ol'ing at a 'ery $ast speed,
$orcing all t"e companies to adopt new tec"nologies. Ecommerce plays and it will play a /ey role in t"e
economy in t"e $uture, and more and more companies will "a'e to c"ange t"eir business strategies. 011
T"e ecommerce industry contains important retailers, e.g. 2ma%on.com and e)ay, in$ormation ser'ice
companies, e.g. 3oogle and 4a"oo, online 'ersions o$ traditional bric/andmortar stores. 021 In 2005
2ma%on was on top in w"at online ser'ice meant wit"6 7 website ser'ers, 82 million customers in 150
di$$erent countries, 900,000 associate programs lin/ed wit" 2ma%on or "a'ing contents o$ 2ma%on. 081
)ecause o$ "is tremendous importance in t"e ecommerce industry, 2ma%on "as t"e power to in$luence t"e
entire industry, but it can also be in$luenced.
1. Pestel Analysis
C"eaper access to internet, a growing number o$ internet users, $aster and better internet, rapid e#pansion
into new mar/ets t"roug" ac,uisitions, all o$ t"em represent t"e political and legal $actors t"at may, or may
not in$luence 2ma%an.com:s organi%ation. ;ence, 2ma%on.com is e#panding more and more abroad, and
t"at is w"y t"ey "a'e to pay attention to domestic and international legislation. +nce t"ey entered on a
$oreign mar/et, t"ey "a'e to accept and t"e respect t"e legislation o$ t"at country.
<rom an economic point o$ 'iew, because o$ t"e crisis se'erity companies li/e 2ma%on.com were $orced to
layo$$ employees and more t"an t"at e'en to downsi%e. 2s a reaction to all t"at, t"e unemployment rate
increased, w"ic" lead to a reduction in consumer spending. =oreo'er, during and a$ter t"e crisis companies
252
li/e 2ma%on.com "ad problems wit" t"e s"ipping costs because o$ t"e oil price increased. <or companies
li/e 2ma%on.com or e)ay t"e s"ipping costs are 'ital, gi'en t"e $act t"at t"ey cannot a'oid dealing wit"
t"em.
T"e social $actors also put t"eir mar/ on companies $rom t"e ecommerce industry. <igure 1 underlines
t"at t"e population t"at uses internet "as grown at a 'ery $ast speed in recent years. Clearly t"e population
will continue to increase, and t"at means t"at more and more people will use internet, w"ic" will lead to an
increased c"ance $or online s"opping. T"is e#ponential population growt" is good $or all t"e industry, "ence
t"e bigger mar/ets.
Figure 1. Growth of world internet users, 2000 – 2011 !"
<igure 2 s"ows t"e number o$ internet users, 2sia being on top wit" 922, 8 million users. -nited >tates o$
2merica is on 8
rd
place wit" 2?2, 1 million users, and it is also t"e region w"ere people are li/ely to trust
more ecommerce. T"e problem o$ con$idence in online s"opping is one o$ t"e most se'ere, consumers
"a'ing doubts about t"e security o$ t"eir acti'ities online.
Figure 2. Internet #sers in the $orld, %y geogra&hic regions, millions of users in 2011 !"
2s we can see, t"e number o$ Internet users increased, mostly because customers started to use it on t"eir
mobile de'ices.
Technology is one o$ t"e most important $actors in ecommerce industry, and "as and it will c"ange and
impro'e in t"e $uture. 2s we can see, t"e number o$ Internet users increased and will increase $urt"ermore,
because customers started to use it on t"eir mobile de'ices. 051
Environmental $actors are concerned wit" t"e @green worldA. =ore and more companies "a'e started to "a'e
a personal signature, li/e @Please consider the environment before printingA w"en sending emails. 2not"er
e#ample o$ en'ironmental $actors is t"e diminis"ing car use, because w"ile t"ey s"op online t"ey do not
need to use t"eir cars anymore.
2. Porter's Fi(e Forces
2ma%on.com deli'ers 'arious products and ser'ices ranging $rom accessories, s"oes, "ealt" and personal
care, $rom electronics to boo/sB under new, re$urbis"ed and used items categories. T"ere are greater number
253
o$ distributors, publis"ers and manu$acturers t"at supply 2ma%on, "ence 2ma%on "as more supply options
and c"oicesB and t"is gi'es t"e company more control o'er its suppliers.
2ma%onCs purc"ases $rom its suppliers represent a good part o$ t"e suppliersC o$$er, w"ic" means t"at t"e
company "as more power and in$luence on costs and in$luence on impro'ing t"e $eatures o$ t"e products.
=oreo'er, because o$ t"e "ig"ly trained e#perts in t"e departments o$ de'elopment, mar/et researc" and
mar/eting, 2ma%on is well in$ormed about t"e suppliers mar/et. T"ere$ore, 2ma%on "as more power o'er
t"e suppliers. &e'ert"eless, t"ere is always a possibility t"at 2ma%onCs /ey pro'iders mig"t indi'idually or
as an allied enter into t"e business and sell directly to 2ma%onCs customers, becoming t"ereby a direct
player.
2ma%on.com "as enoug" customers around t"e world, and t"e lost o$ one customer does not a$$ect t"e
smoot" running o$ t"e company. 2ma%on stands as one of the biggest concentration of goods and services
w"ere customers can buy anyt"ing t"ey want online and at a reasonable price. T"e company tends to
decrease t"e power surplus o$ t"e purc"asers in in'esting more e$$ort w"en negotiating $or a lower price or to
enric" product $eatures. ;ence, i$ 2ma%onCs customers are satis$ied wit" t"e ser'ices t"ey recei'e, t"ey will
less probably switc" to ot"er products. &e'ert"eless, it is possible t"at t"e maDor buyers could integrate
bac/ward in t"e supply c"ain, and purc"ase one o$ t"e growing competitors in t"e ecommerce industry and
t"is could constitute a t"reat to 2ma%on.
