The topic is E-commerce. Please, read carefully the instructions.
E-Commerce
Chapter 13 of the course’s textbook focuses on e-commerce, its features, some of its drivers, and challenges. Most notably, the author describes e-commerce as the sale of goods and services over the Internet (Lascu 390). The author notes that with the growth of the Internet, retailers today can sell their products on the Internet only, also known as clicks-only firms, or through bricks-and-clicks, which are firms that operate online and have an e-commerce site.
The textbook also discusses the drivers of e-commerce other than the unprecedented challenges brought about by the global pandemic. The author notes that consumers and businesses today shop online because of its 24-hour nature, convenience, time saving, speed, more product information, wide product variety, lower prices, and ease of shopping (Lascu 392). Unlike brick-and-mortar stores, the author notes that consumers can view the available products on the e-commerce catalog, test the products virtually, add them to a cart, place the order, pay through the online payment system, and have them delivered to their doorsteps.
Despite the benefits attributed to e-commerce, the authors note a few concerns that make consumers reluctant to make online purchases. These concerns include security issues and consumer purchase behaviors (Lascu 392). Notably, some customers perceive online purchasing as a risky method of shopping, either because of poor order fulfillment or fear of loss of their credit card details through cybercrime. Secondly, the textbook states that some consumers prefer purchasing from physical retail stores because it is their typical habit. Nevertheless, the article notes that over the years, retails have developed ways of guaranteeing consumers of their credit card detail’s safety and offering alternative ways in which consumers can test and order products at the comfort of their homes. Besides, some retailers also have an order tracking method that allows consumers to track their packages through the different stages of order fulfillment.
How the Article Relates to the Issue
Like the course textbook, the article addresses retailing and e-commerce. Most notably, the article highlights how e-commerce fits into the future of retailing post-pandemic. One of the most relatable aspects between the article and the textbook is that they both agree that the retailing landscape has changed significantly due to the pandemic and the Internet growth. For example, the text notes that the changes brought about by the Internet have contributed to the growth of the global Internet retail commerce, with United States online sales expected to reach $859 billion in 2020 (Lascu 391). Thus, the textbook acknowledges that e-commerce will continue to grow in years to come. Similarly, the article uses the EY Future Consumer Index surveys to prove that e-commerce will continue to grow post-pandemic. For example, the article mentions that the study showed that 43 percent of consumers are willing to shop more online for commodities they would have purchased in traditional stores (Gramling et al. 2). In essence, the article supports the textbook’s view of the continued growth of online shopping, especially amidst the global pandemic.
Besides agreeing to e-commerce’s growth, your article adds that besides focusing on e-commerce, retailing companies should also identify the kind of consumer experience they wish to create. This argument is based on the premise that consumer experience keeps changing. Thus, retailers should keep up with these changes, integrate them in the consumers’ journey, and ensure that their e-commerce fits perfectly into the changes. So, in essence, besides acknowledging the importance of e-commerce, your article also adds that firms should not forget to align it with the consumer experience they wish to offer as well.
Works Cited
Gramling, Kathy. et al. “How E-Commerce Fits into Retail’s Post-Pandemic Future.” Harvard Business Review, 11 May 2021, hbr.org/2021/05/how-e-commerce-fits-into-retails-post-pandemic-future. Accessed 2 July 2021
Lascu, Dana-Nicoleta. Marketing Essentials 7e LLF. Textbook Media Press, 2020.
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