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CLASH - Amazon vs Walmart Author: Nirmalya Kumar ISBN-9780143466529 Publisher: Penguin Business by Penguin Random House India 2024 Publishing Year: 2024 Pages: 238 Price: Rs. 799
The Clash: Amazon vs Walmart by Nirmalya Kumar is a business strategy book that explores the intense competition between two retail giants, Amazon and Walmart. It examines how these companies have revolutionized the retail industry - Walmart through its dominance in physical stores and Amazon in e-commerce. The book offers insights into their contrasting business models, strategies, and how they influence the future of retail. It is an engaging and insightful exploration, blending in-depth research with forward-thinking analysis.
The book is an excellent resource for readers interested in business strategy, the evolution of retail, and the interplay between disruptive innovators and established market leaders. The book's clarity and relevance make it highly accessible, appealing to those eager to understand the ongoing shifts within the retail industry. It is divided into nine chapters taking the audience through the birth and rise of Walmart, journey of amazon in the e-commerce space, examining the profitability of Amazon in the light of value proposition of online versus offline.
The first chapter of the book narrates the Walmart journey in a very effective way. Walmart was a disruptive force in the retail sector before the e-commerce boom in 2000. It was one of the first companies to use information technology not just for auditing but for managing its operations efficiently. Walmart's marketing strategy, based on the 4Ps (product, price, place, promotion), created a strong value proposition of offering the lowest prices. This was supported by an efficient supply chain, targeted advertising, and a unique financial strategy of reducing gross margins while increasing sales per square foot. As Walmart grew, its dominance forced suppliers to shiftfrom controlling retailers to developing collaborative relationships, focusing on brand and SKU rationalization.Since 2000, Walmart has heavily invested in building its e-commerce...