E-commerce

E-commerce, and e-commerce or online trading is the buying process via remote data transmission within the distribution policy of marketing or of trade marketing, in which the range mapped electronically to goods and / or services on the Internet, described and offered to consumers for electronic ordering. Here, a direct relationship between and among suppliers and customers is handled over the Internet. In a broader sense, electronic commerce encompasses any kind of business transaction in which internet marketers - even those who are not trading company - and use Internet - demand as a transaction partner under power initiation, agreement or provision of electronic communication techniques. The term commonly used in the literature of Electronic Business popularized an IBM advertising campaign in the late 1990s. In a narrower sense, the electronic trading involves transactions made over the internet transactions between Internet retailers, so trading companies, who use the Internet exclusively or in addition to stationary or traditional mail order business, and internet buyers. Goods from the presented offer can be similar to shopping at a retail stores operation selected and included in a so -called shopping. The ordering process is finally completed by the order is transmitted online. Electronic trading makes in every sense a part of the Internet economy (e-commerce, e-business).

• 6.1 Special forms
• 6.2 Usability
• 6.3 shop system 6.3.1 Evolution of Web -Shop software systems
• 6.3.2 Store architecture

• 7.1 German provisions
• 7.2 Austrian provisions
• 7.3 European regulations
• 7.4 Non-European provisions

• 9.1 purchaser
• 9.2 Dealer
• 9.3 slowdown in the U.S. growth for online sales

Function in marketing

The special case of the electronic trading of the distribution of the marketing mix over the traditional distribution channels are the enormous flexibility on the supply side, as well as a significant reduction in transaction costs with business partners. It can be reduced for example, travel or phone costs in customer acquisition and performance presentation. The physical distances are to be overcome in physical performances yet and require appropriate logistics capacities.

The term online shop is the Germanized English name for the distribution of goods through the website of a dealer. Other names for the organizational implementation are webshop and e - shop ( electronics shop) or rarely Germanized e- shop.

Due to the now extremely high market penetration of Internet connections in Germany, especially among households, the E -commerce has initially enforced here in the C2C and B2C market via online auction sites. Especially in the B2C market, online retailers are increasingly focusing on the use of various price comparison portals and product search engines., The large number of these platforms offers a very convenient alternative to traditional search engine marketing to increase awareness of the operators present online retailers. Institutional business partners in the B2B market wrap tenders and business leads also increasingly common on the Internet and from some large companies already do not allow more suppliers who fail to do so.

In the industrial sector, the provider of such query in direct contact with the customer technical specifications, delivery requests, and often also a required co-operation with other providers, transferred into its database or CAD / CAM / CAQ systems for the planning and in the shortest possible time customized offers, create without a sales visit or complex queries.

The sales medium is gaining due to the high availability of the Internet in Europe in importance for the consumer sales and is used selectively for subsequent transactions in the capital goods sales.

Today is meant by the Electronic commerce in general, all the methods of settlement of transactions and administrative procedures via electronic channels, the Internet, or at least the techniques and protocols used in the Internet play an essential role and information technology is commonly regarded as a prerequisite. An important aspect here is the abolition of media breaks, as it is typical in conventional business transactions. In addition, the human interventions are to be reduced in the course of business to the necessary minimum. One speaks in the case of straight-through processing, which requires a high degree of integration of business functions.

You linked to this end application systems from different functional areas or organizational boundaries, it is a classical application field of Enterprise Application Integration ( EAI). Enterprise Content Management (ECM ) is regarded as one of the enabling technologies for e-business.

Economic Fundamentals

Macroeconomic Fundamentals

An understanding of the special characteristics of e-business arises from the shift away from neoclassical microeconomics. It presupposes, among other homogeneous goods, full market transparency and the absence of preferences, and thus embarks on a high, but realistic distant abstraction level. A more realistic description of the economy makes the New Institutional Economics ( NIE ).

