Fairs for e-commerce: the benefits of aggregating buyers and sellers

In recent years, many new and interesting models of successful online business have been developed. Many of these are based on the competition between users, such as online auctions, where the product price is not fixed and tends to rise. Other models, including group-buying, are based on cooperation between users, characterized by a dynamic price of the product that tends to go down. There is not yet a business model in which both sellers and buyers are grouped in order to negotiate on a specific product or service. The present study investigates a new extension of the group-buying model, called fair, which allows aggregation of demand and supply for price optimization, in a cooperative manner. Additionally, our system also aggregates products and destinations for shipping optimization. We introduced the following new relevant input parameters in order to implement a double-side aggregation: (a) price-quantity curves provided by the seller; (b) waiting time, that is, the longer buyers wait, the greater discount they get; (c) payment time, which determines if the buyer pays before, during or after receiving the product; (d) the distance between the place where products are available and the place of shipment, provided in advance by the buyer or dynamically suggested by the system. To analyze the proposed model we implemented a system prototype and a simulator that allow to study effects of changing some input parameters. We analyzed the dynamic price model in fairs having one single seller and a combination of selected sellers. The results are very encouraging and motivate further investigation on this topic

O sistema de compras coletivas online: eficácia para os parceiros de negócio

Ao longo dos anos, o Mundo sofreu muitas alterações e o processo de globalização foi inevitável. Neste processo, surge a internet que tem influenciado a criação de novos modelos de negócio, onde é importante seguir, eficaz e eficientemente, estratégias que superem as expetativas dos clientes. Em 2008 emergiu o sistema de compras coletivas online que, no atual contexto económico, pode constituir uma ferramenta de promoção eficaz para os parceiros1 de negócio. Neste contexto, o objetivo do presente estudo é avaliar a perceção da eficácia, detida pelos parceiros, da última campanha promocional realizada, através de empresas de compras coletivas online, bem como analisar as relações com os seus antecedentes, determinantes e consequentes. Tendo por base uma amostra global de 38 parceiros, recorreu-se à análise descritiva, bivariada e construção de modelos de regressão linear, de acordo com as dimensões2 em estudo. Os resultados obtidos evidenciam cinco conclusões. Primeira a intensidade das relações entre os objetivos visados e a eficácia é fraca. Segunda, o comportamento ético influencia de forma positiva a eficácia nas suas três vertentes3. Terceira, as características da campanha relacionam-se com a eficácia global, existindo uma relação fraca com a vertente financeira e inexistente na não financeira. Quarta, o perfil dos sites de compras coletivas online não tem influência sobre a eficácia. Quinta, a eficácia global e a não financeira são um bom precedente da perceção de todos os consequentes, v.g., boca-a-boca, efeitos na imagem, regresso de clientes, retenção de clientes, repetir a promoção e recomendar a promoção, enquanto a financeira não tem influência sobre nenhum consequente.Throughout the years the World has seen many changes, the globalization process was inevitable. In this process the internet arises, influencing the creation of new business models where the main target is to follow, effectively and efficiently, strategies that surpass the clients’ expectations. In 2008 the collective online shopping system emerges, which, in the present economic context may be seen as an effective promotion tool for business partners. With this context in mind, this study intends to evaluate the perception of the effectiveness held by the partners in the last promotion campaign made using collective online shopping system, as well as analyze the relationships with their antecedents, determinants and consequents. Based on a 38 global business partners sample I resorted to descriptive analysis, bivariate and construction of linear regression models, according to the dimensions under study. The results show us five main conclusions. First, the intensity of the relationship between the pursued objectives and the effectiveness is weak. Second, ethical behavior influences positively the effectiveness in its three areas. Third, the characteristics of the promotional campaign relate directly with the overall effectiveness and we can observe a weak relation with the financial aspect and even a non-existing one with the non-financial. Fourth, the collective online shopping sites profile has no influence in the efficiency. Fifth, the overall effectiveness and non-financial are a good precedent for all consequents perception , mouth-to- mouth, image effects , returning customers , customer retention , repeat the promotion and recommend promotion, while the financial has no influence on any consequent