Retailer selection and pricing mechanisms in e business context

Abstract

Ab$tmct-The highly competitive communications markets of (he future should encompass mechanisms for enabling uscrs to find and associate with the mort appropriate retailers, i.e.. those uffering at P certain time periud adequate qualily rcrviccs in a cast efficient manncr. This paper presents such mcehanisms. In this context, key factor lor rctailers' success is thc strategy adopted regarding scrvice provision, Since il forms a means of gaining new customers and enhancing existing customcrs' loyalty. Our starting point is the definition of a business case, through which the role of thc hest candidate-retailer Sclcction problem is explained, while thc altcrnative strategies a retailer may adopt undcr different circumstances in ordcr to generate attractive offers are described. The identified components of the best candidate-retailer selcctian prublcm involve the evalualiw of lhe quality of a retailer nffcr, which is concisely defined, mrthcmatically formulated and solved. At thc final Sections results are provided and concluding remarks arc made.