Within the framework of institutional economics, transaction costs play an important role. The Internet can reduce costs of a transaction in the search and evaluation phase. There are also opportunities in the implementation phase to reduce transaction costs. Overall reduced costs for market transactions and coordination through markets is advantageous.

Since, however, overlook the fact that this is only to variations of neoclassicism, which, although differentiated than the original neo-classical, but how these simplifications and fictions to the base have. Also, is neglected, that the mere cost advantages can not be translated into a competitive advantage if, in principle, anyone can realize these benefits. Under this condition, the cost advantages of competitive disadvantages ( Nicholas G. Carr, Does IT Matter? Information Technology and the Corrosion of Competitive Advantage, HBS Press 2004 ), or are at best in an extreme price competition of short duration ( Frances Cairncross, The Death of Distance 2.0, Texere 2002)

This is a unique feature the ability to create value. As an example of a comprehensible and demand added value compared to the old economy primarily serves the Internet advertising that increasingly displace the payment fantasies of the content owners. It allows the measurement of a specific advertising success than she knows about the traditional mail order catalog for his advertising with even greater accuracy.

In the economic assessment of electronic commerce is likely, moreover, the fact that he performs services for the market economy, which are comparable with those of the traditional ( inpatient and distance ) trade. Partially go from electronic trading from additional competitive impulses in both the parallel process as well as in the exchange process. The Internet also provides an excellent platform for group policies and network strategies of trade cooperation and thus opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs ) to increase their performance in competition.

The Attention Economy

Prof. Franck- Obersasbach goes in his book economy of attention assume that attention in the society gets a progressively increased value. For advertising nowadays every group has to spend enormous amounts of resources as products are sold through awareness, brand and image. Although companies in the e-business have on the one hand with the customer inexpensive ways to get in touch, but suffer other hand, the fact that they lost in the flood of information the web. Some net art projects ( milliondollarhomepage, the senseless $ 1,234,567 club) or particularly unusual e-business ideas work exactly with this issue, and so generate huge profits.

Business Basics

The Internet trading can help to reduce costs. For example, shorter and more cost -efficient ways of ordering. The integration of business functions along the value chain more efficient business processing to be achieved. For trading companies, including the wholesale, pulls the industrial sales orientation towards e-commerce (and thus in the direction of direct sales) up the dangers of increasing elimination. You can be counteracted by new or increased own Internet activity, for example by intensive B2B contacts with suppliers and protected by exclusive or the stationary business flanking B2C contacts ( e-commerce in the narrow sense ). Another aspect is the economies of scale. Thus, the decreasing importance of the relatively high fixed costs, it is meant as the variable costs in the electronic trading play a rather minor role. The benefits for industrial companies as well as for commercial enterprises can be:

• New communication with customers
• Increase in supplier and customer satisfaction
• Improve the company's image
• Development of new distribution channels
• Acquisition of new customers
• Sales increase
• Increase efficiency

Electronic commerce can also be connected with no means cost-neutral disadvantages. These are mainly:

• Additional sales and / or procurement risks
• Decreasing customer benefits (for waiver of personal service )
• Declining Customer Satisfaction ( reactance reactions to create customer profiles )
• Increased risks of payments
• Create and maintain a versandhandel typical organization ( inventory, accounts receivable control, etc. )

Digital Divide

The term digital divide (often engl:. 'Digital divide ) refers to the division of the world into one in using electronic media more advanced and provides less developed part. Economists assume that the use of e -business increases the growth of economies, which were already more developed countries continue to increase their lead over the less developed countries. (see digital divide ). Whether this phenomenon is really in the long term lead to an increase in the distance between economies or even within a society is questionable. Finally, it was already in other mass media similarly argues, for example, under the headings of radio- television divide or divide. It was always found that those groups / economies that supposedly had a disadvantage from a non- access, with the fall in prices and the ease of handling were also to users.

