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Essay on Barnes and Noble internal analysis

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Executive Summary

Barnes and Noble is the market leader in the bookstore industry. They have grown their business during tough economic times and have adapted well to the changing consumer demands as technology has advanced. By continuing to enhance their competitive strategy to align themselves with market demands, Barnes and Noble, with its multi-channel distribution platform, will continue to have success in the coming years as competition will feel the pressures of increasing digital mediums and decreasing hard copy book demand. This internal analysis of Barnes and Noble will examine their competitive position with regards to their value chain and strategic issues, as well as examine strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and …show more content…

Customer service is an area in the value chain where Barnes and Noble creates a lot of value to their customers. Because of the multi-channel distribution system, customers can ask questions online or in person at one of their stores. The service at the retail locations is great for older, less tech-savvy individuals who enjoy hands on assistance in finding the right book and paying with cash. Online shoppers enjoy the speedy checkout that online sales offers from the comfort of their home or office.
The main support activity that adds value to the customer is the development of the computerized support systems, software development, and process designs of the online businesses. Allocating resources to develop the eBook business and make the online store easy to use are key contributors to maintaining customers and gaining new ones. Designing an infrastructure to provide their customers with wireless access to digital content also enables customers to access their store with ease, which makes today’s efficient customer happy.
To analyze the success of this value chain, it is wise to compare to the value chain of a competitor. Books-a-million is a very similar book store in the sense that they have brick and mortar operations as well as an online operation. They have 204 superstores and 53 traditional stores across the

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