- Harvard Business School →
- Faculty & Research →
- August 2013 (Revised February 2023)
- HBS Case Collection
Amazon in 2023
- Format: Print
- | Language: English
About The Author
Sunil Gupta
Related work.
- August 2020
- Faculty Research
Amazon in 2020
- October 2013 (Revised February 2023)
- Amazon in 2020 By: Sunil Gupta
- Amazon in 2023 By: Sunil Gupta
- Amazon in 2023 By: Sunil Gupta and Margaret L. Rodriguez
- SUGGESTED TOPICS
- The Magazine
- Newsletters
- Managing Yourself
- Managing Teams
- Work-life Balance
- The Big Idea
- Data & Visuals
- Reading Lists
- Case Selections
- HBR Learning
- Topic Feeds
- Account Settings
- Email Preferences
Case Study: Should a Direct-to-Consumer Company Start Selling on Amazon?
- Thales S. Teixeira
An e-bike maker weighs the trade-offs.
Sitting in his office, Mark Ellinas frowned at his computer screen. It was filled with row after row of electric bikes, from expensive models to cheap knockoffs that seemed held together by spit and a prayer. Though they varied in style and price, the bikes did have one thing in common: where they were being sold. The website he was looking at, flush with options, was Amazon.
- TT Thales S. Teixeira is the Lumry Family Associate Professor at Harvard Business School. He is the author of Unlocking the Customer Value Chain: How Decoupling Drives Consumer Disruption (Currency, 2019).
Partner Center
Product details
- Business & Money
- Management & Leadership
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.
If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Image Unavailable
- To view this video download Flash Player
HBR Case Studies: Managing Difficult People (Harvard Business Review Case Studies) Paperback – December 2, 2008
Great managers can lead their teams through any challenge—but what if your people are the problem? From deciding whether an aggressive star performer is worth the trouble to knowing when team morale needs to come first, managers often face questions with no easy answers.
See how leading experts weigh in on these and other crucial issues and find solutions to your toughest dilemmas in this collection of the most popular Harvard Business Review cases.
The HBR Case Studies series
Every day, managers face challenges that put them to the test. When it comes to the thorniest dilemmas, there's never just one right answer. Get the guidance you need from our new HBR Case Studies series. Straight from the pages of the Harvard Business Review, each book breaks down your most familiar—and formidable—business problems. You'll get six engaging scenarios, each with several detailed solutions by today's leading experts. Read the cases, gain more perspective, and hone your instincts—so you can finalize your plan and move forward more successfully.
- Print length 175 pages
- Language English
- Publisher Harvard Business Review Press
- Publication date December 2, 2008
- Dimensions 5.25 x 0.5 x 8 inches
- ISBN-10 1422199916
- ISBN-13 978-1422199916
- See all details
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Product details
- Publisher : Harvard Business Review Press (December 2, 2008)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 175 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1422199916
- ISBN-13 : 978-1422199916
- Item Weight : 6.8 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.25 x 0.5 x 8 inches
- #19,628 in Business Management (Books)
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
- Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews
Top review from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..
- Amazon Newsletter
- About Amazon
- Accessibility
- Sustainability
- Press Center
- Investor Relations
- Amazon Devices
- Amazon Science
- Sell on Amazon
- Sell apps on Amazon
- Supply to Amazon
- Protect & Build Your Brand
- Become an Affiliate
- Become a Delivery Driver
- Start a Package Delivery Business
- Advertise Your Products
- Self-Publish with Us
- Become an Amazon Hub Partner
- › See More Ways to Make Money
- Amazon Visa
- Amazon Store Card
- Amazon Secured Card
- Amazon Business Card
- Shop with Points
- Credit Card Marketplace
- Reload Your Balance
- Amazon Currency Converter
- Your Account
- Your Orders
- Shipping Rates & Policies
- Amazon Prime
- Returns & Replacements
- Manage Your Content and Devices
- Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
- Conditions of Use
- Privacy Notice
- Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
- Your Ads Privacy Choices
Brought to you by:
Sell Direct-to-Consumer or Through Amazon? (HBR Case Study and Commentary)
By: Thales S. Teixeira, Stephan Aarstol, Gil Efrati
For a company that's trying to reach more customers, selling on Amazon might seem to be a no-brainer. But there are plenty of risks: A firm might get dragged into a price war with low-cost…
- Length: 6 page(s)
- Publication Date: Mar 1, 2019
- Discipline: Strategy
- Product #: R1902M-PDF-ENG
What's included:
- Educator Copy
$4.95 per student
degree granting course
$8.95 per student
non-degree granting course
Get access to this material, plus much more with a free Educator Account:
- Access to world-famous HBS cases
- Up to 60% off materials for your students
- Resources for teaching online
- Tips and reviews from other Educators
Already registered? Sign in
- Student Registration
- Non-Academic Registration
- Included Materials
For a company that's trying to reach more customers, selling on Amazon might seem to be a no-brainer. But there are plenty of risks: A firm might get dragged into a price war with low-cost competitors, and Amazon, not the firm, will own the data on customers--and could use it to create its own competing products. In this fictional case study, the head of marketing at a young e-bike maker thinks through the pros and cons of selling on Amazon and of sticking with a direct-to-consumer strategy, and considers the long-term implications of each for his brand.
