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There is growing environmental concern regarding the increasing quantity of packages in retail eCommerce. This study investigated the environmental impact of two returnable packaging formats, performing life cycle assessment (LCA) case studies based on the Canadian apparel eCommerce market. In case study 1, the brand owner sold and shipped its products to final consumers using an expendable mailer and a returnable mailer that was managed and supplied via the centralized model. In case study 2, the brand owner rented its products to final consumers and shipped them using an expendable corrugated paperboard box and a returnable box that was managed and supplied via the decentralized model. Comparative, contribution, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to analyze and compare the environmental performance of these packaging options. For case study 1, the LCA revealed that the returnable mailer had greater impact than the expandable mailer in 9 of the 10 environmental impact categories, even if the returnable mailer was reused for 40 cycles and the final consumer was in the same city as the brand owner; this was primarily due to the length of transportation. For case study 2, the returnable box had smaller environmental impact than the expendable corrugated paperboard box in 6 of the 10 environmental impact categories, even though the brand owner shipped packages to final consumers a cumulative distance of 9000 km from its starting location. The overall results imply that the environmental burden of returnable packaging is primarily affected by total trip distance and the number of reuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-commerce application usability refers to the design and functional aspects that facilitate user interaction and goal achievement. Well-designed usability of e-commerce applications will lead to usage continuance by users. Therefore, this study tries to identify usability factors and measure the effect of usability on usage continuance. Based on previous studies, the variables hypothesized to be the factors that define usability are learnability, efficiency, memorability, accuracy, emotion, and utility. Utility is a variable that represents the functional aspects of usability. It is described in more detail into information search, interface display, and transaction. Furthermore, this study also examined the relationship between usability, usage continuance, satisfaction, and usefulness. This study’s hypotheses were evaluated using 242 survey responses from e-commerce application users. Structural equation modeling, or SEM, was applied to process the empirical data. Memorability, accuracy, efficiency, and utility were found to be able to describe the usability of e-commerce applications well. This proved that functional quality is also an essential part of usability. Usability was found to influence usage continuance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of digital technology means that creators can now use e-commerce platforms to sell their digital design works. However, the ease of access and digital nature of these designs raises concerns about potential copyright infringement. This is an article on the legal protection of digital design works sold on digital e-commerce platforms. Digital intellectual property, such as logos, illustrations, and icons, must be protected. In today's internet age, creators use e-commerce platforms as one of the main ways to sell their works to customers around the world. However, the ease of access and digital nature of these design works make copyright infringement easier. The researcher used normative legal research. Research with normative methods is conducted by examining literature sources as secondary data. In normative legal research, literature documents serve as a foundation of information to serve the research field. This research data is categorized as secondary data because it is obtained from a collection of rule-based literature reviews. especially intellectual property rights law, especially copyright and copyright of online magazines and digital works. The results show that digital design itself gets protection against ownership of intellectual property rights and gets exclusive rights to its creation for the creator. Efforts to resolve graphic design copyright issues; temporary legal remedies, civil legal remedies, and criminal legal remedies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze the factors that influence consumer purchasing decisions on the Tokopedia ecommerce platform in Bandung City. The factors evaluated include product quality, price, platform ease of use, consumer trust, promotion, and customer service. This research uses a quantitative approach with a survey method distributed to consumers in Bandung City who have made purchases on Tokopedia. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression to determine the effect of each factor on purchasing decisions. The results showed that product quality, price, and consumer trust have a significant influence on purchasing decisions, while other factors such as ease of use of the platform, promotions, and customer service have a lower but still important influence. The findings provide insights for e-commerce players in improving marketing and operational strategies to attract more consumers. From the results of the study, it can be concluded that the factors of product quality, price, and consumer trust are the main factors that influence consumer purchasing decisions on Tokopedia in Bandung City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of e-commerce in trade has had a big impact on Indonesian society, especially in terms of very important legal issues. Legal protection in e-commerce is crucial to protect consumers who make buying and selling transactions via the internet. This development is driven by high demand and acceptance from the public, as evidenced by the emergence of various online stores such as Kaskus, Tokopedia, Bukalapak, Shopee, and Lazada. Rapid advances in technology have changed the method of buying and selling from physical stores to online transactions via the internet. E-commerce, as an information technology innovation, allows consumers to make transactions with just the touch of a finger without having to leave the house. However, the variety of e-commerce platforms available increases the potential for legal issues in online transactions. This research aims to understand how to legally protect consumers and help them if losses occur in e-commerce transactions. The method used is a normative approach, by reviewing literature and secondary data related to consumer legal protection in e-commerce transactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Online buying and selling through marketplace platforms such as Ecommerce is increasingly prevalent in Indonesia. The convenience and practicality offered by this platform attracts many consumers to shop online. However, behind this convenience, there are potential problems that can harm consumers, one of which is the delay in delivery of goods, consumers as aggrieved