Choose one option for this assignment. Internet Research Option #1 One of the ironies of the internet is the reintroduction of old-fashioned services such as delivery of groceries to your home. One such service, Peapod, offers smart shopping for busy people. Visit www.peapod.com (use this ZIP code 08620 – Trenton, NJ) and list some of the types of benefit this service provides; compare these benefits with your local grocer. Many online retailers deliver products through package delivery services such as FedEx. In contrast, Peapod must establish a local presence to support delivery. Name three other businesses that would also need a local presence. What price do you pay for the Peapod service? Can you recoup this cost in other ways? Peapod offers to accept coupons. Many coupons are now available online. Is it in a manufacturers interest to allow redemption of coupons? Why or why not? Write your 2-page paper in Microsoft Word and format it according to APA standards. Refer to the writing rubric linked to this assignment for more grading details. Submit your paper using the Session 4 Internet Research link. Internet Research Option #2 Online bookselling is a big business. The first successful bookseller was Amazon, which quickly established itself as a market leader. Amazon does not have any retail stores; it only sells online. Attracted by profit potential, Barnes & Noble, the giant book retailer, opened online business in early 1997. Review the marketing strategies of Amazon and Barnes and Noble (https://www.amazon.com https://www.barnesandnoble.com) and then answer the following questions about their business using a presentation tool of your choice, such as PowerPoint or Prezi: What is the mission statement for each company? Who are the target customers? How are they positioning themselves in the marketplace? Describe their product offerings (e.g. more books, specialized books, used books, other products). What is their pricing strategy? What is their promotional strategy? How are their distribution channels set up? If you were to set up a competing online business, how would you differentiate from what is currently being done? What do you feel are the strengths of each retailer?