T"e t"reat o$ new entrants "as interesting twist in t"e ecommerce business. T"ere are a lot o$ $irms t"at are
trying to enter t"e industryB but in a $ast tec"nologically dri'en industry, t"e company wit" best tec"nology
gets t"e lionCs s"are. 2ma%onCs strategy is $ocused on customer ser'ice inno'ation w"ic" is designed to
impro'e t"e con'enience o$ online s"opping e#perience. 2ma%on in'ests "ea'ily on t"e best tec"nology in
order to /eep on climbing on t"e ladder o$ success wit"in ecommerce industry.
=oreo'er, trademar/ is $undamental w"en competing wit"in any industry. 2ma%on "as built a "ig" le'el o$
brand standard, and because o$ t"at a greater percentage o$ its customers are loyal to t"em. E'en i$, new
competitors enter into t"e business wit" similar and identical products, t"ey will $ace a tremendous contest to
win o'er 2ma%onCs loyal customers.
+ne o$ t"e maDor substitutes to t"e goods and ser'ices pro'ided by 2ma%on will be boo/s"ops, electronic
s"ops, accessories s"ops, "ealt" and personal care s"ops t"at are p"ysically located in di$$erent cities. +nline
s"opping o$$ers among ot"er t"ings6 25/? ser'ices, one clic/ and trustwort"y deli'ery and most o$ t"e case at
lower prices at a "ig" ,ualitati'e le'el, t"ere$ore t"e t"reat o$ substitute is insigni$icant.
Competition is t"e bottom o$ t"e $ree enterprise structure, and wit"in t"e ecommerce industry, t"ere is
greater number o$ players and t"is ma/es t"e competition more intense $or 2ma%on. Eit" $irm li/e e)ay,
2ma%on.com tries to remain a pioneer in t"e ecommerce industry. 2ma%on will not $ace serious c"allenge
in t"e nearest $uture, since t"e industry is not stagnant or declining, but it is possible t"at t"e growt" rate o$
competitors may e#ceed t"at o$ t"e company.
). *om&etitor Analysis
In 2005, 2ma%on.com "ad de$ined $our di$$erent types o$ competitors6 bric/ and mortar retailers, online e
commerce companies and indirect companies. 07, 7801 Fue to t"e s"i$t o$ 2ma%on:s interest, t"e company
"as become t"e largest online s"op. <urt"ermore, competitors li/e e)ay, nowadays t"e biggest online
auction, "a'e increased t"eir mar/et s"are. To enter an ecommerce mar/et "as become easier, because o$
t"e low entry prices and because t"e business costs caused t"ousands o$ small and medium si%ed companies
to establis" t"eir own internet s"op. =oreo'er, p"ysical retailers suc" as Eal=art are using nowadays t"e
internet as a distributing c"annel $or t"eir products.
%irect competitors stand in a direct competition wit" 2ma%onCs core business acti'ity, wit" t"e company
business model and t"e product line, e.g. )orders and )arnes G &oble, @now most maDor bric/ andmortar
retail c"ains maintain an online presence, placing retail c"ains li/e )arnes G&oble and )orders in direct
competition wit" 2ma%on and e)ayA. 0?1 T"e second largest ecommerce retailer a$ter 2ma%on is 3ermany.s
+tto 3roup. T"e two companies were not direct competitors at t"e beginning, as 2ma%on was $irst and
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$oremost a media products retailer $ocused on &ort" 2merica, +tto mainly sold clot"es across western
European mar/ets. ;owe'er, t"e e#pansion strategies "a'e made t"e two companies to become direct
competitors across a wide range o$ goods, suc" as s"oes, consumer electronics and media products, bot"
being present in t"e Eestern European mar/et. )ot", 2ma%on and +tto, compete against eac" ot"er in t"e
-nited >tates o$ 2merica, w"ere +tto "as a signi$icant presence wit" Crate G )arrel, albeit wit" a larger
presence in p"ysically t"an online s"opping.
Hecently, e)ay "as become t"e most important competitor o$ 2ma%on.com e'en i$ t"e business model is
di$$erent, t"e customer base and products are o'erlapping. T"e e)ay ad'antage is t"at t"is company does not
stoc/ t"e goods and be"a'es as a bro/er $or buyers and sellersB wit" bot" models "a'ing ad'antages and
disad'antages. E.g.6 2ma%on "as a plus wit" t"e customer support, t"e usability, t"e lower prices, and t"e
se'eral payment met"ods, and e)ay "as wider range o$ product, pro'ides a solid distribution c"annel $or
indi'iduals and small businesses.