parties need legal protection. Objective: To analyze the form and scope of legal protection provided to consumers for delays in the delivery of goods in online buying and selling on E-commerce, to find out the dispute resolution efforts that consumers can do if they experience delays in the delivery of goods in online buying and selling on E-commerce, and to formulate suggestions and recommendations to improve legal protection for consumers and minimize the occurrence of delays in the delivery of goods in sales buy online in Ecommerce Methods: This study uses normative legal methods with primary data in the form of laws and regulations and secondary data in the form of legal literature and E-commerce websites. Results: The results of the study show that legal protection for consumers for delays in the delivery of goods in online buying and selling in E-commerce is still not optimal Conclusion: Legal protection for consumers for delays in the delivery of goods in online buying and selling in E-commerce is still not optimal. This can be seen from several factors, including the lack of education and socialization to consumers about their rights, the lack of optimal consumer dispute resolution mechanisms in E-commerce, the lack of transparency of E-commerce in the process of shipping goods and the lack of cooperation between E-commerce and logistics companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban freight systems embed and reflect spatial inequities in cities and imbalanced power structures within transport decision-making. These concerns are principal domains of "transportation justice" (TJ) and "mobility justice" (MJ) scholarship that have emerged in the past decade. However, little research exists situating urban freight within these prevailing frameworks, which leaves urban freight research on socio-environmental equity and justice ill-defined, especially compared to passenger or personal mobility discussions. Through the lens that derives from TJ and MJ's critical dialogue, this study synthesises urban freight literature's engagement with equity and justice. Namely, the review evaluates: How do researchers identify equitable distributions of urban freight's costs and benefits? At what scale do researchers evaluate urban freight inequities? And who does research consider entitled to urban freight equity and how are they involved in urban freight governance? The findings help inform researchers who seek to reimagine urban freight management strategies within broader equity and justice discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education is a life-skill process and the same can't be indispensible with. The makers of constitution strived hard to make education accessible to all. Certain provisions were added with the view of implementing the same. Since enactment of the constitution of India, we have come a long way in establishing compulsory education for certain age-groups and easy accessibility of education as well as the mode of such education. At the onset of Covid-19 pandemic, Education was one of the most affected institutions all over the world. The mode of imparting education was wholly shifted to virtual platform which was in existence before but was accessible to much less number of people given the high cost, lack of technology-driven products and other infrastructural reasons. But shifting education mandatorily on virtual platforms did not make the necessary infrastructure easily available to all the students out there and instead paved the way for a new market- Education Technology. The paper would be dealing with the major concerns that the education sector faces in day-to-day life from the student's point of view and will further explore the shift in the mode of education from traditional to the modern virtual platform in order to understand the scope and remedy under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The paper will be divided into two parts, firstly with the help of the decided case laws on the status of 'Education as a service' will be analyzed; secondly, it will discuss the change of ingredients in the accepted traditional view of Education and Educational Institution and last but not the least, it will be justifying the central theme by encapsulating suggestions and recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online customer reviews have become a valuable marketing tool for electronic commerce service providers and an effective information source for customer purchase decisions with the growth of electronic commerce. The aim of this research is to discover the characteristics that influence electronic commerce online customer reviews. This research is an exploratory study, and the content analysis method was used to examine the top and lowest-rated online reviews of eight bluetooth headphones and seven sunscreens, which are the most-sold and highest-rated products on Trendyol's e-commerce site. After two researchers independently coded 1082 comments using Maxqda software, the Cohen Kappa reliability coefficient was calculated as 89%. Product quality, trust, cargo logistics, perceived value, and sales promotion were obtained based on their mentioned frequencies, respectively. According to the findings of the study, while product quality is important in customer feedback, 43% of the reviews were based on other aspects. Trust in the seller gains weight in negative reviews, whereas cargo logistics gains weight in favorable ones. The study provides suggestions to e-commerce site managers and site sellers in areas where they can make improvements and contribute to the electronic commerce literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Logistics Service providers (LSP) were influenced by the changes Covid-19 imposed on people and organizations, reflecting the means of purchase and delivery (mainly ecommerce). In this context, the present research aims to analyze the solutions created by the LSP in Brazil during the pandemic. Through secondary data extracted from websites specialized in the sector, the study classifies the leading initiatives to support operations in a period marked by restrictions. It is verified that the pandemic directed the LSP to adapt to a new scenario driven by e-commerce purchases. A set of 16 solutions and 7 clusters classified in the research is presented and discussed. The information points to managers' paths and solutions that can contribute to the management of increasingly faster deliveries and offer academics a range of options that can be better explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores digital integration in the Asia Pacific through a comparative analysis of four preferential trade agreements (PTAs): (i) the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP); (ii) the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP); and two-digital only agreements: (iii) the ASEAN Ecommerce Agreement; and (iv) the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement. This article argues that although Asia/ASEAN-led PTAs such as RCEP and ASEAN E-Commerce Agreement appear less ambitious at first sight, when compared to digital trade chapters in PTAs led by