Consumer Behavior Situational Influences Situational influences on consumer behavior outlet selection Shopping is an activity that everyone in the world participates in, but what exactly is it? Is a store necessary for shopping to take place? What motivates someone to shop?
It is not easy to survive the intense competition and to survive it any company must have a source of sustainable competitive advantage. Now, competitive advantage can arise from multiple sources.
It is not just technology or an excellent product or service that can be a source of competitive advantage. Excellent supply chain or human resources too can become a source of competitive advantage too. Michael E porter has outlined three generic strategies that can help a firm create a source of competitive advantage.
They are cost leadership, differentiation and focus. The third one has been sub divided into two more categories — cost focus and differentiation focus. The industry is replete with such examples where firms have used one or more of these strategies for competitive advantage. Amazon is the largest online retailer and has found very sharp growth in the recent years.
This article analyzes the generic strategy used by Amazon and the intensive strategies it has used to find growth in the market.
How it has differentiated its business models is with the use of technology and skilled human resources. It serves its customers through its website and apps. The online model does not require the use f physical retail space. The only space utilized is that for office work.
Amazon has developed a lot from being a book seller to being the largest retailer online. Not just this Amazon used best in class technology to serve its customers and enable its employees to perform.
It has software and algorithms for various things including box sizing to delivery. It also has a rich history of developing and introducing cutting edge technology at its fulfillment centers that help its employees deliver efficiently.
This is not just a point of differentiation but one of the key competitive strengths of Amazon. It is known for its great quality of service. Its quality of customer service has turned it into the favorite of online shoppers.
However, the large range of products that it sells also comprises a key competitive strength. In this way, Amazon has achieved a sustainable competitive advantage. While several competitors have entered the market place and tried to challenge its position using strategies like lower prices, Amazon has continued to rule.
It introduced Amazon prime to help its customers get their products delivered faster. Both excellent technology and customer service has helped it achieve faster growth. Overall, it has managed a seamless user experience for its online customers. The Ansoff matrix provides fourth growth strategies — market penetration, market development, product development and diversification.
These strategies can be used by brands to grow their market share and find faster growth. Amazon entered the market as a book seller and grew to become the largest retailer.
As it set its foothold in the market as a known bookseller it introduced other products too which could be bought online. This is how Amazon has grow its market presence.
Today, it sells millions of products and this product line continues to grow with more suppliers entering its system. Market development means selling the same products or services to new customers or in new markets. Jeff Bezos had launched Amazon out of his garage.In my last post, I started a series on the conventional supply chain strategies and why they are inadequate to help firms trying to design their supply initiativeblog.com continues the series with the focus on lean as a supply chain strategy..
Lean primarily refers to elimination of waste and is the basic philosophy that originated as part of Toyota Production . Porter wrote in that strategy targets either cost leadership, differentiation, or focus.
These are known as Porter's three generic strategies and . Porter’s second factor is the nature and size of the demand in the home country. Large home markets act as a stimulus for industry development.
A third generic strategy for creating a global advantage is arbitrage (see Figure "AAA Strategies and Their Variants"). Costco, Sam’s Club, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Sears, Dell, and Target.
Porter’s Generic Strategy – case of Starbucks For any firm to win in the highly competitive environment of the 21st century, it is important to have a source of sustainable competitive advantage.
A business model articulates the logic and provides data and other evidence that demonstrates how a business creates and delivers value to customers. Developing SustainableSupply Chains Contexts of Procurement and Supply CIPS Diploma in Procurement & Supply.