This work aims to improve the efficiency of logistics distribution in the international trade environment by optimizing the distribution path of the e-commerce supply chain model (SCM). First, this ...work analyzes the international trade and e-commerce backgrounds and unveils the existing problems in the sustainable supply chain model (SCM). Then, an experiment is designed to study sustainable SCM under the Business to Consumer (B2C) E-commerce business model and compare it to the Consumer to Consumer (C2C) business model. This research has important reference value for improving resource efficiency in the logistics field. The optimal experimental results of the model show that given an order quantity of 2000, the vehicle competition ratio (VCR) is only 1.1 when the vehicle capacity (VC) is 12. In contrast, when the VC is 72, the VCR is 1.45. Therefore, the greater that the load of a single vehicle in the logistics management system is, the higher the logistics distribution efficiency of the supply chain. The research content has practical application value for improving the efficiency of logistics distribution under the current e-commerce environment and promoting the digital and electronic development of international trade logistics.
•Improved logistics distribution efficiency in the international trade environment.•Analyzed the international trade and e-commerce backgrounds in the sustainable SCM.•Explored sustainable supply chain management under the Business-to-Consumer (B2C).•Proposed the optimization strategy of logistics vehicle distribution.•Established the B2C e-commerce online integration and SCM system.
The expansion of crowdfunding raises two related questions: what type of platform suits each project and how should existing platforms expand? The answer lies in analyzing the field of crowdfunding ...as a solution to four specific problems: gatekeeping, coordination, inexperience, and patronage. Using an inductive analysis of the largest U.S. sites, this article identifies the range of problems crowdfunding addresses and their performance to date. Crowdfunding succeeds in raising money within and across networks, but efforts to use crowdfunding to educate or to generate recurring revenue are less successful.
When business-to-business (B2B) brands extend into the consumer market, considering that end consumers are generally unfamiliar with B2B brands, managers often tend to expend extensive efforts in ...advertising the brand extension. However, insights into how B2B brands can leverage their industry background when extending into the B2C market are still lacking. In this study, we investigated whether, when, and how highlighting the industry background of a B2B brand in the advertisements of its B2C products influence brand extension evaluation. Our results indicate that presenting information on the B2B brand’s industry background may facilitate consumers’ evaluation of its extended B2C product. This positive impact is enhanced when the advertisement has competence appeal and alleviated when it has warmth appeal. The interaction between industry background and advertising appeal is mediated by consumers’ perceptions of brand personality appeal clarity. Our study provides insights into how B2B brand managers can leverage brands to drive an effective brand extension into B2C market.
The paper transcends the simply functional and oligo-dimensional approach to smart retailing, in order to provide a comprehensive, value-based analysis of its B2C relationship. Methodologically, it ...is a theoretically developed conceptual work, refined through qualitative primary research. Specifically, combining narrative and meta-synthetic literature analyses with interviews it undertakes an extensive theoretical review on the subject and its peripheral and contextual factors; it identifies the value categories and individual elements, which explicitly or implicitly define the smart retailing B2C relationships and synergies; and prescriptively incorporates all into a single, provisional, value-based, multi-dimensional framework for B2C smart retailing. The findings give rise to ‘value’ as superior means of understanding the smart retailing B2C relationship and as the ultimate ends on both sides of the relationship; both largely consequent to the changing underlying contemporary business and consumer motivators. Additionally, smart retailing ‘soft value’ manifestations are delineated and proposed as particular sources of retailers' lasting and inimitable competitive advantages; while smart retailing itself is found to have outgrown its traditional role to become a holistic strategic approach to the retailing business.
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•‘Value’ is both means of understanding and ends to the smart retailing B2C relationship.•Underlying contemporary business and consumer motivators shape the relationship.•Smart retailing ‘soft value’ manifestations are delineated.•‘Soft Values’ are particular sources of retailers' lasting competitive advantages.•Smart retailing has become an independent holistic strategic approach.
This study builds upon previous research on the value propositions of electronic commerce for the consumer and proposes a research framework for investigating consumer's perceived value in the B2C ...model of electronic commerce. The proposed research model encompasses five main dimensions of consumers' value proposition: Economic (3 components), Functional (7 components), Emotional (6 components), Social-Symbolic (5 components), and Technical (11 components). The paper also presents an application of the model to an empirical case study of consumers' perceived value of online shopping in Iran. Required data was collected via a survey from customers of digikala, the biggest e-commerce firm of Iran. Structural equation modeling and path analysis were used to test the proposed research model. Findings show that the five dimensions are positively related to consumers' value proposition and the proposed research model is fitted to explain the research purpose and hypotheses.
