Tag Archives: Ecommerce

Tracking retail customer movements using their cell phones – a prerogative or intrusive ?

Posted on July 18, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (July 14, 2013) describes an experiment at Nordstrom, after informaring customers, that tracked customers “using the wi-fi signals from their smartphones”. But the cell phones unique signature also permits tracking customer repeat trips, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecommerce, Operations Management, Service Operations, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged coupons, Ecommerce, privacy, retail store, smartphone, tracking | 1 Comment

On to the next legal round regarding Apple’s role in ebook pricing

Posted on July 18, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (July 10,2013) describes the judge’s ruling that Apple coordinated with competing publishers to increase ebook prices. Apple is said to have offered publishers an agency pricing scheme by which it would be paid … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecommerce, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged agency pricing, Amazon, Apple, collusion, competition, Consumers, Coordination, Cost, Ecommerce, Efficiency, prices, publishers, Suppliers | Leave a comment

Selling more books vs maximizing profits – are Amazon’s decisions in sync with author preferences ?

Posted on July 5, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (July 5, 2013) describes discount reductions on books by Amazon as the company’s share of book sales grows to 25% of the market. Several authors and small publishers claim that the lowered discounts … Continue reading →

Posted in Operations Management, Service Operations, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged Amazon, author, books, consumer, Cost, Ecommerce, margin, monopoly, Retail, Supply Chain | Leave a comment

Apple’s 30% commission elimination and price increase

Posted on June 11, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the Wall Street Journal (June 10, 2013) describes the Justice department’s claim that Apple’s 30% revenue sharing contract (uniform for all products Apple sells) is a violation of antitrust and uncompetitive. The article claims that when this … Continue reading →

Posted in Operations Management, Service Operations, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged agency pricing, antitrust, competition, Consumers, Coordination, Cost, ebook, Ecommerce, Supply Chain, wholesale pricing | 4 Comments

The emerging “internet of things” and opportunities

Posted on May 22, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in WIRED magazine (June 2013) describes the emerging internet enabled devices across homes, factories, cities etc. They predict three stages – Stage 1 links devices to the internet, Stage 2 enables conditional actions (If-Then actions) between pairs of … Continue reading →

Posted in Operations Management, Service Operations, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged Capability, competition, Consumers, Cost, Ecommerce, Efficiency, Infrastructure, internet of things, Supply Chain, Sustainable | Leave a comment

Ecommerce in Nigeria – motorcycles, tuk tuks and vans to deliver goods and collect funds

Posted on May 15, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the Financial Times (May 14, 2013) describes ecommerce companies in Nigeria like Konga.com and Jumia.com, that permit internet ordering of goods, delivery to the customer and collection of money on delivery. Given worries about fraud, Nigerians prefer … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecommerce, Global Contexts, Operations Management, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged Capability, Consumers, Cost, Ecommerce, Global, Nigeria, Retail, Risk, Service, Supply Chain, transport | Leave a comment

Slower growth, higher margins as Amazon.com plays middleman

Posted on April 28, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the Wall Street Journal (April 26,2013) describes Amazon.com’s growth as lowing, from 34% last year to 22% for the same quarter this year, while margins increased by 33% to 26.6%. The author claims the slowdown is the … Continue reading →

Posted in Operations Management, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged competition, Cost, Ecommerce, Growth, Inventory, Margins, Risk, Supply Chain | Leave a comment

The competitive retail supply chain impact of online US sales tax collection requirements

Posted on April 27, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the Wall Street Journal (April 22,2013) describes the proposed impact of a Senate bill requiring online retailers to collect sales taxes based on buyer location. The goal is to level the playing field for brick and mortar … Continue reading →

Posted in Operations Management, Service Operations, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged competition, Cost, Ecommerce, Margins, online, Retail, Service, Supply Chain | Leave a comment

Same day delivery options, pricing and retail competition

Posted on January 18, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (December 28,2012) describes same day delivery options offered by stores to compete with Amazon. For $ 5, Ebay Now offers delivery options to coffee shops, homes etc same day. Amazon offers same day … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecommerce, Operations Management, Service Operations | Tagged Capability, competition, Consumers, Cost, Ecommerce, Retail, Service, Supply Chain, transport | Leave a comment

Decoy bottles to track painkiller medicine robbers

Posted on January 18, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (January 17,2013) describes a plan by PurduePharma to hold fake decoy bottles with tracking capability in drugstore shelves. When thieves steal painkiller bottles, they emit tracking signals that the New York City police … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecommerce, Operations Management, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged Consumers, Coordination, Cost, Design, Ecommerce, Retail, Service, Supply Chain | 1 Comment