western states such as the CPTPP, they are both relevant and appropriately suited to foster digital trade integration in the region. Viewed from the perspective of New Asian Regionalism, these agreements contribute substantially to the global economic order by leveraging the collective power of the Asia-Pacific through a pragmatic, incremental approach. By combining soft law mechanisms with specific legal obligations, these PTAs have better-addressed variations in digital development levels and policy preferences across countries, eventually leading to meaningful consensus-building and long-term engagement in complex areas of digital regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online retail shops increasingly implement gamified marketing strategies to enrich consumers' online experience and increase engagement. This study aims to evaluate the ludic experience of consumers in online retail stores and the role of gamification and game mechanics in changing the online shopping experience. It seeks to assess, through a qualitative methodology, based on an exploratory study approach obtained through 30 interviews with Portuguese consumers, whether consumers have playful experiences when shopping in online retail shops and whether the introduction of game mechanics changes this experience by generating co-creation. The results show that online shopping can be playful and generate positive emotional benefits. However, gamification in online retail shops is not guided by a co-creation process, nor do game mechanics create greater online consumer engagement. There is a need to review how gamification is introduced in online retail shops, and strategies should be designed to co-create experience value and brand co-creation. This study is original, as it contributes to developing knowledge about gamification in the context of the online retail experience. Studies on this topic are scarce, and this study contributes to filling that gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the study of the theoretical process of formation and use of business models in e-commerce. The authors analyse the growth trend of digital business models research at the global level. The paper considers directions of principles of formation of corporate business models. As an example of using the Osterwalder’s canvas of a business model, the authors studied the online rental service Airbnb. The article shows the business model design of e-commerce based on the drop shipping business model. The paper defines the consistent and successive stages of development of this type of business and compares the advantages and disadvantages of adopting the drop shipping business model in business projects. Due to the research, there will be an increase in sales as a result of the use of the drop shipping business model. Essentially, the study acquired the importance of formation, evolution and use of business models in general company management, taking into consideration contemporary features of ecommerce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper seeks to investigate how the state, specifically the Department of Trade and Industry's Bayanihan COVID-19 Assistance to Restart Enterprises (CARES) program, responds to women's economic struggle and how Filipina entrepreneurs make use of the internet for ICT-based business as a solution for income-generating means and sales during the COVID-19 economic struggle. The research locale covers the experiences of online Filipina Entrepreneurs during this pandemic in the Philippines' Region VII, Central Visayas. The research is a qualitative and descriptive case study that uses a purposive sampling technique for data collection utilizing a researchermade questionnaire and their experiences are analyzed using Colaizzi's method. In our investigation, we found out that the pandemic has a detrimental effect on women's businesses, from causing large losses in income and necessitating other sources of income to cover these losses. In solution, these women have entered into an online-operated business employing various marketing strategies to keep their businesses running. Fortunately, there is a consensus that entering in the online business has been a great economic opportunity and helped foster feelings of independence and financial freedom. However, despite this, challenges with internet connectivity in transacting with the government and customers have been a great obstacle and disadvantages such as; increased competition, the possibility of fraudulent transactions, and lack of transportation services experiencedall of which necessitate a systematic solution from the government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of eCommerce and online shopping commenced a new episode in human life and changed trading patterns. Online shopping provided access to a broader range of products and facilitated their delivery, which increased demand. To respond to the increased demand, more heavy commercial vehicles need to be on the roads to deliver orders. This is while the road infrastructure is not ready for such a swift shift, and most roads and bridges were planned and constructed during the 19s when online shopping was not coined yet. The continued increase of heavy vehicles on roads can intensify the deterioration of roads and structures such as bridges. Therefore, there is a significant need for an update on new shopping trends, especially changes in people's behavior due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and to assess if the pandemic permanently changed the trends of in-store and online shopping. This study first examines the NHTS 2017 data to find the attributes that are significant to online shoppers' behavior. Then a survey is developed to scrutinize Covid-19 effects on the online shopping behavior of users before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic. 206 records of data are interpreted through descriptive analysis and discrete choice modeling of users' responses to find the most significant attributes affecting their online shopping behavior. The findings of discrete choice modeling and descriptive analysis support that people tend to go back to stores after the pandemic. The findings of this study show that online and in-store shopping would be balanced after the pandemic and would pursue their normal trends as they were before the pandemic. Based on the findings of this study, it is hard to state that online shopping can vanish in-store shopping due to Covid-19. People still need to go to stores to fulfill their needs for the joy of shopping, interactions with other people, and touching the products they would like to buy. Therefore, transportation stakeholders need to pay special attention to both in-store and online shopping for their planning and operation management of ground transportation infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to develop a model that synthesizes the properties of WCA (Web Content Analysis) and eMICA (extended Model of Internet Commerce Adoption). The development was based on a multivariate analysis (Principal Component Analysis and Structural Equation Models) carried out on a real