The scope and the limits of the parity clause prohibition in the Digital Markets Act

With the rapid development of the e-commerce, more customer demands are generated through online sales channels. Together with traditional sales channels through retailers, the manufacturers need to implement the dual supply chain management to enhance their performance. However, both of the online and traditional sales channels might face various sources of disruption risks under the globalisation and the high complexity of the supply chain network. Using a theoretical modelling approach, three industrial cases, and sensitivity analysis, we discuss the optimal pricing strategy of manufacturer in the dual channel supply chain with disruption risks. We find that the influential factors of maximising profits of a manufacturer include its pricing strategy, product market share, disruption risk probabilities, and product distribution proportion between the online and offline channels.

The methods for identifying differences in the buying motives in online and offline trade are developed based on a theoretical analysis of approaches to the customer segmentation and their dependence on its purpose. The purpose of the study is to identify differences in the buying motives in online and offline trade and to substantiate the feasibility of conducting behavioral segmentation in order to identify such differences.
 The empirical research results are based on the quantitative marketing research (polls). The buying motives in offline and online sales channels were studied in several stages. The key advantages of offline and online sales channels were identified in terms of customer perception at the first stage. The following advantages were identified in offline and online trade: high quality guaranteed by the seller for buyers with high incomes; accessibility as the speed and convenience of access, price acceptability for buyers with average and below average incomes; and the breadth, depth, and updateability of the product range for all groups. The buying motives in offline and online trade were identified as factors that encouraged buying at the second stage. The polls have shown that key motives for customers to opt for offline sales channels are related to the perception of the aggregate properties of products that exceed the properties of similar products in online sales channels. The main reasons for buying through online sales channels are the following key indicators that determine the quality of the buying service: convenience and speed of purchasing, speed of delivery, and convenient time to receive an order. This study allowed to develop a model for studying the consumer behavior in order to identify the key rational and emotional motives of buying through online and offline sales channels. The information component of this model was based on the marketing research involving the sequential implementation of the following stages: studying the market trends in order to identify changes in the motives of consumer behavior; selecting segmentation criteria and carrying out marketing research; identifying the key benefits of offline and online sales channels in terms of customer perception; identifying and grouping the key motives that guided customers when choosing a channel for buying; identifying the causes of changes in the rational and emotional motives of consumer behavior; and developing and implementing the marketing communications programs that implied an impact on the emotional and rational motives.

Rapid development of technology has caused a dramatic change at marketing and purchase types of products in the last 20 years. This change which is also characterized by the growing rates of internet usage and online sales has affected hotel enterprises like all other business. Especially, intensive usage and accessibility of internet has established a dynamic web based platform where the hotel enterprises can easily market their services in which the consumers can access those services quickly, easily and cheaply. These web-based platforms named as on-line sales channels (OSCs) show an upward trend as an alternative to traditional marketing. However, today OSCs have become comparable for both end-users and channel managers as a result of the growing number of such platforms. And this fact has made the knowledge standardization obligatory in terms of marketing ethics, marketing style and on-line sales agreement. At this point, Channel Manager System (CMS) has become as a way of knowledge standardization for the hotel enterprises. Usage of CMS has made the management of relevant processes easier by enabling fast & easy update of necessary information, pictures, daily activities and prices in hotels. Within this context, this study examines contributions and amenities of CMS in terms of OSCs with an application which is currently used in a thermal hotel.

The aim of this study was to analyze the perceptions and entering status of small business online fashion retailers on portal shopping and fashion shopping malls. Case studies were conducted on a total of 10 research samples. The results were as follows: first, regarding the strategic factors of online fashion stores, ‘price competitiveness’ is important, especially in portal shopping and low-cost brands; ‘product assortment’ is important but not essential in all platforms; and ‘differentiation’ is important to continuously secure loyal customers in fashion shopping malls. Customer satisfaction leads to customer loyalty, and customer loyalty affects the sales conversion rate and brand growth of online sales channels. Factors that promoted sales activities in online sales channels were exposure, advertisements, SNS, events, special exhibitions, and events. Hindrance factors were low price competition, overheated competition, and the MD of sales channels. Second, the research samples used multiple online sales channels, including portal shopping malls and fashion shopping malls, in addition to their own malls. The selection factors were platform reputation and commission, branding, and customer inflow through exposure. Portal shopping malls were perceived as providing easy access, advertising/customer communication, exposure/search, price competitiveness, scalability, and intense competition, whereas fashion shopping malls were perceived as providing a brand image and concept, brand promotion, high commissions, difficult entry, and low profits. The factors for success in portal shopping malls were exposure/search, price competitiveness, and brand recognition, whereas the factors for success in fashion shopping malls were differentiation, brand, exposure/advertisement, product assortment, and MD.

