Tom,
how do you differentiate Beyond from, say, Outpost?
If I wanted to buy, for example, FrontPage 2000, I could go to CNNFN, then to Power Shopper and type "FrontPage 2000". It would give me around 47 pages filled with "FrontPage 2000" merchandise. After sorting it by price and weeding out manuals, videos and other BS at $8.95 - voila - I've got the list of all merchants offering the title along with competitive prices and availability.
"Shopping engine" behind this is Inktomi's. InfoSpace has something like that called "Active Shopper". These are just two examples of this trend.
Personally, I don't care who I buy from, I just shop for better terms (price, speed and cost of delivery and other such things). There is me (customer) and there is Microsoft (manufacturer) without which the food chain cannot exist. But it can exist perfectly (and more efficiently) without Beyond or Outpost who are mere intermediaries and create no added value for me. Yet I can get 5% rebate for ordering through the former and 3% through the latter. Ok, one of them gets the sale if it gives me a good deal, but the moment they start thinking about positive net on the sale - I'm gone.
So as a shopper, I don't see why do I need any of them. That is unless I'm looking for junk no manufacturer carries anymore. But that's different story, isn't it?
Please correct me if I'm wrong. All this is just my humble private opinion.
Both stocks (BYND and COOL) hover around year lows and look dirt cheap. Compared to their year highs that is. Could you elaborate on your reasons for liking BYND over COOL and them both over INKT or INSP (as that might or might be not the case)?
Regards,
RepniKK |
