Segments within e-commerce
e-commerce broadly operates in
any of the following areas. Please remember, this is as per developments
till date. There may be more sectors within e-commerce tomorrow
Business-to-Consumer or B2C
segment
This segment involves a business
as seller at one side and a consumer (end-user) as buyer at the other
side. Typical example of B2C is a retail shop. The seller may be selling
products (e.g. gifts, foodstuff, books etc.) or services (information
service on jobs, education, entertainment services like music/video play
etc.). Like retail, the transactions are marked by low value and high
volume. Payments are usually made through credit card and goods delivered
through courier or on-line (software)
Business-to-Business or B2B
segment
This segment involves a business
at both ends of transaction. Unlike the B2C segment, the buyer and seller
both are business organizations. Examples of B2B segment are supply or
distribution chain management by manufacturing companies (e.g. purchase
manager of the manufacturing company placing orders to suppliers or sales
manager transferring finished goods to dealers) The transactions are high
in value and low in volume. The payment method is generally bank to bank
money transfer.
The Great Indian Bazaar operates in B2B segment where volume buyers of
Indian products meet bulk sellers or exporters through The Bazaar platform
Consumer-to-Consumer or C2C
segment
This segment has a consumer at
both ends of transaction. For example, you are going on vacation and want
to make some money by renting your car for the period. So you put an advertisement,
get a suitable consumer, strike a deal for those extra cash. This is a
typical C2C transaction.
C2C e-commerce hasn't really arrived so far, though it has the potential
to become most vibrant of all e-commerce segments
|