sample of companies, specifically ski resorts. The resulting model, e-Commerce Web Content Adoption Model (eWCAM) is a modification of the WCA, which has properties attributed to eMICA. This makes it much easier to check whether websites of Tourism Industry have the right information and are mature enough for e-commerce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recommendation systems are strategies for predicting an individual's evaluation of an item or social institution. Books, movies, restaurants, and other products on which people have differing opinions can be included. On ecommerce platforms with many options, an effective recommendation system is needed to sort, order, and efficiently communicate relevant product material or information to users. FRS's (image-based fashion recommendation systems) have gotten a lot of interest from fast fashion retailers since they give customers a more personalised buying experience. When going out in the real world, it is critical to dress appropriately. Wearing clothes that have some amount of flair and that comply to societal standards boosts a person's confidence and makes a favourable impression. In this paper we have proposed a fashion recommendation system which will revolutionize the e-commerce industry. This proposed system will make it more accessible to the user the type of outfit the individual is looking for by just uploading an image similar to which the individual wants recommendation for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the crisis in our traditional shopping streets driven by the rapid move to shopping online. The paper examines the nature of traditional shopping streets; why physical and local shopping is important; conceptualizes the distinguishing characteristics of traditional forms of retail and online shopping alongside the factors that determine shopping choices; and explores different approaches to shaping the future of traditional shopping streets. Ultimately, it asks, what are the key place-based intervention factors that can help to guarantee a future for traditional shopping streets? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global pandemic of the spread of the Covid-19 disease has made serious adjustments to the lives of people, organizations of various profiles, companies. Companies need to tune in to a new, telecommuting style of work. But it needs to understand that the transition to a new style of work provides for such a transition that does not provide enterprises with additional troubles and problems. Therefore, the article discusses the technology of designing information systems for the transition of companies to the online sphere of activity. Informatization and online transition in the field of trade are carried out in order to attract customers, simplify the work of managers and increase profits. The relevance of this work lies in the fact that with the current situation in the country, a fundamentally new system of labor organization is needed. There is a need to replace an outdated, ineffective system, which significantly slows down the work of organizations. Therefore, it is necessary to build a universal technology for the transition of companies to the online sphere, to present a draft of this transition. The article proposes technologies in the design to use a more convenient transition. It is proposed to use UML models, for example, directly the Use Case diagram and classes for describing the interaction between the designed system and users, which allows us to present a visual interface for the interaction of system users. The developed diagram represents the company's solution for using an online system in the company, which can be used by both an employee of the company and a customer of services in the company. After completing the design of the information system, scientists are asked to determine more specific technologies of use, for example, the creation or updating of the company's website on the use of feedback and ordering opportunities, the use of a database management system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on online product reviews has examined a variety of issues ranging from reviewers' motivation to write reviews to the impact of reviews on product sales. Implicit in this research stream is the notion that more reviews are better for sellers and consumers. However, it is unclear whether both retailers, who control the review platform, and manufacturers, whose products are reviewed, prefer more reviews over fewer reviews. Using a game theoretical model of a context in which a dominant retailer sells competing products from two manufacturers to consumers who are uncertain about product quality and fit, we show that the retailers' and manufacturers' preferences regarding the number of reviews are not always aligned. The nature of misalignment depends on whether the quality or the fit is more dominant in terms of consumers' evaluation of products. If generating reviews do not cost anything, we found that additional reviews always benefit the retailer; however, if the number of reviews exceeds a threshold in the quality-dominates-fit case scenario, they may be harmful to the manufacturer. On the other hand, if the retailer incurs a sufficiently high cost to generate reviews, the retailer may prefer to have fewer reviews. We show that retailers can exploit the divide between retailers' and manufacturers' preferences for reviews and monetize reviews by charging a fee to the manufacturers in return for a guarantee on the number of reviews that they generate. We show that the product type and review platform design play a significant role in the attractiveness of review monetization for retailers. Even if reviews are monetized, we determined that retailers' revenue from "selling" reviews to manufacturers does not exceed the cost of generating reviews, implying that the benefit from reviews is driven the positive impacts of reviews on the retailer's core business of selling products to consumers. However, in the fitdominates- quality case scenario, retailers do not prefer large numbers of reviews whereas manufacturers do. In this case, we found that retailers are unable to exploit the misalignment between retailers' and manufacturers' preferences for reviews through review monetization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relaibility is an essential characteristic of computer machine. Computer system have reliability that why it is used in many fields. Artificial Intelligent and Machine Learning is wide branch in which number of applications has been developed and used in real world scenario. This paper highlights the computer system reliability in various fields where different applications have employed with better accuracy and reliable results. This paper also impact of computer system in branches that is computer science, physics, chemistry, and engineering etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the opportunities, challenges, and results of a vendor-library development project to create an ecommerce' tool as an integrated facet of Innovative's Web OPAC. Westerville Public Library was engaged with the