CampusU - Competitors

CampusU Competition

Now Viewing CampusU's competition in: Internet and Catalog Retailers

Recent Developments

Booksellers Try Online Catalogs - Despite paper catalogs being the norm among booksellers, several publishers have introduced online catalogs. HarperCollins announced in May 2008 that it will launch an online catalog for its summer titles, citing benefits such as reduced postage and printing costs. Hachette Book Group is piloting an online catalog and Simon & Schuster is considering one. Many smaller publishers send e-catalogs to the media, but HarperCollins' plan for an online catalog for 2009 is the first among major book publishers.

eBay may Require PayPal - eBay is considering requiring US customers to use its online payment service, PayPal. The company says that such an arrangement will allow it to reduce fraud as eBay and PayPal will be able to exchange transaction information. Opponents say that the move will reduce competition and enable PayPal to raise fees. A similar move faces antitrust issues in Australia.

Online Retail Sales Growth Predicted - A new study by Forrester Research projects that US online retail sales will rise 17 percent in 2008, after growing 21 percent in 2007. Less clear, however, is whether online sales will cannibalize sales at traditional stores. The study finds that consumers are less concerned with identity theft online than in the past, a major reason for the growth projection. The Forrester report notes that apparel, footwear, and accessories are the top online category, followed by computer hardware and software.

Competitive Landscape

Demand is driven by consumers’ personal income. Profitability of individual companies depends on effective marketing to build a customer base. Larger firms enjoy central purchasing efficiencies and economies of scale in inventory management, customer service, and telecommunications. Smaller firms compete on outstanding customer service and providing niche products. Average annual revenue per worker for a typical company is about $400,000.

Full Industry Overview For Internet and Catalog Retailers

Internet and Catalog Retailers Industry Forecast

from Hoover's/D&B subsidiary First Research

The output for US retail sales, which includes Internet sales, is forecast to grow at an annual compounded rate of 5.6 percent between 2007 and 2012.

Retail Sales Growth Fairly Steady

First Research forecasts are based on INFORUM forecasts that are licensed from the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. (IERF) in College Park, MD. INFORUM's "interindustry-macro" approach to modeling the economy captures the links between industries and the aggregate economy.