8.2 Models of e-commerce
B2C e-commerce involves the sale of products or services directly from a business to individual consumers. It’s one of the most common e-commerce models.
Examples: Online retail stores like Amazon, Walmart
- Business-to-Business (B2B)B2B e-commerce involves transactions between businesses. It may include the sale of raw materials, parts, services, or finished products to other businesses.
Examples: Alibaba, Grainger, and various industry-specific marketplaces for procurement.
- Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C):
C2C e-commerce allows individual consumers to sell products or services to other consumers. It often involves peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions.
Examples: Online auction sites like eBay and classified ad platforms like Craigslist.
- Consumer-to-Business (C2B):
C2B e-commerce reverses the traditional model, where consumers offer products or services to businesses. This is common in freelance work and user-generated content.
Examples: Freelancing platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, influencer marketing, and crowdsourcing websites.
- Business-to-Government (B2G):
B2G e-commerce involves businesses selling products or services to government entities at various levels, such as federal, state, or local governments.
Examples: Government procurement websites and portals for bidding on government contracts.
- Mobile Commerce (M-Commerce):
M-commerce is e-commerce conducted through mobile devices, primarily smartphones and tablets. It encompasses a variety of e-commerce models and is closely tied to mobile apps.
Examples: Mobile shopping apps for retail, mobile payment apps, and mobile banking.
