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 Surrey Business School (SBS), recently featured as an expert commentator in a BBC News article exploring Amazon’s dominance in global e-commerce and the challenges facing potential competitors.
In the article, “Why does Amazon have no Western rivals?”, Professor Gawer described Amazon as “the dominant firm” in e-commerce and highlighted that “the scope of what it sells is unparalleled”. She explained that Amazon’s success extends far beyond online retail, pointing to the company’s interconnected ecosystem of businesses, including cloud computing, streaming services, logistics, subscriptions and advertising. Professor Gawer emphasised that Amazon’s 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, “Amazon is not just a website that sells products. It’s an ecosystem of multiple businesses that are reinforcing each other… which makes it very hard to compete with”.
The BBC article also explored how Amazon’s 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’s contribution reflects Surrey Business School’s 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.
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