• Like a Phoenix Rising from the Ashes: the Yahoo Kimo Super Mall

Abstract

This case is about the Yahoo Kimo Super Mall that had been confronted by a superior competitor since its beginning around 2009. After identifying the target customers from the big-sellers of the e-auction to the brick-and-mortar businesses, in addition to a well-planned support strategy, the Super Mall has become the most profitable e-mall in Taiwan in the last four years. There are two teaching goals: (1) the introduction to B-to-B-to-C platform associated with operations management and (2) the influences of the strategy change toward the business model. The business operations of the super mall is quite different from that of the internet retailers (B-to-C) or e-auction (C-to-C) that people are more familiar with. Students will learn to develop a support plan following a strategy change by analyzing its influences on every aspect of the business model. Moreover, the re-setting of the target customers to the brick-and-mortar businesses has brought a further advantage for the Super Mall to develop the O-to-O marketing for the coming competition on the mobile commerce arena. Through the case discussions, students can learn the implications of O-to-O marketing.

Keywords: B-to-B-to-C, Strategy Change, Business Model, O-to-O