E-commerce Marketplace Research Articles

Cannabis-Derived Product Types, Flavors, and Compound Types From an E-Commerce Website

Cannabis-derived products (CDPs) are widely available and diverse. A classification of product and flavor types is necessary to establish a foundation for comparative research, although research aiming to classify cannabis in its variety of products, flavors, and cannabinoid compounds based on public online e-commerce data is lacking. To analyze data from a large cannabis e-commerce marketplace to identify and characterize cannabis product types, flavors, and compound types. This qualitative study was conducted in 2 phases: (1) data mining of the cannabis e-commerce website Weedmaps for product listings in the US between September 1 and November 30, 2023 and (2) grouping CDPs into product, flavor, and cannabinoid compound categories. Cannabis product listings. Product listings and descriptions were extracted from the platform. Coding was performed for specific product characteristics, routes of administration (ROAs), and characterization of flavors. A total of 573 854 unique US CDP sales listings from the platform were collected; after removing 72 842 nonconsumable items, 501 012 were analyzed. Product ROAs included multisystem (205 637 [41.04%]), respiratory (185 296 [36.98%]), digestive (98 941 [19.75%]), epidermal (9487 [1.89%]), and oral (1651 [0.33%]). Nearly half (210 575 [42.03%]) of all product listings included at least 1 flavor, with 247 762 instances of flavors. The 3 most common flavors were lemon (22 106 [8.92%]), cake (19 463 [7.86%]), and strawberry (13 961 [5.63%]). The most common cannabinoid compound type was Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (54 699 [63.30%]). This qualitative study categorized more than half a million CDPs for product and flavor types. Results are needed for comparative studies on product and market availability and can help in assessing concerns about appealing characteristics. The results can also inform future market surveillance efforts aimed at identifying new and emerging products as cannabis policy continues to move toward greater legalization.

Design and implementation of an E-commerce market place

Many small businesses and start-ups are faced with the challenge of promoting their business awareness to increase their profit margin. But many of these small businesses and start-ups cannot pay for domain registration and building of a functional website of their own. Thus, e-commerce application which can be a platform for many businesses is a good solution to this. It serves as incentive for revenue generation and business expansion in addition to promoting consumer interaction, entrepreneurship, and the growth of small businesses. Therefore, this paper aimed at design and implementation of an e-commerce application for tailors. The e-commerce system can protect sensitive customer data and secure online payment system which can serve as a platform for many businesses and start-up. This will promote business awareness, give ability to reach more customers and then improve owners profit margin. This project aims to harness the power of e-commerce marketplaces to create a tailored shopping experience for a specific target audience.

Global invasion and biosecurity risk from the online trade in ornamental crayfish.

Trade in undomesticated ornamental animals has rapidly expanded beyond brick-and-mortar retail stores to now include growing numbers of internet marketplaces. The growing volume, diversity, and origins of invasive non-native species in trade challenge already weak national biosecurity policies. Despite widespread focus on vertebrates, many knowledge gaps exist regarding the online global trade of ornamental invertebrates. We conducted the first global assessment of the online trade in and associated invasion risk of freshwater crayfishes, which are increasingly popular aquarium animals. We systematically examined e-commerce marketplaces in multiple languages, scrapping information that included species identity, price, quantity, and shipping designation from each crayfish listing. Next, we combined geographic pathways of shipping associated with online trade (introduction risk) and environmental suitability modeling (establishment risk) to estimate global risk of non-native crayfish invasion risk. We identified hundreds of online marketplaces and thousands of sale listings in 33 countries (5 continents) involving 60 species and representing a selling value of ∼US$1.5 million. Invasion risk of non-native crayfish in trade was widespread, with geographic hotspots coinciding with both elevated opportunities for introduction (greater shipping offerings) and establishment. Precise characterization of the online species trade is fundamental to support new and reformed biosecurity policies, build industry partnerships, and design educational campaigns to prevent species invasions through trade. We found that the taxonomy, geography, and economics of the global online ornamental crayfish trade are vast and require greater attention.