This HBR Case Study includes both the case and the commentary. For teaching purposes, this reprint is also available in two other versions: case study-only, reprint R1902X, and commentary-only, R1902Z.
Mar 1, 2019
Discipline:
Industries:
E-commerce industry, Retail trade
Harvard Business Review Digital Article
R1902M-PDF-ENG
We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience, including personalizing content. Learn More . By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies and revised Privacy Policy .
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
The website he was looking at, flush with options, was Amazon. A version of this article appeared in the March-April 2019 issue (pp.140-145) of Harvard Business Review . New!
Abstract. In February 2021, Amazon announced 2020 operating profits of $22,899 million, up from $2,233 million in 2015, on sales of $386 billion, up from $107 billion five years earlier (see Exhibit 1). The shareholders expressed their satisfaction (see Exhibit 2), but not all were happy with Amazon's meteoric rise.
In February 2021, Amazon announced 2020 operating profits of $22,899 million, up from $2,233 million in 2015, on sales of $386 billion, up from $107 billion five years earlier (see Exhibit 1). The shareholders expressed their satisfaction (see Exhibit 2), but not all were happy with Amazon's meteoric rise. Many traditional retailers in the United States were going bankrupt, while major ...
The case aims to understand the root of a company's high performance and growth. A company, in this case study Amazon, makes a series of strategic moves in pursuit of growth. Some of them largely contributed to Amazon's growth and market dominance; some of them made Amazon to experience a serious setback. The case analyzes these strategic moves ...
In this fictional case study, the head of marketing at a young e-bike maker thinks through the pros and cons of selling on Amazon and of sticking with a direct-to-consumer strategy, and considers the long-term implications of each for his brand. For teaching purposes, this is the case-only version of the HBR case study.
Amazon launched its website in July 1995 to sell books online and by 2020 it has grown to become a digital giant with over $280 billion in annual sales. A large part of its growth came from expanding into a variety of businesses that some see as unrelated. ... "Amazon in 2023." Harvard Business School Case 514-025, August 2013. (Revised ...
Case Companion is an engaging and interactive introduction to case study analysis that is ideal for undergraduates or any student new to learning with cases. Learn More. ... Amazon.com, 2021. John R. Wells, Benjamin Weinstock, Galen Danskin, Gabriel Ellsworth. 48 page(s) Main Case Bestseller. Amazon in 2023. Sunil Gupta, Margaret L. Rodriguez.
HBR Case Studies: Keeping Strategy on Track (Harvard Business Review Case Studies) [Harvard Business School Press] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. HBR Case Studies: Keeping Strategy on Track (Harvard Business Review Case Studies) ... Few of the times, the case study gets slightly complicated with a lot of peripheral ...
Thales S. Teixeira is the Lumry Family Associate Professor at Harvard Business School. He is the author of Unlocking the Customer Value Chain: How Decoupling Drives Consumer Disruption (Currency ...
In this fictional case study, the head of marketing at a young e-Bike maker thinks through the pros and cons of selling on Amazon and of sticking with a direct-to-consumer strategy, and considers the long-term implications of each for his brand.For teaching purposes, this is the case-only version of the HBR case study.
HBR Case Studies: Making Change Stick (Harvard Business Review Case Studies) Paperback - December 2, 2008 . by Harvard Business School Press (Compiler) 5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 5 ratings. See all formats and editions ... The Case Study Handbook, Revised Edition: A Student's Guide. William Ellet.
HBR Case Studies: Managing Difficult People (Harvard Business Review Case Studies) Paperback - December 2, 2008 . by Harvard Business School Press (Compiler) 5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 2 ratings. See all formats and editions ... The Case Study Handbook, Revised Edition: A Student's Guide. William Ellet.
No wonder its sales are expected to reach an astounding USD 746.22 billion with a valuation of USD 2 trillion in 2024! From being an online bookseller headquartered in a garage to becoming the second most valuable brand in the world, the saga of this global brand is a case study in all the leading business schools.
In this fictional case study, the head of marketing at a young e-bike maker thinks through the pros and cons of selling on Amazon and of sticking with a direct-to-consumer strategy, and considers the long-term implications of each for his brand. This HBR Case Study includes both the case and the commentary.