Open, enclosed, vertical and horizontal marketplaces

In open market places, each market participant can register and participate in closed marketplaces only certain, selected participants will be invited or approved. A horizontal marketplace represents individual business processes. It refers to a stage of the value chain, for example, with the focus Procurement: On a horizontal procurement marketplace companies take part on the buyers side. You can come from different industries and access to a common set of suppliers. In contrast, a vertical marketplace depicts various business processes of a single industry or group of users.

View

After the large e -business euphoria of the 1990s, during which originated a variety of marketplaces, is now gone, it is now generally believed that after a process of concentration only a few major marketplaces will survive. In addition, however, also specialized niche are likely to increasingly establish.

Today the situation has changed significantly: the technology to implement an electronic marketplace has become much more affordable. In addition, the trend to link different offers via standardized interfaces (APIs ) to each other, so that a common market place with high density range (for example, Amazon Marketplace). Formerly independent market places are also increasingly being integrated into comprehensive portal solutions.

E-commerce by type of participant

The Electronic trading can be categorized according to type of participants:

( will be lifted out or refers to particular categories such as workers B2E it can also be the orientation - - bsp C2A unequal A2C. )

• Consumer (customer, consumer ) C2C: Consumer- to-consumer, consumer to consumer Auction trading ( ex. eBay)
• C2B: Consumer- to-business, consumer to business bsp. payment or real assets participating in surveys information for marketing purposes
• C2A: Consumer- to- Administration, consumer to government Electronically -based wage and income - tax return MAGPIE

• Business (companies, entrepreneurs) B2C: Business - to-consumer, business to consumer Services offered by the business to consumer, online retail ( ex. Amazon)
• B2B: Business-to -business, business to business Trade between enterprises and suppliers ( ex. IBX )
• B2A: business-to - administration, business to public administration Tax returns, processing of data in a public contract, electronic tendering for public contracts ( ex. www.vergabeplattform.berlin.de )
• B2E: Business -to -employee, business to employees Services and information for staff ( ex. online purchase of goods and services on preferential terms )

• Administration ( Government and Public Administration ) A2C: Administration- to-consumer, government to consumer subscribed e- mail newsletter from ministries and departments ( ex. consumer protection warning, Privacy Policy )
• A2B: Administration- to-business, government enterprises Activities of public authorities to businesses ( ex. data retrieval, catalog access, from the Commercial Register )
• A2A: Administration- to- Administration, Government to Government Electronic communication between authorities, exchange of information ( ex. financial data reconciliation, vehicle registration )

To divide electronically supported business processes into categories, of course, depends on the needs of human development, so find categories such as consumer of Public Administration ( C2A ), or other combinations of the above ( ex. B2E ) only gradually spread. In older literature, often also finds the symbol G for e-government rather than the broader term administration. Similarly, no orientation is often ( A2C is not equal C2A ) distinguished.

Whether the above categories always reflect trade relations, subject, at least in terms of the Administration ( A2A) of reasonable doubt. In Germany, the categories C, B, A, E are clearly due to the legal status, ie the division into types takes place after the position of the participants in the legal system / traffic, as there are in each case for the consumer, enterprise and public administration established different legal rights and obligations.

Online Shop

An online shop is a special form of distance selling in which a dealer or manufacturer offers commercial goods or services for sale or rent. The communication between buyers and sellers occurs largely via the Internet. The online shop will take over the task of a product presentation and, secondly, the processing of the order and purchase process. About Shopping Apps online shops are also made on smartphones or tablet PCs accessible ( mobile shopping ). When ordering, all for the shipment of goods and the processing of payment information by entering the customer in the checkout area (Checkout ) are collected.

In product presentation, the provider relied on different means: by-product photography, text and technical data increasingly three-dimensional product images and videos used. The use of the Customer is becoming the standard. The product presentation has to generate the target sales by perfect representation of the offer and to avoid costly returns. In variant-rich products that are produced according to individual customer requirements in mass production, the customer can " be " a configurator according to different criteria such as color, material, equipment and design put together yourself. For example, all vehicle manufacturers' websites to corresponding vehicle configurators. The actual vehicle order is here still mostly about the retail stores. When pricing put traders on fixed prices. In addition, there are online stores where the customers - as in auctions - can offer a price.