Enhancing Continuous Usage Intention in E-Commerce Marketplace Platforms: The Effects of Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction, and Trust

E-commerce marketplace platforms have evolved into integral digital intermediaries that shape online transactions in competitive environments. Companies continuously endeavor to improve e-service quality, customer satisfaction, and e-trust to gain a competitive advantage. This study aimed to identify the relationships between e-service quality, customer satisfaction, e-trust, and continuous usage intention in e-commerce marketplace platforms. Moreover, this study examined the roles of customer satisfaction and e-trust as mediators. We estimated nine hypothesized relationships using a structural equation modeling technique. Data from 311 users were used in the data analysis. The results are as follows: First, e-service quality significantly and positively affects customer satisfaction, e-trust, and continuous usage intention. Second, customer satisfaction has a significant and positive impact on e-trust and continuous usage intention. Third, e-trust has a significant and positive impact on continuous usage intention. Finally, both customer satisfaction and e-trust serve as significant mediating factors in the relationship between e-service quality and continuous usage intention. These insights hold strategic importance for e-commerce marketplace platform operators, allowing them to formulate service strategies and policies tailored to enhance user experience, foster trust, and drive continued usage, thereby strengthening their market position and ensuring sustained success.

Improving Customer Engagement of Food and Beverage Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Through E-Commerce and Content Marketing Training

Over the past five years, the rapid growth of MSMEs in Indonesia has also resulted in many MSMEs going bankrupt. However, this rapid growth of MSMEs is also accompanied by many MSMEs going bankrupt due to mismanagement and low competitiveness caused by the lack of adaptability to business digitalization through e-commerce and product promotion strategies through digital media. Similar problems are also experienced by Food and Beverage MSMEs in Ketintang Village, Surabaya. This drives the importance of increasing competitiveness with more effective business management and digital marketing strategies through community service programs in this area. This community service-based research consists of online store design training activities in e-commerce marketplaces and content marketing with outputs in the form of scientific publications in indexed international journals, publications in the mass media, increasing community understanding and skills, and YouTube videos aimed at improving customer engagement in e-commerce marketplaces. Using the experimental method, this study concluded that SMEs showed a positive perception of the importance of e-commerce in increasing market reach and sales and insight into digital marketing in compiling content marketing that can increase customer engagement for food and beverage products.

Investigating the Determinants of Online Fashion Purchases: Insights into Consumer Intention in the E-Commerce Marketplace

Investigating the Determinants of Online Fashion Purchases: Insights into Consumer Intention in the E-Commerce Marketplace

Cannibalization or Enhancement: Effects of Consumer-to-Consumer Resale with Consumers’ Utility Dependence

ABSTRACT Consumer-to-consumer resale platforms (CRPs) facilitate redistribution of used products. After getting rid of their used items, consumers may repurchase new items from the retailer, obtaining an additional utility due to their dependence on the retailer’s products. The retailer can capitalize on this behavior by embracing CRPs to encourage repeat purchases and drive revenue. This article constructs a two-period analytical model of an e-commerce marketplace comprising a retailer (new-product market) and a CRP (used-product market), to examine the implications of CRPs for the retailer and forward-looking consumers. Consumers are heterogeneous in two aspects: utility dependence from repeat purchases and perception of used-product quality levels. Our findings show that utility dependence mitigates the direct competition posed by the CRPs to the retailer. The retailer leverages consumer heterogeneity to exacerbate intertemporal price discrimination, generating enhancement and cannibalization effects on revenue. The enhancement effect dominates to increase the retailer’s revenue, except when new-product consumption yields a high value to consumers and the CRP’s commission rate is high. Counterintuitively, consumers and the retailer can be better off or worse off simultaneously. Coupled with the CRP’s revenue reaped from used-product transactions, social welfare is likely to improve with the addition of this entity. Moreover, the retailer can be better off as an external CRP sets the commission rate to maximize its own revenue, while it can further benefit from self-managing a CRP when the marginal operating cost is low.