&ndirect 'ompetitors do not stand in a direct competition wit" 2ma%on, e.g.6 3oogle (worldCs library and
as t"e worldCs $uture source $or all 'ideo content* or 2pple (t"e most inno'ati'e company wit" iI"one app
and wit" its distribution system, iTunes*. 3oogle is t"e clear leader in searc" tec"nology and dri'es t"at
business wit" a multitude o$ popular media ser'ices including6 4ouTube, 3oogle Focs, and 3oogle )oo/s,
@T"e giants in t"is category, suc" as 3oogle, continue to t"ri'e as ad'ertisers see/ to place targeted ads
be$ore millions on Internet sur$ers.A 0?1 T"ese companies along wit" 2ma%on are an important part o$ t"e
Eeb and media, and t"ey will s"ape t"e web by o$$ering new ways o$ customer e#perience in t"e digital
world. In order to compete wit" 3oogle and 2pple, 2ma%on.com must strongly in'est into new tec"nologies
and continue to grow, and /eep up wit" inno'ati'e competitors. T"e problem t"at 2ma%on.com will
encounter in t"e ne#t years is t"e one concerning t"e digitali%ation o$ printing media. T"e time o$ paper boo/
is coming slowly to an end, undermining 2ma%onCs core products. 3oogle is in'esting a lot into
digitali%ation o$ media, and 2pple is deli'ering t"e rig"t "ardware $or t"e new eboo/s. 0!1
!. Internal Analysis
2ma%on.com is in a constant need $or tec"nological inno'ations in order to satis$y customersC needsB
t"ere$ore t"e company de'eloped its own stateo$t"eart so$tware tec"nology, its main competiti'e
ad'antage, w"ic" allowed t"e company to implement an e$$icient customer relations"ip management by
trac/ing customer buying be"a'ior and allowed t"em to ma/e recommendations on similar products, w"ic" a
customer mig"t want to buy t"roug" user recognition. ;ence, t"e user recognition $unction not only assists
customers in t"eir buying decision, but also increases t"e occurrence o$ up or crossbuying, w"ic" adds to
t"e companyCs o'erall pro$itability.
)esides pro'iding a modern in$ormation tec"nology system, w"ic" $acilitates t"e searc" acti'ity o$
customers w"en loo/ing $or t"e rig"t product, 2ma%on.com o$$ers a broad range o$ di$$erent products. >ince
its beginning, 2ma%on.com added categories, suc" as Dewelry or clot"ing, and nowadays o$$ers almost any
product by itsel$ or t"roug" a t"irdparty seller. T"is "uge di'ersity o$ products underlines its ad'antage o'er
traditional retailers w"ic" can only o$$er a limited number o$ products due to t"e limited p"ysical space in
stores.
In spite o$ all, 2ma%on.com "as one o$ t"e most 'aluable brands in t"e world, w"ic" re$lects t"e "ig"
awareness o$ customers about 2ma%on.com. E'en in mar/ets w"ere 2ma%on.com was $acing impediments
restricting t"e mar/et access, suc" as C"ina, t"e company managed to obtain an important mar/et s"are
t"roug" t"e ac,uisition o$ Joyo.com, C"ina.s leading online retailer o$ boo/s and 'ideos.
=oreo'er, 2ma%on.com "as access to a "ig"ly comple# networ/ o$ suppliers and distributors. 2lt"oug" t"e
company owns some storage centers, t"e maDority o$ t"e products are based on timelydeli'ery contracts wit"
e#ternal producers. <urt"ermore, t"e distribution and s"ipping o$ t"e products is done troug" e#ternal
contractors (e.g.6 F;K*, ma/ing possible t"at t"e o'er"ead costs o$ 2ma%on.com to be 'ery low, and gi'es
t"e company an ad'antage cost o'er traditional retailers, 2ma%on.com being able to sell its products at a
lower and more competiti'e price.
255
2lt"oug" 2ma%on.com contracted e#ternal companies $or most o$ t"eir $unctions, t"e company still re,uires
sta$$ $or customer ser'ice and "ig"ly s/illed wor/$orce $or de'eloping stateo$t"eart in$ormation
tec"nology.
Figure ). +o& ,00 ran-s %usiness.to.consumer retailers in the #./. and *anada – 2011
01ased on online sales2 3"
,. /wot Analysis
Furing t"e dotcombubble 1995 2000, 2ma%on.com was one o$ t"e well /nown brands around t"e world
and t"at o$$ered t"e company a $irstmo'er ad'antage in t"e onlineretail industry. 0101 T"is ad'antage ga'e
t"e company t"e c"ance to grow a large customer base, w"ic" made possible t"e global accessibility o$ t"e
company t"roug" 'arious di$$erent websites w"ic" made it possible to de$end current mar/et position and to
e#pand e'en $urt"er.
<urt"ermore, t"e company pays muc" more attention w"en comes to c"oosing its suppliers and distributors
by entering into longterm strategic partners"ips or logistic alliances, w"ic" allows 2ma%on.com to o$$er a
wide range o$ products $rom di$$erent suppliers wit"out "a'ing concerns about stoc/ing, t"ere$ore costs can
be "eld at a 'ery low le'el. 2ma%on.com does not limit its strategic partners"ips to suppliers and distributors,
but also engages in alliances wit" ot"er institutions, li/e ban/s t"at o$$er 2ma%on a credit card w"ic" also
adds 'alue to customer relations, as part o$ t"e company.s loyalty program.
2ma%on.com.s in$ormation tec"nology system ma/es t"e di$$erence between t"em and ot"er competitors,
being one o$ t"e $irst to "a'e an ITsystem operating, w"ic" $ul$illed an important part o$ all customer
relations"ip management tas/s. T"roug" t"e system.s $unctions o$ user recognition and o$ recording
consumer be"a'ior, 2ma%on.com managed to increase sales only by ma/ing indi'idually $itting
recommendations and by installing an easytouse website, w"ic" ga'e access to indi'iduals wit" little or no
/nowledge o$ computers to order products online, @2ma%on gained tremendous popularity t"roug" its ease
o$ use and selection, and "eralded t"e important role o$ ecommerce in t"e -.>A 0111. 2lt"oug" t"e abo'e
mentioned o'er"ead or $i#ed costs are generally low, it too/ some time $or t"e company to reco'er t"e initial
in'estments into tec"nology de'elopment. )ecause o$ t"e ad'anced tec"nology t"at 2ma%on uses, t"e
company re,uires continuous training o$ so$tware engineers, engineers t"at add additional and inno'ati'e
tools to t"e website. 012, 21 =oreo'er, 2ma%on.com is constantly employing "ig"ly s/illed employees $or
'arious lu#ury products, suc" as Dewelry and diamonds. 07, 7851
256
Fespite all t"e strengt"s t"at 2ma%on.com possesses, t"ere also e#ist wea/nesses, e.g.6 t"e dependence on
e#ternal contractors and ontime deli'ery o$ t"e re,uired items in order to s"ip t"e products to t"e $inal
customer on time. )ecause 2ma%on.com is dependent on e#ternal contractor, s"ipping is e#ecuted by a t"ird
party. <urt"ermore, because t"e company o$$ers $ree s"ipping, ser'ice appreciate it by all t"e customers, it
costs t"e company millions o$ dollars per year, and reduces t"e o'erall pro$itability.