Particularly strong sectors in e-commerce are the book and music Shipping. During the Internet boom of the late 20th century gained online stores more and more important. Internet retailers have the advantage that they do not need a physical retail space, this is virtually a website. Also need online shops often little or no storage space, as they often induce a delivery directly from the producer (dropshipping) or the goods can be ordered as needed. The avoided fixed costs can then be passed on to the consumer. Even Internet booksellers who are subject to the fixed book prices in Germany, which prohibits discounts have to spare the advantage by taking over the shipping costs to the customer at the same price going to the bookstore. This is called a classic mail. For digital products such as music files, software or online books the customer can download the product immediately after purchase. The physical shipping omitted in the case and the customer can use his purchase immediately.

Special shapes

Another form of online shops is the so-called live shopping, in which usually only one product is available on the day. In addition, the shopping via social media platforms such as Facebook is becoming more and more important ( social commerce ).

Serviceability

As the Internet takes place no personal selling, the visual communication of the internet shop must meet many demands on the dialogue between supplier and customer. Large providers observe test customers in special laboratories for testing the usability ( usability ) at their online (test) purchases. The findings on eye movements on the screen (Eye tracking method), font and image recognition as well as time spent in various areas of the website intended thereby provide information about possible improvements in the user experience and motivation of the client. Likewise, give interviews with the subjects information about necessary changes.

Shop system

A shop system is the software foundation of online shops.

The system can store both database - based and are dynamically installed as a web application on a web server as well as by static HTML pages. Currently there are approximately 200 Shop software provider in Germany alone. In this case, the providers differ in the orientation of their offer in the orientation to different target groups. There is software for a small price for the mass market and providers who have specialized in individually targeted to create software according to the requirements or optimize.

Since 1995 until today, a wide range of different shop systems developed. The functionality has increased dramatically over the years and changed a lot due to the different business requirements.

Evolution of Web -Shop software systems

The function -sided development and evolution stages from standard Web Store lists software systems:

The first shop systems between 1995 and 2000 attempted to replicate the traditional department store and dealt primarily with the pure presentation of products and the checkout process. These are called Storefront System called. By 2001, the shop systems were supplemented by first administrative functions; as the management of orders ( Order Management features). By 2006, the demands increased management functionality of the shop system. Thus, inter alia, Functionalities such as product databases, content management (CMS ), customer registration and administration natural part of the standard shop - systems (administration features). By 2009, the demands of customers are more come to the fore in addition to the pure requirements for the administrative processes from the perspective of the shop owner. Functionalities around the customer account management, and others have the management of personal wishlist and help functions developed. Thus, the requirements for data protection and security have risen sharply (Customer Features / Security). The current development of shop systems since 2010 relates to customers / users an even stronger, pushing functionality on the subject of Web 2.0 (eg, customer reviews, personalized recommendations, and social media) in the standard.

Shop Architectural

Most e -shop systems have the following basic software components:

• Store database product
• Administration database
• Presentation system
• Recommendation Engine
• Payment gateway ( payment processing )
• Further functionalities (tools)
• Web tracking system

Increasingly, e-shops are equipped with live support systems in order to reduce or to support the advice and selling bounce rates.

In addition to the target group orientation of individual software vendors to shop systems also differ in the technique used. A distinction is made between produce webserver based applications and those that are only locally static pages, which are then uploaded to the web server and make using javascript via the browser the shopping cart function available.

An additional variation of an online store is the ability to transfer the operation initially an Internet service provider. Similar to large shopping centers where shops are rented by individual operators, who then use the already existing infrastructure, this kind of offer is referred to as, shopping mall concept '. Each individual store owner receives its online store system that is coupled to a software source in the background. This has the great advantage to meet the ever-advancing demands on the software functions by the source - sharing principle.

