Amazon Go: Venturing into Traditional Retail
This is a MGT 490 class. The case study is pretty much about Amazon since its creation, pioneering the online retail industry as well as dominating and then trying to penetrate the traditional retail.
Instructions:
Useful frameworks for doing case analysis can be found in Chapters 2 and 3 (External and Internal Analysis). In general, there is no single correct answer to a case analysis. The key to a good case analysis is to carefully analyze the situation, apply relevant conceptual materials, and evaluate possible courses of action before selecting your own recommendations. Although each case is unique and may require a different approach and analysis, your case write-up should include the following two elements:
1. An assessment of the current situation of the firm. This includes –
The environment in which the firm operates, the industry
The competitive situation and strategies of the firm including its financial results with the objective of identifying the key issues that must be addressed
This is not a summary of the case but rather your personal evaluation/critique of the situation using the relevant tools developed in the textbook.
2. A description of the alternatives to address the issues identified, followed by detailed recommendations. This is a very important and potentially the most difficult part of the case analysis. The search for alternatives must be broad and should consider significant redirection, reorganization, or disposition of parts or all the business. Also, changes in business and competitive strategies are expected here. Be specific in your recommended solution.
Describe the (new or modified) strategies, the financial objectives (if possible) and the implementation plan.
You do not need to do additional research beyond the case. Assume all the information you have is in the case itself. Also, stick to the time frame of the case. If, for example, the case ends in 2017 then that’s where you stop for the analysis.