Reselling or marketplace channel? A manufacturer’s strategic decisions for differentiated brands considering channel’s service level

Influence on Sales Channels of Supply Chain Structure under Power Balance

This article mainly considers the coexistence of physical sales channels and online sales channels. Online retailers with online sales channels consider whether to provide return policies and whether to provide consumers with return insurance. The research established four return strategy models that: do not provide returns; provide returns but do not provide return insurance; provide return insurance, but the cost is borne by online retailers; and provide return insurance, but the cost is borne by consumers. The authors then studied the online retailers’ optimal return and shipping insurance selection strategies. The results show that when the proportion of residual return value after the value reduction of unit returned products was large, online retailers set higher sales prices and provided return policies, while offline retailers needed to reduce sales prices in order to attract more consumers. When the consumer unit product return compensation was relatively large, online retailers chose to provide consumers with free return insurance; otherwise, it was more beneficial for online retailers not to provide return insurance. Further research found that although the cost of online retailers increased when freight insurance was taken, it could better attract consumers, which was more beneficial to online retailers.

According to the new measurement of launching online distribution channels of tobacco enterprises in China, this paper investigates the tobacco firm’s pricing decisions on the supply chain which consists of two manufacturers and one retailer under three dual-channel structures. Three dual-channel structures include no online channel, only one online channel by one manufacture, and two online channels by two manufacturers. We apply the Stackelberg game to analyze the equilibrium pricing strategies under different structures and try to explore the necessity and advantages of launching online sales channels. The results demonstrate that the substitutability of a product has significant impact on introducing online sales channels, and the online dual-channel structure could result in less profit for manufacturers compared to the traditional retail channel structure; and thus, a dual-channel structure with online sales is not the best strategy for traditional manufacturers. Moreover, when the product is less substitutable, the effect of the tobacco control on the online sales channel is inferior to the traditional channels and vice versa.

This study aims to analyze the difference in revenue performance between offline and online sales channels at Soulja Coffee during December 2024. The population in this research includes all sales transactions that occurred at Soulja Coffee within the specified period. The sample consists of daily revenue data from each sales channel, selected using purposive sampling based on relevance and data availability. Data were collected through documentation from Soulja Coffee’s internal financial reports. The research employs a comparative quantitative approach and utilizes the Independent T-Test for statistical analysis, supported by SPSS software to test the proposed hypothesis. The results indicate a significant difference in revenue between online and offline sales channels, with the average revenue from online sales (mean = 13.4844) being higher than that of offline sales (mean = 13.1091). These findings have important implications for decision-making in the planning and evaluation of sales strategies. Moreover, the results can serve as a valuable consideration in developing a business model that is more adaptive to changes in consumer behavior and the dynamics of the digital market.

The online sales channel, encompassing various platforms such as e-commerce websites, online marketplaces, and social media, has redefined traditional commerce by providing businesses with diverse mediums to engage with consumers in the virtual sphere. These platforms function as channels for businesses, enabling them not just to display their products or services but also to facilitate smooth transactions by leveraging the pervasive connectivity of the internet. This study aims to assess the impact of online sales channels, specifically focusing on their influence on customer engagement and revenue generation. In order to collect data, a survey questionnaire was sent to seventy-five (75) entrepreneurs. However, only fifty-four (54) questionnaires were completed and used. Data was also collected from secondary sources. The findings from the study revealed that the majority of entrepreneurs recognize the indispensability of online sales channels for the success of their business. Notably, businesses that strategically adopt and diversify these channels experience increased revenue and gain a competitive edge. Businesses are advised to prioritize and enhance their online presence based on the study's findings. Embracing comprehensive digital strategies, including websites and social media, is essential for success in today's dynamic business environment.

The Consumer Dispute Settlement Agency is essential in regulating standard clauses in consumer contracts and adjudicating conflicts between consumers and businesses. This paper analyses BPSK's jurisdiction, efficacy, and obstacles in overseeing standard clauses, which are frequently formulated unilaterally by commercial entities and may prejudice consumers. This study employs a normative legal research methodology alongside Socio-Legal Research to examine the legislative framework regulating BPSK and the practical difficulties encountered in overseeing unfair standard clauses. Research reveals that BPSK encounters substantial challenges, such as inadequate resources, minimal consumer knowledge, ineffective enforcement mechanisms, and the intricacies of digital transactions. The agency is devoid of the authority to enforce direct sanctions, depending instead on mediation, conciliation, and arbitration. Consequently, numerous enterprises persist in incorporating inequitable clauses in contracts without encountering significant repercussions, thereby diminishing the overall efficacy of consumer protection initiatives. Moreover, the proliferation of e-commerce and digital transactions introduces new issues, as typical provisions in online agreements frequently exhibit complexity and lack transparency, thereby complicating customer scrutiny.

The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the governments of almost all countries to impose severe restrictions, including limited mobility, movement and the right of assembly. A number of measures have been adopted to promote social distancing between people. This chapter analyzes the potential opportunities and threats to the e-commerce industry related to the COVID-19 pandemic, to examine the dynamics of growth in the online sales volume of products, as well as to determine the level of consumer satisfaction with online shopping and the possibility of switching to e-commerce from conventional sales channels. The e-commerce market is defined as the trading of goods and services through telecommunication and telecommunication tools. The vast majority of the respondents declared to actively use online sales channel. Electronic articles were among the most frequently purchased items in 2020.