software development process from the outset, communicating administrative, technical, and service issues and needs while also testing the product with its customers. The project culminated in early 2004 with the installation of Innovative's Ecommerce product and resulted in the collection of large payments online and an increase in total fine revenue collected. Most notably, the team found that Ecommerce gathered nearly a quarter of all fines collected in 2004, and almost one-third of fines collected in the first half of 2005. The participants reflect on the nature and history of the partnership, outcomes, best practices, and future plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media has been changing not only the way people communicate with friends, but also the way providers communicate with consumers. Being as the popular means of information acquisition and facilitating the exploration of various topics and market trends, social media was also playing a key role in the development of online to offline (O2O) commerce. In the current study, bilingual text mining was conducted to analyze the trends of O2O commerce from the perspective of social media. Keywords and their concept linking diagrams were first identified to understand the important O2O trends in different languages. While keywords "China", "Alibaba", "Baidu", "DianPing", "Meituan", "Asia", "ecommerce" and "service" were the most strongly associated English terms with O2O, keywords "Baidu", "Tencent", "headlines", "Sina.com", mode", "ecommerce", "retail" and "platform" were closely related to the Chinese tweets. To further understand the similarities and differences between English tweets and Chinese tweets, we compared the bilingual text mining results according to the categories of company, region, service Apps and operation model. Our study provided important insights from crowd intelligence and revealed trends analysis about the recent O2O development in different language regions. • Study provides insights from crowd intelligence and reveals trend analysis. • Bilingual text mining approach helps understand O2O development trends. • O2O ecommerce in China attracts public attention from different languages regions. • Companies apply approach to develop O2O strategy to enhance competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients need and/or want access to any number of products, including consumables and durable goods, and accessories as part of their audiology care. Audiologists have an opportunity to offer products and accessories for resale from their clinical office. Several methods for reselling items to established patients including an overview of an ecommerce approach successfully implemented by several individual audiology private practices will be reviewed. Upon completion, readers will be familiar with the general steps for incorporating an e-shop within an existing business Web site. Additionally, insights as to effective tactics for generating e-shop revenue will be shared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper analyzes the adoption patterns of selected internet services such as eCommerce, eBanking and eGovernment in Spain. High quality official data from the Survey on Equipment and Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Households (ICT-H) of the National Institute of Statistics are used. The dataset is a cross section of 16,209 individuals for 2016. Theoretical demand models, grounded in a standard neoclassical utility maximization framework, are adapted to these services. Logistic regression techniques allow quantifying the impact of the socioeconomic characteristics of the individual on the adoption of each service. The resulting models are statistically significant and with a high predictive power. Age, education and levels of internet and computer skills are all significant in explaining the adoption of any of the three services; as are gender and income, but just for eCommerce and eBanking. Interestingly, the level of trust in internet is only significant to explain participation in eCommerce. Finally, policy recommendations are suggested, highlighting the desirability of using specific measures for the different socio-demographic groups and income strata. Highlights • Individual's adoption patterns of selected internet services in Spain are analyzed. • Through logistic models, the effect of individual characteristics on adoption is quantified. • Age, education, income, and digital skills are the main factors for adoption. • Measures to promote the use of the internet should be directed to specific groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses the problem of the eFulfillment process developed as a direct consequence of the development of e-commerce. Following an introduction to ecommerce, the concept of eFulfillment is presented as it appears in the literature. Most of the work is assigned to the way in which the procedural organization in eFulfillment is done starting from the storage of the products, the integration with the customer's virtual store, the way of taking the orders, managing the online store, invoicing, packaging, delivering the products, tracking the orders and possibly the return of some of the products. I concluded the work by presenting the eFulfillment services at international level, within the most important companies operating with this technological system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by Nickel's (2009) model of risk assessment and the literature on facial trustworthiness, this study investigates how the stake of a transaction interacts with information on buyers' profiles in influencing buyers' purchase decisions and information processing. Participants played buyers in a trust game and made purchase decisions based on a series of seller profiles while their eye movements on the stimuli were recorded. Results revealed that the three factors examined exerted influences on buyers' decision-making in a hierarchical fashion: Sellers' reputation exerted a primary influence on buyers' decision-making, followed by sellers' profile photos, which is further followed by the stake of a transaction. The results confirm Nickel's (2009) model of risk assessment and inform e-marketing strategies in terms of building consumers' trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Compares older & younger female consumer responses to website design when shopping online. • Eye-tracking and qualitative interviews with 50 female participants aged 20–69. • Older users took longer to navigate website & used the search bar less. • Older users had more scattered viewing patterns & spent longer on web pages. • Older users paid less attention to thumbnails & chose more options to refine search. This paper explores the differences in behaviour of 50 shoppers aged 20–69 on a women's fashion retail website to address whether older users behave differently to younger users when shopping online. An eye-tracking experiment and qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 50 female participants, aged 20–69, comparing 'younger', 'mid' and 'older' consumers. Compared to younger users, older users took longer to navigate