Payment systems

The simple sale closing is given individual from a psychological perspective, the Internet sale a particularly high importance, because the customer can pay their basket without fear of data loss and spying his payment data to. The classical Payment in advance, invoice, cash and credit card, make in Germany continue to represent a majority of payments. Often the well-known direct debit applies insofar as the threshold for submission of bank account is often lower than that for dialing a premium rate number or an indication of the credit card information. Proprietary micro-payment systems have made it difficult, however, to establish itself. An anonymous payment method for example is giropay. The debtor is directed by the online shop on the side of his bank and exchanges the personal data only with his bank. A high level of awareness developed specifically for the Internet payment systems reaches PayPal, a subsidiary of eBay. In addition, the payment system ClickandBuy can be found in online stores.

Payment systems combine several payment methods, and try to summarize the variety of payment methods in an account. Depending on the creditworthiness of the customer and verifying the required bank / account details the various payment options will be unlocked.

Overview of the payment method on the Internet

Conventional payment methods:

• Account
• Cash on delivery
• Paper-based transfer

Electronic payment methods:

• Credit card
• Online Bank Transfer (Online Banking), as giropay or Instant Transfer
• Cyberwallet: virtual accounts that combine several payment methods. So, for example, PayPal or ClickandBuy.
• Inkasso-/Billingsysteme: Acting as an intermediary between supplier and customer. The customer will receive a customer number and password
• EFT: The merchant receives a direct debit from the customer's
• Prepaid process: It usually is a card that charges you with a specific amount. This payment method is often used in smaller amounts.
• Phone bill: You will be charged in the telephone bill. The data is used in small amounts, such as for music downloads.
• Mobile: The KVB example, offers its customers to have it sent tickets for public transport to the cell phone. Even mobile payment systems such as Mpass be used in the field of online shopping.
• Electronic money are issued by corporate units of payment, customers can receive credit to traders.
• Bitcoin in this still new, decentralized system, the customer can purchase similar units as in cash at the current rate for certain payment service providers and transmit them electronically.

The majority of online retailers offers a combination of traditional and electronic payment methods, often for two to four of the above alternatives are available. According to the study, the process of eCommerce statement is used at the customers surveyed with 78.6 % at the most, followed by online transfers (60 %), credit card ( 59.5 %) and COD ( 57.2 %). Dealer had a preference in advance ( 30.8 %), credit card (17.6%) and COD ( 15.5 %).

Criteria for the assessment of shop systems

• Benefits - What is the added value of the companies can provide their customers through the store?
• Customer Analysis - How and to what extent can knowledge about the customers?
• Integration - How and to what extent are existing integrated business systems?
• Administration Ability - How easily and flexibly can customize / manage the system?
• Future security - How future-proof investments that go far beyond the software purchase?
• Profitability - How much does the solution in terms of total cost of ownership?

Many have already collected a bad experience in online shopping. So, for example, that the goods supplied did not meet the description and pictures, not returned the goods or could be exchanged, purchased items not arrived, there were problems with the termination of online subscriptions or that account or credit data has been misused. In addition, studies have shown that the perceived safety related on the internet purchase with the frequency of use: The more e-commerce is used, the safer it is rated. It is therefore recommended to pay attention to the following when you trade on the Internet:

• The complete company address of the provider with contact option must be specified
• A label should be present - three designations ( Germany ) have established themselves: EHI, Trusted Shops, TUV Saarland, satisfies wherein one of said
• Encrypted connections when the account data transmission are shown at the https:// in the address bar and a padlock icon in the browser.

Legal provisions

German provisions

In § § 312b et seq (formerly FernAbsG ), there are specific provisions concerning the so-called distance contracts. Among other distance contracts are defined, specified exceptions to the Distance Selling Regulations and established a duty to provide information to the merchant. The consumer now has a Cancellation and return policy.

