Tag Archives: Ecommerce

Making brick and mortar stores like ecommerce sites

An article in bloombergbusinessweek (Nov 14, 2011) decribes worries by retailers regrading an increase in informed focused consumers, a decrease in impulse shopping, and steps to compensate. Pacific Sunwear offers iPads to salespeople to assist consumers with possible clothing combinations, … Continue reading

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Barnes & Noble swapping book space for e-readers

A Wall Street Journal article (Oct 29, 2011) describes a plan by Barnes & Noble to double the square feet devoted to e-readers to 2000 sq ft in a 26,000 Sq ft store. The space will be freed up by … Continue reading

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Amazon.com – the WalMart of the web ?

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

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 ?

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

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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The impending channel conflict as style magazines link to ecommerce sites

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

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

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

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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