E-Tailing or Retailing?

Bachelorarbeit von Doreen Happatz

Abstract:

Already in 1996, when the full impact of the Internet was not yet acknowledged, Landow recognises the immense consequences the Internet and electronic technology will have on the whole of the book trade in his essay “ We are already beyond the book”. In this point his essay agrees with the original generic idea of my chosen subject topic (the impact of the Internet on the book trade).

At a later point, Sevedjedal states the following: “Technological changes seem to hold the promise that the industry of literature can be organized in new ways, leapfrogging middlemen and reducing cost at one fell swoop (…). There are now booksellers working on the Internet selling books by direct mail.” These quotes reflect the view that the Internet has an impact on the traditional bookseller. The purpose of this research was to investigate the nature of the impact the Internet is having on the book trade. Hence, the existing markets and its potential for e-tailing and retailing and the major differences of e-tailing and retailing have been investigated. To what extend does the book as a product differ to other products and is this difference the reason why the book is one of the most popular products to be sold over the Internet?

Further, this research contains findings about the competition between e-tailers and retailers in terms of price and customer service. Creating a questionnaire in form of a web site, opinions, attitudes and behaviours of potential readers and Internet users where explored. A final objective was to provide a framework for the successful combination of e-tail and retail businesses.

Einleitung:

Traditionelle Buchhändler sind an dem Punkt angekommen, wo sie nicht länger den Einfluss des E-commerces und sein exponentielles Wachstum übersehen können. Einst loyale Kunden wechseln über zu Internetanbietern, deren Kompetenz daraus besteht, das Produkt 24 Stunden am Tag verkaufen zu können.

Möglicherweise ist es wünschenswert ein Multi-Channel Geschäftsmodel zu entwickeln mit mehreren Stellen für den Kundenkontakt, welches online sowie auch physikalisch präsent ist.

Diese Arbeit betrachtet die, durch die neuen Technologien erbrachten, Veränderungen aus der Perspektive des Einzelhändlers, des sogenannten E-Tailers sowie dem Buchkäufer.

Außerdem ist innerhalb dieser Arbeit der Vorschlag für ein Multi-Channel Geschäftsmodel erschaffen worden, welches alle drei Hauptakteure innerhalb des modernen Buchmarktes einbezieht.

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