the website and spent longer on web pages. They had more scattered viewing patterns, looked at the thumbnail images in less detail as they scrolled, used the search bar less and selected more options to refine their search. An increasing number of older users now shop online. However, ecommerce research is often based on younger users. This study fills a gap in the literature by providing a rich understanding of whether older users behave differently to younger users when shopping online, and whether standard fashion retail website designs are excluding older users. The findings have practical implications for fashion ecommerce websites targeting different ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When seeking information, Internet users often find multiple communicators co-presenting and expressing their opinions. This study examined how people judge message senders’ credibility in a multi-source environment based on system-generated cues, the consensus among multiple sources, and the effect of receiver’s familiarity with the online platform. Moreover, this research examined the mediating role of source credibility in attitude change in an online consumer-review community. Results indicated that users familiar with a platform were more likely to use system-generated cues for their judgment of credibility along with consensus heuristics, and the combination of heuristics influenced attitude through credibility. However, unfamiliar users relied on consensus heuristics but not system-generated cues. These findings and their theoretical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecommerce has grown rapidly over the last few years, providing a variety of fulfillment options with various levels of harm to the environment. To inform companies' strategies, this study investigates how national culture relates to consumers' ecommerce fulfillment choices and consumers' willingness to adopt environmentally-sustainable efulfillment options. Through a survey, the research extends the Theory of Planned Behavior to ecommerce fulfillment options for U.S. and Western European consumers. Hypotheses are developed, derived from Schwartz's theory of cultural orientations. Data are analysed through Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling. Findings support that Western European consumers are more willing to switch to efulfillment transportation methods that reduce environmental impact, regardless of whether they indicate that by improving the environment is a strong value. U.S. consumers are generally unwilling to switch from their preferred ecommerce fulfillment options to more sustainable choices, with few exceptions. By unveiling differences in planned behavior related to cultural orientations, the findings support that businesses should consider differences in consumers' regional behaviors and preferences when designing their ecommerce fulfillment strategies and improving their environmental performance. [Display omitted] • We explore how environmental impact affects consumer choice of efulfilment options. • We apply theory of planned behavior and Schwartz's theory of cultural orientations. • Survey data show that consumers emphasize price and service over the environment. • Global differences exist in willingness to select sustainable efulfilment choices. • Organizations need to adapt their efulfilment choices regionally to serve customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autocompletion systems support users in the formulation of queries in different situations, from development environments to the web. In this paper we describe Composite Match Autocompletion (COMMA), a lightweight approach to the introduction of semantics in the realization of a semi-structured data autocompletion matching algorithm. The approach is formally described, then it is applied and evaluated with specific reference to the e-commerce context. The semantic extension to the matching algorithm exploits available information about product categories and distinguishing features of products to enhance the elaboration of exploratory queries. COMMA supports a seamless management of both targeted/precise queries and exploratory/vague ones, combining different filtering and scoring techniques. The algorithm is evaluated with respect both to effectiveness and efficiency in a real-world scenario: the achieved improvement is significant and it is not associated to a sensible increase of computational costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinach is a highly perishable product that degrades over time, including due to bacteria contaminating the product prior to packaging, yet the dynamics of bacterial spoilage and factors that affect it are not well understood. Notably, while China is the top producer of spinach globally, there is limited available microbiological data in the literature for spinach supply chains in China. The overall goal of this foundational study was to establish a baseline understanding of bacterial population dynamics on spinach from harvest to 10 days postprocessing for a Chinese supply chain that includes distribution via traditional grocery (a local physical store) and eCommerce (an online store). To this end, organic spinach samples were collected at different stages in a Chinese supply chain by following the same 3 lots, starting at point-of-harvest through processing and distribution via a local grocery store and eCommerce. After distribution, the same 3 lots were stored at 4 °C with microbiological testing performed on multiple days up to day 10 postprocessing, simulating storage at the point-of-consumer. Results showed aerobic plate counts and total Gram-negative counts did not significantly differ across stages in the supply chain from harvest through processing. However, packaged spinach from the same processing facility and lots, exhibited different patterns in bacterial levels across 0 to 10 days postprocessing, depending on whether it was distributed via the local grocery store or eCommerce. Evaluation of bacterial populations performed on a subset of the packaged spinach samples indicated Gram-negative bacteria, in particular Pseudomonas , were predominant across all days of testing (days 0, 3, and 10 postprocessing), with populations differing at the genus level by day. Overall, this study improves our understanding of the dynamics of bacterial populations on spinach and provides baseline data needed for future studies. • Bacterial dynamics on fresh spinach along a Chinese supply chain were investigated. • Bacteria levels did not differ across the supply chain stages. • Time, temperature, and bacterial dynamics differed between eCommerce and local grocery. • Pseudomonas was the predominant genus isolated from packaged spinach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growth of electronic commerce, consumer behavior in the sector is still a relatively unexplored subject in academic research published in Brazil. In this context, the aim of this study was to present a proposal of consumer segmentation in e-commerce. To achieve the proposed objective, was made a field survey. The study sample consisted of 500 individuals. To