ABSTRACT
By the end of 2014, global business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce sales hit $1.5 trillion, with a predicted growth of about 20 per cent yearly (Emarketers, 2015). More than 80 per cent of the 1.3 billion Internet users worldwide have shopped online and more than 50 per cent have done so more than once (CPC Strategy, 2015). This rapid migration of traditional B2C commerce to the digital environment has changed the way in which consumers search for and purchase products dramatically. While only 20 years ago, most consumers were limited by the assortment of local suppliers, the Internet makes it possible to access products and services from all around the world. Today, consumers order their books on Amazon, search for a new watch on Ebay and have their smartphone delivered from Best Buy. They compare products and prices across countries, platforms and providers and have their purchases shipped to them from around the globe at very low cost. Although the migration of e-commerce to the digital environment certainly oers tremendous opportunities for both businesses and consumers, it also poses considerable challenges.