In online contracts negotiated is often not clear which law is applicable. In an electronically closed sales contract, for example, could the law of the country where the buyer has his seat, the country where the seller has its domicile or the country in which the server is located, come into question. The right of the E-Business is a so-called cross-section of law. However, the legal uncertainty does not mean that in the area of ​​e-business, there is a lawless zone. Much more, see regulations of international law (IPR ) ( in Germany, for example, regulated in the draft Law ) application.

The European legal provisions have been integrated e-commerce in the Civil Code in the Federal Republic and can be found there in the general section and in the provisions on consumer protection. The technical side of e-commerce is regulated in the German Telemedia Act ( TMG). For the operator of an electronic marketplace arising from § § 8-10 TMG been required to test, ( where reasonable ) as a precaution against rights violations by the user, and optionally for blocking or deletion of content. This is true even if (possibly mobile) software agents participate.

Austrian provisions

Legislation is in the matter of e-commerce in Austria mainly by the E -Commerce Act (ECG), the Distance Selling Act, the Electronic Signature Act, the Access Control Law and the E-Money Act, the contract and tort provisions of the Civil Code and the UGB, unless they are modified by these special provisions, apply here as well.

European regulations

The legal simplification of cross-border electronic commerce and protecting consumers involved 2011 (Directive 2011/83/EU ) were renewed the legal bases and minimum standards with European consumer directives for Europe on June 23. Before that was the old directive of 17 July 2000 (Directive 2000/31/EC ). As part of the implementation of the earlier Consumer Rights Directive of 17 July 2000, two types of e -commerce connection points have been set up to promote the growth of the electronic marketplace and remove legal difficulties in all Member States. A connection point should be point of contact for the government of other Member States, while the other junction is tasked to provide consumers and entrepreneurs information internet law and to give locations of grievance and arbitration boards.

In order to simplify the transactions prevails within the EU in contract cases generally choice of law by the parties, see Article 3 Rome I Regulation (formerly Article 3 of the Rome Convention and Article 27 et seq BGB in Germany ). An exception to represent, among other consumer contracts, which specifies that the consumer shall not be deprived of the protection of mandatory rules of the residence state of a choice, if the conclusion of the contract, for example, is preceded by a specific invitation addressed to him or by advertising in the lounge and action State of the consumer, see Article 6 Rome I Regulation (formerly Article 5 of the Rome Convention and Article 29 BGB ).

With the new guidelines of 23 June 2011, consumers and traders pledged a "full harmonization", as far significantly different EU countries even when shopping online. Because so far it was considered a very complicated law of the buyer country with included because the dealer would deal only in the EU with 27 different jurisdictions that are written on top of that for the most part in foreign languages. The European e -commerce is unified, so that the jurisdictions of each country are not different or even dealers of certain nations being cheated.

Non-European provisions

Many products, for example, are only available in certain countries. Another aspect is the exploit of exchange rate advantages, such as it is by the devaluation of the dollar currently possible to benefit the Florida Shopping from the dollar devaluation. With the help of special search engines, the potential customer can track the desired products and even compare the offers of dealers in different countries. Partially covered not only the prices of individual product groups from different but also the value-added tax rates, so that despite the increased postage costs an order abroad can prove to be very rewarding. Within the EU, the buyer is not burdened with duties, so that the real costs remain transparent.

In summary it can be said that the cross-border electronic trading is curbed by certain legal uncertainties something, but offers great potential for development. A uniform European law that takes into account the interests of the consumer even better, will certainly ensure long-term for further growth.

General Development in Germany

Parallel to the increasing popularity of the Internet and electronic commerce has experienced a significant upswing. In 2001 bought according Allensbacher computer and technology analysis grossed around 13 million German products or services over the Internet. 2010, the number of online buyers was, according to the Association for Consumer Research (GfK ) at 34.1 million. For 2011, the GfK is forecasting 38.1 million online buyers. At the same time, sales in e-commerce are significantly increased in the past decade. According to figures from the Trade Federation Germany (HDE ), the e- commerce sales in 2000 amounted to 2.5 billion euros. 2010 posted the trade on the internet already EUR 23.7 billion and EUR 29.5 billion in 2012.

