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
