Question 1

About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, an e-commerce corporation appears to be one of the biggest and most credible online
retailers in the United States. The company was started by Jeff Bezos in 1995, as an online retailer
of books only. The company was originally called "Cadabra," as in "abracadabra," according to
Brad Stone's book which means "The Everything Store."(Lebowtz,2019). However, with time, the
company expanded its operations rapidly in music, movies, and more. Popularity and market
reputation have ultimately made Amazon the biggest online retailer of electronics and household
goods. Amazon is now the “Earth’s Biggest Selection" of cost-effective products (Dennis and
Harris) due to its rapid expansion over the years. The firm continues to enjoy revenue without a
need for a warehouse or keeping stock.
According to Kemp and Dwyer (1997),” A mission statement is a general expression of the
overriding purpose of an organization that, ideally, is in line with the values and expectations of
major stakeholders. Mission statements are often regarded as 'enduring statements of purpose that
distinguish one business firm from others.”
Orientation nature of Amazon. com’s Mission statement
A mission statement well designed is so essential for formulating, implementing, and evaluating
business strategy (David,2001). Amazon. com’s mission statement is “To be Earth’s most
customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to
buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices.” This communicates a
market-oriented e-commerce corporation.
Having started as an online bookstore, Amazon later aimed at reaching out to every customer’s
need tapping into trending market opportunities. Amazon became the first renowned online store
to sell almost everything. The name Amazon was inspired by the Amazon River because it sounded
"exotic and different". The arrow from A to Z indicates that all products under the roof from A to
Z are available at Amazon which indicates a great effort towards customer satisfaction.
Amazon. Com has structured its marketing services to support and guide all its’ vendors on the
best way to reach out to more customers. Amazon offers advertising solutions to all Amazon
vendors through sponsored ads that are intended to build strong relationships to grow their brand
awareness and a loyal customer base while reaching and engaging shoppers at the right time and
place. (advertising.Amazon.com,2015). This kind of approach by Amazon is intended to reach a
bigger customer base.
Amazon.com’s commitment to providing customers with almost every product legally sold under
the sun indicates how much they value their customers. To Amazon clients, the Amazon prime
account enables them to get Prime-eligible products delivered within two days from the time of
purchase at no shipping costs. Customers with the Amazon prime account can access verified tags
to differentiate trusted Amazon vendors (Amazon.com, n.d). Such programs are very helpful to
the consumers, more so at the time of purchasing.
Amazon has not rated the No. 1 Customer-centric company for no reason. The Ratings and
Reviews that Amazon has for products available on their website are commendable and they send
emails at each step of your purchase to let you know that your item has been shipped or delivered.
Once delivered, they prod you to give a review for the packaging, the seller, and the product itself.
If a product is not delivered or is defective, they give you an option to either do a refund/return or
replace the item. At any point, you can go to your account and either view/review/claim any of
your previous orders. There is very little left to do in terms of tracking customer satisfaction and
complaints.
According to ForeSee’s annual Holiday E-Retailer Satisfaction Index, 2012 was Amazon’s biggest
holiday season ever with more than 26.5 million items ordered worldwide on its peak day. Amazon
has been making mobile a focal point of its strategy and is continuing to incorporate the medium
into its day-to-day initiatives (Foresee,2012). "At this point, Amazon has been dominant for so
long and has such a history of focusing on the customer, it’s hard to imagine anyone else coming
close. Companies should emulate Amazon's focus on the customer, which is linked to superior
revenues over the years."(Freed,2012). For eight consecutive years, Amazon.com had been rated
No 1 in customer satisfaction. (Foresee,2021). This reflection also confirms Amazon. com’s
market-oriented strategy since its inception.
Conclusion
With this, I conclude that Amazon. com’s mission statement is more market-oriented.
References
Foresee. (2012, December). ForeSee Holiday Customer Satisfaction Study: Amazon Sets
Standard; JCPenney, Apple, Dell Drop. Cision Pr News.https://www.prnewswire.com/news-
releases/foresee-holiday-customer-satisfaction-study-amazon-sets-standard-jcpenney-apple-dell-
drop-184919421.html
Kotler, P. & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing Management (15th Edition ed.). Harlow: Pearson
Education Limited
David F. (2001) Strategic Management Concepts, 8th edition, Upper Saddle River, N.J.,
Macmillan.
Drucker P. (1974) Management Tasks Responsibilities and Practices, New York, Harper, and
Row.
CB Insights (2018). Amazon strategy teardown.
https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/amazon-strategy-teardown

