Corporate Strategy Case Study

eBay Celebrating Tenth Anniversary: The Challenges Ahead

OR

Abstract:
On June 23 rd 2005, eBay, the world's largest on-line auctioneering company, celebrated its 10 th anniversary. The company, which started its operations with the trade of candy dispensers, became a world leader in on-line business through its innovative business model and consistent performance. While the company's management feels it is just the beginning of the success story, many industry experts opine that the sector is heating up with the entry of other Internet heavyweights like Yahoo!, Amazon, and Google, resulting in several challenges for eBay

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To trace the evolution of eBay into an on-line business giant
• To highlight eBay's business model, its competitive advantage and the growth strategies adopted by eBay
• To discuss the future opportunities and challenges for eBay

Keywords : Growth strategy; Triple A’s - Acquisition, Activation, Activity; World’s on-line marketplace; Pierre Omidyar; Meg Whitman; e-Commerce; Managing in Troubled Times Case Study; Reputation management system; Paypal Kijiji; Zero inventory system; Yahoo!, Microsoft, Google; Competitive strategies; Froogle, Alibaba, EachNet; Peer-to-peer networks; Business model