The impact of changes in sales promotion depth on consumers’ purchase intentions in an e-commerce environment

ABSTRACT Variations in sales promotion in e-commerce impact online purchase decisions. Managers of e-commerce marketplaces must comprehend the effects of sales deviations on purchase decisions. We categorize sales promotion changes as either recognisable or unrecognisable to the consumer. We used the stimulus-organization-response model to assess the influence of diverse sales promotions influence consumer purchase decisions via the perceived attractiveness of the product. Using data from 587 online consumers we discovered distinct impacts between recognisable and unrecognisable changes on perceived attractiveness and purchase intention. Additionally, product value moderates these effects. Current research provides valuable insights with interesting theoretical and managerial implications.

AI-Estimated Online Product Review Based on the Comments of the Customer

Abstract: The primary objective of “AI-powered product review summarization” is to efficiently analyze large volumes of product reviews, estimating positive and negative sentiment specific to a product identified by its product name. Using the Text Blob library for sentiment analysis and NLTK for summary generation, the tool increases the ease of analysis and simplifies decisionmaking processes for sellers and consumers. Desired outcomes include time investment, an informed customer base, and ultimately a reduction in the purchase of defective products. By categorizing sentiment and generating concise summaries, the tool equips users with valuable insights, streamlines the review analysis process, and contributes to a more efficient and trustworthy e-commerce marketplace.

Fashion Recommendation System and Virtual Trial Room

The fashion industry has recently witnessed massive growth in the clothing and textile industries. In e-commerce marketplaces, where there are many options accessible, relevant product material or information can be filtered, arranged, and efficiently communicated to users. As the standard of living increased, people's attention began to shift towards fashion, which is considered to be a common form of aesthetic expression. The development of the fashion business over time has been influenced by this human tendency. The abundance of clothing alternatives on e-commerce sites, however, has made it more difficult for customers to select the ideal outfit. In this article, we describe a personalised fashion recommender system that generates suggestions for the user based on input. In order to enhance the consumer shopping experience, we developed a software application that combines a recommender system with the OpenCV and TensorFlow technologies. This will enable customers to virtually try on clothing without having to wait in a large queue. The application uses OpenCV to map the clothes onto the customer’s body, the customer can then have a look at it and decide whether to buy the clothes or not. According to the results, there is no need to visit trial rooms because the mapping is done precisely onto the user's body. Thus, our app offers a quick, simple, and accurate method of trying on clothing, and we think that will help shape the retail sector.

Fan Art in E-Commerce Marketplace Copyright Protection: A Study of the Chinese Experience

This research article aims to explore the Chinese experience in dealing with fan art within the copyright protection framework on e-commerce marketplaces. The findings highlight the complex relationship between fan art, copyright infringement, and e-commerce platforms in China. While fan art has become a significant cultural phenomenon and a means of artistic expression, it often infringes upon the copyrights of the original creators. The article examines the legal implications and challenges associated with fan art, focusing on its impact on intellectual property rights and the e-commerce environment. Furthermore, the study analyzes the measures taken by Chinese e-commerce marketplaces and the government to address the issue of copyright infringement in fan art. The research evaluates the effectiveness of existing copyright protection mechanisms, such as takedown notices, filtering technologies, and legal enforcement actions. This article investigates the Chinese experience in dealing with fan art within the copyright protection framework on e-commerce platforms. The article also explores the impact of Chinese internet culture and the attitudes of fan artists and consumers towards copyright protection. Additionally, it investigates the opinions and experiences of copyright holders in relation to fan art on e-commerce platforms. Overall, this research article provides valuable insights into the Chinese experience of addressing fan art within the copyright protection system on e-commerce marketplaces. By understanding the challenges and potential solutions, policymakers, copyright holders, and e-commerce platform operators can gain perspectives and develop strategies for adapting copyright protection mechanisms in the digital era.

