Amazon messed up its capacity planning and the result was a big loss; CEO Andy Jassy seems focused on scalability above everything else.
Opendoor Earnings, Opendoor’s Pricing, Opendoor’s Scalability
Opendoor’s results suggest that the problem in the home-buying market was unique to Zillow’s lack of expertise, not the model
Amazon One, How Amazon One Works, Good or Bad Idea?
Amazon announces Amazon One: how does it work, and is the underlying technology a good idea?
The Anti-Amazon Alliance
Google Shopping is changing its model, suggesting Google is joining the Anti-Amazon Alliance; 3rd-party merchants should do the same.
Walmart’s E-Commerce Struggles, Textbook Disruption, The Benefits of Not Competing
Walmart is struggling in ecommerce for very predictable reasons; the company — and economy — is better off leveraging its assets and not competing directly with Amazon.
Google “Other Bets” Follow-up, Angela Ahrendts Out at Apple, Microsoft Earnings
Does Angela Ahrendts’ departure from Apple signify a pivot in retail? Then, Microsoft’s earnings highlighted how the company has benefited from its focus on being a horizontal company.
Apple’s Social Network
Apple’s decision to stop reporting unit sales is defensible; the company, though, should provide more data to support its new growth story.
Sears Files for Bankruptcy, Sears’ Spinoffs, Value in the Age of the Internet
Sears has (finally) filed for bankruptcy, thanks to a business model that was obsolete well before the Internet came along. Still, there are lessons to be learned from the Sears businesses that continue to succeed.
Amazon Go and the Future
Amazon Go exemplifies how Amazon is building its monopoly in three ways: horizontally, vertically, and financially. Plus, why automation is worth being optimistic about.
Target Buys Shipt, Why Target?, The Expansion of Amazon Basics
The Disney-21st Century Fox was certainly the biggest acquisition that happened last week, but it wasn’t the only one. Netflix may loom large, but Amazon arguably looms larger.