PROJECT REPORT

(Submitted for the Degree of B.Com. Honours in Accounting &

Finance under the University of Calcutta)

TITLE OF THE PROJECT

“E-COMMERCE”

SUBMITTED BY
Name of the Candidate: MD. RABBANI
Registration Number: 011-1111-0216-19
Name of the College: A.J.C BOSE COLLEGE
College Roll Number: 05
CU exam Roll Number: 191011-21-0138

SUPERVISED BY
Name of the Supervisor: SUPRATIC BASU
Name of the College: A.J.C BOSE COLLEGE

MONTH & YEAR OF SUBMISSION

Date: June, 2021

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Annexure-IA
SUPERVISOR'S CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that MR. MD. RABBANI a student of B.Com. Honours in Accounting & Finance
of A.J.C BOSE COLLEGE, under the University of Calcutta has worked under my supervision
and guidance for his/her Project Work and prepared a Project Report with the title “E-
COMMERCE” which he is submitting, is his genuine and original work to the best of my
knowledge.

Place: Kolkata Signature:

Date: Name: DR. SUPRATIC BASU
Designation: PROFESSOR
Name of the College: A.J.C BOSE COLLEGE

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Annexure-IB
STUDENT'S DECLARATION
I hereby declare that the Project Work with the title “E-COMMERCE” submitted by me for the
partial fulfilment of the degree of B.Com. Honors in Accounting & Finance under the University
of Calcutta is my original work and has not been submitted earlier to any other University
/Institution for the fulfilment of the requirement for any course of study. I also declare that no
chapter of this manuscript in whole or in part has been incorporated in this report from any earlier
work done by others or by me. However, extracts of any literature which has been used for this
report has been duly acknowledged providing details of such literature in the references.

Place: Kolkata Signature:

Date: 03/06/2022 Name: MD. RABBANI
Registration Number: 011-1111-0216-19
College Roll Number: 05

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all thanks to God, for giving me and my friends the strength and will to complete this task
just in time. Even though we faced a lot of difficulties while trying to complete this task, the group
still managed to complete it and we are glad about it.

A special thanks to Profs. Supratic Basu, for being such a good guidance to us while we were
doing this task. He had given us an appropriate example and knowledge in order to make us
understand more about this topic. He spends his time to explain the execution of this idea in all the
way.

I also appreciate Our Principal DR. Purna Chandra Maity, for his support to me to do this project
in all the way and made it possible. We also want to thank other groups who were willing to share
their information about this topic. They gave us a lot of new ideas about the task.

Also, a great thanks to my family and friends who tried their best to give their support either by
giving me a lot of encouragement to keep up with this task or by supporting us financially and pay
all the cost required to complete this task.

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 CONTENTS
Sl. No TITLE Pg. No
1. COVER PAGE 1

2. SUPERVISOR’S CERTIFICATE 2

3. STUDENT’S DECLARATION 3

4. ACKNOWLEDWGEMENT 4

5. CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION TO
E-COMMERCE
07 - 08
1.1: Background
09 - 09
1.2: Introduction
1.3: Difference between E-commerce & Traditional
commerce 10 - 10
1.4: Objective/Needs 11 – 12
1.5: Limitations 13 – 14
1.6: Features 15 - 15
1.7: E-commerce & E-Business 16 - 16
1.8: Models/Types 17 – 20
1.9: Future of E-commerce 21 - 21
1.11: Literature of Review 22 - 22
23 -24
1.12: Research Methodology

6. CHAPTER 2 – CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

2.1: Overview 26 – 26
2.2: National Scenario 27 – 30
2.3: International Scenario 31 -32
7. CHAPTER 3 – DATA FINDING & ANALYSIS 34 – 37

8. CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION 39 – 41

9. CHAPTER 5: BIBLIOGRAPHY 43 - 43

10. CHAPTER 6: QUESTIONNAIRE 45 - 48

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 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO
E-COMMERCE

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 1.1: BACKGROUND
HISTORY OF E-COMMERCE
E-commerce was introduced about 40 years ago in its earliest form. Since then, electronic
commerce has helped countless businesses grow with the help of new technologies, improvements
in internet connectivity, added security with payment gateways, and widespread consumer and
business adoption.
With the wide adoption of the Internet and the introduction of the World Wide Web in 1991 and
of the first browser for accessing it in 1993, most e-commerce shifted to the Internet. More
recently, with the global spread of smartphones and the accessibility of fast broadband connections
to the Internet, much e-commerce moved to mobile devices, which also included tablets, laptops,
and wearable products such as watches. Ecommerce has come a long way since the CompuServe
launch in 1969. Changes in technology have certainly driven ecommerce growth, along with global
circumstances. Ecommerce has evolved in many ways since its start, and it’s changing the way we
live, shop and do business. Let’s dive into the history and the future of ecommerce

E-COMMERCE TIMELINE
1969: CompuServe is founded.
In the 1980s, CompuServe introduced some of the earliest forms of email and internet connectivity
to the public and dominated the ecommerce landscape through the mid-1990s.

1979: Michael Aldrich invents electronic shopping.

This made it possible for closed information systems to be opened and shared by outside parties
for secure data transmission — and the technology became the foundation for modern ecommerce.