The value of membership service sharing in the e-commerce marketplace

Many firms have introduced membership programs as an important customer service initiative. However, little research has focused on how to enforce e-commerce retailing through membership service sharing. To explore the value of membership service sharing in e-commerce retailing, we build a game-theoretical model in which the brand decides whether to enable e-commerce retailing through online direct selling, and then all participants determine whether to engage in membership program sharing. Our findings show that in the case with a low consumer acceptance to the e-commerce channel, the brand will enter the downstream market if the entry cost and product cost are low, or the entry cost is low and the unit cost of the product is very high. One of the interesting findings is that the brand might fall into the encroachment trap when the product cost is moderate. Meanwhile, improving consumer acceptance of the e-commerce channel or the ratio of point exchange are effective ways to escape this trap. Moreover, when consumers are more willing to accept the e-commerce channel, the brand will adopt an e-commerce retailing strategy if the entry cost is low. Also surprisingly, our study shows that the brand would be better off from membership service sharing if the product cost is moderate, or very high, while the retailer would be worse off. Furthermore, when the unit cost of the product is moderate, membership program sharing has a remarkable impact on the brand’s retailing strategy. In addition, we also make some extensions to verify the robustness of the core model.

Self-Preferencing in E-Commerce Marketplaces: The Role of Sponsored Advertising and Private Labels

We study when and why a platform may seek to give preference to its private label in sponsored advertising.

Intellectual property rights infringement on e-commerce marketplaces: Application of AI technologies, new challenges

Intellectual property rights infringement is a growing concern in the age of e-commerce, where online marketplaces have become the primary platforms for buying and selling goods. As the popularity of e-commerce increases, so does the risk of counterfeit products, unauthorized use of trademarks, and other infringements on intellectual property rights. In response to this challenge, AI technologies have emerged as powerful tools to combat infringement on e-commerce platforms. This article sets out to explore the application of AI technologies in addressing intellectual property rights infringement on e-commerce marketplaces and the new challenges that arise as a result. The article explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies on identifying and preventing infringements in e-commerce marketplaces. It delves into the use of automated algorithms and machine learning, highlighting their ability to improve efficiency and accuracy in infringement detection. However, the article also discusses the challenges associated with capturing nuanced infringements through AI technologies. Overall, the study sheds light on the evolving landscape of intellectual property rights protection in the context of e-commerce and emphasizes the significance of AI in addressing these challenges.

Platform financing and CSR performance in an E-commerce marketplace

PurposeThis paper investigates whether and how the financial services offered by an e-commerce platform can help budget-constrained small- and medium-sized suppliers improve their corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors examine a supply chain in which a budget-constrained supplier engages in CSR, produces a finished product and sells it on the marketplace of an e-commerce platform. This platform offers financial services to the supplier, choosing among three types of financing models: target rate of return, credit limit and CSR-linked financing. Using a Stackelberg game approach, the authors can drive the equilibrium decisions under each financing model.FindingsThe results reveal that all three financing models help improve the supplier's CSR investment as long as consumer sensitivity toward CSR exists. Moreover, the last one leads to the highest profitability of the overall supply chain and each member.Originality/valueThe findings shed light on the role of platform financing and how to design the most appropriate financing model to improve CSR for supply chain managers.

Reviewing the Legal Framework Applicable to Cross-border E-commerce Transactions in Brazil

E-commerce transactions increased substantially over the past three years, including the cross-border movement of goods that were acquired using the internet. From the customs legislation point of view, such new reality means a huge volume of import transactions of goods using the post or courier companies, having individuals as importers, and which values are quite low if compared to ordinary importations made by companies. The flood of small packs not only clogged the old logistic system involved in this kind of transaction but also evidenced the failure of the current legal framework. On top of this issue, local producers argue that products acquired from the generically called ‘Asian e-commerce marketplaces’ are artificially cheaper, and they claim for controls, restrictions, and more equal conditions in terms of tax treatment. The debate pointed out above is global by nature, and it is a hot topic in Brazil. The goal of this paper is to present the political debate regarding e-commerce cross-border transactions, and the recent developments in terms of the legal framework, challenges, and opportunities.Isabelle Ruiz Guero* Brazil, International Trade, customs, cross-border transactions, postal and courier imports, e-commerce, tax reform

