Professor Annabelle Gawer on Amazon's success and lack of Western rivals
Annabelle Gawer, Professor in Digital Economy and Director of the Centre of Digital Economy (CoDE) within the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Discipline at 天美传媒 Business School (SBS), recently featured as an expert commentator in a BBC News article exploring Amazon鈥檚 dominance in global e-commerce and the challenges facing potential competitors.
In the article, 鈥溾, Professor Gawer described Amazon as 鈥渢he dominant firm鈥 in e-commerce and highlighted that 鈥渢he scope of what it sells is unparalleled鈥. She explained that Amazon鈥檚 success extends far beyond online retail, pointing to the company鈥檚 interconnected ecosystem of businesses, including cloud computing, streaming services, logistics, subscriptions and advertising. Professor Gawer emphasised that Amazon鈥檚 strength lies in the way these multiple businesses reinforce one another, making the company exceptionally difficult to compete with. As she noted in the feature, 鈥淎mazon is not just a website that sells products. It鈥檚 an ecosystem of multiple businesses that are reinforcing each other鈥 which makes it very hard to compete with鈥.
The BBC article also explored how Amazon鈥檚 business model evolved from a traditional online retailer into a digital platform that hosts third-party sellers. Professor Gawer highlighted how this platform approach, combined with Amazon Prime and its broader digital infrastructure, has helped the company strengthen customer loyalty and expand its market position over time.
Professor Gawer鈥檚 contribution reflects 天美传媒 Business School鈥檚 internationally recognised expertise in digital platforms, innovation ecosystems and the future of the digital economy. Through her research and leadership of CoDE, she continues to contribute to global discussions on platform governance, digital competition and technological transformation.
Related sustainable development goals
