Research Paper on:
A 2001 Financial Analysis of Amazon.com

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
but Amazon had incredible sales from the outset. It perhaps was not prepared for the high volume it would receive, eventually its web site would be up to par and  operators would be knowledgeable. Amazon had problems similar to all online shopping sites in that there were kinks that had to be worked out. Online retailing was new when Amazon  launched its business. Criticized for its high ideals but monetary losses, poor customer service and layoffs, the firm has fared rather well. Company founder Jeff Bezos always seemed to  believe that things would work out in the end. They did. It was rather spectacular that Amazon.com Inc. posted a 2001 fourth-quarter net profit of $5.1 million (Robin,  2002, p.17) which is the companys first-ever profit; figures for the previous year had been a loss of $545 million (2002, p.17). Looking at 2001 figures at least for  profitability was rather dismal at first, but wonderful at the end of the year. And while things have improved since, there are other figures in addition to profitability that are  worth evaluating. First, it is important to understand what the company does and a bit of its history. Amazon.com started in July of 1995 with a mission to use  the Internet in order to transform book buying into the fastest, easiest, and most enjoyable shopping experience imaginable ("About," 1999). The company explains that while it has grown immensely, it  stills maintains the commitment to customer satisfaction and the delivery of a positive shopping experience (1999). Largely, they have succeeded and this may attest to the fact that attention to  customer satisfaction is key to success in business. And certainly, they have focused much of their attention on attraction and retention of customers. As the twenty-first century approached, Amazon.com claimed