03/19/2003

According to the study, US$ 3.7 billion come from e-commerce among companies (B2B), while US$ 1.4 billion represent the total generated through retail transactions online in the country. (Source: IDG Now)

Commentary: retail is going fine thanks, but B2B transactions are gaining more and more prominence. From 3.7 billion to 1.4 billion, this difference shouldn’t be ignored at the time of realizing the strategic planning of any company. In the United States, of the total of US$557 billion in the movement of e-commerce, close to US$482 billion resulted from B2B transactions. This shows us how the business environment adapts in the new digital area of online relationships.

On the other hand, retail is concentrating more on large sales such as automotive vehicles than on products and services, being that the OCM companies and dealers represent 78.5% of the segment. With these data it is perceived that consumer trust in online transactions has increased considerably compared to the scenario of some years ago.

Buying, the consumption of products via Internet is, more and more, a fact incorporated by internet users (today we have 1.4 million online shoppers compared to 14 million internet users), moving US$373 million and growing each month. As the number of users grows, the sales grow together and for this reason the dissemination of knowledge about the benefits of digital life become so important, be it in the media, be it word of mouth. Acculturation and positive experiences are the name of the game.

In the end, there will be no way to escape from e-commerce, which at the moment functions more as a support to ‘brick and mortar’ stores than on its own. We believe that in the near future, the online sales will represent a good part of the total sales of retailers. And the largest Brazilian retailers have paid attention to this, having seen the performance of Americanas.com, Ponto Frio, Magazine Luiza, among others. Even with the feeling that the human being needs interpersonal relations and physical contact with the product, everything that can be done in a more practical and digitally economic way, will be done. This doesn’t happen nowadays because of the maturity itself of the consumer, specifically the Latino, Brazilian. Nowadays, look, feel, see, try, and become confident still are important steps in the buying process, while the credibility for that which is digital is gaining space slowly upon the intuition of the consumers.

Offering this sense of security at the moment of the online purchase is the great challenge that companies should confront, if they want to grow in their digital markets. And for this it is necessary to understand – communication as an essential element of interface with the human mind, working it to adapt to a new business model, a new way of life.