The adsorbing and sensing behavior of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs), e.g., formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, methanol, ethanol, ethylene oxide, and propylene oxide by pentagonal B2C ...nanosheet (penta-B2C), have been investigated with the periodic density functional theory approach. The results reveal that adsorbed VOCs on a penta-B2C nanosheet have reduced the band gap ranges from 6 to 60 %. So, the penta-B2C nanosheet can sense these VOC molecules well. Adsorption energy values for the formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, methanol, ethanol, ethylene oxide, and propylene oxide complexes with desired penta-B2C nanosheet are −1.07, −1.06, −1.17, −1.00, −1.04, −0.88, and −1.04 eV, respectively. The calculated recovery time at 400 K for the considered complexes without radiation is 35, 24, 685, 4, 13, 0.13, and 13 s, respectively. Computed sensitivity values for the studied VOCs/penta-B2C complexes range from 5 to 36034955. So the penta-B2C nanosheet could be a noteworthy substrate for detecting the presented VOCs.
The Internet is a global communication medium that is increasingly being used worldwide as an innovative tool for marketing goods and services. At the end of 2010, Internet users in China reached 420 ...million. However, online shopping in China is not widely practiced and organisations investing in B2C online shopping need to understand the factors that affect Chinese consumers′ online buying behaviour. This research develops a theoretical research model as a framework to identify the key decision factors influencing Chinese consumers′ to shop, or not to shop online. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather information from 435 respondents in Beijing, China. The empirical analysis identifies and ranks seven important decision factors: perceived risk, consumer resources, service quality, subjective norms, product variety, convenience, and website factors. All of these decision factors impact on Chinese consumers′ adoption of online shopping. Moreover, managerial implications and recommendations are also presented.
Against the backdrop of China's current dual-circulation paradigm, consumers have experienced the transition of their demands for products from price-driven needs to brand-driven needs. On the one ...hand, improving the value of consumer experience during brand building can enhance the exchanges and interactions between brands and consumers, facilitating the co-creation of value. On the other hand, the improvement of consumer experience can continuously strengthen the internal power of the construction of enterprise brand elements, and promote consumer-brand identity so as to constantly improve consumer purchase intention. In this study, we have taken consumers from the B2C market as the survey group while innovatively studying the impact imposed by brand elements on the purchase intention of consumers based on the experience value. In addition, we have established the theoretical framework of
brand elements
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experience value
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consumers' purchase intention
based on our analysis of the relationship between the aforementioned three factors. Through empirical research, we have elaborated on whether brand elements can improve consumers' purchase intention and whether the experience value can play an intermediary role. The research findings indicate that (1) the three dimensions of brand elements, namely, brand personality, brand value, and brand culture, can impose a significant positive impact on the purchase intention of consumers and experience value; (2) the specific parts of the experience value, namely, functional value, emotional value, social value, and service value, can impose a significant positive impact on the purchase intention of consumers; and (3) experience value can play an intermediary effect to some extent while brand elements influence the purchase intention of consumers.
The authors explore two important topics related to this special issue. One is how corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities impacts stakeholders, more specifically customers and ...shareholders/investors. Second is understanding customer recognition and demand for CSR activities. Insight into these topics is gained through the study of contextual differences in this value creation. Previous studies suggest that two important contextual differences have the potential to impact CSR-based value creation, the product versus service nature of the firm and whether the firm operates primarily in a business-to-business (B2B) versus business-to-consumer (B2C) channel. The lower innovative capabilities of service firms and the relative intangibility of services should hamper the impact of CSR activities in service versus product contexts. The impact should be higher, however, in a B2B versus B2C context based on the need for greater organizational alignment, adaptation, and relationship-specific investments. Results from a large-scale secondary dataset reinforce prior findings that CSR activities influence firm value through customer satisfaction. Moreover, the results reveal that this effect is weaker for service (vs. product) firms and stronger for B2B (vs. B2C) firms. The findings offer important implications for marketing theory and practice.
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