+n t"e ot"er "and, also t"e "ig"ly de'eloped in$ormation tec"nology creates problems as t"e company "ad
di$$iculties be$ore, wit" customers t"at were unable to access t"e website, problem t"at may determine
customers to stop accessing and s"op on t"e company.s website, w"ic" can cause a drop in sales or a bigger
loss o$ customers.
T"e s"ort "istory o$ t"e company may be considered also a wea/ness, because especially in times o$
economic crisis, $amous companies wit" a long "istory, suc" as Eal=art, mig"t be in an ad'antageous
position because t"ey already learned $rom past e#periences "ow to act in certain situations.
F456*A/+ I7 6.*48865*6
Figure !. #/ 8.*ommerce /ales 2010 – 201, 3"
>ales stemming $rom mobile de'ices accounted $or only 8,5 bilion dollars in 2010, but are proDected to grow
to 81,0 billion dollars in 2015, according to researc" $irm e=ar/eter Inc.
Figure ,. #/ social commerce sales, 2011 – 201, 3"
>ales o$ p"ysical goods t"roug" online social networ/s will grow by 98L per year in t"e ->, reac"ing M15
billion by 2015, predicts researc" and consulting $irm )oo%GCo. 2 )oo% sur'ey in 2010 $ound 2?L o$
s"oopers were willing to buy t"roug" social media.
257
*onclusions
<or companies $rom ecommerce industry, t"ere are a lot o$ business opportunities in t"e de'eloping
countries. <or instance t"e East and Centre European countries Doined or are about to Doin t"e European
-nionB or t"e )HIC countries )ra%il, Hussia, India, C"ina, w"ic" are considered as t"e $astest growing
mar/et, and 2ma%on.com s"ould enter or in'est "ea'ily into t"ese countries. T"e 2ma%on.com brand, build
up in t"e last decade "as a positi'e e$$ect on customer trust, t"e ,uality o$ t"e products t"ey purc"ase $rom
2ma%on.com is standardi%ed, so t"ey can trust t"e company. 2nd 2ma%onsC strong logistic alliance ensures
t"at t"e company can deli'er its products $ast and sa$e to t"e new customers.
2s one o$ t"e main pioneer o$ t"e global economy, electronic ecommerce c"anged t"e process o$ t"e global
business, increasing t"e logistic e$$iciency and $acilitating t"e ac,uisition, t"e sale and t"e promotion o$
goods. In a similar way, ecommerce "elped million o$ consumers t"roug" decreased prices, "ig"
competition, orders and $ast s"ipping. )ig and small companies $rom multiple industries depend on e
commerce applications in order to sur'i'e and to compete in local, nationals and global economies. T"ese
companies use emails in order to communicate wit" consumers and suppliers, and websites $or ad'ertising,
processing and establis"ing electronic transactions.
E'ery "al$ year t"ere are suc" important c"anges in tec"nology t"at it is impossible to anticipate w"at will
"appen in t"e ne#t ten years. Ecommerce "as become in recent years a way o$ sale/purc"ase o$ goods and
ser'ices. Furing t"e time t"at ecommerce ad'anced muc" $aster in de'eloped countries, t"e companies $rom
de'eloping countries started to use also ecommerce to impro'e t"eir business and to start new ones. E
commerce will continue to c"ange business on a global le'el, regardless t"e geograp"y, se#, et"nicity and
nationality.
Ac-nowledgements6 T"is wor/ recei'ed $inancial support t"roug" t"e proDect @IostFoctoral >tudies in Economics6
continuous training program $or elite researc"ers >I+FEA, contract no. I+>FH-/!9/1.5/>/71?55, $inanced by t"e
European >ocial <und in Homania t"roug" t"e >ector +perational Irogram (uman )esources %evelopment 200?2018.
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doc_380585671.pdf
The expansion of globalization has led to the emergence of the digital economy. New concepts have emerged, such as electronic business (e-Business) or electronic commerce (e-Commerce), as the electronic alternative to the traditional way of doing business or trade.
Economy Transdisciplinarity Cognition
www.ugb.ro/etc
Vol. 15,
Issue 1/2012
25225!
