Been lurking here for a while. I'm no expert but it seems to me that in a big market corretion stocks will a lower P/E will do better. Got this off of the BGP RB board and I thought it was worth reading. Maybe it will spark some intelligent discussion:
By: kublai_kahn
Reply To: 209 by RGiovinazzo Thursday, 5 Aug 1999 at 12:17 AM EDT
Post # of 210
Integration will set you free. A major mistake that many analysts make is comparing Barnes & Noble and Borders to Amazon.com. And maybe it's not their fault. Amazon.com is an internet business; their business model centers completely on the web. Their only store is online, their only sales are online, therefore they must thrive off of being the internet reseller of books, CD's, videos, and more online. Which is why I cannot fathom why Borders and Barnes & Noble are directly compared to Amazon. The two formerly mentioned stores profit mostly from the retail market, making a comparison of Amazon to Borders and BN like comparing apples to oranges. It makes more sense to compare Borders to Barnes & Noble.
Barnes & Noble has made the mistake of reinventing the wheel, providing web surfers the exact same service as Amazon.com. Why should anyone go to the trouble of switching to bn.com when most likely, they've already bought something from Amazon, meaning they're already used to it, and their personal information is already entered in, simplifying the ordering process? The same holds true for borders.com or any other online book seller. That is why Barnes & Noble's online bookstore can be considered a failure. And it is also why Borders.com should be a winner.
Borders is integrating it's online store with it's brick and mortar stores to allow their customers the very best book buying experience possible. If the book you want exists, you can be sure that after walking into a Borders book store, you will have it in hand, or have personally ordered it from borders.com. Ordering it through the bookstore saves shipping charges and perhaps speeds up delivery time. What's more is that suddenly, those who have yet to get the internet or are too scared to order anything online from their home have just had their first online shopping experience not only in the comfort of their friendly neighborhood Borders bookstore but have made their first online purchase through borders.com. When they do buy online from home, they fall back to their experience at borders.com, most likely buying from Borders again, thus capturing the entire, huge newbie market. Borders' internet strategy is one of the most brilliant business moves I've seen! Instead of squeezing their business into the internet paradigm, they are tailoring technology to benefit their business model.
People forget that Borders is retail chain and most of their money will always come from the retail market. This strategy will raise their bottom line by providing a book buying experience that no one can match.
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