collect data, was used a structured questionnaire based on Likert scale. To analyze the data, was performed a Cluster Analysis. Later, it was possible to identify two segments of consumers: Engaged and Simplifiers. Consumers classified as Engaged are more concerned about having a pleasant shopping experience in electronic retailing, valuing different attributes during the purchase process and engaging in information search and word-of-mouth activities after purchase. Moreover, the segment of consumers Simplifiers includes individuals that are motivated to buy on the Internet by low prices and that value sites reputation, simplifying the process of buying decision. To future studies, we recommend that hypotheses developed in this work be statistically tested and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collective shopping sites have transformed the mode of consumption. The web environment is the newest form of purchases of Brazilians that provides convenience and low price. The consumer is becoming increasingly fascinated by promotions, as well as more aware of their powers. In this context, this article discusses about consumption and online consumer in Brazil. Introducing the ClickOn case, providing a practical view-descriptive of a group buying site and applied research with consumers who have as a result of their experiences and desires to that market. Providing, at the end, a scenario for the future of this business model. The data show that there was a decline in the market due to complaints by consumers, but the scenario is positive for continued business model, with the need for change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports an empirical study of the effects of interface colour (blue vs. grey) on ecommerce decision making. Participants viewed a set of products and information on the attributes of each and then made a series of purchase decisions that provided the basis for individual rankings of this set. Results support two proposed 'routes of influence'. In the first, interface colour influences the cognitive capacities and strategies of consumers. This was evident as participants considered more attributes in the grey interface condition. Importantly, this was not mediated by participants' affective state. In the second, interface colour exerts influence via participants' aesthetic judgements. This was evident at a product-specific level-with colour-related differences in product selection decisions mediated (for two product alternatives) by participants' assessments of product aesthetics. There was also some support for a product-generic effect of interface colour-with product aesthetics tending to be more influential in the grey condition. Overall, the results demonstrate the multifacetted nature of the influence of interface colour on consumer decision making in retail environments. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 2011; [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional purchasing processes have become more complex and sophisticated with the appearance of the internet. The increasing number of internet users and the ease of access to information are pushing businesses to revise their communication strategies and management plans for online and offline channels. This study analyses the relationship between the information search and the point of purchase in multichannel environments. The main result of this research is that a comprehensive analysis of the consumer and the ability to track their online and offline purchasing habits can provide businesses with valuable data to deploy information resources in a way that optimally meets consumer needs according to the products offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of using information and communication technology (ICT) to improve pharmaceutical care delivery in Benin, West Africa. Topics covered include the health systems in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries having enormous problems, the sources of pharmaceutical products in Benin such as public pharmacies and dispensaries, private pharmacies and the black market, and the pharmacy tourism problem in Benin, with an electronic commerce (ECommerce) system as a solution.

We propose a novel scheme to visualize combinatorial auctions; auctions that involve the simultaneous sale of multiple items. Buyers bid on complementary sets of items, or bundles, where the utility of securing all the items in the bundle is more than the sum of the utility of the individual items. Our visualizations use concentric rings divided into arcs to visualize the bundles in an auction. The arcs' positions and overlaps allow viewers to identify and follow bidding strategies. Properties of color, texture, and motion are used to represent different attributes of the auction, including active bundles, prices bid for each bundle, winning bids, and bidders' interests. Keyframe animations are used to show changes in an auction over time. We demonstrate our visualization technique on a standard testbed dataset generated by researchers to evaluate combinatorial auction bid strategies, and on recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) auctions designed to allocate wireless spectrum licenses to cell phone service providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the context of technological expansion and development, companies feel the need to renew and optimize their information systems as they search for the best way to manage knowledge. Business ontologies within the semantic web are an excellent tool for managing knowledge within this space. The proposal in this article consists of a methodology for integrating information in companies. The application of this methodology results in the creation of a specific business ontology capable of semantic interoperability. The resulting ontology, developed from the information system of specific companies, represents the fundamental business concepts, thus making it a highly appropriate information integration tool. Its level of semantic expressivity improves on that of its own sources, and its solidity and consistency are guaranteed by means of checking by current reasoning tools. An ontology created in this way could drive the renewal processes of companies’ information systems. A comparison is also made with a number of well-known business ontologies, and similarities and differences are drawn, highlighting the difficulty in aligning general ontologies to specific ones, such as the one we present. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This exploratory study examined attitudinal differences among college students on Internet shopping. College students were classified as non-web shoppers, web-store visitors, Internet browsers, and Internet buyers based on their previous Internet shopping experience. The model identified the theoretical factors, grouped into the three general categories of consumer, marketing, and technology that influence the online shopping of these four groups. Significant demographic background differences in terms of marital status, number of credit cards held, hours of Internet use, and primary use of the Internet were found among the four consumer groups. The attitudes and intentions of these four consumer groups towards online shopping were analyzed by using ANOVA. For four groups of consumers (non-web shopper, web-store visitor, Internet browser, and Internet buyer) on various variables including demographic background, technology and Internet experiences, and consumer, marketing, and technology factors were examined by using regression analysis to predict consumers' future intention to purchase on the Internet. The key finding of the study was that the consumer factor, comprised of privacy, security and trust, time saving, ease of use, convenience, enjoyment provided by shopping, company reputation and tactility, was most significant for who intended to purchase online and who did buy online. The paper describes the study and concludes by highlighting contributions to e-tailers and business owners and the theoretical framework in the study will be utilized by consumer educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

