PROJECT REPORT

A project Report in Partial Fulfillment of

Requirement 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 : SURAJ SINGH

Registration Number : 224 – 1111 – 0750-18

Name of the College: SETH ANANDARAM JAIPURIYA COLLEGE

College Roll Number: 4333

CU exam Roll Number : 181224 – 21 – 0 2 9 8

SUPERVISED BY

Name of the Supervisor: Indrani Majumdar

Name of the College: SETHANADARAM JAIPURIYA

COLLEGE
( Dept. of commerce Evening )
 MONTH & YEAR OF SUBMISSION:
Date: July , 2021

Annexure-IA
SUPERVISOR'S CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that SURAJ SINGH a student of B.Com. Honours in Accounting & Finance of

SETH ANDARAM JAIPURIYA COLLEGE

under the University of Calcutta has worked under my supervision and guidance for his 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: Prof. Indrani Majumdar

Name of the College: SETH ANANDARAM JAIPURIYA COLLEGE

Dept of commerce ( Evening )
 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. Honours 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

Date: 12/07/2021

Name: SURAJ SINGH

Registration Number : 224 – 1111 – 0750-18

Cu Roll Number : 181224 – 21 – 0 2 9 8

College Roll Number: 4333

Signature: s.singh
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all thanks to g o d , 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 Mrs. Rani , for being such a good guidance to us while we were
doing this task. She had given us an appropriate example and knowledge inorder to
make us understand more about this topic. She spends her time to explain the
execution of this idea in all the way.

I also appreciate CA RICHA, 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.

5
 4

CONTENTS
S. NO. TITLE PAGE NO.
1. COVER PAGE 1
2. SUPERVISOR’S CERTIFICATE 2
3. STUDENT’S DECLARATION 3
4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 4
5. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
TO E-COMMERCE
1.1: Background 07 – 08
1.2: Introduction 9 – 09
1.3: Difference between E-commerce
& Traditional commcerce 10 – 10
1.4: Objectives/Needs 11 – 11
1.5: Limitiation 12 – 12
13 – 13
1.6: Features
14 – 14
1.7: E-commerce & E-Business
15 – 18
1.8: Models/Types
19 – 19
1.9: Future of E-commerce
20 – 20
1.11: Litreture Review
21 – 22
1.12: Research Methodology
6. CHAPTER 2: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
2.1: Overview 24 – 24
2.2: National scenatio 25 – 28
2.3: International scenatio 39 – 30
7. CHAPTER 3: DATA FINDING & ANALYSIS 31 - 35

4. CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION & 36 - 38

RECOMMENDATION
6
 CHAPTER 5: BIBLIOGRAPHY 39 - 40
5.
6. CHAPTER 6: QUESTIONNAIRE 41 – 44

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
mid1990s.

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

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.

(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.
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(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.

1.5: LIMITATIONS /
DISADVANTAGES OF ECOMMERCE
(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.

(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.

13
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.

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

postsales 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 operates on intranet
Involves all types of commerce transaction Involves explicitly business transactions
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 traditional e business is an online business only
business model

1.8: MODELS/TYPES OF ECOMMERCE

Business to Business [B2B]
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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.

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.

Business - to - Government

B2G model is a variant of B2B model. Such websites are used by governments to trade
and exchange information with various business organizations. Such websites are
accredited by the government and provide a medium to businesses to submit application
forms to the government.

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Government - to - Business

Governments use B2G model websites to approach business organizations. Such websites
support auctions, tenders, and application submission functionalities.

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.

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.

19
 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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Before undertaking any task it becomes very essential for an yone 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. Analysing 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
Kankurgachi 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 surveys conducted among existing

22
executives and employees working in todays 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 analysed. When the person receives the data many unuseful data would also
be there. So, I analysed the data and edited it and turned it in the useful manner.
So, that it can become useful in my study report .

(6) lnterpretation of the data

With the use of analysed data I managed to prepare my project report. But an alalysing
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.

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.

CHAPTER 2:

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 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
/NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
SCENARIO

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, nhance are all applications which make the life of
commoners easy. Saavn is an app where one can download and upload songs, makemytrip
24
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 nhance 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.

2.2: NATIONAL SCENATIO

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. There 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 year 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

25
they were already working 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
ecommerce 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.

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

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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 websites 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 en route to his destination. Well! The
entrepreneur-head, instead of whining about the situation, decided to solve it well, and at
large! Currently, the company’s valuation is $3.5 Billion.

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

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was also observing the power of the internet expanding day-by-day & things changing
around it. Deep understood the needs of India travellers and provided them with exactly
‘what they want’ by wearing the customer’s hat. In 2000, with a backing of USD 2-Million
from eVentures, 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.

2.3: INTERNATIONAL SCENATIO

1. Amazon, Inc. – The King of eCommerce

Not suprisingly, 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

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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 eCommerce

Many of us living in a western world didn’t even heard of this eCommerce giant! The second
on our list of the largest eCommerce 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.

4. eBay Inc. – The eCommerce Company That Once Sold a Whole Tow n
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 eCommerce companies in the world.

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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 eCommerce 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 eCommerce Godzilla

After a brief spell of American companies, we return to the Far East. Rakuten is a
Japanese eCommerce 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.

CHAPTER 3:

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 DATA FINDING &
ANALYSIS

DATA FINDING AND ANALYSIS

1. Total World-wide E-commerce sales

Figure 1:

31
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%.

32
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.

3. E-commerce Market Share:

Figure 3:

33
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 Methods:
Figure 4:

Figure 3: 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.

35
CHAPTER 4:

CONCLUSION &
RECOMMENDATION
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 ECommerce
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.

RECOMMENDATION
Recommendations for successful E-Commerce are as follows:

(a) Displaying a list of suggested products based (c) Personalize recommendations by

on the visitor’s browsing history showing items related to previous purchases
(b) Use product recommendation engines to personalize your email campaigns . (d) Feature
best-selling items for each brand

36
Providing access to the shopper’s browsing
history
(e) Generate product bundles (items
frequently purchased together) and offer a special
discount for purchasing the group.

(f) Don’t limit references to best-selling (k) Provide product recommendations when
items to one product or brand. show items added to the cart require accessories
bestsellers across entire product (fishing reels need fishing line, flashlights
categories. need batteries, shoes often require socks).

(l)
CHAPTER 5: Us

BIBLIOGRAPHY
(g) Make sure all recommendations are e product recommendations for moving the
relevant and timely. they should also be buyer up to a more fullyfeatured version of
informed by returns and reviews. the one currently being browsed (upselling).

(h) Adjust your recommendations to keep (m)Use product recommendations to remind the
popular products highlighted and to shopper about upcoming holidays or other
provide additional viewing opportunities special events.
for lower-selling items (20 percent of
your items will provide 80 percent of your
sales).

(i) 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.

(j) Know your visitors. the more

personalization you can add, the better your
results.

37
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

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/Merg
ers_and_acquisitions"
6. https://kinsta.com/blog/ecommerc e-
statistics

38
CHAPTER 6:
QUESTIONNAIRE
Dear Sir / Madam,
Thank you for visiting us. By filling out this 5-10 minute 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.

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

8. For whom are your shopping for?

(a) Friend (d) Colleague
(b) Parent (e) Other
(c) Boss
9. Please rate the below parameters as compared to our competitors.
(a) Website performance (e) Shipping options
(b) Product catalog (f) Payment experience
(c) Product information (g) Online help
 (d) Pricing (h) Overall

10. What led you to visit our website?

37
 (a) Researching product information (d) Know more about the company
(b) Interested in buying products (e) Other
(c) Looking for contact information

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?

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?

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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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