eBay date of birth : 1995 turnover 2008: $ 8.5 billion Operating income in 2008 : $ 2.1 billion Personal : 16200 CA per employee : 00 524 dollars Operating profit per employee : $ 130 000 Gross margin : 74% Historical specialty auctions on the Internet evolution of the share price ( 25 March 2009) for a year : -57 % ; since record (December 2004) : -78 % Amazon date of birth : 1994 turnover 2008: $ 19 billion 2008 operating profit : 842 million dollars Personal : 20700 CA per employee 917 000 dollars Operating profit per employee 41 000 dollars Gross margin : 22% Historical specialty online sales of consumer goods evolution of stock prices : the last year : + 1.09 % ; since record (April 1999) : 33% To summarize , Amazon, with its huge mail order network, its warehouses around the world six times bigger eBay , but three times less profitable. Question: why is the punishment of the stock market ? The answer lies in two points: the management focus and growth strategy.