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 :CHAMELI SHAW
CU Registration Number: 014-1211-0442-21
CU Roll no: 211014-11-0088
Name of the College: JOGAMAYA DEVI COLLEGE
College Roll no: 2021-ACCTA-8

SUPERVISED BY
Name of the Supervisor: PROF.PALLAVI DAS
Name of the College: JOGAMAYA DEVI COLLEGE
MONTH AND YEAR OF SUBMISSION

MAY 2024
 Annexure-IA
SUPERVISOR'S CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Ms.Chameli Shaw a student of B.Com. Honours in Accounting &
Finance of JOGAMAYA D E V I C O L L E G E 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 she is submitting,is her genuine and original work to the
best of my knowledge.

Place: Kolkata Signature:

Date: Name: PALLAVI DAS

Designation: SACT IN COMMERCE

Name of the College: JOGAMAYA DEVI COLLEGE

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 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 anyliterature
which has been used for this report has been duly acknowledged providing details of such
literature in the references.

Place: Kolkata Signature:

Date: Name: CHAMELI SHAW
Registration Number: 014-1211-0442-

21

College Roll no: 2021-ACCTA-8

 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
thistask, the group still managed to complete it and we are glad about it.

A special thanks to prof. Pallavi Das 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 , prof. Chadrani Paul for her 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
usfinancially and pay all the cost required to complete this task.

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 09 – 09
1.3 : Difference between E-
commerce & Traditional 10 – 10
commcerce 11 – 11
1.4 : Objectives/Needs 12 – 12
1.5 : Limitiation 13 – 13
1.6 : Features 14 – 14
1.7 : E-commerce & E- 15 – 18
Business 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 scenario 25 – 28
2.3 : International scenario 39 – 30

7. CHAPTER 3: DATA FINDING & ANALYSIS 31 - 35

4. CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION & 36 - 38

RECOMMENDATION
5. CHAPTER 5: BIBLIOGRAPHY 39 - 40

6. CHAPTER 6: QUESTIONNAIRE 41 – 44

5
 CHAPTER 1:

INTRODUCTION
TO E-
COMMERCE

6
 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 tothe
Internet. More recently, with the global spread of smartphones and the accessibility offast
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.

7
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.

8
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 System

Reduce Data Error Doesn’t involve data at multi points. The buyer and seller create
Data goes directly from one computer purchase order on their system
to another Computer without and send it to their trading
involving human being. partner. The receiver/seller then
re‐enter the same information on
the computer, which will create
data error.

Reduce cost Initial cost of E‐commerce is Time is directly linked to saving

very high as compared to the money. There is repetition of
paper process but over a long same work at every level and it
period of time, it is very involves a lot of wastage of time
effective. and if the error is arisen that will
lead to more wastage of money.

Reduce Paper work E‐commerce data in the It requires re‐entry of data at

electronic form make it easy to each level and requires lot of
share it across the time. So the peak time is wasted
organization. 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 format, the data is re‐entered in
complete cycles as the data is to the Sellers’s computer and
entered the system, it is then only processing can take
simultaneously Processed. place which is a time consuming
process.

Reduce labour No need to maintain large Need to maintain a large number

number of employees, instead of employees because one‐third
there arises the need to manage of labour force is employed to
them more efficiently. fulfill orders from customers.

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1.4 : OBJECTIVES OF E COMMERCE
The measures Objectives of E-commerce are as follows:
(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.

(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

11
wider demographic.

12
1.5 : LIMITATIONS OF E-COMMERCE
E commerce provides the following limitations-
(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 ⁸for
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.

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 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.

14
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 activities Focused more on business to business
activities
e‐commerce is an extension of a e‐business is an online business only
traditional business model

15
1.8 : 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.

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.

16
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.

17
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.

18
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.

19
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.

20
1.11 : LITRETURE REVIEW:
(1) Raven etal.(2018): compared india and china’s approaches in adoption of e
commerce business. Based on the literature survey and secondary data the study
analysis various factors influencing the growth of e businesses in the two countries.
The factors examined include government policy and focus. Existing technology
infrastructure regulatory environment experience and understanding of business
operations and culture among others. But india is ahead in e- business.

(2) Malhotra and Singh (2019):studied the determinants of internet banking and option
by banks in India ,panel data of 88 banks in india covering the financial year’s was
collected through CMIE database. Logistics regression analysis was used the
dependent variable is categorical with a value of 1 if a bank adopted internet banking
the study period and otherwise 0.the study is an important contribution to evolving
literature.

(3) Trafdar and Vaidya(2020):examined the factors that determine the organizations
inclination to adopt E-commerce. The study proposes a framework based on the
qualitative data on four financial firms in india collected through multiple case study
design. Face to face interview was used to collect primary data and existing database
company documents pass reports and websites are used to collect secondary data.The
study found that both leadership and organizational features influence E-commerce
adoption.

