An interesting book written by Alexander Graf and Giulia Staffieri to analyze the new rules of marketplace platforms. The review.
Today in a “no-channel” world in which physical stores, e-commerce and marketplaces all play in the same arena, what was valid in 2020 will no longer attract customers in 2024.
This interesting book analyzes with great transparency, clarity and critical thinking, the rules of the omnichannel game by examining over 25 players around the world (from Alibaba, Amazon, eBay to Wallmart, ePrice and Manomano) to retrace how retail and business models are changing and answering several fundamental questions for those operating in digital commerce.
Where is Amazon headed? Why is Temu (which today generates frightening incoming numbers incomparable to other platforms) so successful? While global platforms conquer the world of commerce, what happens in Italy?
The first edition of Graf’s “The e-commerce book” came out 10 years ago. At the time (just 10 years ago) the dream of many managers was to build a company like Zalando. Each niche had to have its market leader with dozens of billion-dollar companies only for the European market and, partly, also in Italy. Today the dream was shattered. Almost all classic e-commerce companies face considerable challenges in achieving positive returns and the mirage of perfect assortment with fast delivery at an excellent price is rarely fulfilled. Why did all this happen?
And how to win in the platform economy today? The answers can be found – say the authors – by analyzing the success of the most established marketplaces and the new strategies focused today on relinquishing much of the control of the processes (thus also lowering the level of both infrastructural and product risk), and focusing almost exclusively on on end customer loyalty.
Alexander Graf was able to follow this development as part of its work with the e-commerce provider Spryker in Germany and the United States and Giulia Staffierinow Chief Marketing, Sales & Omnichannel of Leroy Merlin, has followed the platform economy in various sectors across Europe, from the beginning of Yoox (fashion) then in Mediaworld Media MarktSaturn (consumer electronics) and currently in the DIY sector -you and how to improve and therefore be able to discuss from direct experience which are the most effective strategies today.
Essential reading for physical and digital commerce professionals.
