COVER STORY
The e.biz 25
Recent events on Wall Street have produced plenty of walking dot-com wounded. Others are not only still walking tall, but poised for a new surge of growth. These masters
of the Web world stand to share a pie that could be worth $4 trillion by 2003. Meet this year's over-achievers
Up-and-Comers
E-business time can make a grizzled vet out of someone whose company is five-years-old. Here are 10 fresh faces
who may be moguls the next time you look
SPECIAL REPORT: E-TAILING
Shape Up, or Shakeout
Welcome to e-tailing's new era, where the laws of commerce apply. No more growth at any cost; now it's "show me the profits"
I-Way Bumps
There are lessons to be learned from the failure of some e-tailers. A cautionary tale of three companies
Wooing the Newbies
The number of households shopping online will nearly double
in the next two years, but they'll be a tougher and costlier sell
Attention, Kmart Clickers
Its joint venture, BlueLight.com, has already hooked subscribers with free Net service. Next: Delivering the goods
FEATURES
STRATEGIES
Old MacDonald Has a Web Site
Online exchanges for farmers are cutting costs for seed, feed, and chemicals while boosting prices for products
MANAGEMENT
Tell Me a (Digital) Story
Companies are urging customers to become part of the marketing experience by telling their stories online
NET WORTH
Schmooze Tuesdays
The monthly Web networking event called First Tuesday has spread to 70 cities. Can it become a business?
COMMENTARY
PERSPECTIVE
Sites Not Worth Seeing
Many e-tailers offer only a limited selection of
merchandise. And that's turning off shoppers
DATA MINE
Keep 'Em Coming Back
Red-hot rivalry has Web executives working hard to
attract visitors who are compelled to visit long and often
DIGITAL DISPATCH
Can We Stop Having Fun Yet?
Not every employee is dying to be a paint-ball party animal, especially when the company stock is down
CUTTING EDGE
Shoppers: Take Charge!
If consumers can overcome their passivity, new buyer-
driven sites stand to make merchants work harder
IN EVERY ISSUE
CLICKS & MISSES
Web Lotto: It Ain't Pretty
If you've got the time, sweepstakes sites have the money, but the odds of winning any of it are mighty slim
HOME PAGE
How the U.S. Mint is making one on the Web, cyberswapping of baby pictures, venture capitalists ponder e-tailing, a "pan-European pot portal," deadeye domain names,
dot-com backlash in sticker form
On the Cover:
Photograph by Alan Levenson
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ONLINE LINKS
Additional Q&As and more
VIDEO SPECIAL
Backstage with the Stars
ZDTV's "Working the Web" presents video interviews with seven of the e.biz 25, from Amazon's Jeff Bezos to VerticalNet's Mark Walsh
Keep up with developments in the fast-paced world of e-business at ebiz.businessweek.com. The site offers the latest news from the staff of Business Week magazine, Business Week Online, and from CNET. Check out what we'll be analyzing in our upcoming set of regular E-business features.
The Week of May 8-12
Monday
Perspective
Dear Judge Jackson:
How hard should Judge Jackson come down on Microsoft? A bit of advice.
by Mike France
Tuesday
Company Closeup
Diamond in the Rough
While Wall Street pounded e-tailers, online jeweler Blue Nile quietly lined up millions in venture capital. Here's why.
by Jay Greene
Wednesday
Movers & Shakers
Call Him Mr. Blue
Serial entrepreneur Mark Goldstein
has his work cut out for him. He must convince budget-conscious shoppers that Kmart's BlueLight.com Net store can save them a buck or two.
by Joann Muller
Thursday
Street Wise
Ahead of the Herd
Get clobbered by the tech stock correction? Maybe you should be
reading our weekly take on e-biz stocks.
by Sam Jaffe
Friday
Clicks & Misses
Stuck on You
"Surfer" is not a concept dear to Net merchants. They want you to stick around -- like people at Matchmaker.com.
by Roger Crockett
Also,
Watch for regular additions to our Data Nuggets, a collection of facts and figures. Sample occasional opinion pieces by staffers, academics, or executives. Browse through stories from Business Week and Business Week e.biz.
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All That Glitters Now Includes E-Gold
Uncomfortable with the concept of digital cash? How about paying online bills with gold? It can be awkward, but here's how the system works. Perspective, Apr. 3
Can Brad Huang Supercharge Sega?
There's been plenty of idle talk about using game machines as Net devices. But
Brad Huang has to deliver for sega.com. Movers & Shakers, Apr. 19
You've Got Balky Voice Mail
AOL subscribers can now make telephone calls over the Net for free. Don't get too excited. Our long-suffering reviewer finds this is a case of getting just what you pay for. Clicks & Misses, Apr. 14.
Meet the Intimidator
Tough? Twenty execs left Aspect Communications after Beatriz Infante became co-president two years ago. She just became CEO. Let the competition beware.
Movers & Shakers, Apr. 26
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The e.biz 25
First check the list. Then you can find out what the
most influential people in electronic business have to say for themselves. We have exclusive interviews with Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Jean-Marie Messier of Vivendi, Ed Zander of Sun Microsystems, Sanjiv Sidhu of i2, and Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
E-tailing Report
After getting the big picture in our E-tailing Special Report, dig deeper. We sample the wisdom of venture capitalists and get frontline accounts from Bill Bass, head of e-commerce at Lands' End, and Darby Williams of failed online food store Cook Express.
Tech Forums
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