Question 2
Walmart Inc. (formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is one of the largest retailers in the world when it
comes to revenues and the number of employees. The company reflects effective human resource
management with millions of employees globally. Walmart Inc. started in 1962 in Arkansas with
the development of a retail business with effective financial strategies that resulted in the
achievement of its current global position in the industry.
In the past, Wal-Mart’s mission statement was, “We deliver low prices, every day.” This statement
didn’t fulfill the core qualities considered in developing a corporate Mission statement even when
it reflected the ideals of the company’s founder, Sam Walton. The statement also lacked details,
such as information about products, target customers, and markets.
According to (Bwasin,2018), a business mission statement states the purpose of the organization
and why it exists. To be effective, the mission statement ought to be clear, precise, distinctive,
and feasible, aiming high but while exhibiting a realistic and achievable to its followers.
As of today, Walmart Inc.’s current corporate mission is “to save people money so they can live
better, which defines the core guiding principles of the business while still reflecting the ideals of
the company’s founder. The current mission statement relates well with the company’s slogan,
“Save money. Live better”, because Walmart’s business strategies involve more of using the price
to fetch the target customers. For Instance, Walmart Inc uses low prices, one of the 4Ps as a
marketing strategy to attract more customers. Other areas of the company are determined by the
need to minimize selling prices to achieve competitiveness.
Furthermore, Walmart fulfills the “save people money” component of the current mission
statement through its low selling prices. The company’s mission statement is specific regarding
financial savings for customers. (Walmart. Inc,n.d). For example, consumers save money by
spending less in buying goods from the company’s stores, compared to buying the same or similar
goods from midscale and high-end stores. However, it is not yet clear if the company satisfies the
“live better”
The current company’s mission is also concise and clear. It is also abstract enough to encompass
the business and creates a beneficial challenge to motivate employees. In addition, it is future-
oriented, especially in considering the e-commerce environment
References
David, M. E., David, F. R., & David, F. R. (2014). Mission statement theory and practice: A
content analysis and new direction. International Journal of Business, Marketing, & Decision
Science, 7(1), 95-110.
Hicks, M. J., Keil, S. R., & Spector, L. C. (2012). Mom-and-pops or big box stores: Some evidence
of Walmart impact on retail trade. Economic Development Quarterly, 26(4), 311-320.
Matusitz, J., & Reyers, A. (2010). A behemoth in India: Walmart and glocalization. South Asia
Research, 30(3), 233-252.
Meeks, M., & Chen, R. J. (2011). Can Walmart integrate values with value? Journal of Sustainable
Development, 4(5), 62.
Pace, S. (2017). Shaping corporate brands: From product features to corporate mission.
International Studies of Management & Organization, 47(2), 197-205.
Sorescu, A., Frambach, R. T., Singh, J., Rangaswamy, A., & Bridges, C. (2011). Innovations in
retail business models. Journal of Retailing, 87, S3-S16.
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission – Wal-Mart Stores East to Pay $75,000 to Settle
EEOC National Origin / Religious Harassment and Retaliation Lawsuit.
Walmart, Inc. (2021). Our history. https://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/our-history

Question 3.
My reflection is on Market strategy. I believe so many businesses had bigger plans for 2019- 2021.
For instance, in Uganda, many businessmen took loans to build big shopping malls, schools before
the COVID 19 pandemic error with the hope that they will have a return on investment in 2 to 3
years to come. Here we are, globally stuck in the COVID 19 error! Is Futuristic market strategy
still relevant? Given the difficulty that comes with determining what the future holds?
I was also surprised by knowing that fellow students will have to review, and rate submitted
assignments, something I hadn’t practically participated in while studying at any of my levels. It’s
such excitement in a way that it is teaching me to read more of other peers’ views, support and or
defend my submissions in a better way.