Week # 3 - Retailing in Electronic Commerce: Products and Services

Chapter Objectives :


Describe electronic retailing (e-tailing) and its characteristics.
Define and describe the primary e-tailing business models.
Describe how online travel and tourism services operate and their impact on the industry.
Discuss the online employment market, including its participants, benefits, and limitations.
Describe online real estate services.
Discuss online stock-trading services.
Discuss cyberbanking and online personal finance.
Describe on-demand delivery by e-grocers.
Describe the delivery of digital products and online entertainment.
Discuss various e-tail consumer aids, including comparison-shopping aids.
Identify the critical success factors and failure avoidance tactics for direct online marketing and e-tailing.
Describe reintermediation, channel conflict, and personalization in e-tailing.
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Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/ takes E-tailing into the next level.
Have you ever shopped on Amazon.com or at least browsed through their website?
Not only it makes the shopping experience more enjoyable, it does a great job personalizing and offering all kinds of features that would definitely make a client want to shop there again;

Amazon offers a search engine enhanced by Google.com, it provides useful information about products, allows clients to read reviews and recommendations or submit their own recommendations for a specific product. Amazon also offers low prices as well as an amazing shipping and delivery system, a secure payment system and more.

PERSONALLY , I can say that I have shopped through Amazon.com multiple times, and
always with great satisfaction; I mainly shopped for books for myself and for my son,
and when returning to the website - I was greeted by my full name and offered
products that I might like to purchase - based on my history of purchases.
NOW, If that's not a good way to personalize - I don't know what is ~! :-)

Check this out ! :

http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=sa_menu_gro5/104-0541457-3632714?%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=16310101

Amazon offers groceries as well. On the lefthand side you can see baby products.
From personal experience, new moms don't have a lot of time to go shopping and especially in the winter time - it is just easier to order baby formula and diapers online instead of
having to bundle up a newborn and go to the store.

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Is Walmart really only for toothless people ??? ;-) (losers versus winners ! )

Companies such as Walmart are considered a Multichannel retailers as they offer merchandise both online and In physical stores, allowing clients to search online for what they need, and if desired – come to the store and touch and feel the goods. In addition to this advantage, Walmart can reach a wider range of customers, in very urban places or very rural ones – where physical Walmart stores are not available. The combination of a huge online selection of products with a physical store – makes companies such as Walmart the ultimate winners in retailing.

(so why is it that they don't offer a dental plan to their employees ?? wink wink ;-) )