eBay promises to engage everyone while asserting its organizational logic and configuring people. eBay encourages members to identify as traditionally gendered and heterosexual by employing personalization and Web 2.0 conventions. Members tend to follow eBay's directives and self-present with such culturally approved identities as binary gendered individuals and heterosexual couples. These identities, including the over 1000 portrayals of heterosexual couples and chaotic homes that I analyze using the humanities methods of close visual, textual and theoretical analysis are worth studying because they are derived from significant identifications with objects, consumerism and the company, and compromised by the messy aspects of collecting and the purportedly defiling features of used objects. Members' depictions of disordered homes negatively code individuals, render the eBay site and auctions as less desirable and suggest the association of the company with goodness and heteronormative purity is fraudulent. The clutter and disorganization of other Web 2.0 sites also troubles traditional identity positions and organizational logics. Further research into the ways norming occurs in these settings is imperative because narratives about internet empowerment make it difficult to identify how regulation and personalization work together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Intelligent agents and semantic web services are two technologies with great potential. Striking new applications can be developed by using the tools and techniques they provide. However, semantic web services need for an upper software entity able to deal with them and, on the other hand agent technology has historically suffered from a number of drawbacks that must be addressed. Integrating these two technologies in a joint environment can overcome their problems while strengthening their advantages. In this paper, the necessity for integrating these technologies and the potential benefits of their combination are analyzed. Based on this study, we present SEMMAS, an ontology-based framework for seamlessly integrating Intelligent Agents and Semantic Web Services. The basics of the framework are detailed and a proof-of-concept implementation described. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A number of emerging technologies including mobile phones and services, on-line shopping and portals, and games and communities are designed to provide users with control over appearance and functioning. Understanding why users personalise could help design personalisation features so that they promote the acceptance and adoption of information and communication technology (ICT). This paper examines the psychological underpinnings of users’ willingness to expend effort to personalise ICT. The important role of the basic need of self-determination [Deci, E.L., Ryan, R.M., 2000. The“what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behaviour. Psychological Inquiry 11, 227–268] is argued for. Personalisation features can align the psychological resources with the user’s action and therefore enhance performance and enjoyment of use. First, they can promote autonomy and the sense of being an origin and therefore transform technology to ‘my technology.’ Second, personalisation features can support competence by increasing the effectiveness of user’s actions. At its best, personalisation becomes rewarding activity in itself regardless of the achieved effects, for example when personalisable features participate in flow experiences. Third, through its appearance functions, technology can support the basic need of relatedness through expression of emotion and identity, ego-involvement, and territory marking. Several positive effects can be identified: engagement, performance, persistence, identity, social acceptance, and social status. The paper concludes by discussing implications to design. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article explains the regulation of ecommerce, online contracts, click-wrap agreements, and some important legal issues to look for in any e-business project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In retailing store environmental elements help differentiate one store from another, an important aspect in customer loyalty and competitive positioning. Historically the study of these environmental elements within stores looked at only a single component at a time and neglected the robustness of their interaction. Retailers have dozens of different characteristics that can be manipulated. These "manipulatable" objects provide the look and feel of the store. However the immensity of the unique combinatorial elements (numbers way beyond the trillions) precludes this process from being directly studied holistically. As a result, an accepted and unifying definitive atmospheric model has not yet been developed. Complicating the issue is that the realm of impact is no longer limited to the physical world. In the dozen plus years since the introduction of commercialism to the internet (1994) the nature of atmospherics has only been limitedly addressed! The paper explores how the ideas of retail atmospherics may be applied to website designs and offers the Cyberspace Atmospherics Mental Model (CAMM) as a method to facilitate design decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the consumer response to the electronic brands-i.e., brands commercialized on the Internet. The results of the study suggested that, although the specific ebranding practices might allow building awareness in a short period of time, the profitability of on-line brands is likely to rely on the same factors as the traditional brand: time and financial efforts. Finally, the study also suggested that in the future, with the broadband and the consequent media convergence, marketers could not regard to an on-line brand as the opposite of a physical brand. Rather, brands have to be managed in a comprehensive way, tanking into account all alternatives based not only on the kind of product/service but also on the desired positioning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]