1. Did the company have aspirations on the profits they will make at the beginning?
When Expedia was being founded, there were no benchmarks to base their targets on in terms of revenues and profits. The company was the first of its kind the whole world. Its tapped into a market that had not been tried before. The level of coverage was also not very broad and thus could not provide sufficient grounds for estimating profits. The current level of profits that the company is making was not estimated.
2. In how many countries does Expedia sell its products?
Expedia boasts of a global presence in over 75 countries. It provides over 200 booking services in all the 75 countries and supports over 35 languages across these countries ("Expedia Group – The world's travel platform", 2018). This is supported by over 150 websites on Expedia.
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3. What percentage of Expedia’s overall sales is made outside the United States?
As at 31/03/2018, the company earns 46% of its revenue from other countries other than the United States ("Expedia Group – The world's travel platform", 2018).
4. Which companies (if any) has Expedia acquired during the past 12 months?
In the last twelve months, the Expedia has only acquired one company in the name of Silverrail. Silverrail is the leading rail technology distributor in the United States. Expedia completed acquisition of majority stake in the company on June 23rd, 2017 ("Expedia Group – The world's travel platform", 2018).
5. Does Expedia have future ambitions of expanding the business further?
Expedia Group has rapidly grown since its inception in the year 1996. It has continued to expand its business operations to different regions, which it plans to continue expanding. It bases for expansion plans on the need and the availability of a market for its products.
6. What new products (or services) has Expedia introduced in the past 12 months?
Following the acquisition of Silverrail, the company introduced the sale of rail tickets through the company’s website ("Expedia Group – The world's travel platform", 2018). This further broadens the breadth of choice of travel by the customers by introducing rail supply.
7. Does an entrant of new businesses such as Expedia Inc. threaten Expedia’s existence?
Competition in business is always encouraged for the consumers to enjoy the maximum benefits from the companies. A company offering a certain product will work towards having a competitive advantage over the other, thereby making the customer the beneficiary. Expedia has already created its own market niche and continues to expand it by acquiring other companies in other lines of businesses closely related to travel. Entry of a new company, therefore, does not threaten the existence of Expedia but further provides competition which is healthy for any market.
8. What type of candidate does Expedia seek?
Expedia seeks candidates who are ambitious and passionate about travel ("Expedia Group – The world's travel platform", 2018). The candidate should be able to make use of technology to improve travel experience and also be a team player.
9. What is involved in an Expedia employee’s average day-to-day tasks?
An average Expedia’s employee day is involved in activities leading to generating ideas on how to make travel much easier and enjoyable. The employee will, therefore, be seeking to provide travel advisory services to the clients through technology.
10. What are some of Expedia’s current challenges?
Currently, Expedia faces challenges in growth from one of its subsidiaries, Hotwire ( Forbes – Expedia’s Hotel Bookings Lift Revenue but Rising Costs a Worry. 2018). Hotwire provides travel deals for both travel and hotel bookings at discounted rates as high as 60% without making the name of the supplier until a no-refundable payment is made. Hotwire has faced stiff competition from Priceline. Priceline launched a product line that allows the customer to name their price and a suitable match is advised to the customer.
Another challenge facing Expedia is the increased costs of revenue and marketing ( Forbes – Expedia’s Hotel Bookings Lift Revenue but Rising Costs a Worry. 2018). Hotwire. This reduces the profit margins for the company to reduce with increasing costs. The company is, however, working towards working on a plan to manage their increasing costs for better profits.
11. What is Expedia’s employee turnover rate?
Employees who have left the company have been quoted stating that Expedia is a good company to work for. The company has more than 18,000 employees ("Expedia, Inc.", 2018). However, the company is faced with a staff turnover rate which does not portray a good picture of the company. For example, senior management changes every 16-18 months ("Expedia, Inc.", 2018). Most of the employees are in the 2 years or below work tenure bracket.
12. What opportunities are available to rise within the company?
Expedia offers opportunities in hotels booking and travel management. It provides opportunities for individuals who are well versed and prepared for modern technology. Millenials account for the majority employee age-group at Expedia, demonstrating the availability of employment opportunities for ambitious young people ("Expedia, Inc.", 2018).
Conclusion
Expedia, being the first company of its kind, has grown rapidly since its inception in 1996. It has continuously provided travel advisory to its prospective clients over the web. To improve the service provision, the company has embarked on the acquisition of other companies operating in the travel industry space. This has continuously improved the level of satisfaction enjoyed by Expedia users. The company has also increased the number of countries that it operates in, thus providing a variety of options for tourist travelers.
Expedia has also embarked on ensuring that it employs a workforce that best understands the web. Most of Expedia’s employees are millennials, a group that has been said to understand the internet better and much faster, thereby improving service provision to its users. This, combined with its increased presence across the globe makes it possible to provide travel advisory better and more efficiently, making the company a giant in this market space.
References
Expedia Group – The world's travel platform. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.expediagroup.com/
Expedia, Inc. (2018). Retrieved from http://reviews.greatplacetowork.com/expedia-inc
Forbes – Expedia’s Hotel Bookings Lift Revenue but Rising Costs a Worry. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2013/04/26/expedias-hotel-bookings-lift-revenue-but-rising-costs-a-worry/#14e5384f4fef
