Abstract
Exploitation of the Web is a pipe dream for many businesses, as they do not or cannot analyze their motives for having a web site. There is more to a successful site than a corporate logo on a home page. Firms do not foresee the effort in maintaining a site, the increased competition from exposure to a “global market,” or the impacts on the existing business. This discussion case analyses the opportunities and risks of launching electronic commerce services at the Co-op Bookshop. The case describes Co-op’s difficult progression to a profitable web presence. It will allow students to consider the strategic issues underlying any web presence. They will also have the opportunity to discuss the type of site, timing, and content appropriate to the firm and the economics of being on-line.
Recommended Citation
Loebbecke, Claudia and Powell, Philip, "Buy the Book: Electronic Commerce in the Book Trade" (1998). ICIS 1998 Proceedings. 42.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis1998/42