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1994: Netscape Navigator launches as a web browser.
Marc Andreessen and Jim Clark co-created Netscape Navigator as a web browsing tool. During
the 1990s, Netscape Navigator became the primary web browser on the Windows platform, before
the rise of modern giants like Google.

1995: Amazon launch.

Jeff Bezos introduced Amazon primarily as an ecommerce platform for books.

1999: Alibaba launches.

Alibaba Online launched as an online marketplace with more than $25 million in funding. By
2001, the company was profitable. It went on to turn into a major B2B, C2C, and B2C platform
that’s widely used today

2011: Google Wallet introduced as a digital payment method.

By linking the digital wallet to a debit card or bank account, users can pay for products or services
via these devices. Today, Google Wallet has joined with Android Pay for what is now known as
Google Pay.

2017: Shoppable Instagram is introduced.

Instagram Shopping launched with ecommerce partner BigCommerce. Since then, the service has
expanded to additional ecommerce platforms and allows Instagram users to immediately click an
item, and go to that item’s product page for purchase.

2020: COVID-19 Drives Ecommerce Growth.

COVID-19 outbreaks around the globe pushed consumers online to unprecedented levels. By May
of 2020, ecommerce transactions reached $82.5 billion — a 77% increase from 2019. It would
have taken four to six years to reach that number looking at traditional year-over-year increases.
Consumers have moved online to make purchases normally made in physical stores, such as food
and household items, apparel, and entertainment. Many consumers say they’ll continue to use
online storefronts until a COVID-19 vaccine is available.

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 1.2: INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS ECOMMERCE?
E-commerce (electronic commerce or EC) is the buying and selling of goods and services, or the
transmitting of funds or data, over an electronic network, primarily the internet.

E-Commerce or Electronics Commerce is a methodology of modern business, which addresses the

need of business organizations, vendors and customers to reduce cost and improve the quality of
goods and services while increasing the speed of delivery.

Ecommerce refers to the paperless exchange of business information using the following ways −
• Electronic Data Exchange (EDI)
• Electronic Mail (e-mail)
• Electronic Bulletin Boards
• Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT)
• Other Network-based technologies

There are some examples of e-commerce are:

• Online shopping: Online shopping is the most popular example of e-commerce, it
involves buying and selling of goods on internet.

• Online payments: when a buyer get product they can make his payment through net.

• Internet banking: In today’s time banks can offers you internet banking which is the
easiest way of making online payments.

• Online Ticket: We can book our ticket through net whether it is bus ticket, train ticket, or
movie ticket internet can reduces efforts for it.

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 1.3: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN E-COMMERCE
V/S TRADITIONAL COMMERCE

Basis E-Commerce Traditional Commerce

Reduce Data Error Doesn’t involve data at multi The buyer and seller create purchase
points. Data goes directly from one order on their system and send it to
computer to another Computer their trading partner. The
without involving human being receiver/seller then re‐enter the same
information on the computer, which
will create data error.
Reduce cost Initial cost of E‐commerce is very Time is directly linked to saving the
high as compared to paper process money. There is repetition of same
but over a long period of time, it is work at every level and it involves a
very effective lot of wastage of time and if the error
is arisen that will lead to more wastage
of money.
Reduce Paper work E‐commerce data in the electronic It requires re‐entry of data at each
form make it easy to share it across level and requires lot of time. So, the
the organization. peak time is wasted in re-entering and
printing of the Reports.
Reduce Processing E‐commerce reduces the When the buyer order in a paper
cycle time processing cycle time of complete format, the data is re‐entered in to the
cycles as the data is entered the Sellers’s computer and then only
system, it is simultaneously processing can take place which is a
Processed. time-consuming process.
Reduce labor No need to maintain large number Need to maintain a large number of
of employees, instead there arises employees because one‐third of labor
the need to manage them more force is employed to fulfill orders
efficiently. from customers

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 1.4: OBJECTIVES/MERITS/ADVANTAGES OF
E-COMMERCE

(a) Enhances convenience: Customers can make orders for goods at their own convenience
and from the comfort of their homes without having to travel to the business premise.
Orders are also delivered to them at their most ideal locations. It’s the best shopping option
for people who are always busy.

(b) Allows for product and price comparison: Again, when making purchases, customers
want to get the best deals. This business model allows for product and price comparison
by consumers so that the best products are bought at the fairest prices. They can also enjoy
extra benefits like discounts, coupons, items on sale and also get the best deals.

(c) Easy fund-raising for start-ups ventures: So many people have the desire to venture into
business but lack sufficient funds to set up shop. Leasing a physical store can be quite
expensive. E-commerce makes it easier for start-ups to do business and grow.

(d) Efficient: E-commerce has the advantage of being efficient. Resources are used efficiently
since most of the business services are automated. Business owners sometimes spend a lot
of resources meeting business needs and this eats into profits. E-commerce thrives on
efficiency.

(e) Customer reach: It’s easier to reach many customers on the internet. Using social media
links and good search engine optimization strategies, an online business can increase brand
awareness and grow its customer base. It also has the advantage of being able to connect
buyers and sellers from all corners of the globe.

