I did not take it that way. Just wanted to clarify my posting attitude. I agree that women are the majority of online shoppers. Speaking from experience, we are the majority shopper, on or off line.
Merry,
This has nothing to do with the issue but I clearly do not differentiate male from female on SI. I am only mentioning this due to a recent PM about a dinner in SF when I referred to a person as being male and found that was not the case. That has nothing to do with the post but I thought you were male. I better get myself straightened out LOL.
We sold our AMZN stock over 1 year ago. However, I truly believe AMZN will eventually be profitable. I like their site; I have yet to look for a book there they did not have info on - even if it is out of print.
I understand your locating the books on the site. The issue of profits and your enjoying their services meaning the selection, ability to ship, etc. are not at all connected. Actually, Amazon is not stocking the books in question and BN.com is using the same sources as Amazon plus an addition source they bought. You are looking at a mail order house with a database commensurate with today's technology. The location issue of an out of print book is not specific to Amazon as it is to present technology.
I believe I can say this with certainty. It is impossible for a pure play e-commerce site of products, not services, to be profitable. Every model I have created indicates a dual channel is required. I referred to services due to the fact travel arrangements, banking etc. may be very profitable as a pure play. Your point about the book is well taken in that progess has been made during the last five years so one may obtain the more obscure item. Amazon could have survied as a book, music and video seller by using the publishers as their source of inventory and the wholsalers. This is how they begain. Amazon's real problem is Jeff Bezos in my opinion. He wanted to sell everything and wanted huge market share which I suspect was an ego trip. Amazon likely would be doing fine with two distribution center, a smaller customer base and providing the convenience of on-line buying with the ability to obtain obscure titles in all three categories. Unfortunatly, Bezos ego was too large and he vastly mismanaged a decent idea that was well financed. Had Amazon had another CEO, Amoan likely would have no debt today and be a decent retailer. The sad part is the huge waste of resources.
Glenn |
