The Success of Amazon

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Amazon, mainly known for their online book selection, is thriving these days. They have managed to, unfortunately, put Borders out of business, and have managed to increase their products from not just books, but to music, movies, electrons and apparel. Forbes discusses how Amazon is staying successful, and what their plans are for staying that way.

As major financial markets reel from economic stagnation, uncertainty and fear about sovereign debt failures and America’s debt ceiling debacle,  Amazon is achieving its highest valuation ever.  Amazon blew out revenue and earnings expectations this week.  How?  By achieving record revenue growth. Sales are up 50% compared to last year!

The result of this impressive growth has been a remarkable valuation increase – comparable to Apple!

• Since 2009, valuation is up 5.5x (almost 240% rate of return for 2 consecutive years)
• Since 2006 valuation is up 8x (over 150% annualized rate of return for 5 years)
• Over the last decade Amazon’s value has risen 15x (over 130% annualized rate of return for 10 years)

How did Amazon do this?

Not by “sticking to its knitting” or being very careful to manage its “core.”  In 2001 Amazon was largely an on-line book seller – and not all that profitable at it.  Despite its “roots,” or  “DNA,” being in U.S. books and retailing, the company has pioneered off-shore businesses and high-tech products that help customers take advantage of big trends – often far removed from what Amazon set out to do when founded some 16 years ago.

Amazon’s earnings release provides insight to its fantastic growth.  Almost 50% of revenues lie outside the U.S.  Traditional retailers such as WalMart, Target, Sears, etc. have struggled in foreign markets, and blamed poor performance on weak infrastructure and complex legal/tax issues.  Instead of modifying their success formula to meet market needs, their efforts to export what worked in the USA have not done well.

Read more at Forbes