Dynamics between Human Activity and Nature during the Twentieth Century - Essay Example

Amazon through Bezos had a goal on customer utility maximization with an aim of providing every product within the alphabet. Amazon kick started business in July 1995 trading its first book through Amazon.com, the book sold was Fluids concepts and creative Analogies: Computer Models of the Fundamental Mechanism of Thought by Douglas Hofstadter. Amazon underwent further expansion in Delaware in the year 1996. On 15th May 1997, Amazon offered its initial public offering of shares, doing business under NASDAQ stock exchange with their symbol being AMZN.

The shares were traded at a price of US$ 18 per share. The firm had a unique initial business plan whereby they did not expect to acquire any gains for first four to five years. The firm has different websites for various countries around the world (Bryers, 2009). On the other hand, Border Books was initiated in 1971 under the watch of brothers Tom and Louis Borders in Ann Arbor, Michigan while they were undertaking their undergraduate and graduate programs at the University of Michigan. Later in 1976, a complimentary company known as Book Inventory System was formed to act as a wholesaler for Borders Books.

It was also aimed at providing custom inventory system to regional independent bookstores which included: John Rollins, Thackeray’s, Schuler Books and Joseph-Beth Booksellers. In a bid to achieve expansion in the company, Robert F. Diromualdo formerly president of Hickory Farms was brought on board. The initial Borders bookshop was situated in two rooms above 209 State Street, north of the state theater. Their initial inventory mainly comprised of a combination of used books. Later on the brothers relocated to Maynard House apartment building which is in the southwest corner of William and Maynard Streets.

They later on purchased out the inventory an 80 year old bookstore known as Wahr’s which was closing down at 316 South State. Wahr’s majorly traded in text books and school supplies which was different from the brothers’ specialization. The brothers thereafter relocated the retail bookshop to former Wagner & son men’s clothing store which saw the business expand to large scale. Tom Frick was assigned to handle the old shop which had by then been renamed Charing Cross Bookshop (Thompson, 2009).

In 1992, Kmart attained the ownership of Borders which by then had owned an 8 year old book chain known as Waldenbooks since 1984. Kmart merged the two companies naming it Borders-Walden Group. The merger was aimed at having the experienced senior management from Borders help salvage Waldenbooks which was flopping. However this did not work as most of the Borders senior management opted to walk out of the company. By the end of the annum Kmart renamed the company as Borders Group. Singapore became the first state where the company established an international store; this took place in the year 1997.

The company went ahead to further establish other 41 international stores in United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Borders (UK) Ltd. was started in 1998 as branch of Borders Group. It grew to become one of the major booksellers in UK but was later sold out to a private investor in 2007 due to stiff competition in market. The Singapore store was declared the best performing among