E-Commerce across United States of America: Amazon.com
Andreea Nicoleta DONICI, PhD Student,
Andreea A!A, PhD Student,
Ale"andru Ioan Cuza Uni#ersit$ of Iasi, %OANIA
[email protected]
[email protected]
Ion I&NA', (i#iu-&eor)e A!A
Ale"andru Ioan Cuza Uni#ersit$ of Iasi, %OANIA
[email protected]
[email protected]
A*stract: Amazon.com has been during the time one of the most important leading force in e-
commerce. Although during the years, the company had to face ups and downs, it did not stop her to
become the most important pioneer in this industry. This article approaches the evolution of
Amazon.com from a PESTE, Porter!s five forces, a competitor analyze point of view, also an
internal analysis and a S"#T analysis. E-commerce has become a $ey driver of business success
nowadays
+e$,ords: electronic e-commerce, Amazon.com, technology, globalization
Introduction
T"e e#pansion o$ globali%ation "as led to t"e emergence o$ t"e digital economy. &ew concepts "a'e
emerged, suc" as electronic business (e)usiness* or electronic commerce (eCommerce*, as t"e electronic
alternati'e to t"e traditional way o$ doing business or trade. +perating in a "ig"ly competiti'e economy
based on in$ormation tec"nologies and telecommunication, re,uired $irms to adopt new business models.
-nder t"ese conditions, ecommerce became a reality in today.s business world and t"e prerogati'e o$
obtaining success in t"e mar/et $or any company.
Ecommerce "as /nown during t"e last decades a signi$icant growt", becoming more and more important $or
t"e companies worldwide. &owadays due to globali%ation, tec"nology is e'ol'ing at a 'ery $ast speed,
$orcing all t"e companies to adopt new tec"nologies. Ecommerce plays and it will play a /ey role in t"e
economy in t"e $uture, and more and more companies will "a'e to c"ange t"eir business strategies. 011
T"e ecommerce industry contains important retailers, e.g. 2ma%on.com and e)ay, in$ormation ser'ice
companies, e.g. 3oogle and 4a"oo, online 'ersions o$ traditional bric/andmortar stores. 021 In 2005
2ma%on was on top in w"at online ser'ice meant wit"6 7 website ser'ers, 82 million customers in 150
di$$erent countries, 900,000 associate programs lin/ed wit" 2ma%on or "a'ing contents o$ 2ma%on. 081
)ecause o$ "is tremendous importance in t"e ecommerce industry, 2ma%on "as t"e power to in$luence t"e
entire industry, but it can also be in$luenced.
1. Pestel Analysis
C"eaper access to internet, a growing number o$ internet users, $aster and better internet, rapid e#pansion
into new mar/ets t"roug" ac,uisitions, all o$ t"em represent t"e political and legal $actors t"at may, or may
not in$luence 2ma%an.com:s organi%ation. ;ence, 2ma%on.com is e#panding more and more abroad, and
t"at is w"y t"ey "a'e to pay attention to domestic and international legislation. +nce t"ey entered on a
$oreign mar/et, t"ey "a'e to accept and t"e respect t"e legislation o$ t"at country.
<rom an economic point o$ 'iew, because o$ t"e crisis se'erity companies li/e 2ma%on.com were $orced to
layo$$ employees and more t"an t"at e'en to downsi%e. 2s a reaction to all t"at, t"e unemployment rate
increased, w"ic" lead to a reduction in consumer spending. =oreo'er, during and a$ter t"e crisis companies
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li/e 2ma%on.com "ad problems wit" t"e s"ipping costs because o$ t"e oil price increased. <or companies
li/e 2ma%on.com or e)ay t"e s"ipping costs are 'ital, gi'en t"e $act t"at t"ey cannot a'oid dealing wit"
t"em.
T"e social $actors also put t"eir mar/ on companies $rom t"e ecommerce industry. <igure 1 underlines
t"at t"e population t"at uses internet "as grown at a 'ery $ast speed in recent years. Clearly t"e population
will continue to increase, and t"at means t"at more and more people will use internet, w"ic" will lead to an
increased c"ance $or online s"opping. T"is e#ponential population growt" is good $or all t"e industry, "ence
t"e bigger mar/ets.
Figure 1. Growth of world internet users, 2000 – 2011 !"
<igure 2 s"ows t"e number o$ internet users, 2sia being on top wit" 922, 8 million users. -nited >tates o$
2merica is on 8
rd
place wit" 2?2, 1 million users, and it is also t"e region w"ere people are li/ely to trust
more ecommerce. T"e problem o$ con$idence in online s"opping is one o$ t"e most se'ere, consumers
"a'ing doubts about t"e security o$ t"eir acti'ities online.
Figure 2. Internet #sers in the $orld, %y geogra&hic regions, millions of users in 2011 !"
2s we can see, t"e number o$ Internet users increased, mostly because customers started to use it on t"eir
mobile de'ices.
Technology is one o$ t"e most important $actors in ecommerce industry, and "as and it will c"ange and
impro'e in t"e $uture. 2s we can see, t"e number o$ Internet users increased and will increase $urt"ermore,
because customers started to use it on t"eir mobile de'ices. 051
Environmental $actors are concerned wit" t"e @green worldA. =ore and more companies "a'e started to "a'e
a personal signature, li/e @Please consider the environment before printingA w"en sending emails. 2not"er
e#ample o$ en'ironmental $actors is t"e diminis"ing car use, because w"ile t"ey s"op online t"ey do not
need to use t"eir cars anymore.
2. Porter's Fi(e Forces
2ma%on.com deli'ers 'arious products and ser'ices ranging $rom accessories, s"oes, "ealt" and personal
care, $rom electronics to boo/sB under new, re$urbis"ed and used items categories. T"ere are greater number
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o$ distributors, publis"ers and manu$acturers t"at supply 2ma%on, "ence 2ma%on "as more supply options
and c"oicesB and t"is gi'es t"e company more control o'er its suppliers.
2ma%onCs purc"ases $rom its suppliers represent a good part o$ t"e suppliersC o$$er, w"ic" means t"at t"e
company "as more power and in$luence on costs and in$luence on impro'ing t"e $eatures o$ t"e products.