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(f) Prompt payments: Payments are fast since online stores use electronic or mobile
transactions payment methods. The mobile wallet system for merchant accounts drive up
sales and increase revenue generation.

(g) Ability to sell different products: The flexibility of conducting business over the internet
makes it possible for entrepreneurs to display and sell several products and also cater to a
wider demographic

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 1.5: LIMITATIONS / DISADVANTAGES OF
E-COMMERCE

(a) Poor quality products: You don’t physically see and inspect whatever you are paying
for before it’s delivered. Customers, therefore, run the risk of falling victim to false
marketing and buying poor quality products from the virtual shop.

(b) Impulsive purchases: Online stores display a large number of products and due to the
convenience of shopping, customers can find themselves making bad financial
decisions through impulsive purchases.

(c) Internet scammers: The internet is a good thing but some people have decided to use
it for all the wrong reasons. Scammers have made this type of business model
unattractive for some consumers.

(d) Lack of after sales support: As a result of lack of physical premises, customers find
it hard to access after sales support. It can take up to several days before any help is
accorded to a customer in need.

(e) Fast changing business environment: Technology evolves so fast. Some

entrepreneurs find it hard to keep up and lose a lot of business in the process. This may
make business growth unattainable.

(f) Loss of personal touch: Business is all about relationships. This business model erodes
the personal touch between a customer and the business owner. Cultivating loyalty can
thus be a problem since there are many such businesses that provide different options.

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 (g) Delivery of goods can get delayed: It takes time before the goods ordered for are
delivered. Sometimes the delivery delays and this inconveniences the customer. This
is different from physical business premises where customers walk out with the
products bought.

Further, many critics of electronic commerce, however, have argued that this mode of buying and
selling has been endangering the livelihoods of traditional market sellers and shop owners who
prefer to sell face to face.

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 1.6: CHARACTERISTICS/FEATURES OF
E – COMMERCE
E-Commerce provides the following features –
(a) Non-Cash Payment − E-Commerce enables the use of credit cards, debit cards, smart
cards, electronic fund transfer via bank's website, and other modes of electronics payment.

(b) 24x7 Service availability − E-commerce automates the business of enterprises and the
way they provide services to their customers. It is available anytime, anywhere.

(c) Advertising / Marketing − E-commerce increases the reach of advertising of products and
services of businesses. It helps in better marketing management of products/services.

(d) Improved Sales − Using e-commerce, orders for the products can be generated anytime,
anywhere without any human intervention. It gives a big boost to existing sales volumes.

(e) Support − E-commerce provides various ways to provide pre-sales and post-sales
assistance to provide better services to customers.

(f) Inventory Management − E-commerce automates inventory management. Reports get

generated instantly when required. Product inventory management becomes very efficient
and easy to maintain.

(g) Communication improvement − E-commerce provides ways for faster, efficient, reliable
communication with customers and partners.

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 1.7: E-BUSINESS VS E-COMMERCE

While some use e‐commerce and e‐business interchangeably, they are distinct concepts.
Basically, electronic commerce (EC) is the process of buying, transferring, or exchanging
products, services, and/or information via computer networks, including the internet. EC can also
be benefited from many perspective including business process, service, learning, collaborative,
community. EC is often confused with e‐business.
In e‐commerce, information and communications technology (ICT) is used in inter‐business
or inter‐organizational transactions (transactions between and among firms/organizations) and in
business‐to‐consumer transactions (transactions between firms/organizations and individuals).
In e‐business, on the other hand, ICT is used to enhance one’s business. It includes any process
that a business organization (either a for‐profit, governmental or non‐profit entity) conducts over
a computer‐mediated network.

The main distinctions between E‐commerce and E‐Business are

E-COMMERCE E-BUSINESS
Open system [statistics] Closed system
Not secured Secured
Deals more with technology Deals with processes needed to facilitate e‐
commerce
Does not involve the use of EDI Used EDI
Always operate on Internet Always operate on Intranet
Involves all types of commerce Involves explicitly business transactions
transaction
Used for small and bulky transaction Used for bulky transaction
Focused on Business to consumer Focused more on business-to-business
activities activities

E‐commerce is an extension of a E‐business is an online business only

traditional business model

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 1.8: MODELS/TYPES OF ECOMMERCE
Business to Business [B2B]
B2B (business – to‐ business) is a kind of e-commerce, which refers to a company selling or buying
from other companies. One company communicates with other companies through electronic
Medias. Some of these transactions include sending and receiving orders, invoice and shopping
orders. It was an attractive alternative to the current process of printing, mailing various business
documents.

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B2C Model Business – to Consumer
[B2C] e‐commerce consists of the sale of products or services from a business to the general
public. Products can be anything from clothing to flowers and the products can also be intangible
products such as online banking, stock trading, and airline reservations. Sellers that use B2C
business model can increase their benefits by eliminating the middlemen. This is called
disintermediation because businesses sell products directly to consumers without using traditional
retail channels. Business – to Consumer [B2C] is basically a concept of online marketing and
distributing of products and services over the internet.

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C2C Business Models:
A website following the C2C business model helps consumers to sell their assets like residential
property, cars, motorcycles, etc., or rent a room by publishing their information on the website.
Website may or may not charge the consumer for its services. Another consumer may opt to buy
the product of the first customer by viewing the post/advertisement on the website. Examples:
Olx.com.

