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Online shopping, as known as internet shopping, online purchasing, or internet buying, which also includes activities such as online auction. It is same as customers purchase goods or service by exchanging values in actual shops. Internet enables transactions occur through electronic ways by computers. Due to the growing population of internet users, online shopping now is popular, and as an accepted way in which to purchase various types of goods and services. Statistic shows that in 2001, online sales were $48.3bn, representing an annual growth of 45.9%, and was expected to grow more dramatically in the future. Therefore online shopping will be a promising and prosperous business in the following generation (Huang, Schrank, and Dubinshy, 2004).
There are several different types of online shops with advantages and disadvantages.
Online actions are popular places for trading goods. Individuals registered as users can buy and sale almost anything online. Online actions companies are, for instances, eBay and Yahoo. The price is normally cheaper than market price; with "past history" functions, users can evaluate sale’s honesty and trustworthy before buying; more information is also provided online, or could be answered in QnA section. However some vender refused to ship overseas, and risks are that venders are registered but are not official business, the credibility is unknown.
It is similar to newspaper classifieds. there are many hard to get or used items with sometimes good discount. On the other hand the traders history is hard to evaluate, the risks is relatively higher.
It is like a shopping center gathering a number of shopping destinations together in one location, but online however. The benefit is the variety of shops, and the navigation between shops is simplified. The drawback will be the move of site without being told.
They are online outlets for small or large stores and manufacturers to sell products, such as Supre E-store. The advantage will be the sufficient information provided by retailers or producers, and the credibility due to the direct purchase. The drawback might be the price is average without any discount and promotion.
(Online payment options, 2005)
1. Decide on a online shop and browse items
2. Put interested Items in a virtual shopping cart (goods can be added and deleted as want)
3. Log in with user name and passwords and fill out personal information (this could contain shipping address, billing address, phone number).
4. Choose a way of payment and delivery method.
5. Confirm order.
6. Log out
(Wikipedia,2005)
Common payments are Credit Card, Cash on delivery (C.O.D.), cheque (personal checks, cashier's check) money order money transfer / delivery on payment.
Or with online shopping website payment systems such as PayPal. (eBay, 2005)
In October 2001, there are several main industries had large shares of online sales, which includes:
(Kleindl, 2003)
Gender
(Ramachandra and Wee, 2000)
Age
(Ramachandra and Wee, 2000)
Culture
(Pastore, 2001)
Huang, W., Schrank, H., and Dubinsky, A. (2004) "Effect of brand name on consumers risk perceptions of online shopping," Journal of Consumer Behaviour pg.40.
Online payment options (2005) Choice Retrieved October 24, 2005, from http://www.choice.com.au/viewarticleasonepage.aspx?id=103672&catId=100518&tid=100008&p=1/
eBay (2005) Retrieved October 24, 2005, from http://www.ebay.com/
Kleindl, B. A. (2003) Strategic Electronic Marketing: Managing e-business, Thomson Learning, Mason, USA.
Ramachandra, R. and Wee, K. N. L. (2000) "Cyber buying in China, Hong Kong, and Singapore: Tracking the who, where, why and what of online buying," International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management vol.28, iss.7, p.307.
Postere, M. (2001) UK users most likely to visit e-commerce sites, Retrieved October 23, 2005, from http://www.forrester.com/.
Yun Tze Pien 15:02, 3 Oct 2005 (EST)