=oreo'er, because o$ t"e "ig"ly trained e#perts in t"e departments o$ de'elopment, mar/et researc" and
mar/eting, 2ma%on is well in$ormed about t"e suppliers mar/et. T"ere$ore, 2ma%on "as more power o'er
t"e suppliers. &e'ert"eless, t"ere is always a possibility t"at 2ma%onCs /ey pro'iders mig"t indi'idually or
as an allied enter into t"e business and sell directly to 2ma%onCs customers, becoming t"ereby a direct
player.
2ma%on.com "as enoug" customers around t"e world, and t"e lost o$ one customer does not a$$ect t"e
smoot" running o$ t"e company. 2ma%on stands as one of the biggest concentration of goods and services
w"ere customers can buy anyt"ing t"ey want online and at a reasonable price. T"e company tends to
decrease t"e power surplus o$ t"e purc"asers in in'esting more e$$ort w"en negotiating $or a lower price or to
enric" product $eatures. ;ence, i$ 2ma%onCs customers are satis$ied wit" t"e ser'ices t"ey recei'e, t"ey will
less probably switc" to ot"er products. &e'ert"eless, it is possible t"at t"e maDor buyers could integrate
bac/ward in t"e supply c"ain, and purc"ase one o$ t"e growing competitors in t"e ecommerce industry and
t"is could constitute a t"reat to 2ma%on.
T"e t"reat o$ new entrants "as interesting twist in t"e ecommerce business. T"ere are a lot o$ $irms t"at are
trying to enter t"e industryB but in a $ast tec"nologically dri'en industry, t"e company wit" best tec"nology
gets t"e lionCs s"are. 2ma%onCs strategy is $ocused on customer ser'ice inno'ation w"ic" is designed to
impro'e t"e con'enience o$ online s"opping e#perience. 2ma%on in'ests "ea'ily on t"e best tec"nology in
order to /eep on climbing on t"e ladder o$ success wit"in ecommerce industry.
=oreo'er, trademar/ is $undamental w"en competing wit"in any industry. 2ma%on "as built a "ig" le'el o$
brand standard, and because o$ t"at a greater percentage o$ its customers are loyal to t"em. E'en i$, new
competitors enter into t"e business wit" similar and identical products, t"ey will $ace a tremendous contest to
win o'er 2ma%onCs loyal customers.
+ne o$ t"e maDor substitutes to t"e goods and ser'ices pro'ided by 2ma%on will be boo/s"ops, electronic
s"ops, accessories s"ops, "ealt" and personal care s"ops t"at are p"ysically located in di$$erent cities. +nline
s"opping o$$ers among ot"er t"ings6 25/? ser'ices, one clic/ and trustwort"y deli'ery and most o$ t"e case at
lower prices at a "ig" ,ualitati'e le'el, t"ere$ore t"e t"reat o$ substitute is insigni$icant.
Competition is t"e bottom o$ t"e $ree enterprise structure, and wit"in t"e ecommerce industry, t"ere is
greater number o$ players and t"is ma/es t"e competition more intense $or 2ma%on. Eit" $irm li/e e)ay,
2ma%on.com tries to remain a pioneer in t"e ecommerce industry. 2ma%on will not $ace serious c"allenge
in t"e nearest $uture, since t"e industry is not stagnant or declining, but it is possible t"at t"e growt" rate o$
competitors may e#ceed t"at o$ t"e company.
). *om&etitor Analysis
In 2005, 2ma%on.com "ad de$ined $our di$$erent types o$ competitors6 bric/ and mortar retailers, online e
commerce companies and indirect companies. 07, 7801 Fue to t"e s"i$t o$ 2ma%on:s interest, t"e company
"as become t"e largest online s"op. <urt"ermore, competitors li/e e)ay, nowadays t"e biggest online
auction, "a'e increased t"eir mar/et s"are. To enter an ecommerce mar/et "as become easier, because o$
t"e low entry prices and because t"e business costs caused t"ousands o$ small and medium si%ed companies
to establis" t"eir own internet s"op. =oreo'er, p"ysical retailers suc" as Eal=art are using nowadays t"e
internet as a distributing c"annel $or t"eir products.
%irect competitors stand in a direct competition wit" 2ma%onCs core business acti'ity, wit" t"e company
business model and t"e product line, e.g. )orders and )arnes G &oble, @now most maDor bric/ andmortar
retail c"ains maintain an online presence, placing retail c"ains li/e )arnes G&oble and )orders in direct
competition wit" 2ma%on and e)ayA. 0?1 T"e second largest ecommerce retailer a$ter 2ma%on is 3ermany.s
+tto 3roup. T"e two companies were not direct competitors at t"e beginning, as 2ma%on was $irst and
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$oremost a media products retailer $ocused on &ort" 2merica, +tto mainly sold clot"es across western
European mar/ets. ;owe'er, t"e e#pansion strategies "a'e made t"e two companies to become direct
competitors across a wide range o$ goods, suc" as s"oes, consumer electronics and media products, bot"
being present in t"e Eestern European mar/et. )ot", 2ma%on and +tto, compete against eac" ot"er in t"e
-nited >tates o$ 2merica, w"ere +tto "as a signi$icant presence wit" Crate G )arrel, albeit wit" a larger
presence in p"ysically t"an online s"opping.
Hecently, e)ay "as become t"e most important competitor o$ 2ma%on.com e'en i$ t"e business model is
di$$erent, t"e customer base and products are o'erlapping. T"e e)ay ad'antage is t"at t"is company does not
stoc/ t"e goods and be"a'es as a bro/er $or buyers and sellersB wit" bot" models "a'ing ad'antages and
disad'antages. E.g.6 2ma%on "as a plus wit" t"e customer support, t"e usability, t"e lower prices, and t"e
se'eral payment met"ods, and e)ay "as wider range o$ product, pro'ides a solid distribution c"annel $or
indi'iduals and small businesses.
