Amazon Case Assignment – Consulting Teams
Introduction: This is a team assignment. Your team will assume the role of a consulting
team that has been asked to examine Amazon and make recommendations about its future
in light of its recent, and not so recent, financial performance (see Figures 1 & 2 below).
The focal case is Amazon 2015 but you have been provided other background information.
You are also welcome to use any other information that you believe is relevant.
Assignment: Organize your team and assign roles to each group member. Review the case
and background materials. Prepare a 20-minute presentation that makes and justifies
recommendations for the future of Amazon. There will also be a ten-minute period for
questions and answers following the presentation. The questions that follow are intended
to guide your thinking about the case and the recommendations your team will make.
However, the presentation should be organized around recommendations rather than a
simple recitation of answers to these questions.
1. What business is Amazon in? Is it spreading itself too thin or is it well positioned for the
future? If it is well positioned for the future, what does that future look like? If it is not
well positioned, what changes does it need to make?
2. Who are Amazon’s competitors? And what is (are) Amazon’s competitive advantage(s)
and disadvantages?
3. What should traditional retailers, like Best Buy, do to compete with Amazon? What are
the implications of such competitive strategies for Amazon?
4. Does the Amazon Fire telephone fit with its overall strategy? Given the initial market
