Category Archives: Ecommerce

Amazon.com – the WalMart of the web ?

Posted on October 11, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in the Economist (Oct 1, 2011) reports that Amazon.com’s are 11 % lower than other retailers with physical stores for 100 products selected randomly.  The prices at Amazon were even lower compared to store websites. Amazon.com’s low profit margin, scale, the … Continue reading →

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Using cell phone minutes to save cash in Kenya

Posted on October 4, 2011 by aviyer2010

A Bloombergbusinessweek article (Sept 12-18, 2011) describes M-PESA – a service offered by Safaricom – Kenya’s largest cell phone company. The system allows a phone owner to save money in the form of cell phone minutes which can be transferred … Continue reading →

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How did Amazon manage to price the Kindle Fire for $ 199 ?

Posted on October 1, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in Bloombergbusinessweek (Oct 3, 2011 edition) suggests that Amazon’s new Fire tablet’s amazing $ 199 price point may be related to its smaller screen but also subsidy from potential margins from sale of toys, diapers and electronics. The … Continue reading →

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Broadband access, cellphones and supply chains in Africa

Posted on October 1, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in CNN Money(http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/09/19/ibm-the-african-revolution-no-one-should-ignore/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fortunebrainstormtech+%28Fortune+Brainstorm+Tech%29) describes the impact of a $ 250 million undersea fiber optic cable and the growth of cellphones.  Fishermen in Ghana use cellphones to find wholesale prices to choose the best option. Reduced internet costs are … Continue reading →

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Amazon Fire tablet pricing and capabilities and associated competitiveness

Posted on September 29, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in the Wall Street Journal (Sept 28, 2011) described the $ 199 pricing for the Amazon Fire – a color tablet that works using wi-fi, has a smaller screen (7 in) than the iPad, has free access to … Continue reading →

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The impending channel conflict as style magazines link to ecommerce sites

Posted on September 27, 2011 by aviyer2010

A New York Times article (Sept 26, 2011) describes plans by fashion magazines such as GQ, Vogue and Esquire to link styles they present to sites where readers can purchase clothing. At the same time advertisers in these magazines like … Continue reading →

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The New Kindle vs the iPad battle

Posted on September 27, 2011 by aviyer2010

A New York Times article (Sept 26, 2011) describes the impending release of a new tablet by Amazon.com and the ensuing battle with Apple. Amazon provides content – ebooks, music, entertainment – but adding email and games covers the bulk … Continue reading →

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Internet productivity and future employment across supply chains

Posted on September 26, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in the International Herald Tribune (Sept 24, 2011) describes a presentation by Yuri Milner, a Russian investor in Facebook and Zynga.  He describes internet based companies generating revenues of $ 100 million per employee compared to 10 to … Continue reading →

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Print to order by HarperCollins and small bookstore competitiveness

Posted on September 25, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in the Wall Street Journal (Sept 23, 2011) describes the impact of a decision by the publisher HarperCollins to make 5,000 paperbacks available through OnDemand Books LLC Espresso print Machine. The small printer enables a book to be … Continue reading →

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Ecommerce, couriers and cash on delivery in India

Posted on September 15, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (Sept 14, 2011) describes FlipKart – an ecommerce company in India that employs couriers for home delivery of orders with cash paid on delivery. Given the preference for cash transactions and payment ion … Continue reading →

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