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Consumer-to-Business E-commerce (C2B)
In this model, a consumer approaches a website showing multiple business organizations for a
particular service. The consumer places an estimate of amount he/she wants to spend for a
particular service. For example, the comparison of interest rates of personal loan/car loan provided
by various banks via websites. A business organization who fulfills the consumer's requirement
within the specified budget, approaches the customer and provides its services.

Government - to – Citizen
Governments use G2C model websites to approach citizen in general. Such websites support
auctions of vehicles, machinery, or any other material. Such website also provides services like
registration for birth, marriage or death certificates. The main objective of G2C websites is to
reduce the average time for fulfilling citizen’s requests for various government services.

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 1.9: The Future of Ecommerce

By 2022, ecommerce revenue in the U.S. alone is expected to reach $479 billion, with the toys,
hobby and DIY vertical seeing the largest growth. And it’s no passing trend, either.

It’s also interesting to note that looking ahead, ecommerce expert Gary Hoover’s data projects that
ecommerce retail sales will eventually even out with that of brick and mortar. This means that even
though the online sales trend will continue to grow, there’s plenty of business to go around. But
that’s not all.

Soon, most ecommerce interactions will be an omni-channel experience for shoppers. This means
they’ll expect to be able to research, browse, shop, and purchase seamlessly between different
devices and on different platforms (like a standalone web store, an Amazon presence, etc.).

Other trends to watch for in the future of ecommerce include:

• Robust customer journeys and personalization.
• Artificial intelligence-enabled shopping.
• Digital currencies.

Overall, we have to remember that ecommerce is still fairly new in the big picture of retail. The
future holds endless opportunity, but its success and continuation will depend largely on buyers’
preferences in the future.

Conclusion
We’ve looked at all corners of ecommerce, including its different types, the history, how it's grown
over the years, and its impact on consumers and how business is conducted. There are certainly
advantages and disadvantages to ecommerce, but the future has many opportunities for even
greater expansion

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 1.11: LITRETURE REVIEW

As we all know, internet and e-commerce are entirely committed towards every developed country. But
we think it can be accomplished and can make a remarkable benefit to developing countries also if an
ideal business purpose can be made. The following were the major efforts at research in the subject, which
have been referred for the research purpose.

(A) Ohidujja man et.al clearly discussed that E-commerce is a revolution & turning point in
online business practices and can make a huge contribution to the economy.

(B) Hasan et.al also indicated that currently, e-commerce organizations have increasingly
become a fundamental component of business strategy and a strong catalyst for economic
development.

(C) Mehrdad Salehi et.al found out distinguish between online marketing & traditional
marketing. Though most of the people of Bangladesh especially the rural people are not
enough capable of operating internet to run the online business. For that reason, they need
to be dependent on traditional marketing.

(D) OTHERS: A huge amount of research works has been done on e-Commerce which is
basically on online shopping. A large group of researchers has found out and also pointed
out the necessity and possibilities of Online Shopping. On the other hand, limitation of
ecommerce is found and at the same time, they provided essential suggestion and came to
a prediction to make Online Shopping more useful for the consumers. But the contribution
of traditional marketing is also inescapable but compare to online shopping it is less
effective we think.

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 1.12: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The research methodology is a systematic way of studying the research problem. The research
methodology means the way in which we can complete our prospected task. Before undertaking
any task it becomes very essential for an one to determine the problem of study. I have adopted
the following procedure in completing my report study.
1. Research Problem
2. Research Design
3. Determining the data sources
4. Tools used for analysis of data
5. Analyzing the Data
6. Interpretation of the data
7. Preparing research report

(1) Research Problem: I am interested in E-Commerce sectors and I want to make

future in it. So, l have decided to make my research study on the E-COMMERCE. E-
COMMERCE is very important these days. As my training is at a corporate, I have got
the project upon “E-COMMERCE”. This is my problem to be studied.
The study is being conducted for Online Shopping in New Market Area of Kolkata City only, to
find out the customer preferences in choosing Flipkart. It is required to find out the preferences
based on certain aspects (Income, levels selection of products, satisfaction level of customers).

(2) Research Design: The type of design being used for making this project is Meta-
Analysis Design. Metaanalysis is an analytical methodology designed to systematically
evaluate and summarize the results from a number of individual studies, thereby,
increasing the overall sample size and the ability of the researcher to study effects of
interest.

(3) Determining the data sources: Both primary and secondary data are required in
this study. Primary data is the first-hand information collected directly from
respondents. The tool used here is questionnaire. Primary Data is collected through

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 surveys conducted among existing executives and employees working in today-s E-
commerce Environment, including some top-level executives from some of the big E-
Commerce company.

(4) Tools used for analysis of data: The survey process involved two phases: First
phase included identification and selection of the target audience to be studied and to
determine the parameters on which respondents will justify their preferences. A
questionnaire was designed to collect the needed information from the respondents.
The Second Phase involves collection of the primary data by making the respondents
fill up questionnaires.

