Clash of the e‐commerce titans : A new paradigm for consumer purchase process improvement

Purpose – The motivation for this paper arises from the evolution of the e‐commerce which has provided new means for retailers to serve customers. Pure e‐tailers and clicks‐and‐mortars are two business models of this new paradigm. It aims to study the particularities of pure e‐tailer (Amazon.com) and clicks‐and‐mortars (Walmart) with special focus on their dot com supply chains. Design/methodology/approach – Strengths, weaknesses, oppositions, threats (SWOT), the Five Forces Model and Financial Performance Metrics analyses were used to draw comparisons and contrasts between Walmart.com and Amazon.com supply chains. Findings – The paper finds that both companies serve their customers effectively through their efficient supply chains; however, due to the infancy of e‐commerce, both business models still face important challenges. Originality/value – Amazon.com and Walmart.com have different supply chain models, as well as, strengths and weaknesses. They both face the same opportunities and threats as the e‐commerce industry grows rapidly. Analysis shows how lessons from one business entity can be applied to the other in order to bring even more efficiencies to both e‐tailers’ and clicks and mortars’ supply chains.