&ndirect 'ompetitors do not stand in a direct competition wit" 2ma%on, e.g.6 3oogle (worldCs library and
as t"e worldCs $uture source $or all 'ideo content* or 2pple (t"e most inno'ati'e company wit" iI"one app
and wit" its distribution system, iTunes*. 3oogle is t"e clear leader in searc" tec"nology and dri'es t"at
business wit" a multitude o$ popular media ser'ices including6 4ouTube, 3oogle Focs, and 3oogle )oo/s,
@T"e giants in t"is category, suc" as 3oogle, continue to t"ri'e as ad'ertisers see/ to place targeted ads
be$ore millions on Internet sur$ers.A 0?1 T"ese companies along wit" 2ma%on are an important part o$ t"e
Eeb and media, and t"ey will s"ape t"e web by o$$ering new ways o$ customer e#perience in t"e digital
world. In order to compete wit" 3oogle and 2pple, 2ma%on.com must strongly in'est into new tec"nologies
and continue to grow, and /eep up wit" inno'ati'e competitors. T"e problem t"at 2ma%on.com will
encounter in t"e ne#t years is t"e one concerning t"e digitali%ation o$ printing media. T"e time o$ paper boo/
is coming slowly to an end, undermining 2ma%onCs core products. 3oogle is in'esting a lot into
digitali%ation o$ media, and 2pple is deli'ering t"e rig"t "ardware $or t"e new eboo/s. 0!1
!. Internal Analysis
2ma%on.com is in a constant need $or tec"nological inno'ations in order to satis$y customersC needsB
t"ere$ore t"e company de'eloped its own stateo$t"eart so$tware tec"nology, its main competiti'e
ad'antage, w"ic" allowed t"e company to implement an e$$icient customer relations"ip management by
trac/ing customer buying be"a'ior and allowed t"em to ma/e recommendations on similar products, w"ic" a
customer mig"t want to buy t"roug" user recognition. ;ence, t"e user recognition $unction not only assists
customers in t"eir buying decision, but also increases t"e occurrence o$ up or crossbuying, w"ic" adds to
t"e companyCs o'erall pro$itability.
)esides pro'iding a modern in$ormation tec"nology system, w"ic" $acilitates t"e searc" acti'ity o$
customers w"en loo/ing $or t"e rig"t product, 2ma%on.com o$$ers a broad range o$ di$$erent products. >ince
its beginning, 2ma%on.com added categories, suc" as Dewelry or clot"ing, and nowadays o$$ers almost any
product by itsel$ or t"roug" a t"irdparty seller. T"is "uge di'ersity o$ products underlines its ad'antage o'er
traditional retailers w"ic" can only o$$er a limited number o$ products due to t"e limited p"ysical space in
stores.
In spite o$ all, 2ma%on.com "as one o$ t"e most 'aluable brands in t"e world, w"ic" re$lects t"e "ig"
awareness o$ customers about 2ma%on.com. E'en in mar/ets w"ere 2ma%on.com was $acing impediments
restricting t"e mar/et access, suc" as C"ina, t"e company managed to obtain an important mar/et s"are
t"roug" t"e ac,uisition o$ Joyo.com, C"ina.s leading online retailer o$ boo/s and 'ideos.
=oreo'er, 2ma%on.com "as access to a "ig"ly comple# networ/ o$ suppliers and distributors. 2lt"oug" t"e
company owns some storage centers, t"e maDority o$ t"e products are based on timelydeli'ery contracts wit"
e#ternal producers. <urt"ermore, t"e distribution and s"ipping o$ t"e products is done troug" e#ternal
contractors (e.g.6 F;K*, ma/ing possible t"at t"e o'er"ead costs o$ 2ma%on.com to be 'ery low, and gi'es
t"e company an ad'antage cost o'er traditional retailers, 2ma%on.com being able to sell its products at a
lower and more competiti'e price.
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2lt"oug" 2ma%on.com contracted e#ternal companies $or most o$ t"eir $unctions, t"e company still re,uires
sta$$ $or customer ser'ice and "ig"ly s/illed wor/$orce $or de'eloping stateo$t"eart in$ormation
tec"nology.
Figure ). +o& ,00 ran-s %usiness.to.consumer retailers in the #./. and *anada – 2011
01ased on online sales2 3"
,. /wot Analysis
Furing t"e dotcombubble 1995 2000, 2ma%on.com was one o$ t"e well /nown brands around t"e world
and t"at o$$ered t"e company a $irstmo'er ad'antage in t"e onlineretail industry. 0101 T"is ad'antage ga'e
t"e company t"e c"ance to grow a large customer base, w"ic" made possible t"e global accessibility o$ t"e
company t"roug" 'arious di$$erent websites w"ic" made it possible to de$end current mar/et position and to
e#pand e'en $urt"er.
<urt"ermore, t"e company pays muc" more attention w"en comes to c"oosing its suppliers and distributors
by entering into longterm strategic partners"ips or logistic alliances, w"ic" allows 2ma%on.com to o$$er a
wide range o$ products $rom di$$erent suppliers wit"out "a'ing concerns about stoc/ing, t"ere$ore costs can
be "eld at a 'ery low le'el. 2ma%on.com does not limit its strategic partners"ips to suppliers and distributors,
but also engages in alliances wit" ot"er institutions, li/e ban/s t"at o$$er 2ma%on a credit card w"ic" also
adds 'alue to customer relations, as part o$ t"e company.s loyalty program.