(5) Analyzing the Data: The Primary or secondary data both would never be useful
until they are edited and studied or analyzed. When the person receives the data many
un-useful data would also be there. So, I analyzed the data and edited it and turned it in
the useful manner. So, that it can become useful in my report study.

(6) lnterpretation of the data: With the use of analyzed data I managed to prepare
my project report. But an analyzing of the data would not help my study to reach
towards its objectives. The interpretation of the data is required so that the others can
understand the Crux of the study in more simple way without any problem. So, I have
added the chapter of analysis that would explain others to understand my study in
simpler way.

(7) Preparing research report: This is the last step in preparing the project report.
The objective of the report writing was to report the findings of the study to the
concerned authorities. I have attached all the requirements with my report

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 CHAPTER 2

CONCEPTUAL
FRAMEWORK /NATIONAL
& INTERNATIONAL
SCENARIO

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 2.1 OVERVIEW

E-Commerce or Electronics Commerce

Electronic commerce or E-commerce is a platform through which trading of products and services
can be done using the internet. E-commerce businesses are employed in online shopping websites,
fund transfers, stock management systems, data collections and many more. In India, e-commerce
websites have gained massive success through online shopping. Other websites which facilitate
cab-booking, events-searching and trip-planning for customers have also experienced accelerated
growth.

Online retail stores

Flipkart, Snapdeal, Jabong, Koovs, Craftsvilla, Limeroad are all online websites which are
headquartered in India. The prime reason due to which these websites are a success is because of
the cash on delivery system, which allows customer an easy payment method.

Cab services
The biggest cab service company in India is the Ola services. Spread across the country, this
website provides the first ride up to Rs100 free of cost for its customers. Their services are quick
and safe. After the success of Ola, local cab and auto services in different cities have also begun.

Other startups
Startups like Saavn, Makemytrip, Zomato, enhance are all applications which make the life of
commoners easy. Saavn is an app where one can download and upload songs, makemytrip helps
in planning trips to various places around the world, Zomato searches for good eating joints around
the locality you live in and you can even rate it yourself and enhance is an application which helps
people to prepare themselves for business interviews and exams by bringing news related to that
field from around the world to one platform.

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 2.2: NATIONAL SCENARIO
1. FLIPKART
Every Indian living in metro cities has heard the name of Flipkart. They have viewed it, browsed
it and ordered from it. Flipkart initially began as an online bookstore. In today’s age it is the go to
place for the Indian youth to find books on topics ranging from fiction to sports to even high end
scientific research.
Flipkart will not leave you disappointed. It now covers a range of products from every area of life.
In a very short span of time Flipkart has become the answer for everything.
It was the brainchild of Binny and Sachin Bansal; both of whom began with an investment of 4
lakhs and currently own a company that stands to make an increased profit of $1 billion by the end
of 2014. The story of Flipkart is a stuff of legends.
The candle of Flipkart lit when Binny and Sachin were working in Amazon and thought of
investing in their own start-up. Their growth and success has been an inspiration for many other
start-ups that quickly lined up to enter the world of e-commerce.

2. SNAPDEAL
Snapdeal began its journey in the year 2007 as an online coupon directory. With time it shifted its
course and tried its hand at e-commerce. And the rest they say is history. Kunal Bahl and Rohit
Bansal were both tired of the boring day to day existence that they lead as company employees.
They shifted their focus towards creating something of their own.
Today, they believe that leaving their jobs was the best decision of their lives. They have a
customer base of over 20 million Indians and do business with over 50,000 sellers who constantly
post their products on their marketplace.
The story of Snapdeal is not a one-day success story. In their four years of experience, they have
gambled with 6 different business models until they finally hit the jackpot that is currently set to
generate annual revenue of $1 billion.
Snapdeal was a better business model unlike other Groupon clones in India because Snapdeal
entered the internet with the backing of 50,000 merchants with whom they were already working

27
before they created their website. Therefore, when Snapdeal came to India, it came with a level of
variety that none of its competitors could wish to reach.
Snapdeal is right neck to neck with Flipkart in terms of e-commerce competition, it is hard to
decide which store will reach the finish line first.

3. JABONG
Jabong is currently India’s most sought for branded clothing and accessories store. Unlike Flipkart
and Snapdeal, the business model of Jabong was slightly different. It aims at capturing the brand
conscious internet savvy population of India and has successfully done so. Jabong is currently the
premium destination for Indians to look for branded wear. It began pretty late in the year 2012,
when its competitors had already set up a strong foothold in the arena. They were different from
other e-commerce stores because of their streamlined delivery process.
Although, Jabong is half the age of its competitors, it is estimated to yield a profit of over $700
million. While, Flipkart was the first in the e-commerce market to create a clutter free interface
that became an instant favorite, Jabong grabbed a hold of their attention with its unending catalog.
No matter what your age, Jabong has everything for everyone. Their aggressive marketing
strategies made them hit a huge online client base, all of whom responded with equal enthusiasm.
Jabong’s super-fast delivery process has helped in making a space for this website on the e-
commerce red carpet.

