The Computer Revolution/E commerce/B2C
Business to Consumer
[edit | edit source]This business model is where businesses sell merchandise, goods, or services to individuals. These businesses are any of the main types of businesses such as a sole proprietorship, or corporations. The Business to Consumer model was the first type of e-commerce to be used effectively. Almost all .com web sites operate with the business to consumer model.
B2C was one of the first major types of e-commerce business found on the web. Business to Consumer is the most widely recognized form of e-business, B2B is the exchange of information products or services. This takes place between a business and a consumer over the internet. Examples of B2C sites are amazon.com also Walmart.com, BestBuy.com and Ee.com are examples of sites housing a physical location as well (Understanding Computers 13th Edition).
B2C model has a business sell products to customers without customer ever stepping into a store. As such there is some risk with selling items online to customers. Unlike B2B models were there is an established working relation with a trusted business partner, there is far more risk involved in selling to unknown stranger. B2C E-Commerce type web retailers rely on collecting a great deal of information from their potential client prior to purchasing from their store. Even with the increased effort that is required to protect the purchaser and seller it is still far less time-consuming to complete a transaction comparatively to B2B models(J. Carlton Collins, CPA. (n.d.). The Many Flavors of E-Commerce. Accounting Software Advisor . 11-1-2012 retrieved. http://www.accountingsoftwareadvisor.com/ec/ectypes.htm).