The Long Tail

"The Long Tail" by Chris Anderson is a 2006 book that examines the transformation
from a manufacturer economy to a consumer-driven online economy. He credits Amazon
as the pioneer that established the first ecommerce business model that created new
markets for niche products.

The title refers to the image of a distribution curve. Imagine a dinosaur with a long tail.
The head and body represent "hit products" that make up the bulk of sales. The tail
represents all the obscure products that only sell a few copies over time. Anderson
says that the conglomeration of niche product sales is beginning to rival the market
of hits due to sites that give wide consumer choices beyond popular products.

Companies at the forefront of offering access to online niche products that otherwise
might be hard to find offline include iTunes, eBay, Craigslist and Netflix.