Innovations in the Management of E-Commerce: Analysis of Customer Interactions during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

In the days leading to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, open innovations in the form of the deployment of digital marketing tools in the management portfolio were an option; in a time of forced closing of economies, they suddenly became a necessity. The aim of the comprehensive research, in which the presented study is prepared, is to describe the changes in e-consumer behavior that occurred in the market during the COVID-19 pandemic. The presented study examines the seasonal and regional specifics that characterize the markets of Central and Eastern Europe. In a sample of almost 14,000,000 Facebook users, the user interactions with ten selected representatives of the e-commerce sector were recorded daily during the 2020/2021 Christmas season lasting 49 days. By analyzing the nature and timing of interactions, it was possible to identify the geographical specifics of e-consumer behavior, as well as basic seasonality indicators based on a comparison with the reference period of the first half of 2020. The synthesis of the findings provided a knowledge base for compiling a preliminary version of the model of the COVID-19 pandemic impact on e-consumer behavior. In terms of changes in e-consumer behavior, it can be stated that the step change in e-behavior patterns caused by the pandemic merges with pre-pandemic behavior patterns. In general, it can be stated that the evolutionary process of the transition from offline to online the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be a significant acceleration factor of inevitable changes.

Return to the New Normal: Empirical Analysis of Changes in E-Consumer Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…It is at this point that we have made every effort to minimize these limitations. The efforts were reflected in a study [47] in which we examined the seasonality aspect during the Christmas period of 2020/2021, as well as the geographical specificity of Central Europe (which experienced a relatively long period of major economic downturns caused by COVID-19) and the Baltic market, which, from the point of view of e-commerce players, is dominated by the multinational giants Amazon and eBay. The research confirmed the assumption of considerable regional specificity.…”

“…Despite the high specificity of seasonality or regional specificity, the trends stabilized at the turn of 2020/2021 [47].…”

“…From the point of view of the structure of the study, the following chapters will build on the introduction, which synthesizes and presents the reference resources in chronological order. The theoretical framework was complemented by the results of our research [4,15,32,33,47]. The aim of the synthesis was to define a research problem and formulate research questions.…”

Accessibility challenges of e-commerce websites

“…According to Villa & Monzón (2021) , Pollák, Konečný & Ščeulovs (2021) and Paștiu et al (2020) , COVID-19 has impacted the growth of e-commerce websites; unprecedented worldwide changes are evident in the various forms of consumer habits. Consumer behavior shows an evolutionary shift from offline to online, where e-commerce applications require (1) more accessible designs, (2) greater sustainability, (3) software applications that utilize business intelligence.…”

Innovative Mode of Logistics Management of “Internet of Things + Blockchain”-Integrated E-Commerce Platform

“…China has certain data advantages in the research of logistics management of e-commerce platform, and there are many simulation research methods, including composite logistics simulation, differentiated local simulation, and multiparameter simulation [ 1 ]. In addition, in the process of studying the impact of intelligent network on the logistics management of the e-commerce platform, one of the hot spots is the combination of “Internet of things + blockchain.” From the analysis of the impact of the e-commerce platform on efficiency, in addition to the impact on customers' e-commerce platform usage habits, it also involves the logistics management part [ 2 ]. At the beginning of the 21st century, quantitative analysis methods began to appear in the research on the logistics management of e-commerce platform and the quantitative analysis methods continued to increase.…”