4. MYNTRA
When it came to size, Myntra was a pretty small fish in a sea full of e-commerce sharks like
Jabong and Flipkart. But, Myntra was a persistent fish nonetheless. Mukesh Bansal is the
mastermind behind Myntra. He is an exceptionally smart and honest entrepreneur. From a
personalized gifting store to one of the leading online fashion stores, Myntra is always beating
heads with Jabong.
Its acquisition by Flipkart is a high remark for this ambitious website. Its innovative step up in
selling sports merchandise and many other small moves separated Myntra from other low scale
e-commerce stores that are still little fishes while Myntra has only grown bigger with time.

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Mukesh Bansal’s long-term vision and his eye for the right investors helped him scale Myntra
and make it a nationally recognized brand in a span of three years. So much so, that Flipkart
came out of its way to woo Myntra and acquire it for its own; a great story for Mukesh Bansal to
tell his kids.

5. FIRSTCRY
Many may be shocked to see how Firstcry made this list. It is a website that has a niche marketing
base of infants and new born mothers this is a website that has an answer to everything.
From cradles to infant clothes, they have just about everything. It is a one stop spot to get the
complete parenting kit. Firstcry gained its popularity from Facebook. With over 10,000 likes it is
surely a well-loved website that has regular sales and offers everything from high end to even
affordable products.
Founded in the year 2010 by Maheshwari and Amitava Saha, Firstcry has over 70,000 products
and is a marketplace for over 400+ national and international brands. When it comes to niche
shopping stores, Firstcry has really made a name for itself.
This website is currently competing with the likes of other e-commerce websites like Babyoye.
But it is only a matter of time before it beats its competition and makes itself the go to place for
pregnancy and maternal care products.

6. OLA
Every Indian living in metropolitan cities has heard the name ‘Ola’. Or, probably have booked a
cab from it. Initially started as an online cab aggregator, Ola is one of the fastest growing
businesses in India that has expanded itself to numerous ranges i.e. Ola rentals, Ola auto, Ola
café, and now even ‘Trip with Ola’. In a short span of time, Ola has become the answer to every
ride.
Ola was the brainchild of a 29-year-old, IIT Bombay Graduate, Bhavish Aggarwal, who once
happened to rent a car and deal with a bad experience, where the car driver stopped in the middle
road to re-negotiate the deal. And, when Bhavish refused to agree, the driver proceeded to
abandon him enroute to his destination. Currently, the company’s valuation is $3.5 Billion.

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 7. MAKE MY TRIP
Make My trip or MMT is a child of the quintessential brain of Deep Kalra, an IIM graduate,
who quit his corporate job to enhance a good travel experience. Being a part of an average Indian
family, Deep was surely aware of the hassle that travel includes, in India. As once, while
travelling with his wife, he had to stand a poor accommodation. At the same time, he was also
observing the power of the internet expanding day-by-day & things changing around it. Deep
understood the needs of India traveler’s and provided them with exactly ‘what they want’ by
wearing the customer’s hat.
In 2000, with a backing of USD 2-Million from eventers, MMT (earlier known as India Ahoy)
the ecommerce startups was found. Since then, getting listed on the International Stock
Exchange and with more than $900 million caps at NASDAQ, MMT has been a game changer in
the travel segment.

8. PAYTM
Two words that come while shopping to almost every Indian mind are “Paytm karo.” Launched
in 2010 by Vijay Shekhar Sharma, a graduate from Delhi College of Engineering Paytm has
brought a paradigm shift in the retail industry by completely transforming the payment
methodology electronically. It was a dream dreamt when Vijay was struggling to make ends
meet with 10 rupees in the pocket. Always struggling with his hand in English, he quit his first
job at an MNC, began a new business but was unfortunately conned off. The ‘eureka’ moment
came in 2011 when he first pitched the ecommerce startups idea of entering the payment
ecosystem in front of his board of One97 (the parent company of Paytm). Initially started as an
online mobile recharge and bill payment platform, it now enables to make every kind of
transaction on a click of a button. In just a span of 8 years, Paytm has notched up 250 million
registered users and 7 million transactions daily.

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 2.3: INTERNATIONAL SCENARIO
1. Amazon, Inc. – The King of E-Commerce
Not surprisingly, we start the list of the largest eCommerce companies in the world with Amazon
and its empire.
Founded in 1994 in Seattle by now immortal Jeff Bezos, Amazon has in the years since become a
household name when it comes to online shopping. This internet company today has the largest
revenue in the world, but its beginnings were humble. It was initially not more than an online
bookstore. Take a look at this interview with Jeff Bezos from 1999 and see how unpredictable
things were back then.

2. Jingdong – Chinese E-Commerce

Many of us living in a western world didn’t even heard of this eCommerce giant! The second on
our list of the largest E-Commerce companies in the world is Jingdong, also known as JD.com.
This e-Commerce company operating from Beijing is the first of three major Chinese companies
we list here. Rivaled by the more popular Alibaba, Jingdong has well over quarter of a billion
registered users as of 2018. It was founded in 1998 and started trading online six years later.
Today, the company brandishes its high-tech delivery system, comprised of robots, AI, and a fleet
of drones.

3. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. – Chinese eCommerce Dragon

If you are buying stuff on the Internet, there’s a significant chance that you bought something from
AliExpress or Alibaba. This Chinese mega company comes third on the list of the largest e-
Commerce companies in the world!
Few people haven’t heard of Jack Ma’s success story. The Chinese business magnate’s life is a
riches-to-rags story. Having been rejected from more than 30 job posts in the early 1990s, he
started making websites for companies with his wife and a friend. The business grew exponentially
and in the year 1999, Alibaba Group was founded, the world’s largest retailer of present-day,
operating in more than 200 countries.

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4. eBay Inc. – The eCommerce Company That Once Sold a Whole Town
The eBay’s beloved red-blue-green-yellow logo is for many a symbol of the 1990s and for a good
reason. It was one of the first successful dot-com bubble companies that epitomized online
shopping. The company was founded in San Hose, California in 1995 and its most distinctive
feature is the online auction feature, alongside a conventional buy-it-now shopping option.
With the revenue of almost $11B in 2018, eBay comes fourth on the list of the largest
E-Commerce companies in the world.

5. Groupon – E- Commerce that Connects Users with Local Businesses

This American eCommerce marketplace launched in Chicago in 2008 reshaped the concept of
group discount online shopping. It connects its subscribers to local businesses in one of 500 cities
worldwide. The principle is simple: users get a discount and business owners increase the
revenue; it’s a win-win situation.

6. Zalando – Largest European E-Commerce Company

Surprisingly enough, this the first European company on the list of the largest e-Commerce
companies in the world.
Zalando’s headquarters are in Berlin and they predominantly have online stores that sell fashion
items, such as apparel and shoes. Their logo resembles an orange guitar pick.

7. Rakuten, Inc. – Japanese E-Commerce Godzilla

After a brief spell of American companies, we return to the Far East. Rakuten is a Japanese
E-Commerce company launched in 1997. They operate Japan’s largest online bank, in addition
to online shopping and credit card payments. In all, Rakuten Group runs some 70 businesses,
ranging from widely used instant messaging app Viber (as 2017 officially known as Rakuten
Viber) to having their logo on FC Barcelona’s jerseys.

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 CHAPTER 3

DATA FINDINGS &

ANALYSIS

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 DATA FINDING AND ANALYSIS

1. Total World-Wide E-Commerce Sales

Figure 1:

Source: https://kinsta.com/blog/ecommerce-statistics

Figure 1: Data Finding & Analysis

Even with limited capital, it’s easy to set up a business nowadays thanks to ecommerce growth.
With consumers increasingly relying on online shopping — it is estimated that 95 % of purchases
will be made online by 2040 — ecommerce is opening the doors of opportunity to countless
entrepreneurs.
And, those ecommerce sales opportunities are rapidly growing. In 2017, ecommerce was
responsible for $2.3 trillion in sales, which is expected to nearly double to $4.5 trillion by 2021.
In the U.S. alone, online shopping already accounts for 10% of retail sales and is expected to grow
at a year-on-year rate of 15%.

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 2. Mobile E-commerce is up and Poised for Further Growth
Figure 2:

Source: Statista

Figure 2: Data Finding & Analysis

Worldwide, e-commerce growth is primarily being driven by consumers using their mobile
devices, phones and tablets, to acquire goods and services. According to eMarketer estimates, retail
e-commerce sales reached $2.3 trillion in 2017, a 23.2 percent increase over the previous year. The
mobile share of this stood at 58.9 percent, or $1.4 trillion. In 2021, mobile e-commerce could rake
in some $3.5 trillion and then make up almost three quarters (72.9 percent) of e-commerce sales.

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 3. E-commerce Market Share:
Figure 3:

Source: https://kinsta.com/blog/ecommerce-statistics

Figure 3: Data Finding & Analysis

Though the United States is often thought of as the largest market for ecommerce, it isn’t.
However, it does make the list of the top 10 largest ecommerce markets in the world:
• China: $672 billion
• USA: $340 billion
• United Kingdom: $99 billion
• Japan: $79 billion
• Germany: $73 billion
• France: $43 billion
• South Korea: $37 billion
• Canada: $30 billion
• Russia: $20 billion
• Brazil: $19 billion

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 4. Payment Method:
Figure 4:

Figure 4: Data Finding & Analysis

Payment method aside, more Americans already prefer online shopping than shopping in a
physical store, with 51% percent clicking their way to making purchases. A total of 96% of
Americans have made at least one online purchase in their life, with 80% doing so in the last month
alone. However, Americans actually spend 64% of their budget in physical stores and only 36%
online.

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 CHAPTER 4

CONCLUSION &
RECOMMENDATION

38
 CONCLUSION
The world revolves around the internet today. E-commerce is a great forum for startups to establish
themselves. In a country like India, e-commerce plays an important role because it needs minimal
or no investment and all one needs is an idea to begin an online store. The unemployed youth of
India has a great advantage to make use of through the electronic commerce platform.

E-commerce still represents one of the business methods that take advantage if done the right way,
even if the stock market and commodities fell, but E-Commerce still able to survive and receive
high transaction. E-commerce has a tremendous opportunity in the course of or business in
Malaysia. In addition, it is also to introducing new techniques and styles in a transaction. Use the
extensive E-Commerce in the Internet world is actually much better to bring the goodness of the
individual or the state.