2ma%on.com.s in$ormation tec"nology system ma/es t"e di$$erence between t"em and ot"er competitors,
being one o$ t"e $irst to "a'e an ITsystem operating, w"ic" $ul$illed an important part o$ all customer
relations"ip management tas/s. T"roug" t"e system.s $unctions o$ user recognition and o$ recording
consumer be"a'ior, 2ma%on.com managed to increase sales only by ma/ing indi'idually $itting
recommendations and by installing an easytouse website, w"ic" ga'e access to indi'iduals wit" little or no
/nowledge o$ computers to order products online, @2ma%on gained tremendous popularity t"roug" its ease
o$ use and selection, and "eralded t"e important role o$ ecommerce in t"e -.>A 0111. 2lt"oug" t"e abo'e
mentioned o'er"ead or $i#ed costs are generally low, it too/ some time $or t"e company to reco'er t"e initial
in'estments into tec"nology de'elopment. )ecause o$ t"e ad'anced tec"nology t"at 2ma%on uses, t"e
company re,uires continuous training o$ so$tware engineers, engineers t"at add additional and inno'ati'e
tools to t"e website. 012, 21 =oreo'er, 2ma%on.com is constantly employing "ig"ly s/illed employees $or
'arious lu#ury products, suc" as Dewelry and diamonds. 07, 7851
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Fespite all t"e strengt"s t"at 2ma%on.com possesses, t"ere also e#ist wea/nesses, e.g.6 t"e dependence on
e#ternal contractors and ontime deli'ery o$ t"e re,uired items in order to s"ip t"e products to t"e $inal
customer on time. )ecause 2ma%on.com is dependent on e#ternal contractor, s"ipping is e#ecuted by a t"ird
party. <urt"ermore, because t"e company o$$ers $ree s"ipping, ser'ice appreciate it by all t"e customers, it
costs t"e company millions o$ dollars per year, and reduces t"e o'erall pro$itability.
+n t"e ot"er "and, also t"e "ig"ly de'eloped in$ormation tec"nology creates problems as t"e company "ad
di$$iculties be$ore, wit" customers t"at were unable to access t"e website, problem t"at may determine
customers to stop accessing and s"op on t"e company.s website, w"ic" can cause a drop in sales or a bigger
loss o$ customers.
T"e s"ort "istory o$ t"e company may be considered also a wea/ness, because especially in times o$
economic crisis, $amous companies wit" a long "istory, suc" as Eal=art, mig"t be in an ad'antageous
position because t"ey already learned $rom past e#periences "ow to act in certain situations.
F456*A/+ I7 6.*48865*6
Figure !. #/ 8.*ommerce /ales 2010 – 201, 3"
>ales stemming $rom mobile de'ices accounted $or only 8,5 bilion dollars in 2010, but are proDected to grow
to 81,0 billion dollars in 2015, according to researc" $irm e=ar/eter Inc.
Figure ,. #/ social commerce sales, 2011 – 201, 3"
>ales o$ p"ysical goods t"roug" online social networ/s will grow by 98L per year in t"e ->, reac"ing M15
billion by 2015, predicts researc" and consulting $irm )oo%GCo. 2 )oo% sur'ey in 2010 $ound 2?L o$
s"oopers were willing to buy t"roug" social media.
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*onclusions
<or companies $rom ecommerce industry, t"ere are a lot o$ business opportunities in t"e de'eloping
countries. <or instance t"e East and Centre European countries Doined or are about to Doin t"e European
-nionB or t"e )HIC countries )ra%il, Hussia, India, C"ina, w"ic" are considered as t"e $astest growing
mar/et, and 2ma%on.com s"ould enter or in'est "ea'ily into t"ese countries. T"e 2ma%on.com brand, build
up in t"e last decade "as a positi'e e$$ect on customer trust, t"e ,uality o$ t"e products t"ey purc"ase $rom
2ma%on.com is standardi%ed, so t"ey can trust t"e company. 2nd 2ma%onsC strong logistic alliance ensures
t"at t"e company can deli'er its products $ast and sa$e to t"e new customers.
2s one o$ t"e main pioneer o$ t"e global economy, electronic ecommerce c"anged t"e process o$ t"e global
business, increasing t"e logistic e$$iciency and $acilitating t"e ac,uisition, t"e sale and t"e promotion o$
goods. In a similar way, ecommerce "elped million o$ consumers t"roug" decreased prices, "ig"
competition, orders and $ast s"ipping. )ig and small companies $rom multiple industries depend on e
commerce applications in order to sur'i'e and to compete in local, nationals and global economies. T"ese
companies use emails in order to communicate wit" consumers and suppliers, and websites $or ad'ertising,
processing and establis"ing electronic transactions.
E'ery "al$ year t"ere are suc" important c"anges in tec"nology t"at it is impossible to anticipate w"at will
"appen in t"e ne#t ten years. Ecommerce "as become in recent years a way o$ sale/purc"ase o$ goods and
ser'ices. Furing t"e time t"at ecommerce ad'anced muc" $aster in de'eloped countries, t"e companies $rom
de'eloping countries started to use also ecommerce to impro'e t"eir business and to start new ones. E
commerce will continue to c"ange business on a global le'el, regardless t"e geograp"y, se#, et"nicity and
nationality.
Ac-nowledgements6 T"is wor/ recei'ed $inancial support t"roug" t"e proDect @IostFoctoral >tudies in Economics6
continuous training program $or elite researc"ers >I+FEA, contract no. I+>FH-/!9/1.5/>/71?55, $inanced by t"e
European >ocial <und in Homania t"roug" t"e >ector +perational Irogram (uman )esources %evelopment 200?2018.
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doc_380585671.pdf