E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the purchasing and selling of products and services and the transfer of payments or data through an electronic network, most notably the internet. These transactions might be business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), consumer-to-consumer (C2C), or consumer-to-business (C2B). E-commerce and e-business are frequently used interchangeably. The word e-tail is also used to refer to the transactional procedures that comprise online retail shopping. The widespread usage of e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and eBay has contributed to significant development in online shopping during the previous decade. In 2007, e-commerce amounted to 5.1 percent of overall retail sales; in 2019, it accounted for 16.0 percent. We can order meat online, even on different platforms!
E-commerce Varieties
- Inter-company transactions (B2B), the electronic exchange of products, services, or information between companies, rather than between businesses and customers, is called e-commerce. Online directories and product and supply exchange websites, for example, enable firms to search for items, services, and information and conduct transactions using e-procurement interfaces.
- Business-to-consumer (B2C) is the retail component when a company sells products, services, or information to customers directly. During the late 1990s dot-com boom, when internet-shops and goods were a novelty, the word became widespread.
- Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) e-commerce is a sort of e-commerce in which consumers exchange products, services, and information online. These transactions are often carried out through a third party that provides an internet platform for the transactions. C2C platforms include online auctions and classified advertising, with eBay and Craigslist being two of the most prominent of these platforms.
- Consumer-to-business (C2B) e-commerce is a sort of e-commerce in which people make their products and services accessible online for bids and purchases by businesses. This is the polar opposite of the usual B2C trade approach.
- Business-to-administration (B2A) refers to internet transactions between businesses and public administration or government entities. Many parts of government rely on e-services or products in some form, particularly in legal papers, registrations, social security, fiscals, and employment. These can be provided online by businesses. B2A services have developed significantly in recent years as investments in e-government capabilities have been made.
- Consumer-to-administration (C2A) transactions take place online between individual customers and public administration or government agencies.
The industry has been expanding massively. You can order meat online, vegetables, fruit online, books online, and might one day order peaceful soul online.