Internet Retail Academic Journals

The nature of value created by UK online grocery retailers

Authors: Julia Bevan and Ruth Murphy

Journal Overview

The UK retail environment is extremely competitive, forcing retailers to constantly develop and enhance both their offerings and their formats. Probably the most significant changes taking place are coming from not the products being sold themselves, but rather when, how and where they are being sold. For example, new technologies such as the Internet, CD-ROMs, electronic kiosks and digital television are opening up new opportunities for retailers through remote purchasing and delivery. While a number of large retailers have made heavy investments into electronic retailing, such as Arcadia, Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Sainsbury, it is uncertain how they are going to use this technology to gain competitive or market advantages. The findings of this research suggest that each of the retailers surveyed are similar in terms of the nature of the value they have created for consumers online, these being value-as-convenience and value-as excellence.

For the complete journal, see the link below:

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2004.00373.x

Retail Strategies on the Web: Price and Non–price Competition in the Online Book Industry

Authors: Karen Clay, Ramayya Krishnan, Eric Wolff & Danny Fernandes

Journal Overview

Two conflicting predictions have emerged regarding the effect of low–cost information on price. The first states that all Internet retailers will charge the same low price for mass produced goods. The second states that Internet retailers will differentiate to avoid intense price competition. Using data collected in April 1999 on the prices of 107 books in thirteen online and two physical bookstores, we find similar average prices online and in physical stores and substantial price dispersion online. Analysis of product differentiation yields no clear results. The substantial premium charged by Amazon provides indirect evidence of product differentiation.

For the complete journal, see the link below:

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-6451.2006.00295.x

Internet retail store design: How the user interface influences traffic and sales

Author: Gerald L. Lohse, Peter Spiller

Journal Overview

It is not simply enough for Internet retailers to attract customer to their website through sponsored links, the importance is what takes place when potential customers visit a website, what will keep them on the website long enough to see something that they want to purchase. This journal outlines a key factor that needs to be considered by new Internet retailers and especially existing one’s that are in a competitive environment. This journal clearly identifies has been the necessity of allocating product development resources to interface features that actually improve store traffic and sales. Some of the key features identified include links into the store, hours of promotional ads, number of products, and store navigation features as the independent variables.

http://www.blackwellsynergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.10836101.1999.tb00339.x?prevSearch=allfield%3A%28Internet
+retail%29

Tesco leads UK online grocery

Tesco’s online shopping service has been one of very few grocery e-retailing successes worldwide. With one million users, 85000 orders per week and increasing profits since 2001:

http://www.internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=19627

Author: Ramus and Niels Asger Nielsen

Journal Overview

The research was conducted on seven focus groups in two different geographical areas. (UK and Denmark). It looks at the behaviours, the advantages and disadvantages of e-retailing in the e-grocery retail sector.

Online Grocery Retailing: What do consumers think?

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filename=/published/emeraldfulltextarticle/pdf/1720150306.pdf

Consumer motivations and concerns in online auctions: an exploratory study

Author: Dylan D. CameronAlison Galloway

Journal Overview

This journal looks at the reasons behind the dramatic growth of Internet auction companies such as eBay, exploring into why so many consumers have been motivated to turn to online auctions to purchase and sell goods.

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bsc/jcs/2005/00000029/00000003/art00003