Amazon.com Inc.

’s Mission
Statement & Vision Statement
(An Analysis)
Updated on February 13, 2019 by Lawrence Gregory

Amazon.com Inc.’s mission and

vision statements contribute to
the company’s status as one of
the largest online retailers in the
world. This success is attributed
to stringent measures to ensure
that the vision and mission
An Amazon delivery box in 2009. Amazon.com Inc.’s statements are fulfilled. In theory,
corporate vision statement and corporate mission
statement show strategic objectives for global
the corporate vision statement
expansion and leadership in the e-commerce provides organizational direction
market, cloud computing, online services, and
toward a desired future condition
related industries. (Photo: Public Domain)
of the business. On the other
hand, the corporate mission statement presents business goals and
guides strategic management in the company. Based on this
business analysis case, Amazon’s mission statement focuses on
effective and high-quality service. For example, the company
emphasizes target customers’ convenience in accessing the best
selection of products in the e-commerce market. The scope of the
selection of products available from the company is a business
strength identified in the SWOT analysis of Amazon.com Inc. In
relation, the company’s vision statement shows a target future of
global dominance in the online retail industry. The fulfillment of
these official statements facilitates further enhancement of the e-
commerce business for long-term success in the global market.

Amazon.com’s corporate mission and vision statements are

fundamental in developing strategies to support the company’s
competitive advantages against firms like Google, eBay, Apple,
Walmart, and Costco Wholesale. These competitors create the
strong force of competitive rivalry evaluated in the Porter’s Five
Forces analysis of Amazon.com Inc. The company’s corporate vision
and mission statements also influence the operations of its
subsidiaries, such as Whole Foods Market. Considering the variety
of its products, which include online retail services, digital content
distribution, cloud computing services, and computer software and
hardware, Amazon.com Inc. aligns its vision statement with its
mission statement to unify its diverse operations in various
industries.

Amazon.com’s Corporate Mission Statement

Amazon’s mission statement is “We strive to offer our customers
the lowest possible prices, the best available selection, and the
utmost convenience.” This corporate mission promises attractive
e-commerce services to satisfy target customers’ needs. The
company focuses on the variables of price, selection, and
convenience. In this regard, the following characteristics are
identifiable in Amazon’s corporate mission statement:

1. Lowest prices
2. Best selection
3. Utmost convenience

The “lowest prices” component of the mission statement guides the

pricing strategies included in Amazon.com Inc.’s marketing mix or
4P. Low prices are a selling point that makes the company’s e-
commerce website and services attractive. A corresponding
strategic objective is to reduce operational costs to enable the
business to minimize prices. Amazon’s corporate mission statement
also points to having the best selection. For example, the wide array
of products on the company’s website is a factor that attracts
customers. Moreover, Amazon.com Inc.’s corporate mission
emphasizes convenience, such as in accessing the company’s
products via the Internet. This characteristic is a response to
consumers’ use of “convenience” as a criterion when evaluating the
quality and attractiveness of online retail services.

Amazon.com’s Corporate Vision Statement

Amazon’s corporate vision is “to be Earth’s most customer-
centric company, where customers can find and discover
anything they might want to buy online.” This vision statement
underscores the business organization’s main aim of becoming the
best e-commerce company in the world. In this regard, the following
characteristics are identifiable in Amazon’s corporate vision
statement:

1. Global reach
2. Customer-centric approach
3. Widest selection of products

The “global reach” component of Amazon.com Inc.’s vision

statement is all about international leadership in the e-commerce
market. For example, in stating the “Earth” as the market, the
company shows that it aims to continue expanding globally. Thus, a
corresponding strategic objective is global expansion, especially
through market penetration and market development, which are
included in Amazon.com Inc.’s generic strategy and intensive growth
strategies. The customer-centric approach in Amazon’s corporate
vision statement shows that the company considers customers as
among the most important stakeholders in the online retail business.
This consideration agrees with Amazon.com Inc.’s corporate social
responsibility strategy for its stakeholders. Moreover, the corporate
vision indicates continuing efforts to broaden the product mix.
These efforts contribute to business growth and to making the
company’s services more attractive to target consumers.

Amazon.com’s Corporate Vision and

Corporate Mission – Recommendations
Amazon.com’s mission statement satisfies many of the conventional
characteristics of ideal mission statements. For example, the
company includes target customers and market, variety of products,
and basic business aims (pricing and convenience) in the corporate
mission. However, the company does not include technology and
the nature of the business and its operations. In this regard, it is
recommended that Amazon add details in its corporate mission to
give employees and investors a better idea of what the company is
all about. This recommendation should make the corporate mission
statement more comprehensive, especially in representing the
company’s businesses, such as e-commerce, cloud-based
computing services, digital content delivery, software and hardware,
and brick-and-mortar retail (Amazon Books).

Amazon.com’s vision statement possesses strong characteristics,

such as the specification of the company’s target market and an
aspect of its marketing mix. However, this corporate vision satisfies
only some of the conventional characteristics of ideal vision
statements. For example, Amazon’s corporate vision is concise,
clear, and abstract enough to ensure suitability in various areas of
the business. Still, this corporate vision is not stable enough to
ensure its suitability in the future of the business. For instance,
Amazon’s business now includes cloud services and brick-and-
mortar bookstores. Yet, the company’s vision statement still focuses
on e-commerce. Thus, it is recommended that Amazon improve its
corporate vision statement by adding these details about such
businesses to make the statement comprehensive in reflecting the
future state of the corporation.

References

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