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Technology Stocks : Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Glenn D. Rudolph who wrote (59363)	6/1/1999 2:26:00 PM
From: Art Bechhoefer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 164684

Glenn, while BN.COM has similar search features, they are not as good as those used by AMZN. Furthermore, I once attempted to buy a book published in England through BN, but they were unable to supply it. AMZN, through its British division, put out a special order and managed to get me three copies in less than a months - during the Christmas season as well. In noting that AMZN needs to maintain an "edge," I was looking at the kinds of features that distinguish between businesses that essentially sell commodities. There is nothing to distinguish most of the products sold by AMZN and its competitors. The only way to differentiate is either in services or in price. Constant price cutting creates risks of selling below cost, and never turning a profit. Better service not only produces satisfied customers but allows the company to profit without necessarily resorting to the lowest prices for its commodity products. For example, the book and CD reviews help the customer select the products that best meet the customer's needs. These intangibles help make the necessary differences that attract new customers and retain old ones.