A Simulation Model of the Retailer’s Response to Negative Online Buyer’s Reviews and Comments

The article substantiates that in the conditions of digitalization of the Ukrainian economy, the decision of the online buyer to choose and purchase goods is influenced by reviews/comments on the Internet. It is determined that the successful online activity of the retailer, including a positive image and the desired level of sales, is provided by her/his ability and skills to correctly respond to the reviews/comments of the online buyer. On the basis of the systematized literature sources and a comparative analysis of the results of empirical researches of well-known leading scholars and economists at the national and international levels, the author presents the typology of reviews/comments of the online buyer, which defines the specifics of the retailer’s response. The need and importance of developing alternative patterns of timely response of retailers to reviews/comments of the online buyer in ever-changing realities is proved with arguments. Appropriate recommendations to the retailer regarding an adequate response to the reviews/comments of the online buyer are suggested according to the typology, their differences are interpreted. A simulation model of the retailer’s response to negative reviews/comments of the online buyer with desensitization of the target audience according to the context of the current situation has been developed. In the development of this simulation model, using the «BP Simulator» software to simulate business processes, a relevant low-abstraction approach was applied, taking into account management features at all strategic levels, and providing for the possibility of modifying the model based on the scale and metrics of the retailer’s practical activities. The results of the practical approval of the developed simulation model show the feasibility of its implementation by retailers of different market segments to improve the efficiency of online activities.