Revenue forecast models using hybrid intelligent methods

Abstract The aim of this study is to forecast the revenue of a seller taking part in an online e-commerce marketplace by using hybrid intelligent methods to help the seller build a solid financial plan. For this purpose, three different approaches are applied in order to accurately forecast the revenue. In the first approach, after applying simple preprocessing steps on the dataset, forecast models are developed with Random Forest (RF). In the second approach, Isolation Forest (IF) is used to detect outliers on the dataset, and minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance (mRMR) is utilized to select the features that affect the quality of revenue forecast, correctly. In the last approach, a feature selection process is performed first and then the Density-Based Spatial Clustering and Application with Noise (DBSCAN) is used to cluster the dataset. After these processes are carried out, forecast models are developed with RF. The dataset used includes the daily revenue of a seller with several other features. Mean Absolute Percent Error (MAPE) is used for evaluating the performance of the forecast models.

Pricing Strategies Application Amongst the Top E-commerce Southeast Asian Countries

The Internet economy plays an important role in the development of the country's economy. In fact, more than 60% of customers worldwide cite price as the first reason for visiting an e-commerce website. The purpose of this study is to discuss the pricing strategy of the four current leading e-commerce marketplaces in Southeast Asian countries (SEA). The methodology used for this research was descriptive analysis, adapting and modifying the work of Rekettye & Liu (2018) and Skripak et al. (2018). It was found that the top four e-commerce companies use a strategy of market penetration and flexible pricing to compete and maintain their business in the market region.

Neons Fashion LLP (B): The Setbacks

Neons Fashion LLP was an entrepreneurial venture of Arthi Ramalingam after completion of her MBA. Arthi had an interest in jewellery since childhood and she decided to focus on design, manufacturing and retailing of fashion and costume jewellery items under the brand name of Eternz through different sales channels like exhibitions, retail stores, own website and as an independent seller on e-commerce marketplaces. She initially started selling on Amazon marketplace through a third party, Cloudtail India Pvt. Ltd., and later sold through other e-commerce marketplace operators like Flipkart, Jabong and FirstCry. As her business grew, Arthi planned to add the kids' shoes category and also decided to participate in Bangalore Fashion Week to build the Eternz brand. However, in November 2016, Cloudtail terminated her contract which played havoc with the sales and profitability of her start-up. Neons Fashion LLP (A) provides details of how independent sellers are at the mercy of marketplace operators and ends with the need to review the choices of sales channels for different categories like fashion garments and fashion accessories, and for the upcoming launch of kids' shoes. Neons Fashion LLP (B) describes the events after the Bangalore Fashion Week that ultimately led to closure of business.

Neons Fashion LLP (A): A Small Seller on the Amazon Marketplace

Neons Fashion LLP was an entrepreneurial venture of Arthi Ramalingam after completion of her MBA. Arthi had an interest in jewellery since childhood and she decided to focus on design, manufacturing and retailing of fashion and costume jewellery items under the brand name of Eternz through different sales channels like exhibitions, retail stores, own website and as an independent seller on e-commerce marketplaces. She initially started selling on Amazon marketplace through a third party, Cloudtail India Pvt. Ltd., and later sold through other e-commerce marketplace operators like Flipkart, Jabong and FirstCry. As her business grew, Arthi planned to add the kids' shoes category and also decided to participate in Bangalore Fashion Week to build the Eternz brand. However, in November 2016, Cloudtail terminated her contract which played havoc with the sales and profitability of her start-up. Neons Fashion LLP (A) provides details of how independent sellers are at the mercy of marketplace operators and ends with the need to review the choices of sales channels for different categories like fashion garments and fashion accessories, and for the upcoming launch of kids' shoes. Neons Fashion LLP (B) describes the events after the Bangalore Fashion Week that ultimately led to closure of business.