In recent years, environmental pollution and resource waste have become the focus of heated discussion around the world. In order to realize green and sustainable development, the development of green supply chain (GSC) has attracted the attention of many scholars. The research object of this paper is the dual-channel green supply chain (DGSC) composed of online channels and offline channels. The supplier is the leader of the entire DGSC, and it needs to optimize the wholesale price of the product and the level of green investment to maximize its own benefit. In addition, the supplier also needs to establish contracts with network sales platform (NSP) and store sales platform (SSP) to increase the benefit of NSP and SSP, and ultimately increase the benefit level of the entire DGSC. Among them, we constructed a centralized decision (CD) model and a decentralized decision (DD) model, and obtained the optimal pricing, optimal greenness and optimal benefit of the supplier, NSP and SSP under the two models. We found that the benefits of SC members under the DD model are generally lower than those of the CC model. Therefore, we built contracts between the supplier, NSP and SSP to coordinate. Finally, we substituted specific parameters to verify the model. The following conclusions are drawn: (i) When consumers prefer online sales channels, it will positively affect the online sales price, online sales volume and greenness level of DGSC. At the same time, it negatively affects offline sales price and sales volume. (ii) The benefit of DGSC and the benefit of NSP, SSP, and the supplier show a phenomenon of decline first and then increase with respect to consumers’ preference for online sales channels. (iii) Under the coordination contract, the subsidy factor positively affects the benefits of the supplier and online and offline wholesale prices, and negatively affects the benefits of online platforms and physical stores.

The article explores the role of communication management in the context of developing and implementing digital strategies, focusing on innovations in digital communication. The intensive development of digital technologies and the transformation of consumer habits have changed the way brands communicate with their target audience. Digital platforms have become key tools for building effective communication with consumers, creating unique branding, and strengthening competitive position. Their proper use allows businesses to stand out among competitors, increase awareness, consumer trust and, consequently, sales. In the context of rapid digitalization of the business environment, companies are increasingly focused on integrating the latest technologies to improve interaction with customers, partners and other stakeholders. The article analyzes scientific approaches to defining the concept of communication in the digital space. The advantages of using digital channels to build communication are outlined. Based on the analysis of the main features of digital communications, a comparative analysis of traditional communication channels and digital platforms is carried out. The article presents a list of the most popular digital channels for brand promotion, which provide additional opportunities to expand the impact on the target audience while ensuring targeting and personalization of such impact. Given the rapid development of digital platforms and technologies, the authors of the article highlight the issue of adapting communication management to modern conditions to ensure the effective functioning of business and maintain its competitiveness in the market. Modern digital platforms are becoming an integral part of modern business, offering many advantages over traditional communication channels, as they allow businesses to enter the global market as efficiently and quickly as possible, providing access to customers around the world, allowing businesses to reduce costs for traditional sales channels, and obtain information about the target audience, its behavior, needs, and values. Digital platforms are easily scalable, which allows businesses to adapt to market changes: in the event of an increase in demand, businesses can quickly expand their services or add new capabilities without the need for significant infrastructure investments. In times of crisis or market changes, digital platforms provide businesses with greater flexibility to respond quickly to changes. Online sales channels, support for remote work, and access to analytics help businesses make more informed decisions and quickly adapt to new conditions. These advantages make digital platforms essential tools for businesses seeking to succeed in today's economy, where digitalization plays a key role in achieving competitive advantage.

The COVID-19 pandemic seriously impacted almost the fields of the Vietnam economy in the shortterm and long-term, including the retail industry. While, retailing is regarded as one of the most strongly-impacted fields, but it also expresses the quick capability of recovery in comparison to other sectors. This study has been carried out to evaluate and analyze holistically the major effects of the pandemic on the Vietnam retail industry with nine critical impacts: the number of shoppers decreases; great volatility in the rental market; closed shops, maximum staff cuts; retail sales decline seriously; the explosion of e-commerce and home delivery services; change the campaign and decrease marketing budget; invest in building new online sales channels; convert consumption from offline to online and increase stockpiles of goods in the epidemic. Based on these analyses, the author recommends several significant suggestions for the Vietnam government including (1) directly support by in cash for the closed-stores during the pandemic for the traditional retailing; (2) quickly implement liquidity support packages and offer credit packages with preferential interest rates for the modern retailers; (3) solving problems of labor shortages in businesses that produce essential products; (4) increasing the essential stockpile source and manage efficiently the market supply. While some suggestions are delivered for retail businesses to overcome the recession and boost growth after the pandemic: (1) understand customers' problems; (2) reshape business strategy; (3) keep in touch with stakeholders and (4) expand new sales channels. The above suggestions are recommended on the basis of the bright outlooks from both macro factors and the internal retailing market.