People
Just one day apart, two major retailers have announced key strategic plays that, at face value, seem completely contradictory:
Amazon is moving towards becoming an end-to-end player, particularly in grocery, covering all types of user experiences including blended offline and online to get closer to its clients.
Conversely, Saks Fifth Avenue is spinning off its online business into a separate entity. This appears to be a direct contradiction of Amazon's approach. In Saks' case this is particularly interesting as many feel that luxury is the sector most likely to benefit from a combined online and offline experiential component.
What do you think is the right strategy? You can see my view in my post a few months ago on Retail paradigm shift.