(4) Viswanthan and Pick(2021):examined the issue of E-commerce in india and

Mexico from the framework of developing countries as suggested by Tall on and
kraemer.the framework includes critical factors that might impact the diffusion of E-
commerce. The factors are government policy legal framework technology
infrastructure relationships with developed economic and extent of E-commerce
usage by individual,corporate and government. The study primary focus is on India.

(5) Dasgupta and Sengupta (2022):paper on E-commerce in Indian insurance industry

discusses the features of e- business in comparison with the traditional offline
insurance services. The authors put fourth that e – insurance in comparison for
customers and benefits such as opportunities to have niche market first mover
21
 advantages products bundling for insurance companies going online further it
discusses that status of E-business in india is still formative stage of e commerce.

But stands to gain particularly from the rural markets. Since firms adopted report

The availability of insurance agents is very less compared to urban markets. Impacts

The study is conceptual in nature and offers insight based on market reports and data

From secondary sources. Firm level data on 1400 medium to large Indians firms for

From 1989 to 1993 was used to test the model. Variables include in the study are no.

Of collaboration, nature of collaboration- foreign otherwise, firm age total sales.

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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 any 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. 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. Meta-
analysis 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.

23
 (3) Determining the data sources
Both primary and secondary data are required in this project report. Secondary
data has been collected from different publications material and
websites as well as the books. Journals, published articles.
existing 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. The different tools used for
analysis are tables and charts graphs and diagram.

(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 report srudy.

(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.

24
 CHAPTER 2:

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
/NATIONAL &
INTERNATIONAL SCENARIO

25
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
onlineshopping 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 havealso
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
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.

26
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 ageit
is the go to place for the Indian youth to find books on topics ranging from fiction to sportsto
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 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.

27
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 deliveryprocess.
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.
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.

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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
proceededto 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.

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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,
hewas 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.

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2.3 : INTERNATIONAL SCENARIO
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 todayhas
the largest revenue in the world, but its beginnings were humble. It was initially notmore
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
quarterof 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.

31
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
shoppingoption.
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 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
sellfashion 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 isa
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 officiallyknown
as Rakuten Viber) to having their logo on FC Barcelona’s jerseys.

32
 CHAPTER 3:

DATA FINDING &

ANALYSIS

33
 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

Over the last few years, e-commerce has become an indispensable part of global retail.
Like many other industries, buying and selling goods has undergone a substantial
transformation following the advent of the internet, and thanks to the ongoing
digitalization of modern life, consumers all over the world now profit from the perks of
online transactions. As global internet access and adoption rapidly increase, with over
five billion internet users worldwide, the number of people making purchases online is
ever-increasing. In 2024, retail e-commerce sales are estimated to exceed 6.3 trillion
U.S. dollars worldwide, and this figure is expected to reach new heights in the coming
years.

34
Internet users can choose from various online platforms to browse, compare, and
purchase items or services they need. While some websites specifically target B2B
(business-to-business) clients, individual consumers are also presented with a vast
number of digital possibilities. As of 2023, online marketplaces account for the largest
share of online purchases worldwide. Leading the global ranking of online retail
websites in terms of traffic is Amazon.

The Seattle-based e-commerce giant that offers e-retail, computing services, consumer
electronics, and digital content registered 6.1 billion direct visits to its .com website in
December 2023. In terms of gross merchandise value (GMV), however, Amazon ranks
third behind Chinese competitors Taobao and Tmall. Both platforms are operated by
the Alibaba Group, the leading online commerce provider in Asia.

35
 2. Mobile E-commerce is up and Poised for Further Growth
Figure 2:

Source: Statista

Figure 2: Data Finding & Analysis

The entire e-commerce business is booming, not just retail sales. With nearly 9%
growth projected for this year, there are plenty of opportunities to dive in. [1] Help your
business stand out from the competition by staying at the forefront of online payment
technologies and creating a website that's easy to navigate and browse.
Selling products online means you're not limited to local consumers. This gives you
nearly unlimited potential for new demographics—and the statistics show companies
are taking advantage. The global e-commerce market is expected to be worth $6.3
trillion this year—up from $5.8 trillion in 2023.[1]

36
 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

37
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.

38
 CHAPTER 4:

CONCLUSION &
RECOMMENDATION

39
 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.

40
 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.

(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.

41
CHAPTER 5:

BIBLIOGRAPHY

42
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS:-
1. Global Electronic Commerce: Theory and Cases, by Chris Westland and Ted Clark,
MIT Press, 1999.
2. E-Business - Roadmap for Success, by Dr.C.S Rayudu ,E -Commerce and Marcia
Robinson, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc,. 1999
3. Electronic Commerce - A Manager's Guide, by D.S. Yadhav . and Andrew B.
Whinston, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., 1997
4. Harari Liat and Dalit Tzafrur. Electronic Commerce.

WEBLIOGRAPHY
1. WWW.Flipkart.com

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

2. www.google.co.in (links and search data)
3. www.investopedia.com
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mergers_and_acquisitions"
5. 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 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
(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

4
(e) Other

4
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

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?

4
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?