E-Commerce has undeniably become an important part of our society. The successful companies
of the future will be those that take E-Commerce seriously, dedicating sufficient resources to its
development. E-Commerce is not an IT issue but a whole business undertaking. Companies that
use it as a reason for completely re-designing their business processes are likely to reap the greatest
benefits. Moreover, E-Commerce is a helpful technology that gives the consumer access to
business and companies all over the world.

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 RECOMMENDATION
Recommendations for successful E-Commerce are as follows:
(a) Displaying a list of suggested products based on the visitor’s browsing history

(b) Use product recommendation engines to personalize your email campaigns

(c) Providing access to the shopper’s browsing history

(d) Alert viewers of products that have been updated

(e) Personalize recommendations by showing items related to previous purchases

(f) Feature best-selling items for each brand

(g) Generate product bundles (items frequently purchased together) and offer a special
discount for purchasing the group.

(h) Don’t limit references to best-selling items to one product or brand. show best-sellers
across entire product categories.

(i) Make sure all recommendations are relevant and timely. they should also be informed by
returns and reviews.

(j) Adjust your recommendations to keep popular products highlighted and to provide
additional viewing opportunities for lower-selling items (20 percent of your items will
provide 80 percent of your sales).

(k) Show highest rated items in product recommendations. Try injecting some social proof
into your product recommendations by displaying items that have the highest customer
reviews.

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(l) Know your visitors. the more personalization you can add, the better your results.

(m) Provide product recommendations when items added to the cart require accessories
(fishing reels need fishing line, flashlights need batteries, shoes often require socks).

(n) Use product recommendations for moving the buyer up to a more fully-featured version
of the one currently being browsed (upselling).

(o) Use product recommendations to remind the shopper about upcoming holidays or other
special events.

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 CHAPTER 5

BIBLIOGRAPHY

42
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Global Electronic Commerce: Theory and Cases, by Chris Westland and Ted Clark, MIT

Press, 1999.

2. E-Business - Roadmap for Success, by Ravi Kalakota and Marcia Robinson, AddisonWesley

Publishing Company, Inc,. 1999

3. Electronic Commerce - A Manager's Guide, by Ravi Kalakota and Andrew B. Whinston,

Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., 1997

4. Statista

WEBLIOGRAPHY
1. www.flipkart.com

2. www.yahoo.com (links and search data)

3. www.google.co.in (links and search data)

4. www.investopedia.com

5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mergers_and_acquisitions"

6. https://kinsta.com/blog/ecommerce-statistics

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 CHAPTER 6

QUESTIONNAIRE

44
 QUESTIONNAIRE
Dear Sir / Madam,
Thank you for visiting us. By filling out this, 5-10 minutes survey, you will help us obtain the very
best results.

General:
1. Gender:
a) Male
b) Female

2. Age group:
(a) < 20
(b) 20 +

3. Considering your complete experience with our company, how likely would you be to
recommend us to a friend or colleague?

4. How satisfied did you feel based on your overall experience?

5. On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to recommend us to your friend or colleague?

6. Please let us know how we can improve your experience.

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Website related:
7. How did you learn about our website?
(a) TV
(b) Newspaper
(c) Social Media
(d) Search Engine
(e) Recommendation from a friend
(f) Other

8. For whom are your shopping for?

(a) Friend
(b) Parent
(c) Boss
(d) Colleague
(e) Other

9. Please rate the below parameters as compared to our competitors.

(a) Website performance
(b) Product catalog
(c) Product information
(d) Pricing
(e) Shipping options
(f) Payment experience
(g) Online help
(h) Overall

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10. What led you to visit our website?
(a) Researching product information
(b) Interested in buying products
(c) Looking for contact information
(d) Know more about the company
(e) Other

Product reviews and ratings:

11. On a scale of 0-10, how much do you trust the product reviews?

12. How helpful do you find ratings while making a purchase decision?

13. On a scale of 0-10, how much does an overall product rating affect your purchase decision?

Post-Purchase eCommerce survey questions

14. How satisfied are you with the quality of products?

15. How do you rate the quality of our products as compared to our competitors?

16. How satisfied are you with the availability of products?

17. If your preferred product is not available, do you get acknowledged when it is back in stock?

18. What other products would you like to see in our online store?

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Online shopping survey questions
19. How safe did you feel while sharing your card details?
20. How was the checkout experience overall?
21. Did you experience a hassle-free payment experience?
22. On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to buy from us again?

Shipping
23. Did you receive your product within the expected timeline?
24. Would you like to enroll in paid services to get products earlier?
25. Did you receive your product at the shipping address?
26. Did you receive your bill at the billing address?
27. How easily could you update your address details?
28. Please rate your experience with the delivery personnel

Customer support
29. On a scale of 1-10, how was your experience with the customer support executive?
30. Did the customer executive solve your query?
31. How helpful was the customer support staff?

Branding and Marketing

32. Would you like to share your contact details to learn more about our discounts and sale?
33. Would you like to know more about our membership benefits?
34. Would you like to enroll in a paid membership to avail priority services?

Feedback on vendors
35. How satisfied are you with the vendor options we offer?
36. How satisfied are you with the quality of products from this vendor?
37. How helpful are the vendor details we offer?
38. What more information would you want about the vendor

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