(For PCWorld Pakistan)
Fed up with the conventional way of purchasing things? By definition, the ?conventional? way of doing anything is playing by the rules. Shopping, the conventional way, would therefore involve the ritualistic way of visiting the marketplace. Whilst some enjoy the practice, others get ?browned off? by waiting endlessly in the long-lived queue for one?s turn to arrive. Since time immemorial, this is how routine buying and selling has been takes place all around the world. However, when internet surfaced out, it vivified how conducting business is actually possible outside the conventional ?brick-and-mortal? model. Ushering in a new age of business, an addition of the letter ?e? revolutionized trade referring to those few that utilized ?the dot.com? handle.
Over the two decades, the phenomenon has evolved at a pace that is now looking at the possibility of bridging communication between machines over the internet, through web 3.0, having? passed through the wave of web 2.0 successfully, a proof of which is the ?social media? bubble. As the bubble continues to grow, a larger number of e-retailers have patched an online extension of their business on these social media sites. Yet when profiling a localite, e-shopping still appears murky.
In Pakistan, the concept of e-shopping or e-retailing has never existed. This doesn?t mean that it is prevalent now. The barricades that are impeding its emergence and existence are many, although computers and internet can be found in almost every household of the country. The major reason, however, is the computer and technology illiteracy in Pakistan because of which the majority is unaware of the immense promise of e-retailing and e-commerce concepts. It is the ignorance of the public that is holding the utility stores, businesses, and retailers to go online. Nevertheless, there exists a hope, a means, a solution, and a tool, which is ?a-e- -o-
E-Retailing: Bird-Eye-view of the Pakistani Market
Simply put, e-retailing is an act selling of goods electronically. However, it has been defined as the ?concept of selling of retail goods using electronic media, in particular, the internet.? There are things that are essential ingredients of e-retailing. Therefore, before commencing e-retailing, it is important to ensure the presence of following vital components: Right Revenue-Generation Model, an attractive Business-to-Consumer (B2C) E-Commerce Portal, and a penetration of the internet, shopping cart, E-Catalog, and a payment gateway.[1]
Expecting Pakistanis to e-shop without any presumed hindrances still seems to be a fantasy. This is largely due to ?our psychological state? that keeps us from engaging in any form of trade whether it includes goods or money, when the act is isn?t tangible. The fate of e-retail is doomed for similar reasons.
There is hardly any superstore or shop that falls in the category of e-retailers. As mentioned above, most of the population is computer illiterate and even if they have knowledge of internet and computers, they use offline methods for shopping. An upsurge of social media has challenged the mindset a bit. As the top-most visited site in Pakistan, Facebook fanpages has given a new hope to the e-retailers to engage the largest number of buyers off a single platform.
Social Media: Good Omen for E-Retailers?
Still puzzled what is ?a-e- -o- and why increased use of social networking sites is a like a silver lining in Pakistan? The good-old Facebook explains this best. Although the platform has largely been used for social networking only till date, it has become a tool for marketers and advertisers aiming to earn a mileage off the budget set for promotions, bearing the least expense. The sharing feature on Facebook comes handy in particular. For instance if someone purchases something online through Facebook and spreads his/her experience through word of mouth or via sharing, the purchasing is likely to grow. Henceforth, this mutually benefits both the platform and the e-retailer. As stated by Vice President of Partnerships and Platform Marketing at Facebook, ?We now have a direct link between sharing on Facebook and revenue generation at e-commerce sites.? [2]
Facebook, by allowing retailers and companies a platform for displaying, promoting, and selling their products, acts as catalyst in introducing and making common the concept of e-retailing in the country. It serves as a tool for marketers and businesses and a source of information and communication for people. The more e-commerce takes place through Facebook, the more the public will be able to learn about the online methods of shopping.
However, will the e-retailers be able to fulfill the essentials of e-retailing as given above, and even if they do, will the terms like e-catalog and shopping cart, be understood by the people? Moreover, the privacy concerns of people remain where they were, even if they are purchasing through Facebook. It will still be a challenge for e-retailers to attract and convince individuals to buy things online and to continue e-retailing as it is quite difficult to make customers feel satisfied in the environment where the goods they are purchasing are not available physically.
Source: http://ciopakistan.com/2012/08/e-retailing-through-social-media/
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