The online purchasing behavior

The following data relate to the results of two studies, the study of security in online trading in 2006 by eBay / TNS and eCommerce in 2004 on behalf of Postbank and EUR Press Service. Basically, these studies showed that men shopping on the internet more often than women. In addition, well-known online shops are preferred, and the use of price comparison portals like pricerunner.de, idealo.de or guenstiger.de increases with increasing Internet experience. Important addition to the fast delivery of the goods are mainly the possibility of round-the- clock shopping and better prices and products for comparison. The study shows significant differences in terms of the purchasing behavior between male and female customers. Therefore women spend less time on the internet but are for online purchases yet again. The other hand, men often buy at auctions and foreign online stores. The greatest pleasure in the virtual shopping spree -income women with incomes of more than 3,000 euros net. While low prices are important for men, women place greater emphasis on quality of the goods and customer service. Unique front are men in online banking, online brokerage and other transaction of stock transactions on the Internet. In examining 264 online retailers and 1,020 individuals were interviewed.

Buyer

Overall, 67 percent of respondents stated that they have ever traded or bought online, while 33 % were commercially active on the Internet never. The users of e-commerce are divided into three categories:

• Heavy user buy at least once a week online,
• Medium user at least once in three months and
• Low user average every six months or less often.

Among the physical goods books are the most commonly purchased ( 75.1 % ), followed by travel ( 59.4 %), tickets (57.6 %), CDs and DVDs ( 53.8 %) and electronic products ( 51.1 %). In the field of digital goods is the download of software especially popular ( 48.4 % ), followed by journal articles ( 43.4 %) and Music Downloads ( 32.9 %).

On the Radio Exhibition of 2007, the Federal Statistical Office publishes the following: 53 % of Internet customers order books ( that as an example ) ... 52% of home Internet users shop online.

The most common answers to the question, what items would never buy the respondents on the Internet, were:

• Motor vehicles
• Food
• Clothing / Shoes / Accessories
• Furniture
• Consumer electronics

Reasons for this are lack of immediate quality control, low consulting opportunity and too high a price for the online purchase. When asked how much money you would spend more than the purchase of an item user, this results in an increase in the average maximum output depending on the frequency of e-commerce use. Low -user would be a maximum of € 393 to spend, on average, medium -user would be willing to spending a maximum of € 616, while the heavy -user, however, would spend € 779 when shopping online. The reasons why respondents do not spend more security risks in the payment or transfer of data was called mainly.

Dealer

Here 1,000 B2C companies were interviewed in total, which reported a total turnover of 11 billion euros in 2003. 51.1 % expected in the next few years an increase in electronic trading, thus intending 72.7 % to extend its online offer. In 2008, sales rose to around 19.3 billion euros.

In the large-scale study in the commercial Internet in 2006 of the ECC trade 2390 medium businesses were asked about the importance of the Internet for both procurement as well as for distribution in Germany. So gave in 2006, 62.7 % of companies surveyed in goods on the Internet to obtain. In the pre-evaluation study on the Internet commercially in 2008, the number rose again, so that now acquire up to 94.2 % of the companies products on the internet. The retailers surveyed the 2006 study of the ECC trade reported that as many as 29.5 % of sales were made ​​in the online business. However, the proportion of the turnover of companies with end customer orientation ( B2C) is 31.7 %, slightly higher. After your own online store with 59.3 % of sales with eBay is 21% of the highest sales distribution channel for the retailer.

In the United States, slower growth for online sales

See the online book market, Forrester Research predicted in 2007 to grow by only eleven percent; In 2006 it was still 40 percent. Clothing is expected to fall from 61 to 21 percent. Also in sports articles, videos, music, or spare parts of cars much less sales growth was expected. This gave 116 billion dollars in the United States in 2007 should be implemented on the Internet - five percent of all retail sales.

Technical e -business standards